The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn.

The court declined to hear an appeal by producers of foie gras, including the Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d`Oies du Quebec, a Canadian nonprofit that represents duck and goose farmers. In doing so, the high court left intact a 2017 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the law.

Animal rights groups contend that the force-feeding process is painful, gruesome and inhumane.

California enacted the law in 2004 but it did not go into effect until 2012. The Supreme Court in 2014 rejected an earlier appeal brought by producers and restaurants.

Foie gras means "fatty liver" in French. The product is produced by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, which are harvested to make gourmet dishes.

The law specifically bans any product created by "force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird`s liver beyond a normal size."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn.

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn. The court declined to hear an appeal by producers of foie gras, including the Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d`Oies du Quebec, a Canadian nonprofit that represents duck and goose farmers. In doing so, the high court left intact a 2017 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the law. Animal rights groups contend that the force-feeding process is painful, gruesome and inhumane. California enacted the law in 2004 but it did not go into effect until 2012. The Supreme Court in 2014 rejected an earlier appeal brought by producers and restaurants. Foie gras means "fatty liver" in French. The product is produced by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, which are harvested to make gourmet dishes. The law specifically bans any product created by "force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird`s liver beyond a normal size."

US Supreme Court rejects challenge to California foie gras ban

English football star Wayne Rooney was arrested in December at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. for public intoxication, according to local police.

Rooney, who has played for US soccer team DC United since last year, was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on December 16, on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, the local sheriff's office said.

Rooney, 33, was released later the same day on a personal recognizance bond, said Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

It was not immediately why authorities had delayed details of Rooney's arrest for more than two weeks. Rooney's agent could not be reached immediately for comment. DC United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rooney, England's former captain and all-time top scorer, joined the Major League Soccer club in mid-2018 in a deal that was reportedly worth more than $12 million and made him the highest paid player in DC United's history.

Liverpool-born Rooney was the latest addition to an elite list of former England captains to hop across the Atlantic, following David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

Rooney burst into the consciousness of English soccer when he made his Premier League debut for Everton at age 16.

He joined Manchester United for $35 million in 2004 and stayed there for 13 seasons - winning five English titles, one Champions League, one FA Cup, three League Cups and becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals.

English football star Wayne Rooney was arrested in December at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. for public intoxication, according to local police. Rooney, who has played for US soccer team DC United since last year, was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on December 16, on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, the local sheriff's office said.

English football star Wayne Rooney was arrested in December at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. for public intoxication, according to local police. Rooney, who has played for US soccer team DC United since last year, was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on December 16, on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, the local sheriff's office said. Rooney, 33, was released later the same day on a personal recognizance bond, said Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. It was not immediately why authorities had delayed details of Rooney's arrest for more than two weeks. Rooney's agent could not be reached immediately for comment. DC United did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rooney, England's former captain and all-time top scorer, joined the Major League Soccer club in mid-2018 in a deal that was reportedly worth more than $12 million and made him the highest paid player in DC United's history. Liverpool-born Rooney was the latest addition to an elite list of former England captains to hop across the Atlantic, following David Beckham and Steven Gerrard. Rooney burst into the consciousness of English soccer when he made his Premier League debut for Everton at age 16. He joined Manchester United for $35 million in 2004 and stayed there for 13 seasons - winning five English titles, one Champions League, one FA Cup, three League Cups and becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals.

England football star Wayne Rooney arrested in US for public intoxication

Tesla Inc on Monday will break ground for its Shanghai Gigafactory where it will begin making Model 3 electric vehicles (EV) by year-end, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-and-his-social-media-debacles-in-2018-186779">Chief Executive Elon Musk</a> tweeted ahead of the formal start of construction of the firm's first Chinese plant.

The $2 billion factory - long under discussion - marks a major bet by the US electric vehicle maker as it looks to bolster its presence in the world's biggest auto market, where it faces rising competition from a swathe of domestic rivals and its sales have been hit by increased tariffs on US imports.

"Looking forward to breaking ground on the @Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory today!" Musk wrote in a post on Twitter.

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Looking forward to breaking ground on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Tesla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tesla</a> Shanghai Gigafactory today!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1082103637990625281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Musk has said previously he would attend the event in Shanghai. Tesla officials in China declined to comment.

The carmaker, which currently imports US-made vehicles to sell in China, is building the plant in an auto market that is set to contract this year for the first time in decades, though so-called new-energy vehicle (NEV) sales have been strong.

China raised the import tariff on US-made cars to 40 per cent in July, but cut it back to 15 per cent from the start of this year as part of a ceasefire in a trade war with the United States. The lower tariff will last until the end of March pending trade talks.

A local plant will help Tesla lower prices in the market to compete with a new generation of local rivals including Nio Inc, Byton and XPeng Motors.

"Affordable cars must be made on same continent as customers," Musk said in another tweet.

"Shanghai Giga will produce affordable versions of 3/Y for greater China. All Model S/X &amp; higher cost versions of Model 3/Y will still be built in US for WW market, incl China," he later added, referring to the worldwide market including China.

Alan Kang, a Shanghai-based analyst for consultancy LMC Automotive, said: "Tesla's sales (in China) have dropped over the past few months because of high price caused by the tariffs. And the competition is getting more and more fierce."

"With the construction of the Shanghai factory, the faster the better (for Tesla)," Kang said.

CONSTRUCTION TARGETS

Tesla has been pushing forward its plans for the plant after it secured the site in October, hiring staff, starting procurement for building materials and setting up a financial leasing company in the city.

The so-called Gigafactory would also be China's first wholly foreign-owned car plant, a reflection of China's broader shift to open up its car market even amid the whipsawing trade war.

Tesla plans to produce its Model 3 and Model Y cars in the initial phase of production at the Shanghai plant, with an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles.

"Aiming to finish initial construction this summer, start Model 3 production end of year &amp; reach high volume production next year," Musk wrote in a separate post on Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Aiming to finish initial construction this summer, start Model 3 production end of year &amp; reach high volume production next year
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1082116267568377857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Shanghai Giga production of Model 3/Y will serve greater China region," Musk added in another one.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Shanghai Giga production of Model 3/Y will serve greater China region
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1082118212546953216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Shares in Chinese suppliers to Tesla, including Tianjin Motor Dies Co Ltd and VT Industrial Technology Co Ltd, rallied on Monday after Musk's comments.

The Shanghai government last month said mayor Ying Yong had visited the site and urged Tesla to "accelerate" work on the factory. He said production would start to some degree in the second half of 2019.

China is the largest market for electric vehicles, and most forecasters predict EV sales in the country will accelerate rapidly as the government drives toward a goal of 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2030. 
&nbsp;

A local plant will help Tesla lower prices in the market to compete with a new generation of local rivals including Nio Inc, Byton and XPeng Motors.

Tesla Inc on Monday will break ground for its Shanghai Gigafactory where it will begin making Model 3 electric vehicles (EV) by year-end, Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted ahead of the formal start of construction of the firm's first Chinese plant. The $2 billion factory - long under discussion - marks a major bet by the US electric vehicle maker as it looks to bolster its presence in the world's biggest auto market, where it faces rising competition from a swathe of domestic rivals and its sales have been hit by increased tariffs on US imports. "Looking forward to breaking ground on the @Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory today!" Musk wrote in a post on Twitter. Looking forward to breaking ground on the @Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory today! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2019 × Musk has said previously he would attend the event in Shanghai. Tesla officials in China declined to comment. The carmaker, which currently imports US-made vehicles to sell in China, is building the plant in an auto market that is set to contract this year for the first time in decades, though so-called new-energy vehicle (NEV) sales have been strong. China raised the import tariff on US-made cars to 40 per cent in July, but cut it back to 15 per cent from the start of this year as part of a ceasefire in a trade war with the United States. The lower tariff will last until the end of March pending trade talks. A local plant will help Tesla lower prices in the market to compete with a new generation of local rivals including Nio Inc, Byton and XPeng Motors. "Affordable cars must be made on same continent as customers," Musk said in another tweet. "Shanghai Giga will produce affordable versions of 3/Y for greater China. All Model S/X & higher cost versions of Model 3/Y will still be built in US for WW market, incl China," he later added, referring to the worldwide market including China. Alan Kang, a Shanghai-based analyst for consultancy LMC Automotive, said: "Tesla's sales (in China) have dropped over the past few months because of high price caused by the tariffs. And the competition is getting more and more fierce." "With the construction of the Shanghai factory, the faster the better (for Tesla)," Kang said. CONSTRUCTION TARGETS Tesla has been pushing forward its plans for the plant after it secured the site in October, hiring staff, starting procurement for building materials and setting up a financial leasing company in the city. The so-called Gigafactory would also be China's first wholly foreign-owned car plant, a reflection of China's broader shift to open up its car market even amid the whipsawing trade war. Tesla plans to produce its Model 3 and Model Y cars in the initial phase of production at the Shanghai plant, with an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles. "Aiming to finish initial construction this summer, start Model 3 production end of year & reach high volume production next year," Musk wrote in a separate post on Twitter. Aiming to finish initial construction this summer, start Model 3 production end of year & reach high volume production next year — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2019 × "Shanghai Giga production of Model 3/Y will serve greater China region," Musk added in another one. Shanghai Giga production of Model 3/Y will serve greater China region — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2019 × Shares in Chinese suppliers to Tesla, including Tianjin Motor Dies Co Ltd and VT Industrial Technology Co Ltd, rallied on Monday after Musk's comments. The Shanghai government last month said mayor Ying Yong had visited the site and urged Tesla to "accelerate" work on the factory. He said production would start to some degree in the second half of 2019. China is the largest market for electric vehicles, and most forecasters predict EV sales in the country will accelerate rapidly as the government drives toward a goal of 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2030.

Tesla CEO Musk says to break ground on Shanghai Gigafactory today

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-marked-another-bloody-year-in-syria-187022">Syrian</a> government and urged them to revisit their decision.

"We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him."

The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”.

The brutal all-out war in Syria is now <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-arab-countries-embracing-syrian-again-is-countrys-isolation-over-188046">coming to an end</a>. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region.&nbsp;

Syria fell into a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/opinions/international-community-has-failed-syria-167928&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsnbKlvMLfAhUKsI8KHaviDoUQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0LihMYnQQnV8TUmMHDGua-">civil war</a>&nbsp;in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government.

The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring.

The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it.

Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians.

(With inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision.

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision. "We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him." The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”. The brutal all-out war in Syria is now coming to an end. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region. Syria fell into a civil war in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government. The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring. The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it. Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians. (With inputs from Reuters)

Syrian opposition says surprised by countries reconciling with Assad

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there.

In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said the first of about 80 military personnel arrived in Gabon on Wednesday in case they are needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic facilities in Congo`s capital Kinshasa.

He said they "will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed."

