The presidential elections of 2016 in the United States were said to have delivered the most shocking results in modern political history when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.

A Republican presidential candidate, Trump in the most unexpected turn became the fifth US presidential candidate who had won the Electoral College but lost the overall popular vote.&nbsp;

This happened because opponent Hillary Clinton clinched some major victories in heavily-populated states like New York and California and Trump had won four states with a margin of 1.2 percentage points or less.

Soon after the results were out, Trump took to the stage to give his victory speech. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans. For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so we can work together and unify our great country," he said in a conciliatory tone.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-opinion-poll-shows-harris-holds-narrow-lead-over-trump-but-razor-thin-edge-starting-to-fray-771577">US election: Opinion poll shows Harris holds narrow lead over Trump, but razor-thin edge starting to fray</a>

The experts had earlier predicted that he wouldn't run for elections but Trump did. It was then believed he wouldn't climb in the elections, which he again did. His wins in primaries and clinching of the Republican nomination were also predicted wrongly and so was his victory.

<h2>Why did Hillary Clinton lose the 2016 elections?</h2>

According to experts, various reasons led to the defeat of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Hillary Clinton did have a major lead in the popular vote, however, the presidents were decided on the basis of the Electoral College which was in favour of Trump.

In the 2016 elections, the overall voter turnout was almost the same as that in the 2012 elections. 128.5 million voter turnout was recorded in 2016 and 129.2 million voter turnout in 2012.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;US Election 2024 | Explained: US Presidential Elections 2024

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-election-2024-explained-us-presidential-elections-2024-771225/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As per experts, a major part of the voters were not happy with the choice of candidates which led to Trump coming to the helm of power.

Clinton was also criticised for not failing to fire up the Obama Coalition which may have pushed some more votes in her favour.

The main reason behind Trump's victory was said to be his flipping big margins with working-class and white voters in the Midwest and Pennsylvania.

(With inputs from agencies)

The presidential elections of 2016 in the United States were said to have delivered the most shocking results in modern political history when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.

The presidential elections of 2016 in the United States were said to have delivered the most shocking results in modern political history when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. A Republican presidential candidate, Trump in the most unexpected turn became the fifth US presidential candidate who had won the Electoral College but lost the overall popular vote. This happened because opponent Hillary Clinton clinched some major victories in heavily-populated states like New York and California and Trump had won four states with a margin of 1.2 percentage points or less. Soon after the results were out, Trump took to the stage to give his victory speech. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans. For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so we can work together and unify our great country," he said in a conciliatory tone. Also Read: US election: Opinion poll shows Harris holds narrow lead over Trump, but razor-thin edge starting to fray The experts had earlier predicted that he wouldn't run for elections but Trump did. It was then believed he wouldn't climb in the elections, which he again did. His wins in primaries and clinching of the Republican nomination were also predicted wrongly and so was his victory. Why did Hillary Clinton lose the 2016 elections? According to experts, various reasons led to the defeat of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. Hillary Clinton did have a major lead in the popular vote, however, the presidents were decided on the basis of the Electoral College which was in favour of Trump. In the 2016 elections, the overall voter turnout was almost the same as that in the 2012 elections. 128.5 million voter turnout was recorded in 2016 and 129.2 million voter turnout in 2012. Watch: US Election 2024 | Explained: US Presidential Elections 2024 As per experts, a major part of the voters were not happy with the choice of candidates which led to Trump coming to the helm of power. Clinton was also criticised for not failing to fire up the Obama Coalition which may have pushed some more votes in her favour. The main reason behind Trump's victory was said to be his flipping big margins with working-class and white voters in the Midwest and Pennsylvania. (With inputs from agencies)

US Elections 2016: The dawn of the Trump era and the fall of Democrats

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer&nbsp;Michael Cohen has alleged him of colluding with Russia to win elections, and promises proof of it in his new book.

Cohen is publishing a book titled&nbsp;"Disloyal, A Memoir.", in which he alleges Trump of colluding with Russia and much more.

A 3,700 word long foreword of the book was published recently.&nbsp;"Trump had cheated in the election, with Russian connivance, as you will discover in these pages, because doing anything — and I mean anything — to `win` has always been his business model and way of life," Cohen writes in the book`s foreword, which was published online on Thursday.

While the foreword does not reveal anything new about the accusations, it is still unclear if the book will be able to reveal any additional detail or proof regarding these allegations, which have been circling Trump for few years now from different sources.

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller last year concluded that Russia waged a major campaign to help Trump to victory in 2016. However, Mueller was unable to establish a criminal relationship between the two.

Cohen, on the other hand, has worked closely with Trump over the years and therefore more proof on these allegations is being expected from Cohen's book.

His book has been the center of controversy for months now. The ex-aide was given the permission to publish the book in July end after he was dragged to&nbsp;Otisville prison as a retaliation for planning to publish a book about Trump.

Trump's administration has been trying to halt the production of this book for months now.&nbsp;White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern has now replied with question marks on Chen's credibility calling him to be a 'liar' and accusing him of oublishing the book only to make money from sales.

"He readily admits to lying routinely but expects people to believe him now so that he can make money from book sales. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump,” Morgenstern said.

Michael Cohen's lawyers have not yet responded back to the accusation made from the White House.

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has alleged him of colluding with Russia to win elections, and promises proof of it in his new book. Cohen is publishing a book titled "Disloyal, A Memoir.

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has alleged him of colluding with Russia to win elections, and promises proof of it in his new book. Cohen is publishing a book titled "Disloyal, A Memoir.", in which he alleges Trump of colluding with Russia and much more. A 3,700 word long foreword of the book was published recently. "Trump had cheated in the election, with Russian connivance, as you will discover in these pages, because doing anything — and I mean anything — to `win` has always been his business model and way of life," Cohen writes in the book`s foreword, which was published online on Thursday. While the foreword does not reveal anything new about the accusations, it is still unclear if the book will be able to reveal any additional detail or proof regarding these allegations, which have been circling Trump for few years now from different sources. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller last year concluded that Russia waged a major campaign to help Trump to victory in 2016. However, Mueller was unable to establish a criminal relationship between the two. Cohen, on the other hand, has worked closely with Trump over the years and therefore more proof on these allegations is being expected from Cohen's book. His book has been the center of controversy for months now. The ex-aide was given the permission to publish the book in July end after he was dragged to Otisville prison as a retaliation for planning to publish a book about Trump. Trump's administration has been trying to halt the production of this book for months now. White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern has now replied with question marks on Chen's credibility calling him to be a 'liar' and accusing him of oublishing the book only to make money from sales. "He readily admits to lying routinely but expects people to believe him now so that he can make money from book sales. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump,” Morgenstern said. Michael Cohen's lawyers have not yet responded back to the accusation made from the White House.

Book trouble: Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, accuses him of colluding with Russia to win elections

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017.

By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over."

"Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked.

Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;elections.

"Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look."

The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday.

Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US&nbsp;intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers.

Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico.

Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails.

Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed.

"No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said.

Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI.

He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation.

"That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said.

Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted.

The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates.

Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump.

Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad. A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017. By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over." "Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked. Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. "Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington. "Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look." The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday. Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers. Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico. Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails. Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed. "No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said. Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI. He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation. "That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said. Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted. The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates. Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump. Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Roger Stone trial closes with dueling versions of motives in 2016 Trump campaign

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.

In his first public comments since starting the investigation in May 2017, Mueller said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/charging-trump-was-not-an-option-says-us-special-counsel-robert-mueller-222592">Justice Department</a> policy prevented him from bringing charges against a sitting president or filing sealed charges, telling reporters it was "not an option we would consider."

But he also said his two-year investigation did not clear Trump of improper behaviour and, while he did not use the word "impeachment," he pointed out there were other ways to hold presidents accountable.

"The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," Mueller said as he announced his resignation from the Justice Department.

Congressional Democrats are debating whether to try to move ahead with impeachment in the Democratic-majority US House of Representatives, even though the Republican-controlled Senate would be unlikely to complete the process outlined in the US Constitution for removing a president from office by convicting him.

The White House and several top Republicans responded to Mueller's comments on Wednesday by saying it was time to move on to other matters, while several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for impeachment.

One candidate, US Senator Kamala Harris, wrote on Twitter: "What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral."

Calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump have grown among some Democrats, who have been frustrated by White House efforts to thwart congressional subpoenas seeking records and testimony related to the Russia investigation and other matters related to Trump and his family.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been more cautious and is arguing that lawmakers should push ahead with their investigations before deciding whether to impeach Trump.

On Wednesday she said she was sticking with that plan.

"Nothing is off the table, but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case, that even the Republican Senate, which at the time seems to be not an objective jury, will be convinced of the path that we have to take as a country,” she said at a San Francisco event.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would hold Trump "accountable" but declined to say whether he would bring impeachment charges.

"With respect to impeachment, all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out," he said at a news conference after Mueller's appearance.

A redacted version of Mueller's report was published in April. It concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's election campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House.

Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime."

Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor, said he thought Mueller was "saying in his own way that a crime was committed."

A source close to Trump said the Mueller statement amounted to a "bad day for the home team."

"Mueller’s statement today was a direct assault on the president," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And it will only empower the Democrats to be bolder and more aggressive in their move to impeach him."

Trump declares 'case closed'

Trump, who has repeatedly denounced Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" and "hoax" meant to hobble his presidency, still took to Twitter to say the matter was settled.

"Nothing changes from the Mueller Report," he wrote. "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you."

Mueller, a Republican who headed the FBI from 2001 to 2013, said he would not elaborate beyond what was contained in his 448-page report, signalling to Democrats that he was unlikely to provide them more ammunition for impeachment if he were to testify to a congressional committee.

Mueller, 74, said his office is formally closing its doors and he is now returning to life as a private citizen.

"Beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said, adding that he would not go beyond what was in his report in any future testimony to Congress.

He did not take questions after making his statement.

It was not clear whether Mueller would testify to Congress. He made clear he would prefer not to, although House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he still expects to hear from the special counsel.

"While I understand his reluctance to answer hypotheticals or deviate from the carefully worded conclusions he drew on his charging decisions, there are, nevertheless, a great many questions he can answer that go beyond the report," Schiff said.

The House Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Representative Doug Collins, said relitigating Mueller's findings would only divide the country. "It is time to move on from the investigation and start focusing on real solutions for the American people," he said.

Only one Republican so far, Representative Justin Amash, has said Trump has committed impeachable offences. "The ball is in our court, Congress," he wrote on Twitter.

Mueller's investigation ensnared dozens of people, including several top Trump advisers and a series of Russian nationals and companies.

Among them are his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is serving 7-1/2 years in prison for financial crimes and lobbying violations, and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recently began a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations and lying to Congress.

Since the report's release, Democratic lawmakers have tried without success to get the unredacted version and underlying evidence.

Barr now is leading a review of the origins of the Russia investigation in what is the third known inquiry into the FBI's handling of the matter. Trump harbours suspicions that the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama started the investigation in 2016 to undermine his presidency.

In attacking Mueller's probe, Trump also has often attacked the integrity of the FBI and its investigators.

Mueller appeared to offer a response to that criticism on Wednesday.

The prosecutors, FBI agents, analysts and others who worked with him were "of the highest integrity," he said.

He also defended the need to conduct the probe in the first place, saying Russia's actions during the election campaign to interfere "needed to be investigated and understood."

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached. In his first public comments since starting the investigation in May 2017, Mueller said Justice Department policy prevented him from bringing charges against a sitting president or filing sealed charges, telling reporters it was "not an option we would consider." But he also said his two-year investigation did not clear Trump of improper behaviour and, while he did not use the word "impeachment," he pointed out there were other ways to hold presidents accountable. "The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," Mueller said as he announced his resignation from the Justice Department. Congressional Democrats are debating whether to try to move ahead with impeachment in the Democratic-majority US House of Representatives, even though the Republican-controlled Senate would be unlikely to complete the process outlined in the US Constitution for removing a president from office by convicting him. The White House and several top Republicans responded to Mueller's comments on Wednesday by saying it was time to move on to other matters, while several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for impeachment. One candidate, US Senator Kamala Harris, wrote on Twitter: "What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral." Calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump have grown among some Democrats, who have been frustrated by White House efforts to thwart congressional subpoenas seeking records and testimony related to the Russia investigation and other matters related to Trump and his family. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been more cautious and is arguing that lawmakers should push ahead with their investigations before deciding whether to impeach Trump. On Wednesday she said she was sticking with that plan. "Nothing is off the table, but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case, that even the Republican Senate, which at the time seems to be not an objective jury, will be convinced of the path that we have to take as a country,” she said at a San Francisco event. Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would hold Trump "accountable" but declined to say whether he would bring impeachment charges. "With respect to impeachment, all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out," he said at a news conference after Mueller's appearance. A redacted version of Mueller's report was published in April. It concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's election campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House. Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation. "If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime." Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor, said he thought Mueller was "saying in his own way that a crime was committed." A source close to Trump said the Mueller statement amounted to a "bad day for the home team." "Mueller’s statement today was a direct assault on the president," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And it will only empower the Democrats to be bolder and more aggressive in their move to impeach him." Trump declares 'case closed' Trump, who has repeatedly denounced Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" and "hoax" meant to hobble his presidency, still took to Twitter to say the matter was settled. "Nothing changes from the Mueller Report," he wrote. "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you." Mueller, a Republican who headed the FBI from 2001 to 2013, said he would not elaborate beyond what was contained in his 448-page report, signalling to Democrats that he was unlikely to provide them more ammunition for impeachment if he were to testify to a congressional committee. Mueller, 74, said his office is formally closing its doors and he is now returning to life as a private citizen. "Beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said, adding that he would not go beyond what was in his report in any future testimony to Congress. He did not take questions after making his statement. It was not clear whether Mueller would testify to Congress. He made clear he would prefer not to, although House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he still expects to hear from the special counsel. "While I understand his reluctance to answer hypotheticals or deviate from the carefully worded conclusions he drew on his charging decisions, there are, nevertheless, a great many questions he can answer that go beyond the report," Schiff said. The House Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Representative Doug Collins, said relitigating Mueller's findings would only divide the country. "It is time to move on from the investigation and start focusing on real solutions for the American people," he said. Only one Republican so far, Representative Justin Amash, has said Trump has committed impeachable offences. "The ball is in our court, Congress," he wrote on Twitter. Mueller's investigation ensnared dozens of people, including several top Trump advisers and a series of Russian nationals and companies. Among them are his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is serving 7-1/2 years in prison for financial crimes and lobbying violations, and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recently began a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations and lying to Congress. Since the report's release, Democratic lawmakers have tried without success to get the unredacted version and underlying evidence. Barr now is leading a review of the origins of the Russia investigation in what is the third known inquiry into the FBI's handling of the matter. Trump harbours suspicions that the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama started the investigation in 2016 to undermine his presidency. In attacking Mueller's probe, Trump also has often attacked the integrity of the FBI and its investigators. Mueller appeared to offer a response to that criticism on Wednesday. The prosecutors, FBI agents, analysts and others who worked with him were "of the highest integrity," he said. He also defended the need to conduct the probe in the first place, saying Russia's actions during the election campaign to interfere "needed to be investigated and understood."

