President Donald Trump on Thursday sought to reassure his supporters about the state of the U.S. economy despite the stock market volatility and told rallygoers in New Hampshire, a state that he hopes to capture in 2020, that their financial security depends on his reelection.

Trump: love me or hate me, you got to vote for me

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democratic-presidential-candidate-kamala-harris-releases-15-years-of-tax-returns-210325">US Senator Kamala Harris </a>on Monday released a "Medicare for All" proposal ahead of a second debate for Democratic presidential candidates, when their differing approaches to healthcare insurance policy are expected to feature prominently.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-americas-only-indian-american-senator-bolsters-democrats-midterm-prospects-eyes-2020-ticket-175453">Harris</a>` plan would allow Americans to buy into the Medicare government health insurance programme, establishing a 10-year phase-in period during which newly born children would be automatically enrolled and healthcare providers can transition.

The plan would allow private health insurers to offer Medicare plans if they meet requirements on costs and benefits.

"Essentially, we would allow private insurance to offer a plan in the Medicare system, but they will be subject to strict requirements to ensure it lowers costs and expands services. If they want to play by our rules, they can be in the system. If not, they have to get out," Harris wrote in a post on the online publishing platform Medium.&nbsp;

The campaigns of two rivals, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former vice president Joe Biden, quickly criticised the Harris proposal.

The divisions over how best to provide Americans access to affordable healthcare is one of the early defining issues in the Democratic Party nominating contest for the 2020 election to take on Republican President Donald Trump. The second debate for 20 candidates is on Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit.

Harris, a 54-year-old senator from California, has struggled to clarify how she would craft a "Medicare for All" plan. At times she has wavered as to whether such a plan would preserve a role for private health insurers.

At the first debate in June, Harris raised her hand when the candidates were asked whether they would abolish private health insurance in favour of a government-run plan. She later said she had misunderstood the question.

Harris, in explaining her "Medicare for All" proposal, was deliberate in differentiating it from a Medicare for All bill in the US Senate offered by Sanders. Harris has co-sponsored the legislation.

While the Sanders legislation would phase in a "Medicare for All" plan over four years, Harris would extend that phase to 10 years. Unlike the Sanders proposal, it preserves a role for private insurers.

The Sanders bill proposes several options for financing the Medicare expansion, including a 7.5% income-based tax paid by employers, a 4% income-based premium, exempting the first $29,000 in income for a family of four, and eliminating some tax deductions.

"Call it anything you want, but you can`t call this plan Medicare for All. Folding to the interests of the health insurance industry is both bad policy and bad politics," Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement.

Harris` proposal would raise to $100,000 the threshold after which families would pay a related tax, and establish a tax on Wall Street trading.

"To pay for this specific change, I would tax Wall Street stock trades at 0.2%, bond trades at 0.1%, and derivative transactions at 0.002%. Think of it like this: that`s a $2 fee on a $1,000 trade by investors and big banks," Harris wrote on Medium.

Harris and Sanders will not share a debate stage this week. Sanders will appear on Tuesday and Harris on Wednesday. Biden, the current front-runner in opinion polls, will share the stage with Harris and seems likely to challenge her plan.

"Senator Kamala Harris just released a health care plan that both backtracks on her long-promised – but then-hedged – support of Bernie Sanders` Medicare for All legislation while at the same time committing to still unraveling the hard-won Affordable Care Act that the Trump Administration is trying to undo," Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.

But Kathleen Sebelius, who was chief of the US Department of Health and Human Services under Democratic President Barack Obama, said in a statement that Harris` plan would be a "sensible expansion" of the Medicare system that would build on the Affordable Care Act, Obama`s signature healthcare law.

"To get all Americans covered by health insurance, where cost is not a barrier, we need innovative ideas like this," Sebelius said.

US Senator Kamala Harris on Monday released a "Medicare for All" proposal ahead of a second debate for Democratic presidential candidates, when their differing approaches to healthcare insurance policy are expected to feature prominently.