Trump said additional forces may deploy to Gabon "if necessary."

Congo's electoral commission is scheduled to release provisional results of the presidential election on Sunday, but it has said there could be delays because of the slow arrival of tally sheets.

Observers and the opposition say the election was marred by serious irregularities. Congo`s government says the election was fair and went smoothly.

President Joseph Kabila`s ruling coalition is backing his hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.

The international community has raised concerns that a disputed result could cause unrest, as was the case after the 2006 and 2011 elections.

On Thursday, the US State Department called on the electoral commission to ensure votes were accurately counted and threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermined the process or threatened peace and stability in the country.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there. In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said the first of about 80 military personnel arrived in Gabon on Wednesday in case they are needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic facilities in Congo`s capital Kinshasa. He said they "will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed." Trump said additional forces may deploy to Gabon "if necessary." Congo's electoral commission is scheduled to release provisional results of the presidential election on Sunday, but it has said there could be delays because of the slow arrival of tally sheets. Observers and the opposition say the election was marred by serious irregularities. Congo`s government says the election was fair and went smoothly. President Joseph Kabila`s ruling coalition is backing his hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. The international community has raised concerns that a disputed result could cause unrest, as was the case after the 2006 and 2011 elections. On Thursday, the US State Department called on the electoral commission to ensure votes were accurately counted and threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermined the process or threatened peace and stability in the country.

Fearing Congo violence, US deploys small military force to Gabon

The new Democratic majority in the US House of Representatives is quietly planning behind the scenes for a series of investigations of Republican President Donald Trump, but no immediate flurry of subpoenas materialized as some Democrats had hoped.

Democratic leaders began their new era of control with caution, reflecting their persistent concern that acting too quickly to press investigations of Trump`s ties with Russia or his personal tax records may be perceived as overreach and cause a backlash in the next election cycle.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rolled out legislative proposals on Friday, including one to require presidential candidates to disclose publicly 10 years worth of tax returns, a direct response to Trump`s refusal to release his.

Such caution contrasted with urgent demands from newer members of the House Democratic caucus, which took majority control on Thursday, for tough, swift action.

Representative Rashida Tlaib was filmed late on Thursday at a reception saying that Democrats were going to try to remove Trump from office, telling the crowd, "We`re going to impeach that motherfucker."

Her remark drew rebukes from Republicans and Democrats.

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise said: "Pelosi`s got her first test and it happened on day one. How is she going to stand up to the most radical left elements of her party when they become unhinged?"

During a White House news conference, Trump said Tlaib`s comment was a "dishonor to herself and to her family." Trump had earlier tweeted that Democrats were discussing impeachment because they feared running against him in the 2020 election, when he will seek a second four-year term.

"Everybody has got their own style, it ain't mine," House Majority Whip James Clyburn told reporters, referring to Tlaib. "I don`t believe we ought to be talking about impeachment until we get this country back on track."

Tlaib defended her comments in an interview with a Detroit television station on Friday. "It`s probably exactly how my grandmother, if she was alive, would say it," she told NBC-affiliate WDIV.

"I stand by impeaching the president of the United States," Tlaib said. "I ran on that."

Close scrutiny

Whether or not impeachment proceedings follow, Democrats have been firm that they will closely scrutinize Trump, his business interests and the first two years of his presidency.

Trump`s time in the White House so far has been clouded by a US special counsel`s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible coordination between Moscow officials and the Trump campaign.

Democrats also charge that several of Trump`s top aides and cabinet officials have violated legal and ethical standards - a subject they believe is ripe for investigation.

&nbsp;"President Trump set the tone from the top of his administration that behaving ethically and complying the law is optional, ladies and gentleman, I stopped by here to say we`re better than that. It will not be optional," Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings told a room of cheering staffers, offering a hint of what could be to come.&nbsp;

Adam Schiff, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee circulated a memo in early 2018 that is now seen as a blueprint for the Democrats` investigative agenda.

Schiff maintains that committee Republicans prematurely abandoned their inquiry into Russian interference. Moscow denies meddling in the election and Trump denies collusion.&nbsp;

For instance, committee Republicans "refused" to interview White House officials Stephen Miller and Kellyanne Conway, former Trump White House aides Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer and private Trump advisors Allen Weisselberg and Alan Garten, the Schiff memo said, providing a list of possible witnesses that could be called by Democrats.

Documents about Trump deals and finances from Deutsche Bank, should be obtained "via subpoena if necessary," the memo said.

The new Democratic majority in the US House of Representatives is quietly planning behind the scenes for a series of investigations of Republican President Donald Trump, but no immediate flurry of subpoenas materialized as some Democrats had hoped.

The new Democratic majority in the US House of Representatives is quietly planning behind the scenes for a series of investigations of Republican President Donald Trump, but no immediate flurry of subpoenas materialized as some Democrats had hoped. Democratic leaders began their new era of control with caution, reflecting their persistent concern that acting too quickly to press investigations of Trump`s ties with Russia or his personal tax records may be perceived as overreach and cause a backlash in the next election cycle. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rolled out legislative proposals on Friday, including one to require presidential candidates to disclose publicly 10 years worth of tax returns, a direct response to Trump`s refusal to release his. Such caution contrasted with urgent demands from newer members of the House Democratic caucus, which took majority control on Thursday, for tough, swift action. Representative Rashida Tlaib was filmed late on Thursday at a reception saying that Democrats were going to try to remove Trump from office, telling the crowd, "We`re going to impeach that motherfucker." Her remark drew rebukes from Republicans and Democrats. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise said: "Pelosi`s got her first test and it happened on day one. How is she going to stand up to the most radical left elements of her party when they become unhinged?" During a White House news conference, Trump said Tlaib`s comment was a "dishonor to herself and to her family." Trump had earlier tweeted that Democrats were discussing impeachment because they feared running against him in the 2020 election, when he will seek a second four-year term. "Everybody has got their own style, it ain't mine," House Majority Whip James Clyburn told reporters, referring to Tlaib. "I don`t believe we ought to be talking about impeachment until we get this country back on track." Tlaib defended her comments in an interview with a Detroit television station on Friday. "It`s probably exactly how my grandmother, if she was alive, would say it," she told NBC-affiliate WDIV. "I stand by impeaching the president of the United States," Tlaib said. "I ran on that." Close scrutiny Whether or not impeachment proceedings follow, Democrats have been firm that they will closely scrutinize Trump, his business interests and the first two years of his presidency. Trump`s time in the White House so far has been clouded by a US special counsel`s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible coordination between Moscow officials and the Trump campaign. Democrats also charge that several of Trump`s top aides and cabinet officials have violated legal and ethical standards - a subject they believe is ripe for investigation. "President Trump set the tone from the top of his administration that behaving ethically and complying the law is optional, ladies and gentleman, I stopped by here to say we`re better than that. It will not be optional," Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings told a room of cheering staffers, offering a hint of what could be to come. Adam Schiff, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee circulated a memo in early 2018 that is now seen as a blueprint for the Democrats` investigative agenda. Schiff maintains that committee Republicans prematurely abandoned their inquiry into Russian interference. Moscow denies meddling in the election and Trump denies collusion. For instance, committee Republicans "refused" to interview White House officials Stephen Miller and Kellyanne Conway, former Trump White House aides Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer and private Trump advisors Allen Weisselberg and Alan Garten, the Schiff memo said, providing a list of possible witnesses that could be called by Democrats. Documents about Trump deals and finances from Deutsche Bank, should be obtained "via subpoena if necessary," the memo said.

Newly powerful US House Democrats hold off on Trump subpoena flurry

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-refuses-to-sign-us-government-shutdown-legislation-over-mexico-wall-funding-185571">shutdown of the US government</a> as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border.&nbsp;

After Democratic congressional leaders turned Trump down at a meeting in the White House Situation Room, the Republican president threatened to take the controversial step of using emergency powers to build the wall without approval from Congress.

Trump is withholding his support for a bill that would fully fund the government until he secures the money for the wall. As a result around 800,000 public workers have been unpaid, with about a quarter of the federal government closed for two weeks.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had told Trump during the meeting to end the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-approves-bill-to-avert-government-shutdown-excludes-mexico-border-wall-funding-185405">shutdown</a>. "He resisted," Schumer said. "In fact, he said he`d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years."

Trump confirmed that comment but painted a more positive picture of the meeting, the first since a new era of divided government began when Democrats took control of the House of Representatives on Thursday.&nbsp;

"We had a very, very productive meeting, and we`ve come a long way," Trump said.

According to a source familiar with the White House discussion, Trump opened the meeting with a speech that lasted at least 15 minutes in which he insisted on the need for $5.6 billion for a border wall.

The source also said Trump brought up recent impeachment threats during those remarks, arguing that he had notched a strong performance as president and should not be a target for impeachment.

National emergency?

Raising the stakes in his tussle with the newly emboldened Democrats, Trump threatened extraordinary measures to build the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States.

Asked by a reporter whether he had considered declaring a national emergency to build the wall, Trump said: "Yes, I have ... I may do it ... we can call a national emergency and build it very quickly."

He said he could declare a national emergency "because of the security of our country, absolutely."

Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the comments, saying in a statement, "Declaring a trumped-up national emergency in order to skirt congressional approval is wrong."&nbsp;

The US Constitution assigns Congress the power over funding the federal government so Trump likely would face legal challenges if he tried to bypass Congress on financing the wall. Building a wall - and having Mexico pay for it - was one of Trump`s main promises when he ran for president in 2016.

Trump's wall project is estimated to cost about $23 billion.

Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and medieval.

Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected Democratic speaker of the House, said Friday's meeting with Trump was "sometimes contentious" but that they agreed to continue talking.

"But we recognise on the Democratic side that we really cannot resolve this until we open up government and we made that very clear to the president," she said.&nbsp;

Credit rating agency Moody`s says the shutdown will cause minimal US economic and credit market disruption but there could be a more severe impact on financial markets and the broad economy if the closure is protracted.

A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last week showed that 50 per cent of the public blame Trump for the shutdown and 7 per cent blame Republican lawmakers, while 32 per cent blame Democrats.

In a December 11 meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut the government over the security issue and would not blame Democrats. He has since said they are responsible.&nbsp;

White House officials and congressional staffers will meet at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Saturday to try to end the impasse, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Trump had named Vice President Mike Pence, senior aide Jared Kushner and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to work over the weekend.

The partial shutdown is straining the country`s immigration system, worsening backlogs in courts and complicating hiring for employers.

Federal agencies such as the Justice Department, Commerce Department and departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior and Treasury have been hit by the shutdown.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal, a Democrat, asked the Internal Revenue Service in a letter on Friday to explain the possible effects of the shutdown on the upcoming tax filing season for millions of Americans.

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial shutdown of the US government as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border.