Mueller says he could not charge Trump as Congress weighs impeachment

President Trump today<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-unflattering-detail-mueller-report-reveals-trump-actions-to-impede-inquiry-211647"> slammed the Mueller</a> report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters".

"I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-report-inconclusive-on-trumps-obstruction-of-justice-charge-211626">US president tweeted</a>, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened."

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Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated &amp; totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1119207303700471809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Mueller report which was released on Thursday revealed that Trump's lawyers and advisers repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the president to halt Robert Mueller's investigation.

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...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “Report” about me, some of which are total bullshit &amp; only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1119211274712375297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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President Trump had tweeted "game over" just after the full 400-page report was made public by US Attorney General Bill Barr. After a 22-month probe on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded Trump's team did not conspire with Moscow.&nbsp;

Democrats though&nbsp;have called on Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives by May 23. The Trump administration has announced it would not oppose it.

Meanwhile, Russia said the report failed to present clear evidence of any meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US election and called its impact on relations regrettable.

"As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.&nbsp;

However, in the report Special Counsel Robert Mueller described numerous attempts by President Donald Trump to interfere with the Russian meddling investigation, citing them as the reason why he could not clear the president of allegations of obstruction of justice.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://13.232.42.114/videos/mueller-report-trump-campaign-did-not-collude-with-russia-211662/embed" width="560"></iframe></div>

Mueller's final report detailed multiple instances in 2017 and 2018 in which Trump desperately sought to derail the probe, including firing FBI director James Comey, demanding that Mueller himself be removed, and publicly dangling pardon offers to witnesses.

It cited a furious Trump, just months into his term, swearing over Mueller's appointment and saying his presidency was doomed.

"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked," Trump told then attorney general Jeff Sessions, the report recounted.

(Inputs: AFP)

President Trump today slammed the Mueller report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters". "I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the US president tweeted, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened.

President Trump today slammed the Mueller report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters". "I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the US president tweeted, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened." Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2019 × The Mueller report which was released on Thursday revealed that Trump's lawyers and advisers repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the president to halt Robert Mueller's investigation. ...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “Report” about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2019 × President Trump had tweeted "game over" just after the full 400-page report was made public by US Attorney General Bill Barr. After a 22-month probe on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded Trump's team did not conspire with Moscow. Democrats though have called on Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives by May 23. The Trump administration has announced it would not oppose it. Meanwhile, Russia said the report failed to present clear evidence of any meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US election and called its impact on relations regrettable. "As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. However, in the report Special Counsel Robert Mueller described numerous attempts by President Donald Trump to interfere with the Russian meddling investigation, citing them as the reason why he could not clear the president of allegations of obstruction of justice. Mueller's final report detailed multiple instances in 2017 and 2018 in which Trump desperately sought to derail the probe, including firing FBI director James Comey, demanding that Mueller himself be removed, and publicly dangling pardon offers to witnesses. It cited a furious Trump, just months into his term, swearing over Mueller's appointment and saying his presidency was doomed. "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked," Trump told then attorney general Jeff Sessions, the report recounted. (Inputs: AFP)

I never agreed to testify on Mueller report, says Trump

US president Donald Trump on Saturday said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin told him that &quot;he didn&#39;t meddle&quot; in US elections that propelled the billionaire former reality star to the White House.

Trump&#39;s relationship with Moscow has stalked the first year of his presidency, with key former aides under a US investigation for alleged collaboration with the Kremlin.

Trump&#39;s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and an associate are under house arrest on charges including conspiracy to launder money, linked to the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into allegations that the campaign colluded with Russia.

The US leader had &quot;two or three&quot; brief conversations with Putin on the margins of the APEC summit in the Vietnamese city of Danang, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on the way to a state visit in Hanoi.

&quot;He (Putin) said he didn&#39;t meddle. He said he didn&#39;t meddle. I asked him again,&quot; he said.

&quot;You can only ask so many times...He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election.&quot;

Trump explained that Putin reiterates his denial &quot;every time&quot; the pair meet, adding his counterpart seems &quot;very insulted&quot; by the persistent allegations.

But he would not be drawn on whether he believes the Russian strongman.

Social media giants Twitter and Facebook have said paid for and free content with Russian links carrying divisive election-related messages spun across their platforms ahead of the crunch poll.

US president Donald Trump on Saturday said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin told him that "he didn't meddle" in US elections that propelled the billionaire former reality star to the White House.

US president Donald Trump on Saturday said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin told him that "he didn't meddle" in US elections that propelled the billionaire former reality star to the White House. Trump's relationship with Moscow has stalked the first year of his presidency, with key former aides under a US investigation for alleged collaboration with the Kremlin. Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and an associate are under house arrest on charges including conspiracy to launder money, linked to the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into allegations that the campaign colluded with Russia. The US leader had "two or three" brief conversations with Putin on the margins of the APEC summit in the Vietnamese city of Danang, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on the way to a state visit in Hanoi. "He (Putin) said he didn't meddle. He said he didn't meddle. I asked him again," he said. "You can only ask so many times...He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election." Trump explained that Putin reiterates his denial "every time" the pair meet, adding his counterpart seems "very insulted" by the persistent allegations. But he would not be drawn on whether he believes the Russian strongman. Social media giants Twitter and Facebook have said paid for and free content with Russian links carrying divisive election-related messages spun across their platforms ahead of the crunch poll.

Putin told me 'he didn't meddle' in US election: Trump

Hillary Clinton&#39;s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped pay for research that went into a salacious dossier on Donald Trump&#39;s alleged campaign ties to Russia, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

In April 2016, lawyer Marc Elias, working on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Washington firm Fusion GPS to examine Trump&#39;s Russia links, according to the report.&nbsp;

The payments continued until just days before the November 2016 election.

Even before that deal, Fusion GPS&#39;s research into Trump was funded by a rival in the Republican presidential primary election. That Republican&#39;s identity is not yet known.

Fusion GPS has asked that a federal judge to block a House Intelligence Committee request to gain access to the company&#39;s bank records, saying it would violate its constitutional rights.

The 35-page political research dossier, prepared by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele, has become central to congressional probes into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

Trump has branded the dossier&nbsp;which contains salacious, and partially unconfirmed, political, financial and sexual allegations -- as &quot;fake news.&quot;

On Saturday, Trump tweeted that the Justice Department and FBI &quot;should immediately release who paid for it.&quot;

Two days earlier, he mused publicly on Twitter that Democrats may have funded the research.

&quot;Workers of the firm involved with the discredited and Fake Dossier take the 5th. Who paid for it, Russia, the FBI or the Dems (or all)?&quot; the president wrote.

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped pay for research that went into a salacious dossier on Donald Trump's alleged campaign ties to Russia

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped pay for research that went into a salacious dossier on Donald Trump's alleged campaign ties to Russia, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. In April 2016, lawyer Marc Elias, working on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Washington firm Fusion GPS to examine Trump's Russia links, according to the report. The payments continued until just days before the November 2016 election. Even before that deal, Fusion GPS's research into Trump was funded by a rival in the Republican presidential primary election. That Republican's identity is not yet known. Fusion GPS has asked that a federal judge to block a House Intelligence Committee request to gain access to the company's bank records, saying it would violate its constitutional rights. The 35-page political research dossier, prepared by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele, has become central to congressional probes into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. Trump has branded the dossier which contains salacious, and partially unconfirmed, political, financial and sexual allegations -- as "fake news." On Saturday, Trump tweeted that the Justice Department and FBI "should immediately release who paid for it." Two days earlier, he mused publicly on Twitter that Democrats may have funded the research. "Workers of the firm involved with the discredited and Fake Dossier take the 5th. Who paid for it, Russia, the FBI or the Dems (or all)?" the president wrote.

Clinton paid in part for Trump-Russia dossier: Report

US President Donald Trump backtracked on his push for a cyber security unit with Russia, tweeting that he did not think it could happen, hours after his proposal was harshly criticised by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted.

Trump said on Twitter early on Sunday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on forming &#39;an impenetrable Cyber Security unit&#39; to address issues like the risk of cyber meddling in elections.

The idea appeared to be a political non-starter. It was immediately scorned by several of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans, who questioned why the United States would work with Russia after Moscow&#39;s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election.

&#39;It&#39;s not the dumbest idea I have ever heard but it&#39;s pretty close,&#39;Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC&#39;s &#39;Meet the Press&#39; program.

Ash Carter, who was US defense secretary until the end of former Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, told CNN flatly &quot;This is like the guy who robbed your house proposing a working group on burglary.&quot;

Trump&#39;s advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, had recently sought to explain Trump&#39;s cyber push.

Mnuchin said that Trump and Putin had agreed to create &#39;a cyber unit to make sure that there was absolutely no interference whatsoever, that they would work on cyber security together&#39;.&nbsp;

But Trump returned to Twitter to play down the idea, which arose at his talks with Putin at a summit of the Group of 20 nations in Hamburg, Germany.

&#39;The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn&#39;t mean I think it can happen. It can&#39;t,&#39;Trump said on Twitter. 
&nbsp;

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The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn&#39;t mean I think it can happen. It can&#39;t-but a ceasefire can,&amp; did!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/884211874518192128">July 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

He then noted that an agreement with Russia for a ceasefire in Syria &#39;can &amp; did&#39; happen.

Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona acknowledged Trump&#39;s desire to move forward with Russia, but added &#39;there has to be a price to pay&#39;.&nbsp;

&#39;There has been no penalty&#39;, McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CBS&#39; &#39;Face the Nation&#39; program according to a CBS transcript. &#39;Vladimir Putin ... got away with literally trying to change the outcome ... of our election&#39;.&nbsp;

Trump argued for a rapprochement with Moscow in his campaign but has been unable to deliver because his administration has been dogged by investigations into the allegations of Russian interference in the election and ties with his campaign.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the matter, including whether there may have been any collusion on the part of Trump campaign officials, as are congressional committees including both the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence panels.

Those probes are focused almost exclusively on Moscow&rsquo;s actions, lawmakers and intelligence officials say, and no evidence has surfaced publicly implicating other countries despite Trump&#39;s suggestion that others could have been involved.

Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN&#39;s &#39;State of the Union&#39; program that Russia could not be a credible partner in a cyber security unit.

&#39;If that&rsquo;s our best election defense, we might as well just mail our ballot boxes to Moscow,&#39; Schiff added.

Separately, US government officials said a recent hack into business systems of US nuclear power and other energy companies was carried out by Russian government hackers, the Washington Post reported.

&#39;Time to move forward &#39; with Russia&nbsp; 
 
Trump said he &#39;strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it.&#39; He added &#39;We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia&#39;.

In Trump&#39;s first attempt at ending the six-year Syrian civil war, the United States, Russia and Jordan reached a ceasefire and &quot;de-escalation agreement&quot; for southwestern Syria. The ceasefire was holding hours after it took effect on Sunday, a monitor and two rebel officials said.

Any joint US-Russia cyber initiative would have been a different matter. Depending on how much it veered into military or espionage operations, it could have faced major legal hurdles.

Language in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the Pentagon, which includes the National Security Agency and the US military&#39;s Cyber Command, from using any funds for bilateral military cooperation with Russia.

Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, also noted restrictions on sharing information with Russia that would clearly prohibit offering Moscow a sense of US cyber capabilities. Russia would be similarly adverse to revealing its capabilities to the United States, he noted. &#39;It just will not happen,&#39; McFaul added.

Trumps proposal was harshly criticised by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted

US President Donald Trump backtracked on his push for a cyber security unit with Russia, tweeting that he did not think it could happen, hours after his proposal was harshly criticised by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted. Trump said on Twitter early on Sunday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on forming 'an impenetrable Cyber Security unit' to address issues like the risk of cyber meddling in elections. The idea appeared to be a political non-starter. It was immediately scorned by several of Trump's fellow Republicans, who questioned why the United States would work with Russia after Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016 US election. 'It's not the dumbest idea I have ever heard but it's pretty close,'Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC's 'Meet the Press' program. Ash Carter, who was US defense secretary until the end of former Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, told CNN flatly "This is like the guy who robbed your house proposing a working group on burglary." Trump's advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, had recently sought to explain Trump's cyber push. Mnuchin said that Trump and Putin had agreed to create 'a cyber unit to make sure that there was absolutely no interference whatsoever, that they would work on cyber security together'. But Trump returned to Twitter to play down the idea, which arose at his talks with Putin at a summit of the Group of 20 nations in Hamburg, Germany. 'The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn't mean I think it can happen. It can't,'Trump said on Twitter. The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn't mean I think it can happen. It can't-but a ceasefire can,& did! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017 × He then noted that an agreement with Russia for a ceasefire in Syria 'can & did' happen. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona acknowledged Trump's desire to move forward with Russia, but added 'there has to be a price to pay'. 'There has been no penalty', McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CBS' 'Face the Nation' program according to a CBS transcript. 'Vladimir Putin ... got away with literally trying to change the outcome ... of our election'. Trump argued for a rapprochement with Moscow in his campaign but has been unable to deliver because his administration has been dogged by investigations into the allegations of Russian interference in the election and ties with his campaign. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the matter, including whether there may have been any collusion on the part of Trump campaign officials, as are congressional committees including both the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence panels. Those probes are focused almost exclusively on Moscow’s actions, lawmakers and intelligence officials say, and no evidence has surfaced publicly implicating other countries despite Trump's suggestion that others could have been involved. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN's 'State of the Union' program that Russia could not be a credible partner in a cyber security unit. 'If that’s our best election defense, we might as well just mail our ballot boxes to Moscow,' Schiff added. Separately, US government officials said a recent hack into business systems of US nuclear power and other energy companies was carried out by Russian government hackers, the Washington Post reported. 'Time to move forward ' with Russia Trump said he 'strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it.' He added 'We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia'. In Trump's first attempt at ending the six-year Syrian civil war, the United States, Russia and Jordan reached a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" for southwestern Syria. The ceasefire was holding hours after it took effect on Sunday, a monitor and two rebel officials said. Any joint US-Russia cyber initiative would have been a different matter. Depending on how much it veered into military or espionage operations, it could have faced major legal hurdles. Language in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the Pentagon, which includes the National Security Agency and the US military's Cyber Command, from using any funds for bilateral military cooperation with Russia. Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, also noted restrictions on sharing information with Russia that would clearly prohibit offering Moscow a sense of US cyber capabilities. Russia would be similarly adverse to revealing its capabilities to the United States, he noted. 'It just will not happen,' McFaul added.