US Senator Kamala Harris on Monday released a "Medicare for All" proposal ahead of a second debate for Democratic presidential candidates, when their differing approaches to healthcare insurance policy are expected to feature prominently. Harris` plan would allow Americans to buy into the Medicare government health insurance programme, establishing a 10-year phase-in period during which newly born children would be automatically enrolled and healthcare providers can transition. The plan would allow private health insurers to offer Medicare plans if they meet requirements on costs and benefits. "Essentially, we would allow private insurance to offer a plan in the Medicare system, but they will be subject to strict requirements to ensure it lowers costs and expands services. If they want to play by our rules, they can be in the system. If not, they have to get out," Harris wrote in a post on the online publishing platform Medium. The campaigns of two rivals, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former vice president Joe Biden, quickly criticised the Harris proposal. The divisions over how best to provide Americans access to affordable healthcare is one of the early defining issues in the Democratic Party nominating contest for the 2020 election to take on Republican President Donald Trump. The second debate for 20 candidates is on Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit. Harris, a 54-year-old senator from California, has struggled to clarify how she would craft a "Medicare for All" plan. At times she has wavered as to whether such a plan would preserve a role for private health insurers. At the first debate in June, Harris raised her hand when the candidates were asked whether they would abolish private health insurance in favour of a government-run plan. She later said she had misunderstood the question. Harris, in explaining her "Medicare for All" proposal, was deliberate in differentiating it from a Medicare for All bill in the US Senate offered by Sanders. Harris has co-sponsored the legislation. While the Sanders legislation would phase in a "Medicare for All" plan over four years, Harris would extend that phase to 10 years. Unlike the Sanders proposal, it preserves a role for private insurers. The Sanders bill proposes several options for financing the Medicare expansion, including a 7.5% income-based tax paid by employers, a 4% income-based premium, exempting the first $29,000 in income for a family of four, and eliminating some tax deductions. "Call it anything you want, but you can`t call this plan Medicare for All. Folding to the interests of the health insurance industry is both bad policy and bad politics," Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement. Harris` proposal would raise to $100,000 the threshold after which families would pay a related tax, and establish a tax on Wall Street trading. "To pay for this specific change, I would tax Wall Street stock trades at 0.2%, bond trades at 0.1%, and derivative transactions at 0.002%. Think of it like this: that`s a $2 fee on a $1,000 trade by investors and big banks," Harris wrote on Medium. Harris and Sanders will not share a debate stage this week. Sanders will appear on Tuesday and Harris on Wednesday. Biden, the current front-runner in opinion polls, will share the stage with Harris and seems likely to challenge her plan. "Senator Kamala Harris just released a health care plan that both backtracks on her long-promised – but then-hedged – support of Bernie Sanders` Medicare for All legislation while at the same time committing to still unraveling the hard-won Affordable Care Act that the Trump Administration is trying to undo," Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said in a statement. But Kathleen Sebelius, who was chief of the US Department of Health and Human Services under Democratic President Barack Obama, said in a statement that Harris` plan would be a "sensible expansion" of the Medicare system that would build on the Affordable Care Act, Obama`s signature healthcare law. "To get all Americans covered by health insurance, where cost is not a barrier, we need innovative ideas like this," Sebelius said.

Kamala Harris releases healthcare policy plan days before Democratic debate

Pedestrians walking through the New York congressional district represented by one of Donald Trump's most recent targets Monday (July 15) were not amused by his nativist rhetoric.

Trump's 'go back' rhetoric is hypocrisy to AOC district

Ever since India gained Independence in 1947, its relationship with the United States of America has been reserved, at best. Today, with the beginnings of the presidential election campaign underway in the United States, over 20 Democratic candidates are vying for a nomination bid. Some of the powerhouses include Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

However, despite some of these candidates specifically announcing collaboration with Indians (like Booker), President Trump is by far the best American President as far as India is concerned. Even though he is jabbing India on trade and has implemented a stringent immigration policy, Trump's strong stances greatly benefit India in several key areas, and at a time when our country is developing rather rapidly. Let's take a look.

China

No Democratic candidate or nominee will take Trump's hard-line attitude on China and terrorism. Trump's views on both work to India's advantage over the next five years.

Trump's 'trade-teasing' with India has hurt the Indian economy, no doubt, but when you put it into perspective, it's not that big of a deal. Modi knows this. Take a look at this perspective. The trade deficit that the US has with India is approximately one-twelfth of what the US has with China. Therefore, Beijing is on a very high red-alert on Trump's trade moves as compared to India. This explains Modi's calm and collected attitude to Trump's trade teasing. Moreover, President Trump has openly criticised China multiple times as a currency manipulator. He has even called China America's "foe". India can take advantage of this stance, especially as a preferred defence partner.

Terrorism

Speaking of defence, President Trump has publicly stated that Pakistan is a breeding ground for terrorists. He has made stringent policies on Muslims in the United States (at airport security, for example) and has a hard stance on terrorism. If elected, a Democrat will undoubtedly ease their stance on Pakistan. However, India most greatly benefits from Trump's rigid stance, especially after the Balakot strikes.