President Donald Trump and senior Democrats failed to strike a deal in talks on Friday to end a partial shutdown of the US government as they again fought over Trump`s request for over $5 billion to fund his signature wall on the Mexican border. After Democratic congressional leaders turned Trump down at a meeting in the White House Situation Room, the Republican president threatened to take the controversial step of using emergency powers to build the wall without approval from Congress. Trump is withholding his support for a bill that would fully fund the government until he secures the money for the wall. As a result around 800,000 public workers have been unpaid, with about a quarter of the federal government closed for two weeks. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had told Trump during the meeting to end the shutdown. "He resisted," Schumer said. "In fact, he said he`d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years." Trump confirmed that comment but painted a more positive picture of the meeting, the first since a new era of divided government began when Democrats took control of the House of Representatives on Thursday. "We had a very, very productive meeting, and we`ve come a long way," Trump said. According to a source familiar with the White House discussion, Trump opened the meeting with a speech that lasted at least 15 minutes in which he insisted on the need for $5.6 billion for a border wall. The source also said Trump brought up recent impeachment threats during those remarks, arguing that he had notched a strong performance as president and should not be a target for impeachment. National emergency? Raising the stakes in his tussle with the newly emboldened Democrats, Trump threatened extraordinary measures to build the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States. Asked by a reporter whether he had considered declaring a national emergency to build the wall, Trump said: "Yes, I have ... I may do it ... we can call a national emergency and build it very quickly." He said he could declare a national emergency "because of the security of our country, absolutely." Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the comments, saying in a statement, "Declaring a trumped-up national emergency in order to skirt congressional approval is wrong." The US Constitution assigns Congress the power over funding the federal government so Trump likely would face legal challenges if he tried to bypass Congress on financing the wall. Building a wall - and having Mexico pay for it - was one of Trump`s main promises when he ran for president in 2016. Trump's wall project is estimated to cost about $23 billion. Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and medieval. Nancy Pelosi, the newly elected Democratic speaker of the House, said Friday's meeting with Trump was "sometimes contentious" but that they agreed to continue talking. "But we recognise on the Democratic side that we really cannot resolve this until we open up government and we made that very clear to the president," she said. Credit rating agency Moody`s says the shutdown will cause minimal US economic and credit market disruption but there could be a more severe impact on financial markets and the broad economy if the closure is protracted. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last week showed that 50 per cent of the public blame Trump for the shutdown and 7 per cent blame Republican lawmakers, while 32 per cent blame Democrats. In a December 11 meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut the government over the security issue and would not blame Democrats. He has since said they are responsible. White House officials and congressional staffers will meet at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Saturday to try to end the impasse, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Trump had named Vice President Mike Pence, senior aide Jared Kushner and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to work over the weekend. The partial shutdown is straining the country`s immigration system, worsening backlogs in courts and complicating hiring for employers. Federal agencies such as the Justice Department, Commerce Department and departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior and Treasury have been hit by the shutdown. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal, a Democrat, asked the Internal Revenue Service in a letter on Friday to explain the possible effects of the shutdown on the upcoming tax filing season for millions of Americans.

US shutdown talks falter, Trump threatens emergency powers

US warns Iran against its upcoming space launches

The US military will this year conduct its first-ever missile drill around the Japanese island of Okinawa, according to a report Thursday, as Washington seeks to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The US military has told its Japanese counterpart it plans to deploy surface-to-ship missiles in the strategically important Okinawa this year for the first such drill by Japan's key ally, the Sankei Shimbun reported, without citing sources.

The drill would involve a mobile rocket launcher seen as a counter-measure to potential attacks from Chinese surface-to-sea ballistic missiles, the paper said.

In recent years, Chinese warships have frequently sailed through waters near Okinawa, where the majority of US troops in Japan are based.

Experts say China's increasingly active maritime activities are part of a plan to establish control of waters within the so-called "first island chain" that links Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Some analysts believe Beijing seeks to end US military dominance in the western Pacific by exerting control of the second island chain that links Japan's southern Ogasawara island chain, the US territory of Guam, and Indonesia.

China's rapid military build-up has unnerved Asian neighbours, with Japan's defence chief last year saying China had been "unilaterally escalating" its military activities in the previous year.

Beijing insists the activities are for self defence.

Despite increasing military rivalry, the US and China are each other's largest trading partners and China is one of largest holders of US national debt.

A massive bilateral trade imbalance has however caused frictions between the world's top two&nbsp; economies, with Washington and Beijing imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods in total two-way trade last year.

The US military will this year conduct its first-ever missile drill around the Japanese island of Okinawa, according to a report Thursday, as Washington seeks to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The US military will this year conduct its first-ever missile drill around the Japanese island of Okinawa, according to a report Thursday, as Washington seeks to counter an increasingly assertive China. The US military has told its Japanese counterpart it plans to deploy surface-to-ship missiles in the strategically important Okinawa this year for the first such drill by Japan's key ally, the Sankei Shimbun reported, without citing sources. The drill would involve a mobile rocket launcher seen as a counter-measure to potential attacks from Chinese surface-to-sea ballistic missiles, the paper said. In recent years, Chinese warships have frequently sailed through waters near Okinawa, where the majority of US troops in Japan are based. Experts say China's increasingly active maritime activities are part of a plan to establish control of waters within the so-called "first island chain" that links Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines. Some analysts believe Beijing seeks to end US military dominance in the western Pacific by exerting control of the second island chain that links Japan's southern Ogasawara island chain, the US territory of Guam, and Indonesia. China's rapid military build-up has unnerved Asian neighbours, with Japan's defence chief last year saying China had been "unilaterally escalating" its military activities in the previous year. Beijing insists the activities are for self defence. Despite increasing military rivalry, the US and China are each other's largest trading partners and China is one of largest holders of US national debt. A massive bilateral trade imbalance has however caused frictions between the world's top two economies, with Washington and Beijing imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods in total two-way trade last year.

Eyeing China, US to hold missile drill in Japan's Okinawa: Report

The Interpol has once again refused to issue an arrest warrant against Pakistan's former envoy to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-a-democracy-in-name-not-in-reality-husain-haqqani-185006">United States Husain Haqqani</a>, who is wanted by the country's Supreme Court in connection with cases of treason and embezzlement of funds.

The Supreme Court had issued warrants to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bomb-attack-on-hideout-of-haqqani-militants-kills-three-in-pakistan-178828">produce Haqqani</a>, a prominent critic of Pakistan's military, before it in January last year, but the Interpol had refused to issue an arrest warrant against him in April last.

Following, Pakistani authorities once again approached the Interpol, but again they refused to act against the dissident ex-Pakistani envoy.

According to Interpol, it has responded to Pakistan's warrants by pointing out that criminal charges have been initiated against Haqqani seven years after he resigned as ambassador and after an earlier rejection of political charges.&nbsp;

That still reflects political motives, it said.&nbsp;

The government of Pakistan is now considering asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the US government for Haqqani's extradition after the second refusal by the Interpol.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Monday held an in-camera hearing of the case so that the embarrassment of international rejection of its warrants is not reported, sources familiar with the matter said.

Pakistani authorities have so far not approached US authorities directly but if they do, according to US legal experts, there is no legal basis for the former envoy's extradition.&nbsp;

When contacted in Washington DC, Haqqani said he has always been confident that false charges will not hold up outside of Pakistan.

"This entire matter has only been for the benefit of Pakistani media from day one and is part of the effort to persecute and harass dissidents," he added.&nbsp;

Haqqani also said the attitude of Pakistani authorities towards him was against the international norms.

"Governments normally do not hound former ambassadors just because they disagree with their policies," he said, adding that the harassment would not silence him.

The government of Pakistan is now considering asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the US government for Husain Haqqani's extradition after the second refusal by the Interpol.

The Interpol has once again refused to issue an arrest warrant against Pakistan's former envoy to the United States Husain Haqqani, who is wanted by the country's Supreme Court in connection with cases of treason and embezzlement of funds. The Supreme Court had issued warrants to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce Haqqani, a prominent critic of Pakistan's military, before it in January last year, but the Interpol had refused to issue an arrest warrant against him in April last. Following, Pakistani authorities once again approached the Interpol, but again they refused to act against the dissident ex-Pakistani envoy. According to Interpol, it has responded to Pakistan's warrants by pointing out that criminal charges have been initiated against Haqqani seven years after he resigned as ambassador and after an earlier rejection of political charges. That still reflects political motives, it said. The government of Pakistan is now considering asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the US government for Haqqani's extradition after the second refusal by the Interpol. Supreme Court Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Monday held an in-camera hearing of the case so that the embarrassment of international rejection of its warrants is not reported, sources familiar with the matter said. Pakistani authorities have so far not approached US authorities directly but if they do, according to US legal experts, there is no legal basis for the former envoy's extradition. When contacted in Washington DC, Haqqani said he has always been confident that false charges will not hold up outside of Pakistan. "This entire matter has only been for the benefit of Pakistani media from day one and is part of the effort to persecute and harass dissidents," he added. Haqqani also said the attitude of Pakistani authorities towards him was against the international norms. "Governments normally do not hound former ambassadors just because they disagree with their policies," he said, adding that the harassment would not silence him.

Interpol turns down Pakistan's demand of action against ex-envoy Husain Haqqani

Western powers on Tuesday condemned election day violence in Bangladesh and described a range of other irregularities that marred a vote in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance secured more than 90 per cent of parliamentary seats.

The strongly-worded assessments from the UK, European Union, and the United States could hit the image of Hasina, who won a third straight term to power following Sunday's election.

Hasina's opponents have rejected the election result, citing what they describe as widespread rigging and voter intimidation. She has denied impropriety, calling it a peaceful vote that saw enthusiastic participation from her supporters.

The capital Dhaka was quiet on Tuesday, but the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said its workers were being attacked in several areas elsewhere in the country by activists of the Awami League - charges the party denied.

"Violence has marred the election day, and significant obstacles to a level playing field remained in place throughout the process and have tainted the electoral campaign and the vote," the EU said in a statement, calling for "a proper examination of allegations of irregularities".

The United States, Bangladesh’s largest foreign investor, expressed concern about "credible reports of harassment, intimidation, and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely."

"We are also concerned that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, which undermined faith in the electoral process," it said.

The UK's Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field echoed the concerns, saying he was "aware of credible accounts of obstacles, including arrests, that constrained or prevented campaigning by opposition parties. "I urge a full, credible and transparent resolution of all complaints related to the conduct of the elections," he said.

Police say at least 17 people were killed in election day clashes between supporters and opponents of Hasina's Awami League. The two sides, which have competed for power often violently for decades, traded blame for the election day unrest.

Opposition BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said he was collecting reports of rigging to submit to the Election Commission to demand a fresh vote. The commission already rejected that plea, but Islam said: “What is our alternative?”