Trump backtracks on cyber unit proposal with Russia after harsh criticism

The US Senate voted nearly unanimously on Thursday for legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia, and to force President Donald Trump to get Congress&#39; approval before easing any existing sanctions on Russia.

In a move that could complicate US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire for warmer relations with Moscow, the Senate backed the measure by 98-2. Republican Senator Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, were the only two &quot;no&quot; votes.

The measure is intended to punish Russia for meddling in the 2016 US election, annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimea region and support for Syria&#39;s government in the six-year-long civil war.

If passed, it would put into law sanctions previously established via former President Barack Obama&#39;s executive orders, including some on Russian energy projects. It allows new sanctions on Russian mining, metals, shipping and railways and targets Russians guilty of conducting cyber attacks or supplying weapons to Syria&#39;s government.

&quot;The legislation sends a very, very strong signal to Russia, the nefarious activities they&#39;ve been involved in,&quot; Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said as lawmakers debated the measure.

If the measure became law, it could complicate relations with some countries in Europe. Germany and Austria said the new punitive measures could expose European companies involved in projects in Russia to fines.

The legislation sets up a review process that would require Trump to get Congress&#39; approval before taking any action to ease, suspend or lift any sanctions on Russia.

Trump was especially effusive about Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 2016 US&nbsp;election campaign, though his openness to closer ties to Moscow has tempered somewhat, with his administration on the defensive over investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election.

Putin dismissed the proposed sanctions, saying they reflected an internal political struggle in the United States, and that Washington&#39;s policy of imposing sanctions on Moscow had always been to try to contain Russia.

The bill also includes new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme and other activities not related to the international nuclear agreement reached with the United States and other world powers.

To become law, the legislation must pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump. House aides said they expected the chamber would begin to debate the measure in coming weeks. They could not predict when it might face a final vote.

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson had questioned the legislation on Wednesday, urging Congress to ensure that any legislation &quot;allows the president to have the flexibility to adjust sanctions to meet the needs of what is always an evolving diplomatic situation&quot;.

However, aides in both chambers said they expected support for the bill would be strong enough to override a Trump veto if necessary.

Previously, US&nbsp;energy sanctions had only targeted Russia&#39;s future high-tech energy projects, such as drilling for oil in the Arctic, fracking and offshore drilling. They blocked US&nbsp;companies such as Exxon Mobil, where Tillerson was chairman, from investing in such projects.

The new bill would slap sanctions on companies in other countries looking to invest in those projects in the absence of US&nbsp;companies, a practice known as backfilling.

Also included for the first time are discretionary measures the Trump administration could impose on investments by companies in Western countries on Russia energy export pipelines to Europe.

Lawmakers also voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to add provisions to the bill allowing the US&nbsp;space agency NASA to continue using Russian-made rocket engines and reaffirming the US&nbsp;commitment to the NATO alliance.

The measure is intended to punish Russia for meddling in the 2016 US election, annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and support for Syria's government in the six-year-long civil war

The US Senate voted nearly unanimously on Thursday for legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia, and to force President Donald Trump to get Congress' approval before easing any existing sanctions on Russia. In a move that could complicate US President Donald Trump's desire for warmer relations with Moscow, the Senate backed the measure by 98-2. Republican Senator Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, were the only two "no" votes. The measure is intended to punish Russia for meddling in the 2016 US election, annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and support for Syria's government in the six-year-long civil war. If passed, it would put into law sanctions previously established via former President Barack Obama's executive orders, including some on Russian energy projects. It allows new sanctions on Russian mining, metals, shipping and railways and targets Russians guilty of conducting cyber attacks or supplying weapons to Syria's government. "The legislation sends a very, very strong signal to Russia, the nefarious activities they've been involved in," Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said as lawmakers debated the measure. If the measure became law, it could complicate relations with some countries in Europe. Germany and Austria said the new punitive measures could expose European companies involved in projects in Russia to fines. The legislation sets up a review process that would require Trump to get Congress' approval before taking any action to ease, suspend or lift any sanctions on Russia. Trump was especially effusive about Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 2016 US election campaign, though his openness to closer ties to Moscow has tempered somewhat, with his administration on the defensive over investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election. Putin dismissed the proposed sanctions, saying they reflected an internal political struggle in the United States, and that Washington's policy of imposing sanctions on Moscow had always been to try to contain Russia. The bill also includes new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme and other activities not related to the international nuclear agreement reached with the United States and other world powers. To become law, the legislation must pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump. House aides said they expected the chamber would begin to debate the measure in coming weeks. They could not predict when it might face a final vote. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson had questioned the legislation on Wednesday, urging Congress to ensure that any legislation "allows the president to have the flexibility to adjust sanctions to meet the needs of what is always an evolving diplomatic situation". However, aides in both chambers said they expected support for the bill would be strong enough to override a Trump veto if necessary. Previously, US energy sanctions had only targeted Russia's future high-tech energy projects, such as drilling for oil in the Arctic, fracking and offshore drilling. They blocked US companies such as Exxon Mobil, where Tillerson was chairman, from investing in such projects. The new bill would slap sanctions on companies in other countries looking to invest in those projects in the absence of US companies, a practice known as backfilling. Also included for the first time are discretionary measures the Trump administration could impose on investments by companies in Western countries on Russia energy export pipelines to Europe. Lawmakers also voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to add provisions to the bill allowing the US space agency NASA to continue using Russian-made rocket engines and reaffirming the US commitment to the NATO alliance.

US Senate votes near unanimously for Russia, Iran sanctions

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays&nbsp;as&nbsp;massive voter fraud in the 2016 election.

No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president&#39;s claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/26/fact-check-trumps-bogus-voter-fraud-claims-revisited/97080242/" target="_blank">non-existent</a>, USA Today reports.

In fact US intelligence claims&nbsp;that Russia&nbsp;meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence&#39;s investigation will address Russia&#39;s involvement.

But Trump listed the ways he says he believes&nbsp;voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News&#39;s Bill O&#39;Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The fraud was apparent, Trump said, &quot;when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s really a bad situation. It&#39;s really bad,&quot; Trump said. Trump&#39;s own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, &quot;to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we&#39;re going to look at it very, very carefully&quot;.

&nbsp;

Voter fraud vs&nbsp;voter suppression

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Washington Post&rsquo;s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans.

Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting&nbsp;he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/donald-trump-congress-democrats.html">New York Times </a>article claims that Trump, who in business and politics&nbsp;is always conscious of his&nbsp;brand and reputation,&nbsp;was angry about&nbsp;reports that correctly claimed that&nbsp;Clinton earned about 2.8&nbsp;million more votes than Trump.

Despite Trump&#39;s claim that he won the election in a &quot;landslide&quot;, he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Proof confirms that the voter fraud Trump claims happened basically does not exist. Critics claim Trump is trying to suppress voting rights

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays as massive voter fraud in the 2016 election. No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president's claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually non-existent, USA Today reports. In fact US intelligence claims that Russia meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence's investigation will address Russia's involvement. But Trump listed the ways he says he believes voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News's Bill O'Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday. The fraud was apparent, Trump said, "when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls." "It's really a bad situation. It's really bad," Trump said. Trump's own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, "to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we're going to look at it very, very carefully". Voter fraud vs voter suppression The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent. “The Washington Post’s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,” he said. He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans. Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. A New York Times article claims that Trump, who in business and politics is always conscious of his brand and reputation, was angry about reports that correctly claimed that Clinton earned about 2.8 million more votes than Trump. Despite Trump's claim that he won the election in a "landslide", he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump to create commission investigating non-existent voter fraud

Classified documents presented last week to president-elect Donald Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising information about him, CNN reported on Tuesday.

The allegations were in a two-page synopsis appended to a report presented by US&nbsp;intelligence officials to Trump and President Barack Obama on Russian interference in the 2016 election, CNN said, citing multiple US&nbsp;officials with direct knowledge of the briefings.

The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US&nbsp;intelligence officials consider credible, CNN reported.

It said the FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Trump.

The FBI declined&nbsp;to comment.

Allegations that Russia attempted to compromise New York real estate businessman Trump have been circulating in Washington for months, and they were presented to US&nbsp;officials last year.

Reuters has not been able to corroborate the allegations or confirm the existence of the two-page synopsis reported by CNN.

The warning to Trump, however, coincides with growing concern about what Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has called a &quot;multifaceted&quot; Russian influence and espionage campaign in Europe and the United States.

In addition to hacking computer networks and spreading propaganda and fake news, it includes efforts to cultivate business and political leaders and find compromising personal, financial or other information on persons of interest, US&nbsp;intelligence officials said.

The classified briefings last week were presented by Clapper, Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan and National Security Agency director Mike Rogers.

One reason the US&nbsp;intelligence chiefs took the extraordinary step of including the synopsis in the briefing documents was to make Trump aware that allegations about him are circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress and government officials, CNN said.

An unclassified intelligence report released on Friday concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Trump&#39;s electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The report said US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have concluded that as part of the effort Russia&#39;s military intelligence agency, the GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks and others to release emails it hacked from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats.

(Reuters)

Allegations that Russia attempted to compromise New York real estate businessman Trump have been circulating in Washington for months

Classified documents presented last week to president-elect Donald Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising information about him, CNN reported on Tuesday. The allegations were in a two-page synopsis appended to a report presented by US intelligence officials to Trump and President Barack Obama on Russian interference in the 2016 election, CNN said, citing multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible, CNN reported. It said the FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Trump. The FBI declined to comment. Allegations that Russia attempted to compromise New York real estate businessman Trump have been circulating in Washington for months, and they were presented to US officials last year. Reuters has not been able to corroborate the allegations or confirm the existence of the two-page synopsis reported by CNN. The warning to Trump, however, coincides with growing concern about what Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has called a "multifaceted" Russian influence and espionage campaign in Europe and the United States. In addition to hacking computer networks and spreading propaganda and fake news, it includes efforts to cultivate business and political leaders and find compromising personal, financial or other information on persons of interest, US intelligence officials said. The classified briefings last week were presented by Clapper, Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan and National Security Agency director Mike Rogers. One reason the US intelligence chiefs took the extraordinary step of including the synopsis in the briefing documents was to make Trump aware that allegations about him are circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress and government officials, CNN said. An unclassified intelligence report released on Friday concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Trump's electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. The report said US intelligence agencies have concluded that as part of the effort Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks and others to release emails it hacked from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats. (Reuters)

Russian operatives claim to have compromising information on Trump: CNN

A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats expelled from the United States over Moscow&#39;s alleged interference in the presidential election took off from Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported.

&quot;The plane has taken off, everyone is on board,&quot; said the Russian embassy in Washington, quoted by the state-owned RIA Novosti agency.

Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard the plane flown specially from Russia, for a total of 96 passengers onboard.

The expulsions were part of a package of sanctions ordered by President Barack Obama on Thursday in the final weeks of his administration.

&quot;We can confirm that the 35 Russian diplomats declared persona non grata have, along with their family members, departed the United States,&quot; a State Department spokesman told AFP.

The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country.

US intelligence says the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Obama also ordered the closure of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says were used &quot;for intelligence-related purposes.&quot;

Economic sanctions were also announced against Russia&#39;s FSB and GRU intelligence agencies. Four GRU officers including agency chief Igor Korobov also face sanctions.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations.

President Vladimir Putin has ruled out sending home US diplomats in retaliation -- a move interpreted as a sign he is looking to Trump to rebuild US-Russian ties after the US inauguration on January 20.

Trump has cast doubt on the US intelligence findings, saying he knows &quot;things that other people don&#39;t know&quot; about the situation. The populist billionaire is seeking closer ties with Putin.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country

A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats expelled from the United States over Moscow's alleged interference in the presidential election took off from Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported. "The plane has taken off, everyone is on board," said the Russian embassy in Washington, quoted by the state-owned RIA Novosti agency. Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard the plane flown specially from Russia, for a total of 96 passengers onboard. The expulsions were part of a package of sanctions ordered by President Barack Obama on Thursday in the final weeks of his administration. "We can confirm that the 35 Russian diplomats declared persona non grata have, along with their family members, departed the United States," a State Department spokesman told AFP. The diplomats, described as intelligence operatives based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco, had been given 72 hours on Thursday to leave the country. US intelligence says the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Obama also ordered the closure of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says were used "for intelligence-related purposes." Economic sanctions were also announced against Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies. Four GRU officers including agency chief Igor Korobov also face sanctions. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations. President Vladimir Putin has ruled out sending home US diplomats in retaliation -- a move interpreted as a sign he is looking to Trump to rebuild US-Russian ties after the US inauguration on January 20. Trump has cast doubt on the US intelligence findings, saying he knows "things that other people don't know" about the situation. The populist billionaire is seeking closer ties with Putin. (AFP)

Plane with expelled diplomats leaves US

US President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s supporters on Friday moved to maintain his narrow victories in three states,pursuing legal challenges aimed at stopping the Green Party&rsquo;s calls for recounts of the presidential votes there.