The US and India's shared disdain for Pakistan-based terrorists along with strong foreign policy focus on counter-terrorism will strengthen military ties and could also eventually work to ease out trade tensions should they increase.

Additionally, at the recent G20 Summit, Modi expressed his concern on losing 11 per cent of India's oil needs from Iran due to the US sanctions compliance. The two countries agreed that strong bilateral ties must exist between them to ensure regional and global peace in this region. India could use this to its advantage, especially to get back its energy needs.

Economy

Economically, Trump's unsurprising, hard-right Republican stance is the most beneficial to India's quickly growing GDP. Unlike the Democrats, Trump jumps on energy, manufacturing, oil &amp; gas, FDI, renewable energy and corporation development. All of these facets are areas where India is looking to expand. In addition, America is one of India's biggest investors when it comes to foreign direct investment. At the G20 meeting, Trump said that some "very big trade deals... in terms of developing 5G technology would be announced in the future with India". This will very much benefit India as we are the second largest global market for 5G and will determine how the global trend will sway.

Likewise, the 'Make in India' programme was also appreciated and welcomed by Trump. On multiple occasions, Modi and Trump also recognised space, trade, energy and security to collaborate on. Trump left the meeting stating that relations with India have "never been better".

He's absolutely right.

Immigration 
&nbsp; 
Despite Trump making this difficult, he is still better than a Democrat. Whereas Democratic candidates like Booker, Harris, Sanders and Warren will likely ease the process for Indians who want H1-B visas, they have not articulated how they will do this. This makes it doubtful that they will be able to reverse the process quickly.

President Trump has stated that Indian talent is amazing. Throughout his presidency, he has actively aimed at attracting Indian youth and entrepreneurs; this gives young Indians a loophole of sorts through American immigration roadblocks. Over the next five years, PM Modi will be able to leverage young Indian talent as Trump will increasingly seek it. Why? Over the past few years, a significant number of American multi-national companies have moved their Asian bases from China to India. And that mandates the need for local, skilled Indian talent to fill jobs. This means more employment generated in India and a potential increase in the already occurring reverse brain-gain to India. A win-win for India.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Ever since India gained Independence in 1947, its relationship with the United States of America has been reserved, at best. Today, with the beginnings of the presidential election campaign underway in the United States, over 20 Democratic candidates are vying for a nomination bid.

Ever since India gained Independence in 1947, its relationship with the United States of America has been reserved, at best. Today, with the beginnings of the presidential election campaign underway in the United States, over 20 Democratic candidates are vying for a nomination bid. Some of the powerhouses include Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. However, despite some of these candidates specifically announcing collaboration with Indians (like Booker), President Trump is by far the best American President as far as India is concerned. Even though he is jabbing India on trade and has implemented a stringent immigration policy, Trump's strong stances greatly benefit India in several key areas, and at a time when our country is developing rather rapidly. Let's take a look. China No Democratic candidate or nominee will take Trump's hard-line attitude on China and terrorism. Trump's views on both work to India's advantage over the next five years. Trump's 'trade-teasing' with India has hurt the Indian economy, no doubt, but when you put it into perspective, it's not that big of a deal. Modi knows this. Take a look at this perspective. The trade deficit that the US has with India is approximately one-twelfth of what the US has with China. Therefore, Beijing is on a very high red-alert on Trump's trade moves as compared to India. This explains Modi's calm and collected attitude to Trump's trade teasing. Moreover, President Trump has openly criticised China multiple times as a currency manipulator. He has even called China America's "foe". India can take advantage of this stance, especially as a preferred defence partner. Terrorism Speaking of defence, President Trump has publicly stated that Pakistan is a breeding ground for terrorists. He has made stringent policies on Muslims in the United States (at airport security, for example) and has a hard stance on terrorism. If elected, a Democrat will undoubtedly ease their stance on Pakistan. However, India most greatly benefits from Trump's rigid stance, especially after the Balakot strikes. The US and India's shared disdain for Pakistan-based terrorists along with strong foreign policy focus on counter-terrorism will strengthen military ties and could also eventually work to ease out trade tensions should they increase. Additionally, at the recent G20 Summit, Modi expressed his concern on losing 11 per cent of India's oil needs from Iran due to the US sanctions compliance. The two countries agreed that strong bilateral ties must exist between them to ensure regional and global peace in this region. India could use this to its advantage, especially to get back its energy needs. Economy Economically, Trump's unsurprising, hard-right Republican stance is the most beneficial to India's quickly growing GDP. Unlike the Democrats, Trump jumps on energy, manufacturing, oil & gas, FDI, renewable energy and corporation development. All of these facets are areas where India is looking to expand. In addition, America is one of India's biggest investors when it comes to foreign direct investment. At the G20 meeting, Trump said that some "very big trade deals... in terms of developing 5G technology would be announced in the future with India". This will very much benefit India as we are the second largest global market for 5G and will determine how the global trend will sway. Likewise, the 'Make in India' programme was also appreciated and welcomed by Trump. On multiple occasions, Modi and Trump also recognised space, trade, energy and security to collaborate on. Trump left the meeting stating that relations with India have "never been better". He's absolutely right. Immigration Despite Trump making this difficult, he is still better than a Democrat. Whereas Democratic candidates like Booker, Harris, Sanders and Warren will likely ease the process for Indians who want H1-B visas, they have not articulated how they will do this. This makes it doubtful that they will be able to reverse the process quickly. President Trump has stated that Indian talent is amazing. Throughout his presidency, he has actively aimed at attracting Indian youth and entrepreneurs; this gives young Indians a loophole of sorts through American immigration roadblocks. Over the next five years, PM Modi will be able to leverage young Indian talent as Trump will increasingly seek it. Why? Over the past few years, a significant number of American multi-national companies have moved their Asian bases from China to India. And that mandates the need for local, skilled Indian talent to fill jobs. This means more employment generated in India and a potential increase in the already occurring reverse brain-gain to India. A win-win for India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Trump's strong stances greatly benefit India. Here's how