Journalist arrested

One journalist was arrested and another was on the run after a local government official filed a case against them for publishing "false information" about election irregularities, under new law journalists say could be used to stifle dissent.

Hedayet Hussain Mollah and Rashidul Islam published reports saying more votes had been cast at one constituency in the southeastern Khulna region than the total number of registered voters there.

They were accused under the Digital Security Act enacted in September. Mollah was picked up by police on Tuesday afternoon while Islam was on the run, police said.

"This is false information that was made intentionally to make the election result look questionable and controversial," a police report said.

The deadly clashes on a voting day marked the end of a violent campaign. The opposition said its workers faced arbitrary arrests and candidates were attacked by ruling party activists. The ruling party denied being behind any violence.

“People have shared experiences of being physically assaulted and manhandled at polling stations,” said Saad Hammadi, Amnesty International's regional campaigner for South Asia, calling for an impartial probe into incidents of violence.

Hasina, whose father, state founder Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in a coup in 1975, has alternated in and out of power for nearly three decades with her main rival, BNP leader Zia Khaleda. Khaleda was jailed in February for corruption.

The strongly-worded assessments from the UK, European Union, and the United States could hit the image of Hasina, who won a third straight term to power following Sunday's election.

Western powers on Tuesday condemned election day violence in Bangladesh and described a range of other irregularities that marred a vote in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance secured more than 90 per cent of parliamentary seats. The strongly-worded assessments from the UK, European Union, and the United States could hit the image of Hasina, who won a third straight term to power following Sunday's election. Hasina's opponents have rejected the election result, citing what they describe as widespread rigging and voter intimidation. She has denied impropriety, calling it a peaceful vote that saw enthusiastic participation from her supporters. The capital Dhaka was quiet on Tuesday, but the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said its workers were being attacked in several areas elsewhere in the country by activists of the Awami League - charges the party denied. "Violence has marred the election day, and significant obstacles to a level playing field remained in place throughout the process and have tainted the electoral campaign and the vote," the EU said in a statement, calling for "a proper examination of allegations of irregularities". The United States, Bangladesh’s largest foreign investor, expressed concern about "credible reports of harassment, intimidation, and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely." "We are also concerned that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, which undermined faith in the electoral process," it said. The UK's Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field echoed the concerns, saying he was "aware of credible accounts of obstacles, including arrests, that constrained or prevented campaigning by opposition parties. "I urge a full, credible and transparent resolution of all complaints related to the conduct of the elections," he said. Police say at least 17 people were killed in election day clashes between supporters and opponents of Hasina's Awami League. The two sides, which have competed for power often violently for decades, traded blame for the election day unrest. Opposition BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said he was collecting reports of rigging to submit to the Election Commission to demand a fresh vote. The commission already rejected that plea, but Islam said: “What is our alternative?” Journalist arrested One journalist was arrested and another was on the run after a local government official filed a case against them for publishing "false information" about election irregularities, under new law journalists say could be used to stifle dissent. Hedayet Hussain Mollah and Rashidul Islam published reports saying more votes had been cast at one constituency in the southeastern Khulna region than the total number of registered voters there. They were accused under the Digital Security Act enacted in September. Mollah was picked up by police on Tuesday afternoon while Islam was on the run, police said. "This is false information that was made intentionally to make the election result look questionable and controversial," a police report said. The deadly clashes on a voting day marked the end of a violent campaign. The opposition said its workers faced arbitrary arrests and candidates were attacked by ruling party activists. The ruling party denied being behind any violence. “People have shared experiences of being physically assaulted and manhandled at polling stations,” said Saad Hammadi, Amnesty International's regional campaigner for South Asia, calling for an impartial probe into incidents of violence. Hasina, whose father, state founder Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in a coup in 1975, has alternated in and out of power for nearly three decades with her main rival, BNP leader Zia Khaleda. Khaleda was jailed in February for corruption.

Western powers call for probe into Bangladesh election irregularities, violence

The United States is demanding the immediate return of a retired US Marine detained by Russia on spying charges and wants an explanation on why he was arrested, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-says-cooperation-with-israel-over-syria-and-iran-to-continue-187786">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a> said on Wednesday.

Speaking in Brasilia the day after<a href="http://13.232.42.114/world/2018-gave-brazil-a-far-right-president-jair-bolsonaro-185048"> Brazil's new president Jair Bolsonaro </a>was inaugurated, Pompeo said the US government hoped to gain consular access to Paul Whelan within the next few hours following his arrest in Moscow.

Pompeo&nbsp;also discussed Venezuela with Brazil's new right-wing government on Wednesday in the context of what he termed a joint-front against authoritarian regimes in Latin America.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Brazil's new Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;named Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua as countries that do not have shared democratic values.

"We have an opportunity to work alongside each other against authoritarian regimes," he said of U.S.-Brazil relations.

The United States is demanding the immediate return of Paul Whelan who was detained by Russia on spying charges and wants an explanation, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The United States is demanding the immediate return of a retired US Marine detained by Russia on spying charges and wants an explanation on why he was arrested, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday. Speaking in Brasilia the day after Brazil's new president Jair Bolsonaro was inaugurated, Pompeo said the US government hoped to gain consular access to Paul Whelan within the next few hours following his arrest in Moscow. Pompeo also discussed Venezuela with Brazil's new right-wing government on Wednesday in the context of what he termed a joint-front against authoritarian regimes in Latin America. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Brazil's new Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Pompeo named Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua as countries that do not have shared democratic values. "We have an opportunity to work alongside each other against authoritarian regimes," he said of U.S.-Brazil relations.

US demands immediate return of ex-Marine detained in Russia on spy charges: Mike Pompeo

Indian-American K P George was sworn in as the Fort Bend County Judge, becoming the first person from the community to hold the office of one of America's most diverse counties.

George, 53, a Democrat and Fort Bend Independent School District Board trustee, defeated Republican Judge Robert Hebert in November polls.

In the US, county judges' duties vary from state to state. Depending upon the size of the county, they perform a wide range of judicial and administrative duties.

The Fort Bend County has a sizeable population of Indian-Americans.

According to the latest census, Fort Bend is now the most diverse county in Texas, and among the most diverse in the country with 35 per cent Anglos, 24 per cent Hispanics, 21 per cent Asians and others; and 20 per cent African-Americans.

George, who hails from Kerala's Kakkodu city, said his father, a truck driver, earned only a couple of US dollars a day. He studied using a kerosene lamp.

He said that community engagement will be the top priority for his administration.

"I will continue spreading the word of county services and involving all people into the process. It is a historic moment for me as well as for the county.

"We will continue to have an open-door policy for the most diverse county which represents people who speak over 100 languages. We are here to represent each one of them and ensure a better place for residents and children of this county," George told PTI.

Rice University professor Mark Jones said George is now the most prominent Indian-American to hold an executive position in the US government.

George will govern a county with a larger population and a bigger budget than the Indian-American mayors of cities like Anaheim, California, and Hoboken, Jones said, adding that as a county judge, he wields more outright power than most mayors.

While in India, George grew up speaking Malayalam and lived in a straw-thatch hut. When he was 15, his family moved to a bigger city where he attended college.

After his graduation, he got a job in Mumbai, where for the first time he started speaking English. He worked in the Middle East before moving to New York in 1993 to work for a financial firm.

Later, he moved to Texas and has been living in the Fort Bend county ever since along with his family.

"I strongly believe that success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It is what you do for others," George said.

He first ran for office in 2010, hoping to be elected as the county treasurer.

"People asked me in Richmond and Rosenberg, 'Why are you running?' It's not easy for a person like me, brown in colour, with no political power, no name recognition. I'd say, 'Because I can. I'm not a felon. I'm a citizen.&nbsp;Thank you, USA! I hold your values close to my heart."

"I honestly believe this is the time for me to do public service rather than complain. I am taking responsibility to get involved and work for the US, the country that has given me everything I've dreamed of," George added.

K P George, 53, a Democrat and Fort Bend Independent School District Board trustee, defeated Republican Judge Robert Hebert in November polls.

Indian-American K P George was sworn in as the Fort Bend County Judge, becoming the first person from the community to hold the office of one of America's most diverse counties. George, 53, a Democrat and Fort Bend Independent School District Board trustee, defeated Republican Judge Robert Hebert in November polls. In the US, county judges' duties vary from state to state. Depending upon the size of the county, they perform a wide range of judicial and administrative duties. The Fort Bend County has a sizeable population of Indian-Americans. According to the latest census, Fort Bend is now the most diverse county in Texas, and among the most diverse in the country with 35 per cent Anglos, 24 per cent Hispanics, 21 per cent Asians and others; and 20 per cent African-Americans. George, who hails from Kerala's Kakkodu city, said his father, a truck driver, earned only a couple of US dollars a day. He studied using a kerosene lamp. He said that community engagement will be the top priority for his administration. "I will continue spreading the word of county services and involving all people into the process. It is a historic moment for me as well as for the county. "We will continue to have an open-door policy for the most diverse county which represents people who speak over 100 languages. We are here to represent each one of them and ensure a better place for residents and children of this county," George told PTI. Rice University professor Mark Jones said George is now the most prominent Indian-American to hold an executive position in the US government. George will govern a county with a larger population and a bigger budget than the Indian-American mayors of cities like Anaheim, California, and Hoboken, Jones said, adding that as a county judge, he wields more outright power than most mayors. While in India, George grew up speaking Malayalam and lived in a straw-thatch hut. When he was 15, his family moved to a bigger city where he attended college. After his graduation, he got a job in Mumbai, where for the first time he started speaking English. He worked in the Middle East before moving to New York in 1993 to work for a financial firm. Later, he moved to Texas and has been living in the Fort Bend county ever since along with his family. "I strongly believe that success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It is what you do for others," George said. He first ran for office in 2010, hoping to be elected as the county treasurer. "People asked me in Richmond and Rosenberg, 'Why are you running?' It's not easy for a person like me, brown in colour, with no political power, no name recognition. I'd say, 'Because I can. I'm not a felon. I'm a citizen. Thank you, USA! I hold your values close to my heart." "I honestly believe this is the time for me to do public service rather than complain. I am taking responsibility to get involved and work for the US, the country that has given me everything I've dreamed of," George added.

Indian-American takes oath as Fort Bend County Judge in Texas

History shows that cooperation is the best choice for both China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in a congratulatory message on Tuesday to mark 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The two countries agreed last month to a 90-day temporary ceasefire in their bitter trade war to give them time to hold fresh talks to try and end a dispute that has seen them level increasingly severe tariffs on each others' goods.

In his message to Trump, Xi said China-US&nbsp;relations have experienced ups and downs but have made historic progress over the past four decades, state news agency Xinhua said.

This has brought huge benefits to the two peoples and has contributed greatly to world peace, stability and prosperity, Xi added.