Lawsuits are pending in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the three &quot;Rust Belt&quot; states which turned their history of supporting Democrats and gave Republican Trump narrow wins in the November 8 election.

Michigan state attorney general Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit to stop a scheduled recount in his state, saying Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein received far too few votes to necessitate a recount.

&quot;Michigan voters rejected Stein&#39;s candidacy by massive margins but her refusal to accept that state-verified result poses an expensive and risky threat to hard-working taxpayers and abuses the intent of Michigan law,&quot; Schuette said in a statement, AFP reported.

Recounting all of the state&rsquo;s votes &quot;threatens to silence all Michigan votes for president&quot; because of an impending federal deadline to finalise the state&rsquo;s results, Schuette added.&nbsp;

The Green Party has said its requests for recounts are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the country&rsquo;s voting system and not at changing the result of the election. The party&#39;s candidate Jill Stein, who got only about 1 per cent of the vote, has said the recount campaign is not targeted at Trump or Clinton.

The outcome of the presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, or a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests, and not &nbsp;by the popular national vote.

Federal law requires states to resolve disputes over the appointment of electors by December 13.

The recounts, if they take place, are unlikely to change the overall outcome of the election.

Trump surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win, with 306 electoral votes, and the recount would have to flip the result to Clinton in all three states to change the overall result.

Clinton won more than 2.5 million more votes than Trump, according to the Cook Political Report.

Cost of recount

Schuette criticised Stein for the potential expense of a recount. A Schuette spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday that Stein had contributed $787,500 but it would cost some $5 million. Stein said last week that she had raised $3.5 million to cover some costs.

Michigan&rsquo;s recount is set to to begin early next week, barring court action, after the state&rsquo;s board of canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on Friday on a motion objecting to the recount, the Michigan Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office said on Twitter.

Trump campaign&rsquo;s own attorneys have moved to block the recount efforts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to court papers in those states, Reuters reported.

A Pennsylvania court has scheduled a hearing for Monday morning in Harrisburg.

The recount has already begun in Wisconsin but political action committee Great America PAC, that supports Trump, sued in federal court on Thursday seeking to block the recount there.&nbsp;The Wisconsin Republican Party has also filed a complaint over the recount effort in that state.

Lawyers for Clinton have said they would take part in the Wisconsin recount effort to ensure her campaign is legally represented, and that they would do the same if necessary in Michigan and Pennsylvania, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

The Green Party has called for vote recounts in 'Rust Belt' states? Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

US President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters on Friday moved to maintain his narrow victories in three states,pursuing legal challenges aimed at stopping the Green Party’s calls for recounts of the presidential votes there. Lawsuits are pending in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the three "Rust Belt" states which turned their history of supporting Democrats and gave Republican Trump narrow wins in the November 8 election. Michigan state attorney general Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit to stop a scheduled recount in his state, saying Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein received far too few votes to necessitate a recount. "Michigan voters rejected Stein's candidacy by massive margins but her refusal to accept that state-verified result poses an expensive and risky threat to hard-working taxpayers and abuses the intent of Michigan law," Schuette said in a statement, AFP reported. Recounting all of the state’s votes "threatens to silence all Michigan votes for president" because of an impending federal deadline to finalise the state’s results, Schuette added. The Green Party has said its requests for recounts are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the country’s voting system and not at changing the result of the election. The party's candidate Jill Stein, who got only about 1 per cent of the vote, has said the recount campaign is not targeted at Trump or Clinton. The outcome of the presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, or a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests, and not by the popular national vote. Federal law requires states to resolve disputes over the appointment of electors by December 13. The recounts, if they take place, are unlikely to change the overall outcome of the election. Trump surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win, with 306 electoral votes, and the recount would have to flip the result to Clinton in all three states to change the overall result. Clinton won more than 2.5 million more votes than Trump, according to the Cook Political Report. Cost of recount Schuette criticised Stein for the potential expense of a recount. A Schuette spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday that Stein had contributed $787,500 but it would cost some $5 million. Stein said last week that she had raised $3.5 million to cover some costs. Michigan’s recount is set to to begin early next week, barring court action, after the state’s board of canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on Friday on a motion objecting to the recount, the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office said on Twitter. Trump campaign’s own attorneys have moved to block the recount efforts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to court papers in those states, Reuters reported. A Pennsylvania court has scheduled a hearing for Monday morning in Harrisburg. The recount has already begun in Wisconsin but political action committee Great America PAC, that supports Trump, sued in federal court on Thursday seeking to block the recount there. The Wisconsin Republican Party has also filed a complaint over the recount effort in that state. Lawyers for Clinton have said they would take part in the Wisconsin recount effort to ensure her campaign is legally represented, and that they would do the same if necessary in Michigan and Pennsylvania, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

US: Donald Trump's lawyers and supporters try to block vote recounts in three states

Indian-American politician Nikki Haley will meet US President-elect Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team has said amid reports that the two-term Governor of South Carolina is being considered for a Cabinet position, particularly for the high-profile post of secretary of state.

In a conference call with reporters last night, the transition teams spokesman Sean Spicer listed 44-year-old Haley as one of the candidates Trump would be meeting today.

Among others the 70-year-old Trump would be meeting include former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, General Jack Keane, Admiral Mike Rogers and Ken Blackwell.

While some of these meetings are about potential cabinet members, others are about sharing ideas and advice.

Earlier in the day, a close aide of Trump from South Carolina said that Haley was being considered for a cabinet position, including that of the secretary of state.

&quot;It would be like how Mr Trump is bringing fresh eyes to running our government,&quot; South Carolina Lt Governor Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier. The daily did not provide any other details.

McMaster was one of the earliest&nbsp;to&nbsp;endorse&nbsp;Trump during the primaries and has been praised by the president-elect several times in the past.

Haley had endorsed Florida senator Marco Rubio during the primaries and was also critical of Trump in her Republican response to the State of the Union Address by US President Barack Obama in January.

However, before the general elections, Haley came out in support of Trump, saying that she would be voting for the billionaire tycoon from New York.

The Trump transition team has so far not given any indication of who all will be filling various cabinet positions. The president-elect himself has tweeted that only he knows the final list.

McMaster, who started speaking with the Trump team soon after their historic victory told the local South Carolina daily that the first women governor of the State, who is also the first Indian-American woman governor, is being considered for various cabinet position, including the secretary of state.

Neither the office of the South Carolina governor nor the Trump transition team have responded to this report so far.

While the news was welcomed in South Carolina, a political analyst appeared to be skeptical of such a proposal. &quot;Secretary of state is going to be a bit of a stretch for Haley&#39;s area of expertise. Haley has yet to be vetted about foreign policy, trade and protectionism,&quot; said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart.

Haley is the second Indian-American name being floated for a cabinet position in the Trump administration. Former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal is also appearing in many short-lists of potential cabinet names.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Trump is considering his trusted military advisor Lt Gen&nbsp;Michael Flynn as his national security advisor, the reports said.

Flynn, 56, was one of the top military leaders to have endorsed Trump and has been his closest military advisor for more than a year now.

&quot;Lieutenant General Michael Flynn has emerged as Donald Trump&#39;s leading candidate for national security adviser, according to people familiar with the president- elect&#39;s transition planning,&quot; National Review reported yesterday.

If selected, he would succeed Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor.

&quot;Like the president-elect, Flynn, a self-described &#39;maverick&#39;&nbsp;and longtime Democrat, shares a penchant for unvarnished straight talk that has earned him praise from some and condemnation from others,&quot; the National Review said.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The two-term Governor of South Carolina will meet Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team said

Indian-American politician Nikki Haley will meet US President-elect Donald Trump today, the presidential transition team has said amid reports that the two-term Governor of South Carolina is being considered for a Cabinet position, particularly for the high-profile post of secretary of state. In a conference call with reporters last night, the transition teams spokesman Sean Spicer listed 44-year-old Haley as one of the candidates Trump would be meeting today. Among others the 70-year-old Trump would be meeting include former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, General Jack Keane, Admiral Mike Rogers and Ken Blackwell. While some of these meetings are about potential cabinet members, others are about sharing ideas and advice. Earlier in the day, a close aide of Trump from South Carolina said that Haley was being considered for a cabinet position, including that of the secretary of state. "It would be like how Mr Trump is bringing fresh eyes to running our government," South Carolina Lt Governor Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier. The daily did not provide any other details. McMaster was one of the earliest to endorse Trump during the primaries and has been praised by the president-elect several times in the past. Haley had endorsed Florida senator Marco Rubio during the primaries and was also critical of Trump in her Republican response to the State of the Union Address by US President Barack Obama in January. However, before the general elections, Haley came out in support of Trump, saying that she would be voting for the billionaire tycoon from New York. The Trump transition team has so far not given any indication of who all will be filling various cabinet positions. The president-elect himself has tweeted that only he knows the final list. McMaster, who started speaking with the Trump team soon after their historic victory told the local South Carolina daily that the first women governor of the State, who is also the first Indian-American woman governor, is being considered for various cabinet position, including the secretary of state. Neither the office of the South Carolina governor nor the Trump transition team have responded to this report so far. While the news was welcomed in South Carolina, a political analyst appeared to be skeptical of such a proposal. "Secretary of state is going to be a bit of a stretch for Haley's area of expertise. Haley has yet to be vetted about foreign policy, trade and protectionism," said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart. Haley is the second Indian-American name being floated for a cabinet position in the Trump administration. Former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal is also appearing in many short-lists of potential cabinet names. Meanwhile, Trump is considering his trusted military advisor Lt Gen Michael Flynn as his national security advisor, the reports said. Flynn, 56, was one of the top military leaders to have endorsed Trump and has been his closest military advisor for more than a year now. "Lieutenant General Michael Flynn has emerged as Donald Trump's leading candidate for national security adviser, according to people familiar with the president- elect's transition planning," National Review reported yesterday. If selected, he would succeed Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor. "Like the president-elect, Flynn, a self-described 'maverick' and longtime Democrat, shares a penchant for unvarnished straight talk that has earned him praise from some and condemnation from others," the National Review said. (PTI)

Indian-American governor Nikki Haley considered for secretary of state: Report

In her first public appearance since conceding to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said the US presidential vote has exposed deep divisions, in the &quot;greatest country in the world.&quot;

&quot;Over the past week, a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was,&quot; the former Democratic candidate told an evening benefit event in Washington. &quot;The divisions laid bare by this election run deep, but please listen to me when I say this: America is worth it.&quot;

She was addressing donors and other guests at an event for the Children&#39;s Defense Fund, a nonprofit advocacy group for underprivileged children.

The event honored Clinton for her contributions to the organization, for which she first worked as a young lawyer in the 1970s before later serving as chair of the board of directors.

&quot;I will admit coming here tonight wasn&#39;t the easiest thing for me,&quot; she told an auditorium of several hundred people. &quot;There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs, and never leave the house again.&quot;

Many in the audience were deeply disappointed about the results of the election, she said.

&quot;I am too, more than I can ever express,&quot; she said to wistful laughter. &quot;But as I said last week, our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love and about building an America that is hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted. I didn&#39;t get into public service to hold high office.&quot;

Urging the audience to continue supporting disadvantaged children, she alluded to one of Trump&#39;s major campaign promises -- to deport millions of undocumented immigrants -- without mentioning her former Republican rival by name.

&quot;There are also children who are afraid today, like the little girl I met in Nevada who started to cry when she told me how scared she was that her parents would be taken away from her and be deported,&quot; she said. &quot;No child should have to live with fear like that.&quot;

Despite progress made progress under President Obama, she added, more than 31 million children still live at or near poverty in the United States.

&quot;I hoped to have had the opportunity to build on the progress that President Obama has made because I know that we are stronger together when we are lifting each other up,&quot; she said. &quot;So I urge you please don&#39;t give up on the values we share.&quot;

With the final election results still trickling in, Clinton remains ahead of Trump in the popular vote by more than one million.

However, Trump decisively won the election -- decided by indirect &nbsp;voting -- by winning the electoral vote by 290 to Clinton&#39;s 232.

&quot;America is still the greatest country in the world,&quot; Clinton said. &quot;This is still the place where anyone can beat the odds.&quot;

(AFP)

Clinton said the US elections had exposed deep divisions in the 'greatest country in the world'

In her first public appearance since conceding to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said the US presidential vote has exposed deep divisions, in the "greatest country in the world." "Over the past week, a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was," the former Democratic candidate told an evening benefit event in Washington. "The divisions laid bare by this election run deep, but please listen to me when I say this: America is worth it." She was addressing donors and other guests at an event for the Children's Defense Fund, a nonprofit advocacy group for underprivileged children. The event honored Clinton for her contributions to the organization, for which she first worked as a young lawyer in the 1970s before later serving as chair of the board of directors. "I will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me," she told an auditorium of several hundred people. "There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs, and never leave the house again." Many in the audience were deeply disappointed about the results of the election, she said. "I am too, more than I can ever express," she said to wistful laughter. "But as I said last week, our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love and about building an America that is hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted. I didn't get into public service to hold high office." Urging the audience to continue supporting disadvantaged children, she alluded to one of Trump's major campaign promises -- to deport millions of undocumented immigrants -- without mentioning her former Republican rival by name. "There are also children who are afraid today, like the little girl I met in Nevada who started to cry when she told me how scared she was that her parents would be taken away from her and be deported," she said. "No child should have to live with fear like that." Despite progress made progress under President Obama, she added, more than 31 million children still live at or near poverty in the United States. "I hoped to have had the opportunity to build on the progress that President Obama has made because I know that we are stronger together when we are lifting each other up," she said. "So I urge you please don't give up on the values we share." With the final election results still trickling in, Clinton remains ahead of Trump in the popular vote by more than one million. However, Trump decisively won the election -- decided by indirect voting -- by winning the electoral vote by 290 to Clinton's 232. "America is still the greatest country in the world," Clinton said. "This is still the place where anyone can beat the odds." (AFP)

'Wasn't the easiest thing for me': Hillary Clinton on first public appearance after election

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has emerged as a leading candidate to be Republican President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s secretary of state, a source familiar with the situation said on Monday.