"History has proved that cooperation is the best choice for both sides," Xi said.

Sino-US&nbsp;relations are in an important stage, he added.

"I attach great importance to the development of China-US&nbsp;relations and am willing to work with President Trump to summarise the experience of the development of China-US&nbsp;relations and implement the consensus we have reached in a joint effort to advance China-US&nbsp;relations featuring coordination, cooperation and stability so as to better benefit the two peoples as well as the people of the rest of the world," he said.

Trump sent his own congratulatory message in return, saying it was his priority to promote cooperative and constructive US-China relations, Xinhua added.

Xi and Trump also spoke by telephone over the weekend. Trump said he had a "long and very good call" with Xi and that a possible trade deal between the United States and China was progressing well.

China and the United States have made plans for face-to-face consultations over trade in January, China's Commerce Ministry said last week.

Xinhua, in a commentary, said it was only natural the two countries would have disagreements and encounter problems, considering their "different social systems, development paths and historical and cultural backgrounds".

"At a time when the world is undergoing unprecedentedly profound changes and is fraught with risks and uncertainties, the global community expects even closer collaboration between the two largest economies," it said.

This year marks a series of sensitive anniversaries for China, including, in June, 30 years since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

On Wednesday, Xi will make his first public appearance at an anniversary-related event, giving a speech about self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its sacred territory, on the 40th anniversary of a key policy statement that led to a thaw in relations with the island. 
&nbsp;

History shows that cooperation is the best choice for both China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump in a congratulatory message on Tuesday to mark 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

History shows that cooperation is the best choice for both China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump in a congratulatory message on Tuesday to mark 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The two countries agreed last month to a 90-day temporary ceasefire in their bitter trade war to give them time to hold fresh talks to try and end a dispute that has seen them level increasingly severe tariffs on each others' goods. In his message to Trump, Xi said China-US relations have experienced ups and downs but have made historic progress over the past four decades, state news agency Xinhua said. This has brought huge benefits to the two peoples and has contributed greatly to world peace, stability and prosperity, Xi added. "History has proved that cooperation is the best choice for both sides," Xi said. Sino-US relations are in an important stage, he added. "I attach great importance to the development of China-US relations and am willing to work with President Trump to summarise the experience of the development of China-US relations and implement the consensus we have reached in a joint effort to advance China-US relations featuring coordination, cooperation and stability so as to better benefit the two peoples as well as the people of the rest of the world," he said. Trump sent his own congratulatory message in return, saying it was his priority to promote cooperative and constructive US-China relations, Xinhua added. Xi and Trump also spoke by telephone over the weekend. Trump said he had a "long and very good call" with Xi and that a possible trade deal between the United States and China was progressing well. China and the United States have made plans for face-to-face consultations over trade in January, China's Commerce Ministry said last week. Xinhua, in a commentary, said it was only natural the two countries would have disagreements and encounter problems, considering their "different social systems, development paths and historical and cultural backgrounds". "At a time when the world is undergoing unprecedentedly profound changes and is fraught with risks and uncertainties, the global community expects even closer collaboration between the two largest economies," it said. This year marks a series of sensitive anniversaries for China, including, in June, 30 years since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday, Xi will make his first public appearance at an anniversary-related event, giving a speech about self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its sacred territory, on the 40th anniversary of a key policy statement that led to a thaw in relations with the island.

Cooperation best for both China and US, Xi tells Trump

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/iran-says-afghan-taliban-were-in-tehran-for-peace-talks-187561">The Taliban discussed</a> Afghanistan's "post-occupation situation" with Iran in their latest meeting, the group said Tuesday, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown.

The remarks come after Iran confirmed Monday that the Taliban had visited Tehran for the second round of talks in just a few days that are aimed at ending the 17-year conflict.

The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran "the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region", the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists.

It signals growing confidence among the Taliban for US troops to pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground.

There have been reports in the past of talks between Iran and the Taliban, but they have typically been denied by Tehran.

Tehran's peace push will be viewed with concern by hawks in Washington, who fear that Trump's planned withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan will cede regional influence to Iran.

The Taliban also met with the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the United Arab Emirates earlier in December as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the war.

But the Taliban refused to meet a delegation from Afghanistan. The group said Saturday its representatives would not meet "with those of the Kabul administration" at the next meeting expected to be held in Saudi Arabia later this month.

Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Afghanistan in the next two weeks, the foreign ministry said, without giving further details.

Iran and Afghanistan share a nearly 600-mile (960-kilometre) border and have had a complex relationship in recent years.

Tehran has long supported its co-religionists in Afghanistan, the Shia Hazara minority, who were violently persecuted by the Taliban during its rule in the 1990s. Iran worked alongside the United States and Western powers to help drive out the Taliban after the US-led invasion in 2001.

But there have been allegations, from Western and Afghan sources, that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have in recent years established ties with the Taliban aimed at driving out US forces from Afghanistan.&nbsp;

The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran 'the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region', the militants said.

The Taliban discussed Afghanistan's "post-occupation situation" with Iran in their latest meeting, the group said Tuesday, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown. The remarks come after Iran confirmed Monday that the Taliban had visited Tehran for the second round of talks in just a few days that are aimed at ending the 17-year conflict. The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran "the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region", the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists. It signals growing confidence among the Taliban for US troops to pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground. There have been reports in the past of talks between Iran and the Taliban, but they have typically been denied by Tehran. Tehran's peace push will be viewed with concern by hawks in Washington, who fear that Trump's planned withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan will cede regional influence to Iran. The Taliban also met with the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the United Arab Emirates earlier in December as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the war. But the Taliban refused to meet a delegation from Afghanistan. The group said Saturday its representatives would not meet "with those of the Kabul administration" at the next meeting expected to be held in Saudi Arabia later this month. Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Afghanistan in the next two weeks, the foreign ministry said, without giving further details. Iran and Afghanistan share a nearly 600-mile (960-kilometre) border and have had a complex relationship in recent years. Tehran has long supported its co-religionists in Afghanistan, the Shia Hazara minority, who were violently persecuted by the Taliban during its rule in the 1990s. Iran worked alongside the United States and Western powers to help drive out the Taliban after the US-led invasion in 2001. But there have been allegations, from Western and Afghan sources, that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have in recent years established ties with the Taliban aimed at driving out US forces from Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban says 'post-occupation' discussed with Iran

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spacecraft-makes-historic-flyby-of-ultima-thule-distant-world-ever-studied-187648">NASA</a>'s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft broke a record after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu — the smallest cosmic object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft.

While many on Earth prepared to welcome the New Year, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, 110 million kilometres away, carried out a single, eight-second burn of its thrusters, NASA said in a statement.

The manoeuvre placed the spacecraft into orbit around the asteroid Bennu.

"The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion manoeuvre perfectly," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in the US.

"With the navigation campaign coming to an end, we are looking forward to the scientific mapping and sample site selection phase of the mission," said Lauretta.

"Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years," he said.

Inching around the asteroid at a snail's pace, OSIRIS-REx's first orbit marks a leap for humankind. Never before has a spacecraft from Earth circled so close to such a small space object — one with barely enough gravity to keep a vehicle in a stable orbit.

"The gravity of Bennu is so small, forces like solar radiation and thermal pressure from Bennu's surface become much more relevant and can push the spacecraft around in its orbit much more than if it were orbiting around Earth or Mars, where gravity is by far the most dominant force," said Dan Wibben, OSIRIS-REx Maneuver and Trajectory Design Lead.

The spacecraft will circle Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study.&nbsp;

Previously the closest orbit of a planetary body was in May 2016, when the Rosetta spacecraft orbited about seven kilometres from the centre of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The comfortable distance is necessary to keep the spacecraft locked to Bennu, which has a gravity force only 5-millionths as strong as Earth's. The spacecraft is scheduled to orbit Bennu through mid-February at a leisurely 62 hours per orbit.

Now that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is closer to Bennu, physical details about the asteroid will leap into sharper focus, and the spacecraft's tour of this rubble pile of primordial debris will become increasingly detailed and focused.

"Our orbit design is highly dependent on Bennu's physical properties, such as its mass and gravity field, which we didn't know before we arrived," said OSIRIS-REx's flight dynamics system manager Mike Moreau, who is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US.

"Up until now, we had to account for a wide variety of possible scenarios in our computer simulations to make sure we could safely navigate the spacecraft so close to Bennu. As the team learned more about the asteroid, we incorporated new information to hone in on the final orbit design," he said.

The simulations have played a critical role. The OSIRIS-REx mission, after all, was designed based on complex computer programs that predicted the properties of Bennu and how the spacecraft's trajectory would behave.

This diligent preparation allowed the team to navigate the vehicle safely to Bennu in December and put some questions to rest and to fly over its poles and equator in a preliminary survey that led to some surprises.

The OSIRIS-REx team will resume science operations in late February. At that point, the spacecraft will perform a series of close flybys of Bennu for several months to take high-resolution images of every square inch of the asteroid to help select a sampling site.&nbsp;

During the summer of 2020, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample. The OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.

The spacecraft will circle the asteroid Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft broke a record after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu — the smallest cosmic object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft. While many on Earth prepared to welcome the New Year, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, 110 million kilometres away, carried out a single, eight-second burn of its thrusters, NASA said in a statement. The manoeuvre placed the spacecraft into orbit around the asteroid Bennu. "The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion manoeuvre perfectly," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in the US. "With the navigation campaign coming to an end, we are looking forward to the scientific mapping and sample site selection phase of the mission," said Lauretta. "Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years," he said. Inching around the asteroid at a snail's pace, OSIRIS-REx's first orbit marks a leap for humankind. Never before has a spacecraft from Earth circled so close to such a small space object — one with barely enough gravity to keep a vehicle in a stable orbit. "The gravity of Bennu is so small, forces like solar radiation and thermal pressure from Bennu's surface become much more relevant and can push the spacecraft around in its orbit much more than if it were orbiting around Earth or Mars, where gravity is by far the most dominant force," said Dan Wibben, OSIRIS-REx Maneuver and Trajectory Design Lead. The spacecraft will circle Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study. Previously the closest orbit of a planetary body was in May 2016, when the Rosetta spacecraft orbited about seven kilometres from the centre of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The comfortable distance is necessary to keep the spacecraft locked to Bennu, which has a gravity force only 5-millionths as strong as Earth's. The spacecraft is scheduled to orbit Bennu through mid-February at a leisurely 62 hours per orbit. Now that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is closer to Bennu, physical details about the asteroid will leap into sharper focus, and the spacecraft's tour of this rubble pile of primordial debris will become increasingly detailed and focused. "Our orbit design is highly dependent on Bennu's physical properties, such as its mass and gravity field, which we didn't know before we arrived," said OSIRIS-REx's flight dynamics system manager Mike Moreau, who is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US. "Up until now, we had to account for a wide variety of possible scenarios in our computer simulations to make sure we could safely navigate the spacecraft so close to Bennu. As the team learned more about the asteroid, we incorporated new information to hone in on the final orbit design," he said. The simulations have played a critical role. The OSIRIS-REx mission, after all, was designed based on complex computer programs that predicted the properties of Bennu and how the spacecraft's trajectory would behave. This diligent preparation allowed the team to navigate the vehicle safely to Bennu in December and put some questions to rest and to fly over its poles and equator in a preliminary survey that led to some surprises. The OSIRIS-REx team will resume science operations in late February. At that point, the spacecraft will perform a series of close flybys of Bennu for several months to take high-resolution images of every square inch of the asteroid to help select a sampling site. During the summer of 2020, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample. The OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.

NASA spacecraft breaks record for smallest space object ever orbited

Patrick Shanahan, who on Tuesday becomes the acting US secretary of defence, takes the helm of America's massive military machine at a critical time.

Shanahan is moving up from his position as deputy defence secretary to the top spot following <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-replace-jim-mattis-with-deputy-patrick-shanahan-186048">the resignation of Jim Mattis</a>, who quit over long-running - and ultimately irreconcilable - disagreements with President Donald Trump.

Little known outside business and Washington circles, Shanahan will be thrust onto the world stage at a time of tumultuous changes and unpredictable foreign policy moves under Trump.

The president this month ordered the withdrawal of all US forces from Syria and, according to US officials, a 50 per cent drawdown in Afghanistan —momentous decisions that have left lawmakers and international allies fearing for what comes next.

Shanahan must now oversee the US withdrawal from Syria and play a key role in helping Trump decide the pace of the pull-out.

Another consideration he must weigh is what, if any, protections should go to Kurdish forces that the US military had been backing to fight Islamic State jihadists.

Turkey views the Kurdish YPG fighters as "terrorists" and has vowed to attack them in northern Syria.

While Shanahan has not always had day-to-day involvement in thorny geopolitical issues like this, Pentagon officials say he is ready to tackle them.

"He's had 18 months to observe all of these operations, he's been in all of the meetings, he's been in all the discussions, he's briefed the White House," Shanahan's spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, told AFP.

A Washington state native, the 56-year-old Shanahan spent more than three decades at Boeing, where he became senior vice president, worked on missile defence systems and was general manager of the 787 Dreamliner program.

Trump announced Shanahan's appointment in a December 23 tweet that also brought Mattis's planned departure date forward by two months.

According to US media, Trump was angry over news coverage of Mattis's stinging resignation letter that laid bare his fundamental disagreements with the president.

Despite a lack of foreign policy or military experience, Shanahan's executive and technical knowledge made him well suited for the Pentagon's number two position, which focuses more on the Defence Department's business side.

In his time as deputy, the soft-spoken Shanahan played a key role in helping Mattis and others develop vital policy documents such as the National Defence Strategy (NDS), a sweeping review that highlights a new era of "Great Power competition" with Russia and China.

He also has voiced support for Trump's aim of creating a "Space Force," a sixth branch of the military that still needs approval from the US Congress.

Buccino pointed to the NDS as a key area for Shanahan's focus. "He sees the national defence strategy as the blueprint, as the guide for all actions, directions, policies for the Pentagon," Buccino said.

Before starting at the Pentagon in July 2017, Shanahan's lack of foreign policy chops got him in hot water with the late John McCain, the senior Republican senator who led the Senate Armed Services Committee.

At his confirmation hearing, an irascible McCain said a lack of detail in some of Shanahan's foreign policy answers was "almost insulting." McCain also expressed concerns that putting a former executive from a defence industry giant in the Pentagon could be akin to putting a fox "back into the henhouse."&nbsp;

International allies will look to Shanahan, as they did to Mattis, for reassurances about America's commitment to longstanding alliances - even as Trump assails partner nations for not paying more for their defence.

Shanahan must tread a careful line with the mercurial president, especially if he wants to get rid of the "acting" prefix of his job title.

Trump has shown an aversion to listening to dissenting advice and has parted company with many of the top aides to have challenged him.

He fired secretary of state Rex Tillerson, former national security advisor HR McMaster resigned, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is on his way out the door.

An official close to Shanahan said he would feel comfortable giving Trump an opposing opinion if necessary.

"His entire adult life, Shanahan has provided a dissenting voice to leadership when needed," the official said.

"He would have no qualms doing that."

Patrick Shanahan, who on Tuesday becomes the acting US secretary of defence, takes the helm of America's massive military machine at a critical time. Shanahan is moving up from his position as deputy defence secretary to the top spot following the resignation of Jim Mattis, who quit over long-running - and ultimately irreconcilable - disagreements with President Donald Trump.

Patrick Shanahan, who on Tuesday becomes the acting US secretary of defence, takes the helm of America's massive military machine at a critical time. Shanahan is moving up from his position as deputy defence secretary to the top spot following the resignation of Jim Mattis, who quit over long-running - and ultimately irreconcilable - disagreements with President Donald Trump. Little known outside business and Washington circles, Shanahan will be thrust onto the world stage at a time of tumultuous changes and unpredictable foreign policy moves under Trump. The president this month ordered the withdrawal of all US forces from Syria and, according to US officials, a 50 per cent drawdown in Afghanistan —momentous decisions that have left lawmakers and international allies fearing for what comes next. Shanahan must now oversee the US withdrawal from Syria and play a key role in helping Trump decide the pace of the pull-out. Another consideration he must weigh is what, if any, protections should go to Kurdish forces that the US military had been backing to fight Islamic State jihadists. Turkey views the Kurdish YPG fighters as "terrorists" and has vowed to attack them in northern Syria. While Shanahan has not always had day-to-day involvement in thorny geopolitical issues like this, Pentagon officials say he is ready to tackle them. "He's had 18 months to observe all of these operations, he's been in all of the meetings, he's been in all the discussions, he's briefed the White House," Shanahan's spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, told AFP. A Washington state native, the 56-year-old Shanahan spent more than three decades at Boeing, where he became senior vice president, worked on missile defence systems and was general manager of the 787 Dreamliner program. Trump announced Shanahan's appointment in a December 23 tweet that also brought Mattis's planned departure date forward by two months. According to US media, Trump was angry over news coverage of Mattis's stinging resignation letter that laid bare his fundamental disagreements with the president. Despite a lack of foreign policy or military experience, Shanahan's executive and technical knowledge made him well suited for the Pentagon's number two position, which focuses more on the Defence Department's business side. In his time as deputy, the soft-spoken Shanahan played a key role in helping Mattis and others develop vital policy documents such as the National Defence Strategy (NDS), a sweeping review that highlights a new era of "Great Power competition" with Russia and China. He also has voiced support for Trump's aim of creating a "Space Force," a sixth branch of the military that still needs approval from the US Congress. Buccino pointed to the NDS as a key area for Shanahan's focus. "He sees the national defence strategy as the blueprint, as the guide for all actions, directions, policies for the Pentagon," Buccino said. Before starting at the Pentagon in July 2017, Shanahan's lack of foreign policy chops got him in hot water with the late John McCain, the senior Republican senator who led the Senate Armed Services Committee. At his confirmation hearing, an irascible McCain said a lack of detail in some of Shanahan's foreign policy answers was "almost insulting." McCain also expressed concerns that putting a former executive from a defence industry giant in the Pentagon could be akin to putting a fox "back into the henhouse." International allies will look to Shanahan, as they did to Mattis, for reassurances about America's commitment to longstanding alliances - even as Trump assails partner nations for not paying more for their defence. Shanahan must tread a careful line with the mercurial president, especially if he wants to get rid of the "acting" prefix of his job title. Trump has shown an aversion to listening to dissenting advice and has parted company with many of the top aides to have challenged him. He fired secretary of state Rex Tillerson, former national security advisor HR McMaster resigned, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is on his way out the door. An official close to Shanahan said he would feel comfortable giving Trump an opposing opinion if necessary. "His entire adult life, Shanahan has provided a dissenting voice to leadership when needed," the official said. "He would have no qualms doing that."

After Jim Mattis, Patrick Shanahan takes Pentagon helm at critical time

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/is-china-buying-us-soy-washington-shutdown-keeps-traders-guessing-187225">China's factory activity </a>contracted in December for the first time in more than two years, in a further sign of slackening demand and rising pressure on the world's second-largest economy as it heads into 2019.

The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 49.4 in December, below the critical 50-point level that separates growth from contraction, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

It was the first contraction since July 2016 and the weakest PMI reading since February 2016 when it came in at 49.0. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast the official gauge would fell to 49.9 for the month.

The increasing strain on factories signals a continued loss of economic momentum and raises the risks to both China and the global economy, especially if Sino-US trade tensions persist.

There are already signs that trade frictions between the economic giants are hurting global supply chains with concerns the effects could become more pronounced next year in a blow to world trade and investment.

Chinese authorities are expected to roll out more supportive measures on top of a range of policy initiatives this year. A prolonged downturn in the factory sector, key for jobs and the overall health of the economy, would likely draw further steps to juice up domestic demand.

There is also uncertainty over whether<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-customs-gives-green-light-for-us-rice-imports-187045"> China and the United States</a> can bridge their differences during a temporary ceasefire in their trade war.

At the beginning of this month, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day ceasefire that delayed the planned Jan. 1 US increase of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods while they negotiate a trade deal.

New export orders contracted for a seventh straight month on faltering external demand, with the sub-index falling to 46.6 from the previous month's reading of 47.0.

"There are many short-term orders from overseas but few long-term orders received by Chinese factories as caution remains amid the trade uncertainties," Nie Wen, an economist at Hwabao Trust in Shanghai, said before the PMI release.

"The medium to long-term export prospect is not optimistic particularly."

In contrast, the factor activity gauge, the official non-manufacturing PMI, also released on Monday, rose to 53.8 from 53.4 in November, well above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction.

The services sector accounts for more than half of China's economy, with rising wages giving Chinese consumers more spending power. But consumer demand and confidence have been faltering recently in a sign of growing pressure on the economy.

China's factory activity contracted in December for the first time in more than two years, in a further sign of slackening demand and rising pressure on the world's second-largest economy as it heads into 2019.