The source said John Bolton, who served as US&nbsp;ambassador to the United Nations under President George W&nbsp;Bush, was also under consideration to head the State Department.

Besides Giuliani and Bolton, former US&nbsp;House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich has also been reported as a possible secretary of state.

Giuliani, a vocal supporter of Trump during his presidential campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, had previously been reported as a candidate for attorney general.

(Reuters)

Trump may also pick former US House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich for Hillary Clinton's former job

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has emerged as a leading candidate to be Republican President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state, a source familiar with the situation said on Monday. The source said John Bolton, who served as US ambassador to the United Nations under President George W Bush, was also under consideration to head the State Department. Besides Giuliani and Bolton, former US House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich has also been reported as a possible secretary of state. Giuliani, a vocal supporter of Trump during his presidential campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, had previously been reported as a candidate for attorney general. (Reuters)

Giuliani, Bolton leading candidates for next US secretary of state

Facebook&rsquo;s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg again rejected Saturday the idea that the social network had affected the US presidential election.

It is &quot;extremely unlikely&quot; news hoaxes changed the outcome, Zuckerberg said.

Following the surprise election of Donald Trump on November 8, critics have alleged the site helped spread lies via fake news stories and hoaxes.

Zuckerberg has insisted Facebook is a technology company, not a media firm, and called the idea of Facebook affecting the US elections &quot;crazy&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Of all the content on Facebook, more than 99 per cent of what people see is authentic,&quot; he said, adding that the network&#39;s goal is to &quot;give every person a voice&quot;.

Just days before the US elections, an article was shared on Facebook saying a federal agent who had been investigating Hillary Clinton was found dead.

&ldquo;FBI agent suspected in Hillary email leaks found dead in apparent murder-suicide,&rdquo; read the headline.

Facebook has begun working -- they started before the latest controversy -- on enabling people to flag hoaxes and fake news.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Critics have alleged the site helped spread lies via fake news stories and hoaxes

Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg again rejected Saturday the idea that the social network had affected the US presidential election. It is "extremely unlikely" news hoaxes changed the outcome, Zuckerberg said. Following the surprise election of Donald Trump on November 8, critics have alleged the site helped spread lies via fake news stories and hoaxes. Zuckerberg has insisted Facebook is a technology company, not a media firm, and called the idea of Facebook affecting the US elections "crazy". "Of all the content on Facebook, more than 99 per cent of what people see is authentic," he said, adding that the network's goal is to "give every person a voice". Just days before the US elections, an article was shared on Facebook saying a federal agent who had been investigating Hillary Clinton was found dead. “FBI agent suspected in Hillary email leaks found dead in apparent murder-suicide,” read the headline. Facebook has begun working -- they started before the latest controversy -- on enabling people to flag hoaxes and fake news. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Zuckerberg again rejects claim Facebook affected US election

Donald Trump during the presidential campaign tweeted with fierce abandon and at all hours.&nbsp;

Would he feel restrained by last week&#39;s presidential election victory to give his thumbs a rest?

It seems not.

The newly minted Republican president-elect let loose his latest Twitter barrage Sunday on a range of topics, from nuclear proliferation to his upcoming primetime interview, to his disdain for a longtime media nemesis.

The real estate mogul took a dig at The New York Times --- a favourite target --- for their election coverage.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Wow, the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> is losing thousands of subscribers because of their very poor and highly inaccurate coverage of the &quot;Trump phenomena&quot;
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797805407179866112">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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In a separate tweet to his nearly 15 million Twitter followers, he wrote:

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes">@nytimes</a> sent a letter to their subscribers apologizing for their BAD coverage of me. I wonder if it will change - doubt it?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797812048805695488">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In another, he noted that he had received congratulatory calls from former presidents George W&nbsp;Bush and his father, as well as Jeb Bush, who he defeated in the primaries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Jeb Bush, George W and George H.W. all called to express their best wishes on the win. Very nice!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797822192931262470">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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He&nbsp;reminisced about the presidential debates:

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The debates, especially the second and third, plus speeches and intensity of the large rallies, plus OUR GREAT SUPPORTERS, gave us the win!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/797873313561198593">November 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Lest anyone fear that Trump would find his impending ascension to the most powerful office in the world a too-dignified perch from which to freely use social media, the bombastic businessman disabused them of the notion.

Trump, who has credited the role of social media in his shock victory, had indicated he would scale back on his Twitter use as president.

&quot;I&#39;m going to do very restrained, if I use it at all,&quot; Trump said of the social media platform in his first sit-down interview since the election which will air in full on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; on Sunday night.

But even as he vowed to exercise restraint, he trumpeted the virtues of a tool that allowed him to bypass the mainstream media in getting his insurgent message to voters.

&quot;I think that social media has more power than the money they spent,&quot; the billionaire told CBS. &quot;I think to a certain extent I proved that.&quot;

Among his jumble of tweets, Trump also wrote a series of posts thanking Republican lawmakers --- most of whom had criticized his candidacy during the election --- for calling to congratulate him.

Trump has taken flak for brazen tweets in the past --- most spectacularly when he went on a late-night Twitter tirade against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado during his run against Democrat Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

He also retweeted an unflattering photo of his primary opponent Ted Cruz&#39;s wife earlier this year to which Cruz responded: &quot;Donald, real men don&#39;t attack women.&quot;

Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said that in future he would advise Trump to &quot;always have an editor&quot; when he expresses himself on Twitter.

&quot;It&#39;s a technique for reaching 13 or 14 million people at no cost and gets him around the New York Times,&quot; Gingrich said.

Past Trump tweets have labeled The New York Times &quot;really disgusting,&quot; &quot;no longer a credible source,&quot; &quot;very dishonest,&quot; &quot;unfair and biased,&quot; and &quot;false, malicious &amp; libelous.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Trump tweeted about his upcoming primetime interview and also took a dig at The New York Times, a favourite target

Donald Trump during the presidential campaign tweeted with fierce abandon and at all hours. Would he feel restrained by last week's presidential election victory to give his thumbs a rest? It seems not. The newly minted Republican president-elect let loose his latest Twitter barrage Sunday on a range of topics, from nuclear proliferation to his upcoming primetime interview, to his disdain for a longtime media nemesis. The real estate mogul took a dig at The New York Times --- a favourite target --- for their election coverage. Wow, the @nytimes is losing thousands of subscribers because of their very poor and highly inaccurate coverage of the "Trump phenomena" — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × In a separate tweet to his nearly 15 million Twitter followers, he wrote: The @nytimes sent a letter to their subscribers apologizing for their BAD coverage of me. I wonder if it will change - doubt it? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × In another, he noted that he had received congratulatory calls from former presidents George W Bush and his father, as well as Jeb Bush, who he defeated in the primaries. Jeb Bush, George W and George H.W. all called to express their best wishes on the win. Very nice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × He reminisced about the presidential debates: The debates, especially the second and third, plus speeches and intensity of the large rallies, plus OUR GREAT SUPPORTERS, gave us the win! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2016 × Lest anyone fear that Trump would find his impending ascension to the most powerful office in the world a too-dignified perch from which to freely use social media, the bombastic businessman disabused them of the notion. Trump, who has credited the role of social media in his shock victory, had indicated he would scale back on his Twitter use as president. "I'm going to do very restrained, if I use it at all," Trump said of the social media platform in his first sit-down interview since the election which will air in full on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night. But even as he vowed to exercise restraint, he trumpeted the virtues of a tool that allowed him to bypass the mainstream media in getting his insurgent message to voters. "I think that social media has more power than the money they spent," the billionaire told CBS. "I think to a certain extent I proved that." Among his jumble of tweets, Trump also wrote a series of posts thanking Republican lawmakers --- most of whom had criticized his candidacy during the election --- for calling to congratulate him. Trump has taken flak for brazen tweets in the past --- most spectacularly when he went on a late-night Twitter tirade against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado during his run against Democrat Hillary Clinton. He also retweeted an unflattering photo of his primary opponent Ted Cruz's wife earlier this year to which Cruz responded: "Donald, real men don't attack women." Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said that in future he would advise Trump to "always have an editor" when he expresses himself on Twitter. "It's a technique for reaching 13 or 14 million people at no cost and gets him around the New York Times," Gingrich said. Past Trump tweets have labeled The New York Times "really disgusting," "no longer a credible source," "very dishonest," "unfair and biased," and "false, malicious & libelous." (AFP)

Donald Trump back to tweeting with abandon, takes dig at US publication

One of President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s most divisive promises, to ban Muslims from entering America, disappeared from his campaign website before reappearing on Thursday.

Trump&#39;s campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge, posted in December following terror attacks in San Bernardino, California, vanished because of a technical glitch.

It reappeared after journalists questioned the disappearance.

&quot;The website was temporarily redirecting all specific press release pages to the homepage. It is currently being addressed and will be fixed shortly,&quot; the campaign said in a statement.

Trump said in December that Muslim immigrants pose the United States a security threat and called for &quot;a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country&#39;s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.&quot;

It was one of a number of his statements,including a pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border and criticism of women who accused him of sexual harassment, that prompted the greatest backlash against his campaign, with accusations of xenophobia.

Later, he shifted to say immigration should be suspended from any country &quot;that has been compromised by terrorism.&quot;

His stance apparently helped win him the presidency with the support of a majority of white, working-class voters.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Trump's campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge vanished because of a technical glitch

One of President-elect Donald Trump's most divisive promises, to ban Muslims from entering America, disappeared from his campaign website before reappearing on Thursday. Trump's campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge, posted in December following terror attacks in San Bernardino, California, vanished because of a technical glitch. It reappeared after journalists questioned the disappearance. "The website was temporarily redirecting all specific press release pages to the homepage. It is currently being addressed and will be fixed shortly," the campaign said in a statement. Trump said in December that Muslim immigrants pose the United States a security threat and called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." It was one of a number of his statements,including a pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border and criticism of women who accused him of sexual harassment, that prompted the greatest backlash against his campaign, with accusations of xenophobia. Later, he shifted to say immigration should be suspended from any country "that has been compromised by terrorism." His stance apparently helped win him the presidency with the support of a majority of white, working-class voters. (AFP)

Trump's Muslim ban temporarily removed from website

Americans from across the country are posting stories about themselves or others being targeted for discrimination after <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/01/the-kkks-official-newspaper-has-endorsed-donald-trump-for-president/">Donald Trump</a> was confirmed as the next president of the United States.

This doesn&#39;t claim to be an&nbsp;exhaustive list, but that there&#39;s been this much trouble already suggests sections of society feel newly empowered by Trump to&nbsp;unleash violent hate crimes.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Here, Trump supporters&nbsp;tell&nbsp;a designer and photgrapher&nbsp;from California to leave the country.

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As I&#39;m stopped at a gas station this morning, a group of guys yell over: &quot;Time to get out of this country, Apu!&quot; 
 
Day 1.
&mdash; Manik R (@ManikRathee) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManikRathee/status/796408766518292480">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Here, a&nbsp;description of&nbsp;violent threats.

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Not even 24 hours yet. My friend&#39;s sister, who is Muslim, had a knife pulled on her by a Trump supporter while on the bus by UIUC campus.
&mdash; Sarah A. Harvard (@amyharvard_) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyharvard_/status/796450126546030592">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#39;s America:

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Someone on the streets of LA just yelled at one of my girl&#39;s Latina coworkers to &quot;go back where you came from.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpsAmerica?src=hash">#TrumpsAmerica</a>
&mdash; Alex Gale (@AlexGale) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexGale/status/796404810010398721">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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White youth wear blackface in front of&nbsp;a confederate flag:

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White students @ Southern Illinois University (<a href="https://twitter.com/SIUC">@SIUC</a>) decided to put on blackface and pose in front of a Confederate Flag to celebrate Trump <a href="https://t.co/OEP2yEW3So">pic.twitter.com/OEP2yEW3So</a>
&mdash; Shaun King (@ShaunKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/796750646196191233">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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White students, inspired by Trump, invoke picking cotton, use the N word, and praise Hitler

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Principal in Pennsylvania admits white students were chanting: 
 
Cotton Picker, You&#39;re a Nigger, Heil Hitler. <a href="https://t.co/Z9v2PgmTca">https://t.co/Z9v2PgmTca</a>
&mdash; Shaun King (@ShaunKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/796733128249405441">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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An older man abuses and threatens rape against a young woman.&nbsp;

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This just happened. Trump supporter tossed water in her face after threatening to rape her and build the wall. Day 1 of Trump. <a href="https://t.co/8JJAM2ugJf">pic.twitter.com/8JJAM2ugJf</a>
&mdash; Shaun King (@ShaunKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/796550312215646209">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Here, more Trump supporters commit hate crimes.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing">@ShaunKing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CyborgN8VMari">@CyborgN8VMari</a> <a href="https://t.co/sG3Nmt5C1p">pic.twitter.com/sG3Nmt5C1p</a>
&mdash; Lucky (@mosaicgraffiti) <a href="https://twitter.com/mosaicgraffiti/status/796556890113212416">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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People have said that the thought that the man elected to run America is&nbsp;inspiring&nbsp;hate crimes at all, let alone at this rate, should terrify every normal person.&nbsp;

And that&nbsp;Mr Trump must denounce his supporters when they engage in hateful&nbsp;criminal activity of this sort, even if it means he alienates some of his base.

(WION)

&nbsp;

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A woman presumed Mexican by an older white man is told: 'I can't wait until Trump asks us to rape your people and send you back...'