China's factory activity contracted in December for the first time in more than two years, in a further sign of slackening demand and rising pressure on the world's second-largest economy as it heads into 2019. The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 49.4 in December, below the critical 50-point level that separates growth from contraction, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. It was the first contraction since July 2016 and the weakest PMI reading since February 2016 when it came in at 49.0. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast the official gauge would fell to 49.9 for the month. The increasing strain on factories signals a continued loss of economic momentum and raises the risks to both China and the global economy, especially if Sino-US trade tensions persist. There are already signs that trade frictions between the economic giants are hurting global supply chains with concerns the effects could become more pronounced next year in a blow to world trade and investment. Chinese authorities are expected to roll out more supportive measures on top of a range of policy initiatives this year. A prolonged downturn in the factory sector, key for jobs and the overall health of the economy, would likely draw further steps to juice up domestic demand. There is also uncertainty over whether China and the United States can bridge their differences during a temporary ceasefire in their trade war. At the beginning of this month, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day ceasefire that delayed the planned Jan. 1 US increase of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods while they negotiate a trade deal. New export orders contracted for a seventh straight month on faltering external demand, with the sub-index falling to 46.6 from the previous month's reading of 47.0. "There are many short-term orders from overseas but few long-term orders received by Chinese factories as caution remains amid the trade uncertainties," Nie Wen, an economist at Hwabao Trust in Shanghai, said before the PMI release. "The medium to long-term export prospect is not optimistic particularly." In contrast, the factor activity gauge, the official non-manufacturing PMI, also released on Monday, rose to 53.8 from 53.4 in November, well above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. The services sector accounts for more than half of China's economy, with rising wages giving Chinese consumers more spending power. But consumer demand and confidence have been faltering recently in a sign of growing pressure on the economy.

China's factory activity falls for first time in over 2 years: Report

Iraq's prime minister said on Sunday that top security officials from Baghdad had met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, and hinted at a bigger Iraqi role fighting Islamic State militants as US&nbsp;troops withdraw from Syria.

"This issue has a lot of complications," Adel Abdul Mahdi told reporters, referring to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's surprise announcement this month that he will withdraw US&nbsp;forces from Iraq's neighbour.

"If any negative development takes place in Syria it will affect us. We have a 600 km (400 mile) border with Syria and Daesh (Islamic State) is there," Abdul Mahdi said.

The premier said the Iraqi delegation had visited Damascus to "gain the initiative, not just deal with the consequences" of any future Islamic State (IS) activity emboldened by the US&nbsp;withdrawal. Iraqi news websites said the visit took place on Saturday.

Abdul Mahdi said Iraq sought to move beyond its current arrangement with Syria - under which it launches air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syrian territory - but did not got into more details.

"There are groups operating in Syria, and Iraq is the best way to deal with this," he said, responding to a question about the possibility of increased involvement of Iraqi forces in Syria.

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim paramilitary groups backed by Iran already operate inside Syrian territory against the Sunni Muslim militants of Islamic State.&nbsp;

Abdul Mahdi has previously said that about 2,000 Islamic State fighters are operating near the border in Syria and trying to cross into Iraq.&nbsp;

Islamic State was militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017, but has continued to launch guerilla-style attacks on security forces in the north of the country. 
&nbsp;

Iraq's prime minister said on Sunday that top security officials from Baghdad had met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, and hinted at a bigger Iraqi role fighting Islamic State militants as US troops withdraw from Syria.

Iraq's prime minister said on Sunday that top security officials from Baghdad had met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, and hinted at a bigger Iraqi role fighting Islamic State militants as US troops withdraw from Syria. "This issue has a lot of complications," Adel Abdul Mahdi told reporters, referring to US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement this month that he will withdraw US forces from Iraq's neighbour. "If any negative development takes place in Syria it will affect us. We have a 600 km (400 mile) border with Syria and Daesh (Islamic State) is there," Abdul Mahdi said. The premier said the Iraqi delegation had visited Damascus to "gain the initiative, not just deal with the consequences" of any future Islamic State (IS) activity emboldened by the US withdrawal. Iraqi news websites said the visit took place on Saturday. Abdul Mahdi said Iraq sought to move beyond its current arrangement with Syria - under which it launches air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syrian territory - but did not got into more details. "There are groups operating in Syria, and Iraq is the best way to deal with this," he said, responding to a question about the possibility of increased involvement of Iraqi forces in Syria. Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim paramilitary groups backed by Iran already operate inside Syrian territory against the Sunni Muslim militants of Islamic State. Abdul Mahdi has previously said that about 2,000 Islamic State fighters are operating near the border in Syria and trying to cross into Iraq. Islamic State was militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017, but has continued to launch guerilla-style attacks on security forces in the north of the country.

Iraq hints at bigger role in Syria after US withdrawal

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty.

More than a week into the game of chicken between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the publication and recording of statistical indicators are being delayed.

With the lack of an agreement on Trump's much-promised wall on the border with Mexico, thousands of government workers are forced to stay home or work without pay due to budget shortages that are also hampering the publication of certain government indicators.

"There will be no lockups for Census or BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) and no posting of lockup data from either of those organisations because of the government shutdown affecting those agencies," said Labour Department spokeswoman Suzanne Bohnert, whose agency oversees the release of those indicators under embargo.

The release of data on new home sales is so far the only indicator to have been delayed.

But if the shutdown is still in effect after January 1, it could impact the release of figures on construction expenses, such as industrial orders, and on trade -- due January 8 -- which is critical for markets just as the Trump administration is involved in a full-fledged trade war with some US allies.

The closely watched employment figures for November, usually published the first Friday of the month, are set to be released on January 4 on schedule because the Labour Department still has funds to keep running its operations.

In addition to the publication of data, the very process of collecting this information is also beginning to be compromised.

"Odds are that it'll continue into January," Grant Thornton chief economist Diane Swonk said in a tweet.

"The impasse is already cutting into the supply of something that is essential to just about every market out there: federal economic data. That could have an impact on markets going forward and also what the Federal Reserve decides to do with interest rates in 2019."&nbsp;

With financial markets already extremely volatile and amid worries over tariffs with China and the Fed's monetary policy, the shutdown could add yet another layer of uncertainty.

The partial paralysis of administrative services will likely only have a mildly negative impact on economic growth, even though it's more tangible in the US capital, where affected government workers won't get paid.

"Thousands of federal workers would either be furloughed or work without pay for the duration of the shutdown," Oxford Economics said.&nbsp;

"While the economic impact of two-week partial shutdown would be minimal -- less than 0.1 per cent of GDP growth -- it would add political uncertainty at an inopportune time.

"Among other things, a shutdown would affect the release of economic indicators and disrupt the start of the 2019 tax filing season."

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Trump to find a solution to end the stalemate, noting the capital's 170,000 federal workers "pay the highest price." These furloughs also have unexpected consequences for the private sector.

On Friday, the National Association of Realtors expressed concern about the shutdown's impact on home sales.

"Very disappointingly, flood insurance has not been available during the government shutdown... Which means that roughly 40,000 homes may not get transacted because it requires flood insurance in order to get a mortgage," NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said.

"Any time there is a government shutdown, consumer confidence may be dampened, so even if they have the cash, they may not spend the money, and that will hold back economic growth, so it's bad news all around."&nbsp;

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty.

The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty. More than a week into the game of chicken between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the publication and recording of statistical indicators are being delayed. With the lack of an agreement on Trump's much-promised wall on the border with Mexico, thousands of government workers are forced to stay home or work without pay due to budget shortages that are also hampering the publication of certain government indicators. "There will be no lockups for Census or BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) and no posting of lockup data from either of those organisations because of the government shutdown affecting those agencies," said Labour Department spokeswoman Suzanne Bohnert, whose agency oversees the release of those indicators under embargo. The release of data on new home sales is so far the only indicator to have been delayed. But if the shutdown is still in effect after January 1, it could impact the release of figures on construction expenses, such as industrial orders, and on trade -- due January 8 -- which is critical for markets just as the Trump administration is involved in a full-fledged trade war with some US allies. The closely watched employment figures for November, usually published the first Friday of the month, are set to be released on January 4 on schedule because the Labour Department still has funds to keep running its operations. In addition to the publication of data, the very process of collecting this information is also beginning to be compromised. "Odds are that it'll continue into January," Grant Thornton chief economist Diane Swonk said in a tweet. "The impasse is already cutting into the supply of something that is essential to just about every market out there: federal economic data. That could have an impact on markets going forward and also what the Federal Reserve decides to do with interest rates in 2019." With financial markets already extremely volatile and amid worries over tariffs with China and the Fed's monetary policy, the shutdown could add yet another layer of uncertainty. The partial paralysis of administrative services will likely only have a mildly negative impact on economic growth, even though it's more tangible in the US capital, where affected government workers won't get paid. "Thousands of federal workers would either be furloughed or work without pay for the duration of the shutdown," Oxford Economics said. "While the economic impact of two-week partial shutdown would be minimal -- less than 0.1 per cent of GDP growth -- it would add political uncertainty at an inopportune time. "Among other things, a shutdown would affect the release of economic indicators and disrupt the start of the 2019 tax filing season." Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Trump to find a solution to end the stalemate, noting the capital's 170,000 federal workers "pay the highest price." These furloughs also have unexpected consequences for the private sector. On Friday, the National Association of Realtors expressed concern about the shutdown's impact on home sales. "Very disappointingly, flood insurance has not been available during the government shutdown... Which means that roughly 40,000 homes may not get transacted because it requires flood insurance in order to get a mortgage," NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said. "Any time there is a government shutdown, consumer confidence may be dampened, so even if they have the cash, they may not spend the money, and that will hold back economic growth, so it's bad news all around."

Prolonged US shutdown threatens to unsettle economy

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indigo-buys-stake-in-icelands-wow-air-180478">Budget carrier IndiGo</a> has become the first domestic airline to have longer range Airbus A321neo plane in its fleet with the first aircraft arriving Saturday morning in New Delhi from the European aviation major Airbus' Hamburg facility in Germany, an airline source said.

The maiden A321neo (new engine option), VT-IUA, landed at 9.06 am at Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and was accorded the traditional water canon salute on arrival, the source told PTI.

The new aircraft has joined the fleet after a delay of one month. It was to join the fleet on November 29 as per the earlier schedule, he said.

The induction of the first A321neo, of the 150 on order, will help IndiGo spread its wings to medium-haul international destinations.

Flights of up to six hours duration come under medium- long-haul category of operations.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-lucknow-indigo-flight-grounded-after-bomb-threat-call-184188">IndiGo </a>now has 204 planes in its fleet, including one A321neo, 65 A320neos, 126 A320ceos (current engine option), and 12 ATRs, the source said.

The longer range A321neo plane has been delivered to the airline at a time when it is struggling with the frequent glitches in the Pratt &amp; Whitney engines, powering these planes, and taking these aircraft out of operations on a regular basis.

These engine-run aircraft have been facing glitches frequently since their induction in the fleet by IndiGo and GoAir in 2016, with several instances of mid-air engine shutdowns.

But the US engine maker has failed to come up with any tangible solution to fix these glitches so far despite the frequent grounding of these planes and passengers' safety at risk.

The airline has already announced its plans to launch services to Istanbul and has also signed a code-share pact with the Turkish Airlines for seamless connectivity to 20 global destinations for its passengers from Istanbul and onwards.

In turn, passengers of the Turkish national carrier will have access to all destinations operated by IndiGo within India.

IndiGo at present operates over 1,300 daily flights to 52 domestic and 15 international destinations.

The airline had in two tranches placed an order for 430 A320neos (180 in 2011 and 250 in 2015) with Airbus. Later, it converted 150 of these 430 planes to A321neos.

Budget carrier IndiGo has become the first domestic airline to have longer range Airbus A321neo plane in its fleet with the first aircraft arriving Saturday morning in New Delhi from the European aviation major Airbus' Hamburg facility in Germany, an airline source said.

Budget carrier IndiGo has become the first domestic airline to have longer range Airbus A321neo plane in its fleet with the first aircraft arriving Saturday morning in New Delhi from the European aviation major Airbus' Hamburg facility in Germany, an airline source said. The maiden A321neo (new engine option), VT-IUA, landed at 9.06 am at Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and was accorded the traditional water canon salute on arrival, the source told PTI. The new aircraft has joined the fleet after a delay of one month. It was to join the fleet on November 29 as per the earlier schedule, he said. The induction of the first A321neo, of the 150 on order, will help IndiGo spread its wings to medium-haul international destinations. Flights of up to six hours duration come under medium- long-haul category of operations. IndiGo now has 204 planes in its fleet, including one A321neo, 65 A320neos, 126 A320ceos (current engine option), and 12 ATRs, the source said. The longer range A321neo plane has been delivered to the airline at a time when it is struggling with the frequent glitches in the Pratt & Whitney engines, powering these planes, and taking these aircraft out of operations on a regular basis. These engine-run aircraft have been facing glitches frequently since their induction in the fleet by IndiGo and GoAir in 2016, with several instances of mid-air engine shutdowns. But the US engine maker has failed to come up with any tangible solution to fix these glitches so far despite the frequent grounding of these planes and passengers' safety at risk. The airline has already announced its plans to launch services to Istanbul and has also signed a code-share pact with the Turkish Airlines for seamless connectivity to 20 global destinations for its passengers from Istanbul and onwards. In turn, passengers of the Turkish national carrier will have access to all destinations operated by IndiGo within India. IndiGo at present operates over 1,300 daily flights to 52 domestic and 15 international destinations. The airline had in two tranches placed an order for 430 A320neos (180 in 2011 and 250 in 2015) with Airbus. Later, it converted 150 of these 430 planes to A321neos.

IndiGo becomes first domestic airline to get longer range Airbus A321neo plane

A lawsuit filed against <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-launches-artificial-intelligence-programme-in-thailand-to-screen-for-diabetic-eye-disease-183888">Google by consumers </a>who claimed the search engine's photo sharing and storage service violated their privacy was dismissed on Saturday by a US judge who cited a lack of "concrete injuries."

US District Judge Edmond Chang in Chicago granted a Google motion for summary judgment, saying the court lacked "subject matter jurisdiction because plaintiffs have not suffered concrete injuries."

The suit, filed in March 2016, alleged Alphabet Inc's Google violated Illinois state law by collecting and storing biometric data from people's photographs using facial recognition software without their permission through its Google Photos service.

Plaintiffs had sought more than $5 million collectively for the "hundreds of thousands" of state residents affected, according to court documents. Plaintiffs had asked the court for $5,000 for each intentional violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, or $1,000 for every negligent violation, court documents said.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs as well as officials with Google could not immediately be reached to comment. Google had argued in court documents that the plaintiffs were not entitled to money or injunctive relief because they had suffered no harm.

A lawsuit filed against Google by consumers who claimed the search engine's photo sharing and storage service violated their privacy was dismissed on Saturday by a US judge who cited a lack of "concrete injuries.

A lawsuit filed against Google by consumers who claimed the search engine's photo sharing and storage service violated their privacy was dismissed on Saturday by a US judge who cited a lack of "concrete injuries." US District Judge Edmond Chang in Chicago granted a Google motion for summary judgment, saying the court lacked "subject matter jurisdiction because plaintiffs have not suffered concrete injuries." The suit, filed in March 2016, alleged Alphabet Inc's Google violated Illinois state law by collecting and storing biometric data from people's photographs using facial recognition software without their permission through its Google Photos service. Plaintiffs had sought more than $5 million collectively for the "hundreds of thousands" of state residents affected, according to court documents. Plaintiffs had asked the court for $5,000 for each intentional violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, or $1,000 for every negligent violation, court documents said. Attorneys for the plaintiffs as well as officials with Google could not immediately be reached to comment. Google had argued in court documents that the plaintiffs were not entitled to money or injunctive relief because they had suffered no harm.

US judge dismisses suit vs Google over facial recognition software

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-sees-progress-for-facebook-after-tumultuous-year-187126">Advertisements on Facebook</a> and other popular social media platforms can encourage people to get a cancer screening, which would help patients spot the disease early enough to get timely treatment, scientists say.

According to researchers, even with the recommendation of a primary care physician, people tend to procrastinate or simply forget to schedule an appointment for cancer screening — a simple step that could save many lives.

"The idea was to start a text messaging campaign for cancer prevention," said Andrea Dwyer, of the University of Colorado in the US.

Advertising including radio slots, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/washington-sues-facebook-over-cambridge-analytica-row-185389">Facebook </a>promotions and even locally-posted flyers encouraged people in the community to text a given number to opt into information and reminders about cancer screening.

Radio and flyers were largely unsuccessful in driving enrollment. However, Facebook advertising resulted in 22,600 Facebook users exposed to ads.

"Facebook was a good mechanism. The engagement was high with Facebook ads, and those who viewed ads clicked through to the sign-up page, an indication of intent to enrol," said Dwyer.

Once people signed up, they stayed enrolled. A full 96 per cent of participants who texted to sign up stayed enrolled to receive all planned information/reminders, researchers said.

The group sees social media, and specifically Facebook, as a way to reach people living in areas where information about cancer prevention might otherwise be lacking, for example in rural areas of Colorado.

Dwyer said that in a future iteration of the project, the group may explore opt-out rather than opt-in strategies, potentially including enrollment through consent at primary care locations or bundling the delivery of information via text with existing health management apps.

Technically, the answer to whether Facebook advertising can prevent cancer remains unanswered — it is impossible to tell how many patients who otherwise would have developed cancer were caught early due to the group's text-based information program.

However, the study did confirm that new strategies of communication, can be an effective way to reach hard-to-reach populations with information and strategies for cancer prevention.

Advertisements on Facebook and other popular social media platforms can encourage people to get a cancer screening, which would help patients spot the disease early enough to get timely treatment, scientists say.

Advertisements on Facebook and other popular social media platforms can encourage people to get a cancer screening, which would help patients spot the disease early enough to get timely treatment, scientists say. According to researchers, even with the recommendation of a primary care physician, people tend to procrastinate or simply forget to schedule an appointment for cancer screening — a simple step that could save many lives. "The idea was to start a text messaging campaign for cancer prevention," said Andrea Dwyer, of the University of Colorado in the US. Advertising including radio slots, Facebook promotions and even locally-posted flyers encouraged people in the community to text a given number to opt into information and reminders about cancer screening. Radio and flyers were largely unsuccessful in driving enrollment. However, Facebook advertising resulted in 22,600 Facebook users exposed to ads. "Facebook was a good mechanism. The engagement was high with Facebook ads, and those who viewed ads clicked through to the sign-up page, an indication of intent to enrol," said Dwyer. Once people signed up, they stayed enrolled. A full 96 per cent of participants who texted to sign up stayed enrolled to receive all planned information/reminders, researchers said. The group sees social media, and specifically Facebook, as a way to reach people living in areas where information about cancer prevention might otherwise be lacking, for example in rural areas of Colorado. Dwyer said that in a future iteration of the project, the group may explore opt-out rather than opt-in strategies, potentially including enrollment through consent at primary care locations or bundling the delivery of information via text with existing health management apps. Technically, the answer to whether Facebook advertising can prevent cancer remains unanswered — it is impossible to tell how many patients who otherwise would have developed cancer were caught early due to the group's text-based information program. However, the study did confirm that new strategies of communication, can be an effective way to reach hard-to-reach populations with information and strategies for cancer prevention.

Facebook ads may help reduce cancer deaths: Study

A strong earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday, raising fears of dangerous tsunami waves across the region but after about two hours, the tsunami warning was withdrawn.

There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which the US&nbsp;Geological Survey (USGS) said struck 193 km (120 miles) east of the Philippine city of General Santos, at a depth of 60 km (37 miles).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said "hazardous tsunami waves" were possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicentre", along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau.

But about two hours after the quake struck, the center said there was no longer a tsunami threat.

The USGS initially said the magnitude of the quake was 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.9.

Residents of the southern Philippines said the earthquake lasted about a minute and people rushed out of buildings but there had been no major damage.

"I was at the front desk and saw the chandeliers swaying," Jonna Ramos, who works at the Anchor Hotel in General Santos, told Reuters by telephone, adding that all guests and staff had left the building but later went back in.

Indonesian media also said there were no reports of damage.

The Philippines and Indonesia are both on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a horse-shoe shaped band of volcanoes and fault lines circling the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

Indonesia has been struck by two serious tsunami this year.

The first followed a 7.5 magnitude quake on the west coast of Sulawesi island in September. More than 2,000 people were killed.

The second tsunami struck a week ago, on Saturday evening, when part of a volcanic island collapsed in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, generating tsunami waves that killed more than 400 people.

A strong earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday, raising fears of dangerous tsunami waves across the region but after about two hours, the tsunami warning was withdrawn.

A strong earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday, raising fears of dangerous tsunami waves across the region but after about two hours, the tsunami warning was withdrawn. There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) said struck 193 km (120 miles) east of the Philippine city of General Santos, at a depth of 60 km (37 miles). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said "hazardous tsunami waves" were possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicentre", along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau. But about two hours after the quake struck, the center said there was no longer a tsunami threat. The USGS initially said the magnitude of the quake was 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.9. Residents of the southern Philippines said the earthquake lasted about a minute and people rushed out of buildings but there had been no major damage. "I was at the front desk and saw the chandeliers swaying," Jonna Ramos, who works at the Anchor Hotel in General Santos, told Reuters by telephone, adding that all guests and staff had left the building but later went back in. Indonesian media also said there were no reports of damage. The Philippines and Indonesia are both on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a horse-shoe shaped band of volcanoes and fault lines circling the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia has been struck by two serious tsunami this year. The first followed a 7.5 magnitude quake on the west coast of Sulawesi island in September. More than 2,000 people were killed. The second tsunami struck a week ago, on Saturday evening, when part of a volcanic island collapsed in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, generating tsunami waves that killed more than 400 people.

Strong quake strikes off Philippines, tsunami warning withdrawn

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