Americans from across the country are posting stories about themselves or others being targeted for discrimination after Donald Trump was confirmed as the next president of the United States. This doesn't claim to be an exhaustive list, but that there's been this much trouble already suggests sections of society feel newly empowered by Trump to unleash violent hate crimes. Here, Trump supporters tell a designer and photgrapher from California to leave the country. As I'm stopped at a gas station this morning, a group of guys yell over: "Time to get out of this country, Apu!" Day 1. — Manik R (@ManikRathee) November 9, 2016 × Here, a description of violent threats. Not even 24 hours yet. My friend's sister, who is Muslim, had a knife pulled on her by a Trump supporter while on the bus by UIUC campus. — Sarah A. Harvard (@amyharvard_) November 9, 2016 × Trump's America: Someone on the streets of LA just yelled at one of my girl's Latina coworkers to "go back where you came from." #TrumpsAmerica — Alex Gale (@AlexGale) November 9, 2016 × White youth wear blackface in front of a confederate flag: White students @ Southern Illinois University (@SIUC) decided to put on blackface and pose in front of a Confederate Flag to celebrate Trump pic.twitter.com/OEP2yEW3So — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 10, 2016 × White students, inspired by Trump, invoke picking cotton, use the N word, and praise Hitler Principal in Pennsylvania admits white students were chanting: Cotton Picker, You're a Nigger, Heil Hitler. https://t.co/Z9v2PgmTca — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 10, 2016 × An older man abuses and threatens rape against a young woman. This just happened. Trump supporter tossed water in her face after threatening to rape her and build the wall. Day 1 of Trump. pic.twitter.com/8JJAM2ugJf — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 10, 2016 × Here, more Trump supporters commit hate crimes. @ShaunKing @CyborgN8VMari pic.twitter.com/sG3Nmt5C1p — Lucky (@mosaicgraffiti) November 10, 2016 × People have said that the thought that the man elected to run America is inspiring hate crimes at all, let alone at this rate, should terrify every normal person. And that Mr Trump must denounce his supporters when they engage in hateful criminal activity of this sort, even if it means he alienates some of his base. (WION)

America: Reports of surge in racism after Trump elected President

Anti-Trump protests in America showed no signs of abating for a second day running, as tens of thousands of people came out onto the streets of about 25 cities across America chanting &#39;Not My President&#39;.

In downtown Manhattan, home to both Presidential candidates Trump and Clinton, about 200 protestors gathered in Washington Square Park, chanting &#39;Trump and Pence make no sense&#39;.&nbsp;

This even as Presidential-elect Donald Trump flew into the country capital Washington DC to meet with President Obama for the first time ever.

Hillary Clinton meanwhile stayed away from any political activity, choosing instead to go hiking. A woman who met her on the trail said she was surprised to see the presidential candidate hiking with her husband and dog.

Back in New York, 5,000 of Hillary&#39;s supporters, including celebrities like Lady Gaga, protested in front of Trump Tower, raising anti-Trump slogans.&nbsp;

15 protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower. Traffic was backed up at several points in the city as hundreds of people joined spontaneously in the protests .

One protester, Philo, told the Baltimore Sun, &quot;We are just showing that this is going to be the next four years, it will be four years of resistance. Tonight in particular is supposed to serve as a catharsis for Baltimore residents to let their anger out in a peaceful way.&quot; In many cities&nbsp;on the West Coast, demonstrators carried flags and effigies of President-elect Trump declaring that they refused to accept his&nbsp;victory.

Authorities are not stopping the demonstrations so long as they are peaceful. &quot;They&#39;re not protesting Trump, they&#39;re protesting democracy and the right to disagree with them,&quot; said one observer.

(ANI)

Tens of thousands of people streamed out onto the streets of about 25 American cities

Anti-Trump protests in America showed no signs of abating for a second day running, as tens of thousands of people came out onto the streets of about 25 cities across America chanting 'Not My President'. In downtown Manhattan, home to both Presidential candidates Trump and Clinton, about 200 protestors gathered in Washington Square Park, chanting 'Trump and Pence make no sense'. This even as Presidential-elect Donald Trump flew into the country capital Washington DC to meet with President Obama for the first time ever. Hillary Clinton meanwhile stayed away from any political activity, choosing instead to go hiking. A woman who met her on the trail said she was surprised to see the presidential candidate hiking with her husband and dog. Back in New York, 5,000 of Hillary's supporters, including celebrities like Lady Gaga, protested in front of Trump Tower, raising anti-Trump slogans. 15 protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower. Traffic was backed up at several points in the city as hundreds of people joined spontaneously in the protests . One protester, Philo, told the Baltimore Sun, "We are just showing that this is going to be the next four years, it will be four years of resistance. Tonight in particular is supposed to serve as a catharsis for Baltimore residents to let their anger out in a peaceful way." In many cities on the West Coast, demonstrators carried flags and effigies of President-elect Trump declaring that they refused to accept his victory. Authorities are not stopping the demonstrations so long as they are peaceful. "They're not protesting Trump, they're protesting democracy and the right to disagree with them," said one observer. (ANI)

'Not My President': Anti-Trump protests continue for second day

While the world comes to terms with Donald Trump winning the presidency, there&#39;s a lot of optimism in Russian circles about the surprise outcome of the US elections.&nbsp;

Even as Russian president Vladimir Putin welcomed Trump&#39;s win, his closest political advisor and political analyst Sergei Markov told The Guardian Russia may have played a role in the WikiLeaks scandal. &quot;Maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks,&rdquo; the pro-Kremlin analyst was quoted as saying. Russia has been openly accused of interfering in the elections in favour of Donald Trump. Russian authorities were accused of hacking Democratic party emails that were leaked to WikiLeaks before the US elections.&nbsp;

The Russian government also revealed today that it maintained contact with representatives from Trump and Hillary Clinton&#39;s presidential campaigns. &quot;During this entire period, we not only sent some signals through some representatives, or private messages,&quot; Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by CNN.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told The Associated Press that Russian experts had contacts with people in both the Trump and Clinton campaigns. He said such contacts are &quot;quite natural, quite normal.&quot;

The Clinton camp had repeatedly accused Trump of maintaining ties with Russia during the elections.&nbsp;

Makrov, however, denied that Russia interfered in the elections.

And while he hoped that US and Russia would find common ground on Ukraine and in Syria, he warned about the &quot;macho&quot; personalities of the two world leaders.

&ldquo;Putin is a macho, Trump is also a macho. Maybe it could be a problem,&rdquo; Markov, the pro-Kremlin analyst said.

Another Trump fan was optimistic that the former businessman would bring his pragmatism to politics.&nbsp;

A source close to the Kremlin told The Guardian, &quot;The political space for every US president is quite narrow because a lot of the momentum is in the mentality of military people, secret services and politicians around the president. But it is obvious that Trump, as a former businessman, will be much more pragmatic and won&rsquo;t be a hostage of the mistakes previously and generously made by Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama.&rdquo;

Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of Russia&rsquo;s liberal Echo of Moscow radio, told Guardian that while some in the Kremlin were probably celebrating, other &ldquo;more serious&rdquo; people realised there were unpredictable times ahead.

Relations between the US and Russia have reached a new low over the past two years, due to differences over Syria and Ukraine.&nbsp;

While his policy makers are cautiously optimistic, &nbsp;President Putin hopes for &ldquo;fully-fledged relations&rdquo; after the election results were announced.

&ldquo;Clearly the chances of sanctions being lifted on Russia have risen substantially,&rdquo; the Guardian quoted Renaissance Capital&rsquo;s global chief economist Charles Robertson as saying. &ldquo;That would improve the investment climate for Russia.&rdquo;

(WION)

The Russian government has also revealed it maintained ties with representatives from Trump and Clinton's campaigns

While the world comes to terms with Donald Trump winning the presidency, there's a lot of optimism in Russian circles about the surprise outcome of the US elections. Even as Russian president Vladimir Putin welcomed Trump's win, his closest political advisor and political analyst Sergei Markov told The Guardian Russia may have played a role in the WikiLeaks scandal. "Maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks,” the pro-Kremlin analyst was quoted as saying. Russia has been openly accused of interfering in the elections in favour of Donald Trump. Russian authorities were accused of hacking Democratic party emails that were leaked to WikiLeaks before the US elections. The Russian government also revealed today that it maintained contact with representatives from Trump and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns. "During this entire period, we not only sent some signals through some representatives, or private messages," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by CNN. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told The Associated Press that Russian experts had contacts with people in both the Trump and Clinton campaigns. He said such contacts are "quite natural, quite normal." The Clinton camp had repeatedly accused Trump of maintaining ties with Russia during the elections. Makrov, however, denied that Russia interfered in the elections. And while he hoped that US and Russia would find common ground on Ukraine and in Syria, he warned about the "macho" personalities of the two world leaders. “Putin is a macho, Trump is also a macho. Maybe it could be a problem,” Markov, the pro-Kremlin analyst said. Another Trump fan was optimistic that the former businessman would bring his pragmatism to politics. A source close to the Kremlin told The Guardian, "The political space for every US president is quite narrow because a lot of the momentum is in the mentality of military people, secret services and politicians around the president. But it is obvious that Trump, as a former businessman, will be much more pragmatic and won’t be a hostage of the mistakes previously and generously made by Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama.” Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of Russia’s liberal Echo of Moscow radio, told Guardian that while some in the Kremlin were probably celebrating, other “more serious” people realised there were unpredictable times ahead. Relations between the US and Russia have reached a new low over the past two years, due to differences over Syria and Ukraine. While his policy makers are cautiously optimistic, President Putin hopes for “fully-fledged relations” after the election results were announced. “Clearly the chances of sanctions being lifted on Russia have risen substantially,” the Guardian quoted Renaissance Capital’s global chief economist Charles Robertson as saying. “That would improve the investment climate for Russia.” (WION)

Putin's closest political advisor: 'Maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks'

US President Barack Obama will host Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, hoping to ease a smooth transition of power and steady nerves after an election that has shocked the world.

Forty-eight hours after Trump&#39;s improbable political victory, the 70-year-old president-elect will get a chance to measure the drapes ahead of his January inauguration. &nbsp;

It could be a deeply uneasy meeting for two men who have sparred repeatedly.&nbsp;

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Trump has questioned whether Obama was born in the United States, a suggestion laden with deep racial overtones, and the Democratic commander-in-chief has described the celebrity businessman as &quot;uniquely unqualified&quot; to be president.&nbsp;

But the last day has seen efforts to bring this deeply divided country together after a brutal two-year battle for the White House that at times appeared more tribal than partisan.

Vanquished Democratic rival Hillary Clinton fought back the bitter disappointment of not becoming America&#39;s first female president to urge Americans to give Trump a chance, at least from the outset.

&quot;We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,&quot; she said in a concession speech.

Obama, addressing disconsolate staff in the White House Rose Garden, played down the extraordinary Trump upset, painting it as democracy being its messy self.

&quot;Sometimes you lose an argument,&quot; he said, adding that all Americans would now be &quot;rooting&quot; for Trump&#39;s success.

&quot;We are Americans first. We&#39;re patriots first. We all want what&#39;s best for this country,&quot; Obama said as staff wiped away tears and pondered whether his administration&#39;s eight years of toil had come to naught.

In the battle for the soul of America, those who helped elect America&#39;s first black president now appear to be in retreat.

Both Obama and Clinton issued a faint but definite warning that Trump must respect institutions and the rule of law if a modicum of goodwill is to hold.

In remarks that would once have seemed unthinkable, the president of the world&#39;s foremost democracy and military power subtly urged his successor to respect the 240-year-old system of governance and its institutions.

&quot;The country,&quot; Obama said, &quot;needs a sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law, and a respect for each other&quot;.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest demurred when asked whether Trump would respect the rule of law.

His tone &quot;would seem to suggest that certain basic principles of our democracy are likely to be upheld&quot;.

Brave new world

&quot;Likely&quot; is unlikely clear enough for Washington&#39;s partners who see the entire global political order, which hinges on Washington&#39;s moral and military leadership, as cast into doubt.

German chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to take on the mantle of champion of liberal values and &quot;leader of the free world&quot;, an epithet usually reserved for American presidents.

She warned that &quot;close cooperation&quot; between the two countries must be based on shared democratic values, and reminded Trump of the global responsibility he carries.&nbsp;

&quot;On the basis of these values, I offer close cooperation to the future president of the United States of America, Donald Trump.&quot;

Europe, already beset by financial and social crises and internal divisions, now faces existential questions about its own security. Trump has questioned the US-led NATO&#39;s key collective defense guarantee.

The leaders of America&#39;s closest hemispheric partners, Canada and Mexico, quickly made clear their willingness to work with the new president, offering a message of continuity and stability with their giant neighbor.

Mexico&#39;s President Enrique Pena Nieto reached out to the president-elect, agreeing to a fresh meeting.

&#39;Redemption, not recrimination&#39;

The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their newfound champion.

House speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledged to &quot;hit the ground running&quot; and work with him on conservative legislation.

But Ryan also called for healing, saying the bitterly contested race must be followed by a period &quot;of redemption, not a time of recrimination.&quot;

Likewise, Trump called for national reconciliation after Clinton conceded defeat in a result that virtually no poll had dreamed of predicting.

He told a crowd of jubilant supporters early Wednesday in New York &quot;it is time for America to bind the wounds of division&quot; as he pledged to work with Democrats in office.

On Wednesday Trump huddled at Trump Tower in New York with a group of advisers, planning the transition to running the world&#39;s largest economy when he takes office on January 20.

During a bitter campaign that tugged at America&#39;s democratic fabric, the tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free-trade deals.

Trump&#39;s campaign message was embraced by a large section of America&#39;s white majority, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama.

Some of the most enthusiastic support for Trump came from far-right and nationalist politicians in Europe such as French opposition figure Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini of Italy&#39;s Northern League and British Euroskeptic Nigel Farage.

Russia&#39;s autocratic leader Vladimir Putin said he wanted to rebuild &quot;full-fledged relations&quot; with the United States, as he warmly congratulated the president-elect.

(AFP)

'Sometimes you lose an argument,' Obama said, adding that all Americans would now be 'rooting' for Trump's success

US President Barack Obama will host Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, hoping to ease a smooth transition of power and steady nerves after an election that has shocked the world. Forty-eight hours after Trump's improbable political victory, the 70-year-old president-elect will get a chance to measure the drapes ahead of his January inauguration. It could be a deeply uneasy meeting for two men who have sparred repeatedly. Trump has questioned whether Obama was born in the United States, a suggestion laden with deep racial overtones, and the Democratic commander-in-chief has described the celebrity businessman as 'uniquely unqualified' to be president × Trump has questioned whether Obama was born in the United States, a suggestion laden with deep racial overtones, and the Democratic commander-in-chief has described the celebrity businessman as "uniquely unqualified" to be president. But the last day has seen efforts to bring this deeply divided country together after a brutal two-year battle for the White House that at times appeared more tribal than partisan. Vanquished Democratic rival Hillary Clinton fought back the bitter disappointment of not becoming America's first female president to urge Americans to give Trump a chance, at least from the outset. "We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead," she said in a concession speech. Obama, addressing disconsolate staff in the White House Rose Garden, played down the extraordinary Trump upset, painting it as democracy being its messy self. "Sometimes you lose an argument," he said, adding that all Americans would now be "rooting" for Trump's success. "We are Americans first. We're patriots first. We all want what's best for this country," Obama said as staff wiped away tears and pondered whether his administration's eight years of toil had come to naught. In the battle for the soul of America, those who helped elect America's first black president now appear to be in retreat. Both Obama and Clinton issued a faint but definite warning that Trump must respect institutions and the rule of law if a modicum of goodwill is to hold. In remarks that would once have seemed unthinkable, the president of the world's foremost democracy and military power subtly urged his successor to respect the 240-year-old system of governance and its institutions. "The country," Obama said, "needs a sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law, and a respect for each other". White House spokesman Josh Earnest demurred when asked whether Trump would respect the rule of law. His tone "would seem to suggest that certain basic principles of our democracy are likely to be upheld". Brave new world "Likely" is unlikely clear enough for Washington's partners who see the entire global political order, which hinges on Washington's moral and military leadership, as cast into doubt. German chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to take on the mantle of champion of liberal values and "leader of the free world", an epithet usually reserved for American presidents. She warned that "close cooperation" between the two countries must be based on shared democratic values, and reminded Trump of the global responsibility he carries. "On the basis of these values, I offer close cooperation to the future president of the United States of America, Donald Trump." Europe, already beset by financial and social crises and internal divisions, now faces existential questions about its own security. Trump has questioned the US-led NATO's key collective defense guarantee. The leaders of America's closest hemispheric partners, Canada and Mexico, quickly made clear their willingness to work with the new president, offering a message of continuity and stability with their giant neighbor. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto reached out to the president-elect, agreeing to a fresh meeting. 'Redemption, not recrimination' The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their newfound champion. House speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledged to "hit the ground running" and work with him on conservative legislation. But Ryan also called for healing, saying the bitterly contested race must be followed by a period "of redemption, not a time of recrimination." Likewise, Trump called for national reconciliation after Clinton conceded defeat in a result that virtually no poll had dreamed of predicting. He told a crowd of jubilant supporters early Wednesday in New York "it is time for America to bind the wounds of division" as he pledged to work with Democrats in office. On Wednesday Trump huddled at Trump Tower in New York with a group of advisers, planning the transition to running the world's largest economy when he takes office on January 20. During a bitter campaign that tugged at America's democratic fabric, the tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free-trade deals. Trump's campaign message was embraced by a large section of America's white majority, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama. Some of the most enthusiastic support for Trump came from far-right and nationalist politicians in Europe such as French opposition figure Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini of Italy's Northern League and British Euroskeptic Nigel Farage. Russia's autocratic leader Vladimir Putin said he wanted to rebuild "full-fledged relations" with the United States, as he warmly congratulated the president-elect. (AFP)

Obama to host Trump at White House

A far-right Hindu group which has been one of Donald Trump&#39;s most avid overseas cheerleaders began celebrating in New Delhi on Wednesday as the Republican pulled off a shock US presidential election victory.

Vishnu Gupta, chief of the ultra-nationalist &#39;Hindu Sena&#39; outfit, said supporters had taken to the streets to bang traditional drums even before Trump claimed victory and would also distribute celebratory sweets.

Trump&#39;s hardline rhetoric towards Muslims has found favour in some quarters in India, the world&#39;s largest democracy which has had its fair share of tensions between the majority Hindu population and its Muslim minority.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was before his 2014 election regarded as an international pariah after deadly communal riots broke out in the state of Gujarat more than a decade ago when he was chief minister. Most of the victims were Muslims.

Trump has called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States and Gupta said his message had wide resonance.

&quot;We predicted that he would win five days ago --- there is a huge support for him, his ideas, and we could see that,&quot; Gupta told AFP.

&quot;Now terrorists will be hunted everywhere in the world, even if they go and hide in a cave. Now only God can help Pakistan. India will now have the support of the US in our efforts against terrorists. We will be together in this.

&quot;Donald Trump will do what no other US president has been able to do before. We are happy. All terrorists should now run and hide.&quot;

Gupta&#39;s group held a special prayer session for Trump in New Delhi back in May when he was seen as a long shot for the presidency, hailing him as a &quot;fighter and a saviour of humanity&quot;.

They also celebrated his birthday in June with a cake, balloons and posters.

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Supporters took to the streets banging on drums and would also distribute celebratory sweets

A far-right Hindu group which has been one of Donald Trump's most avid overseas cheerleaders began celebrating in New Delhi on Wednesday as the Republican pulled off a shock US presidential election victory. Vishnu Gupta, chief of the ultra-nationalist 'Hindu Sena' outfit, said supporters had taken to the streets to bang traditional drums even before Trump claimed victory and would also distribute celebratory sweets. Trump's hardline rhetoric towards Muslims has found favour in some quarters in India, the world's largest democracy which has had its fair share of tensions between the majority Hindu population and its Muslim minority. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was before his 2014 election regarded as an international pariah after deadly communal riots broke out in the state of Gujarat more than a decade ago when he was chief minister. Most of the victims were Muslims. Trump has called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States and Gupta said his message had wide resonance. "We predicted that he would win five days ago --- there is a huge support for him, his ideas, and we could see that," Gupta told AFP. "Now terrorists will be hunted everywhere in the world, even if they go and hide in a cave. Now only God can help Pakistan. India will now have the support of the US in our efforts against terrorists. We will be together in this. "Donald Trump will do what no other US president has been able to do before. We are happy. All terrorists should now run and hide." Gupta's group held a special prayer session for Trump in New Delhi back in May when he was seen as a long shot for the presidency, hailing him as a "fighter and a saviour of humanity". They also celebrated his birthday in June with a cake, balloons and posters. (AFP)

US Election 2016: Trump's unlikely Indian fan club celebrates victory

&quot;I&#39;m very afraid, will there be more wars? Will America attack Muslim countries again?&quot; asked Indonesian activist Alijah Diete as Donald Trump headed to&nbsp;victory in the US election.

Muslims across Asia were struggling Wednesday to accept the news that the populist politician who has made fiery anti-Islamic rhetoric a key part of his campaign was likely to become president of the world&#39;s greatest power.

He made his most controversial remarks about Islam in December last year, sparking anger among the world&#39;s 1.5 billion followers of Islam when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States after a mass shooting in California.

&ldquo;Americans have just screwed the world yet again,&rdquo; said Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi who has several close friends in the US. Thousands in the country watched in shock as the results rolled in and Facebook lit up with horrified reactions.

A senior Pakistani government official, speaking anonymously, called the news &quot;absolutely atrocious and horrifying&quot; while others in the country also lamented the results.

&quot;I am disappointed to see Donald Trump winning because Hillary Clinton is a good woman, she is good for Pakistan and Muslims all over the world,&quot; said Ishaq Khan, 32, speaking at an Islamabad market.

&quot;She was talking about world peace --- but Trump was talking about fighting against Muslims.&quot;

&#39;Muslims are foreigners to him&#39;&nbsp;

In Indonesia, the world&#39;s most populous Muslim-majority country, there was growing nervousness about how the relationship with traditional ally the United States would shape up, and how a Trump presidency would affect relations between America and the Muslim world.

&quot;I am very concerned that the relationship between the US and Muslim countries will become tense again,&quot; said the female Muslim activist Diete, 47.&nbsp;

Nikken Suardini, who works for a law firm in the capital Jakarta, was concerned about the proposed Muslim ban. &quot;If he is elected president he will block Muslims from entering the US --- well, that&#39;s just not fair.&quot;

There was also concern that tough anti-Islamic policies under Trump could fan Muslim extremism globally at a time when the world is struggling with a growing threat of Islamic militancy.

&quot;When the United States uses hard power, extremists gain a momentum,&quot; said Zuhairi Misrawi, an Islamic scholar from moderate Indonesian Islamic organisation Nahdlatul Ulama.&nbsp;

&quot;Those who will be the happiest when Trump wins are ISIS,&quot; he said, referring by another name to the Islamic State group, which is struggling to hold onto its territory in Iraq and Syria in the face of a fierce military onslaught.

Some observers were more sanguine as the 70-year-old maverick appeared heading for the White House, hoping that his populist rhetoric was aimed at winning votes and would not be translated into tough xenophobic policies if he enters the White House.

&quot;We hope that Trump&#39;s remarks against Muslims were only to boost his campaign and he will realise that Muslims are a large population in the US,&quot; said Tahir Ashrafi, a senior Pakistani government cleric.&nbsp;

Others echoed the concerns that his policies would likely discriminate against American Muslims.

&quot;His policies against Muslims will be discriminative,&quot; said Munarman, a spokesman for Indonesian hardline group the Islamic Defenders&#39; Front. &quot;Muslims are foreigners to him.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Will there be more wars? Will America attack Muslim countries again?' asked Indonesian activist Alijah Diete

"I'm very afraid, will there be more wars? Will America attack Muslim countries again?" asked Indonesian activist Alijah Diete as Donald Trump headed to victory in the US election. Muslims across Asia were struggling Wednesday to accept the news that the populist politician who has made fiery anti-Islamic rhetoric a key part of his campaign was likely to become president of the world's greatest power. He made his most controversial remarks about Islam in December last year, sparking anger among the world's 1.5 billion followers of Islam when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States after a mass shooting in California. “Americans have just screwed the world yet again,” said Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi who has several close friends in the US. Thousands in the country watched in shock as the results rolled in and Facebook lit up with horrified reactions. A senior Pakistani government official, speaking anonymously, called the news "absolutely atrocious and horrifying" while others in the country also lamented the results. "I am disappointed to see Donald Trump winning because Hillary Clinton is a good woman, she is good for Pakistan and Muslims all over the world," said Ishaq Khan, 32, speaking at an Islamabad market. "She was talking about world peace --- but Trump was talking about fighting against Muslims." 'Muslims are foreigners to him' In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, there was growing nervousness about how the relationship with traditional ally the United States would shape up, and how a Trump presidency would affect relations between America and the Muslim world. "I am very concerned that the relationship between the US and Muslim countries will become tense again," said the female Muslim activist Diete, 47. Nikken Suardini, who works for a law firm in the capital Jakarta, was concerned about the proposed Muslim ban. "If he is elected president he will block Muslims from entering the US --- well, that's just not fair." There was also concern that tough anti-Islamic policies under Trump could fan Muslim extremism globally at a time when the world is struggling with a growing threat of Islamic militancy. "When the United States uses hard power, extremists gain a momentum," said Zuhairi Misrawi, an Islamic scholar from moderate Indonesian Islamic organisation Nahdlatul Ulama. "Those who will be the happiest when Trump wins are ISIS," he said, referring by another name to the Islamic State group, which is struggling to hold onto its territory in Iraq and Syria in the face of a fierce military onslaught. Some observers were more sanguine as the 70-year-old maverick appeared heading for the White House, hoping that his populist rhetoric was aimed at winning votes and would not be translated into tough xenophobic policies if he enters the White House. "We hope that Trump's remarks against Muslims were only to boost his campaign and he will realise that Muslims are a large population in the US," said Tahir Ashrafi, a senior Pakistani government cleric. Others echoed the concerns that his policies would likely discriminate against American Muslims. "His policies against Muslims will be discriminative," said Munarman, a spokesman for Indonesian hardline group the Islamic Defenders' Front. "Muslims are foreigners to him." (AFP)

US Election 2016: Shock and fear among Asian Muslims over Trump win

&nbsp;Donald Trump, now the 45th President of the United States to America, delivered his victory speech at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, New York.

He was gracious in his speech, congratulating his rival Hillary Clinton for a &ldquo;very, very hard-fought campaign&rdquo;.

He struck a conciliatory, rather than divisive, note, saying he would bind the wounds of division and pledged to be president for all Americans.

&ldquo;I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,&rdquo; Trump said during his speech.

&ldquo;For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I&#39;m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country,&rdquo; he added.

The real estate mogul said Clinton telephoned him to concede the race shortly after he won the state of Pennsylvania.

He also pledged to &quot;deal fairly with everyone&quot;, including &quot;all other nations&quot;.

&ldquo;We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,&rdquo; the Republican said.

&ldquo;America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country&#39;s destiny and dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that,&rdquo; Trump told his supporters.

(WION)

'America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country's destiny and dream big and bold and daring'

Donald Trump, now the 45th President of the United States to America, delivered his victory speech at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, New York. He was gracious in his speech, congratulating his rival Hillary Clinton for a “very, very hard-fought campaign”. He struck a conciliatory, rather than divisive, note, saying he would bind the wounds of division and pledged to be president for all Americans. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump said during his speech. “For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country,” he added. The real estate mogul said Clinton telephoned him to concede the race shortly after he won the state of Pennsylvania. He also pledged to "deal fairly with everyone", including "all other nations". “We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,” the Republican said. “America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country's destiny and dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that,” Trump told his supporters. (WION)

US Election 2016: 'I will be president for all Americans,' says Trump

US stock markets tumbled more than five per cent in after-hours trading early Wednesday as Republican billionaire Donald Trump appeared poised to defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House.

Futures markets for the S&amp;P 500 fell 5.01 per cent and the tech-heavy NASDAQ lost 5.08 per cent, reflecting the growing concerns among investors about the economic risks posed by a Trump presidency. The Dow Jones index fell 4.30 per cent.

As results came in pointing to an astonishing upset win by Trump, markets that had counted on Clinton to win were caught up in a growing wave of panic.

Stocks had risen Tuesday, with Dow Jones index up 0.40 per cent and the Nasdaq up 0.53 per cent.

Futures contracts, which fell while Wall Street was closed, reflect investor sentiment on what will happen down the road.

The wave of panic also hit Asia as markets dropped at the opening bell, mainly in Bombay, which dropped 6.08 per cent and Tokyo, 5.5 per cent.

Markets have long preferred Clinton to Trump, who is seen as unpredictable. His positions against free trade accords and immigration worry big companies and are seen as a possible curb to economic growth.

(AFP)

Markets that had counted on Clinton to win were caught up in a growing wave of panic

US stock markets tumbled more than five per cent in after-hours trading early Wednesday as Republican billionaire Donald Trump appeared poised to defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House. Futures markets for the S&P 500 fell 5.01 per cent and the tech-heavy NASDAQ lost 5.08 per cent, reflecting the growing concerns among investors about the economic risks posed by a Trump presidency. The Dow Jones index fell 4.30 per cent. As results came in pointing to an astonishing upset win by Trump, markets that had counted on Clinton to win were caught up in a growing wave of panic. Stocks had risen Tuesday, with Dow Jones index up 0.40 per cent and the Nasdaq up 0.53 per cent. Futures contracts, which fell while Wall Street was closed, reflect investor sentiment on what will happen down the road. The wave of panic also hit Asia as markets dropped at the opening bell, mainly in Bombay, which dropped 6.08 per cent and Tokyo, 5.5 per cent. Markets have long preferred Clinton to Trump, who is seen as unpredictable. His positions against free trade accords and immigration worry big companies and are seen as a possible curb to economic growth. (AFP)

US stock futures tumble 5% on fears of Trump win

Canada&#39;s official immigration website suffered repeated outages Tuesday night as a Trump victory began to look more and more possible south of the border. &nbsp;

The Telegraph reported a surge in traffic on the website, and that a number of people in the US were googling the word &quot;emigrate&quot;.

Some users in the United States, Canada and Asia saw an error message when trying to access the http://www.cic.gc.ca/ website, Reuters reported.

Many Americans have in the recent past said, albeit often jokingly, that they would move to Canada should Trump win.&nbsp;

Several Canadian communities have reacted graciously, advertising themselves as oases of calm in a possible future Trump-ian era.&nbsp;

Immigration ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment, Reuters reported, but the website&#39;s problems were noted by many on Twitter. &nbsp;

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People in the US are increasingly searching for the word &quot;emigrate&quot; over the last few hours <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionNight?src=hash">#ElectionNight</a> <a href="https://t.co/CJCBsKKKNE">https://t.co/CJCBsKKKNE</a> <a href="https://t.co/hEH5lmPko1">pic.twitter.com/hEH5lmPko1</a>
&mdash; The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/796196179361038339">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Immigration Canada&#39;s website is down. No joke. Hope <a href="https://twitter.com/Canada">@Canada</a> has construction crews on the border, building the wall. ;) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionNight?src=hash">#ElectionNight</a>
&mdash; El Canaco (@ElCanaco) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElCanaco/status/796199024416079872">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canada?src=hash">#Canada</a> immigration website appears to have crashed: <a href="https://t.co/v79hLsUQ5w">https://t.co/v79hLsUQ5w</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionNight?src=hash">#ElectionNight</a> <a href="https://t.co/hTAzmzya5K">pic.twitter.com/hTAzmzya5K</a>
&mdash; Steve Herman (@W7VOA) <a href="https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/796201749208006657">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from Reuters)

It suffered several outages on Tuesday night, news reports said Americans were increasingly googling the word 'emigrate'

Canada's official immigration website suffered repeated outages Tuesday night as a Trump victory began to look more and more possible south of the border. The Telegraph reported a surge in traffic on the website, and that a number of people in the US were googling the word "emigrate". Some users in the United States, Canada and Asia saw an error message when trying to access the http://www.cic.gc.ca/ website, Reuters reported. Many Americans have in the recent past said, albeit often jokingly, that they would move to Canada should Trump win. Several Canadian communities have reacted graciously, advertising themselves as oases of calm in a possible future Trump-ian era. Immigration ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment, Reuters reported, but the website's problems were noted by many on Twitter. People in the US are increasingly searching for the word "emigrate" over the last few hours #ElectionNight https://t.co/CJCBsKKKNE pic.twitter.com/hEH5lmPko1 — The Telegraph (@Telegraph) November 9, 2016 × Immigration Canada's website is down. No joke. Hope @Canada has construction crews on the border, building the wall. ;) #ElectionNight — El Canaco (@ElCanaco) November 9, 2016 × #Canada immigration website appears to have crashed: https://t.co/v79hLsUQ5w #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/hTAzmzya5K — Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 9, 2016 × (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US Election 2016: Canada immigration website crashes as Trump takes lead

Hillary Clinton vowed on Wednesday to work with American President-elect Donald Trump, and urged fellow Democrats to allow him the chance to lead the deeply divided country. There are still 70 days until the&nbsp;reality TV star takes office.

&quot;Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country,&quot; the defeated candidate told supporters, holding back tears in her first public remarks since the Republican&#39;s&nbsp;victory.

&quot;I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought,&quot; she said. &quot;We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,&quot; the Democrats&#39; presidential candidate added.

It&#39;s going to be a tough and dangerous task. During Trump&#39;s victory speech, while he pledged to be a president for all citizens, someone in the audience yelled &quot; kill Obama!&quot;

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&quot;Kill Obama&quot; I see this is off to a fantastic start. ??<a href="https://t.co/kUryVpKENh">pic.twitter.com/kUryVpKENh</a>
&mdash; Andrew HammondAP (@ahammsportsgeek) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahammsportsgeek/status/796261596544827392">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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It&#39;s unclear whether a victory speech for an American presidential nominee has ever begun with a call to murder the standing president of the United States.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

'The nation was more deeply divided than we thought,' Hillary said, in what is an incredible understatement

Hillary Clinton vowed on Wednesday to work with American President-elect Donald Trump, and urged fellow Democrats to allow him the chance to lead the deeply divided country. There are still 70 days until the reality TV star takes office. "Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country," the defeated candidate told supporters, holding back tears in her first public remarks since the Republican's victory. "I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans." "We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought," she said. "We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead," the Democrats' presidential candidate added. It's going to be a tough and dangerous task. During Trump's victory speech, while he pledged to be a president for all citizens, someone in the audience yelled " kill Obama!" "Kill Obama" I see this is off to a fantastic start. ??pic.twitter.com/kUryVpKENh — Andrew HammondAP (@ahammsportsgeek) November 9, 2016 × It's unclear whether a victory speech for an American presidential nominee has ever begun with a call to murder the standing president of the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Hillary Clinton congratulates Trump, offers to work with him

Catastrophe, tragedy, humiliation. The world&#39;s press reacted with shock at the astonishing election victory of Donald Trump, describing the US president-elect as &quot;dangerous&quot; and unpredictable.

Here is a round-up of some of the media reaction:

&quot;The US has elected its most dangerous leader. We have plenty to fear. The people of America have stepped into the abyss. The new president-elect is an unstable bigot, sexual predator and compulsive liar. He is capable of anything.&quot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Guardian, Britain

&quot;That wasn&#39;t a campaign. That was a national crisis. And at the end was the worst possible catastrophe: Donald Trump is president of the United States. The unimaginable has become reality.&quot;&nbsp;

Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany

&quot;The news coming from the north is bad for Mexico and bad for the world.&quot;

Cronica del Hoy, Mexico

&quot;Trumpocalypse... Shock. A thunder bolt. And dizziness at the thought that Donald Trump will be unpacking his bags in the White House in scarcely two and a half months. The world&#39;s leading power is from now on in the hands of the far-right. Fifty percent of Americans voted in all conscience for a racist, lying, sexist, vulgar, hateful candidate.&quot;&nbsp;

Liberation, France

Revenge of the deplorables. The most extraordinary presidential campaign in modern history ends in humiliation for Hillary, the pollsters and the elites of business and show business as the voters America forgot sweep Donald to victory.&quot;&nbsp;

Daily Mail, Britain

&quot;Trump&#39;s victory confirms the vitality of American democracy, which has the ability to transform itself continuously, but the victory also produces both inside and outside the United States a deluge of uncertainty due to the winner&#39;s unpredictability. Trump has to explain what he wants to do. In the meantime, the rest of the world has to digest what has happened tonight: the people of the revolution are knocking at our doors.&quot; La Stampa, Italy

&quot;President Donald Trump will declare economic war on our biggest customer (China), wipe unprecedented amounts off global stock markets, usher in extraordinary financial instability, and risk turning the world&#39;s biggest economy into a basket case by pushing its national debt past 100 per cent of GDP.&quot;&nbsp;

The Age, Australia

&quot;Seen from Paris, Trump&#39;s victory, coming after Brexit, is an additional warning. In the world that has opened up with this election, anything is possible --- even that which we have difficulty facing up to --- an extremist party taking power.&nbsp;

Le Monde, France

Left-leaning TAZ in Germany calls Trump&#39;s win: &quot;A victory of the horror-clowns&quot;, adding: &quot;Donald Trump said in his victory speech --- as all victory speeches on election nights --- that the country must now unite. From his mouth, it&#39;s a call for the underlings to submit to him unconditionally. The horror clown has now obtained the chance to actually get serious about this.&quot;

&quot;Coarse populism has triumphed over good sense ... America&#39;s democracy stands before a major test: it is to be feared that Trump will do everything to outwit his political opponents. He threatened critical journalists during the election campaign. His supporters have shouted &#39;lock her up&#39; -&ndash; in reference to his opponent Hillary Clinton ... &nbsp;Of course there is hope that the political system is strong enough to limit a president&#39;s fantasies of omnipotence. But there is no guarantee.&quot;&nbsp;

Spiegel online, Germany

&quot;An American tragedy.&quot;&nbsp;

New Yorker, US 
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The world's press reacted with shock at Trump's unexpected win. A round up of reactions from popular dailies

Catastrophe, tragedy, humiliation. The world's press reacted with shock at the astonishing election victory of Donald Trump, describing the US president-elect as "dangerous" and unpredictable. Here is a round-up of some of the media reaction: "The US has elected its most dangerous leader. We have plenty to fear. The people of America have stepped into the abyss. The new president-elect is an unstable bigot, sexual predator and compulsive liar. He is capable of anything." The Guardian, Britain "That wasn't a campaign. That was a national crisis. And at the end was the worst possible catastrophe: Donald Trump is president of the United States. The unimaginable has become reality." Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany "The news coming from the north is bad for Mexico and bad for the world." Cronica del Hoy, Mexico "Trumpocalypse... Shock. A thunder bolt. And dizziness at the thought that Donald Trump will be unpacking his bags in the White House in scarcely two and a half months. The world's leading power is from now on in the hands of the far-right. Fifty percent of Americans voted in all conscience for a racist, lying, sexist, vulgar, hateful candidate." Liberation, France Revenge of the deplorables. The most extraordinary presidential campaign in modern history ends in humiliation for Hillary, the pollsters and the elites of business and show business as the voters America forgot sweep Donald to victory." Daily Mail, Britain "Trump's victory confirms the vitality of American democracy, which has the ability to transform itself continuously, but the victory also produces both inside and outside the United States a deluge of uncertainty due to the winner's unpredictability. Trump has to explain what he wants to do. In the meantime, the rest of the world has to digest what has happened tonight: the people of the revolution are knocking at our doors." La Stampa, Italy "President Donald Trump will declare economic war on our biggest customer (China), wipe unprecedented amounts off global stock markets, usher in extraordinary financial instability, and risk turning the world's biggest economy into a basket case by pushing its national debt past 100 per cent of GDP." The Age, Australia "Seen from Paris, Trump's victory, coming after Brexit, is an additional warning. In the world that has opened up with this election, anything is possible --- even that which we have difficulty facing up to --- an extremist party taking power. Le Monde, France Left-leaning TAZ in Germany calls Trump's win: "A victory of the horror-clowns", adding: "Donald Trump said in his victory speech --- as all victory speeches on election nights --- that the country must now unite. From his mouth, it's a call for the underlings to submit to him unconditionally. The horror clown has now obtained the chance to actually get serious about this." "Coarse populism has triumphed over good sense ... America's democracy stands before a major test: it is to be feared that Trump will do everything to outwit his political opponents. He threatened critical journalists during the election campaign. His supporters have shouted 'lock her up' -– in reference to his opponent Hillary Clinton ... Of course there is hope that the political system is strong enough to limit a president's fantasies of omnipotence. But there is no guarantee." Spiegel online, Germany "An American tragedy." New Yorker, US

Why Donald Trump's win is making world media 'dizzy'

The latest polls give Clinton a narrow national lead of between 3-5%

US stocks jumped about 1.5 per cent early Monday, joining a global rally after the FBI lifted the threat that Democratic White House candidate Hillary Clinton could face charges over her emails. One day before Americans vote on their next president, investors were bullish about preferred candidate Clinton's prospects to defeat Republican Donald Trump after FBI Director James Comey cleared her of wrongdoing over the weekend. About an hour into trading, the broad-based S&P 500 was up 1.7 per cent to 2,121.47, tentatively snapping a nine-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.5 per cent to 18,164.06, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 2.0 percent to 5,146.08. The latest polls give Clinton a narrow national lead of between three and five percentage points, but rolling averages point to a closer race, with Trump up in some swing states. "Polls still show a fairly tight race, and with the Brexit surprise still fresh in participants' memory, there is a reluctance to take the polling information for granted," Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said. Still, the Democrat appeared to have a much more plausible road to victory in the Electoral College. Other indications of the market's greater calm on Monday was a decline in the Vix volatility index, a benchmark of investor fear, and a rise in the dollar. "The dollar and riskier assets like stocks caught a bounce to begin Election Week, getting a fillip from the FBI which over the weekend said that Hillary Clinton shouldn't face criminal charges related to her email troubles," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business solutions. "The Sunday letter from the director of the FBI to the Congress was seen helping Mrs Clinton's chances of clinching the election which gets under way tomorrow." Gains were broad-based, but especially strong sectors included financials, with JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs both climbing about 2.5 per cent, and pharmaceuticals, with Merck winning 1.4 per cent and Biogen 5.7 per cent. (AFP)

US stocks jump after FBI clears Hillary Clinton