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday warned<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-fundamentally-do-not-see-a-war-with-iran-says-pompeo-in-joint-conference-with-russian-foreign-minister-218796"> Russia not to interfere in next year's US election</a> even as the two countries worked to improve relations.

Pompeo on Tuesday was visiting the Black Sea resort of Sochi where he is set to become the highest-ranking American to meet with President Vladimir Putin in nearly a year.

But at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pompeo renewed US concerns that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to try to tip the vote to President Donald Trump.

"Interference in American elections in unacceptable. If Russia engaged in that in 2020, it would put our relationship in an even worse place than it has been," Pompeo said.

"I conveyed that there are things that Russia can do to demonstrate that these kinds of activities are a thing of the past. I hope that Russia takes advantage of those opportunities," Pompeo said.

Lavrov, however, rejected the accusations of Russian interference, which an investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said included extensive, shadowy efforts on social media.

"The facts show that those who are inflating this topic do not have any proof," Lavrov said.

On "collusion" involving high-ranking officials, Lavrov said: "It's clear that such insinuations are absolute fiction."

"We want and we are ready to deal with cybersecurity issues along with our American partners, without any politicisation," he said.

The two-year-long investigation by Mueller found that Russia intervened extensively but found no evidence that the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia.

The mogul turned politician has hailed the findings as vindication on a controversy that has clouded his presidency since the start.

Despite the sharp disagreement on election meddling, Pompeo said that Trump had instructed him to build a better relationship with Russia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday warned Russia not to interfere in next year's US election even as the two countries worked to improve relations. Pompeo on Tuesday was visiting the Black Sea resort of Sochi where he is set to become the highest-ranking American to meet with President Vladimir Putin in nearly a year.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday warned Russia not to interfere in next year's US election even as the two countries worked to improve relations. Pompeo on Tuesday was visiting the Black Sea resort of Sochi where he is set to become the highest-ranking American to meet with President Vladimir Putin in nearly a year. But at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pompeo renewed US concerns that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to try to tip the vote to President Donald Trump. "Interference in American elections in unacceptable. If Russia engaged in that in 2020, it would put our relationship in an even worse place than it has been," Pompeo said. "I conveyed that there are things that Russia can do to demonstrate that these kinds of activities are a thing of the past. I hope that Russia takes advantage of those opportunities," Pompeo said. Lavrov, however, rejected the accusations of Russian interference, which an investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said included extensive, shadowy efforts on social media. "The facts show that those who are inflating this topic do not have any proof," Lavrov said. On "collusion" involving high-ranking officials, Lavrov said: "It's clear that such insinuations are absolute fiction." "We want and we are ready to deal with cybersecurity issues along with our American partners, without any politicisation," he said. The two-year-long investigation by Mueller found that Russia intervened extensively but found no evidence that the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia. The mogul turned politician has hailed the findings as vindication on a controversy that has clouded his presidency since the start. Despite the sharp disagreement on election meddling, Pompeo said that Trump had instructed him to build a better relationship with Russia.

Interference in American elections in unacceptable: Pompeo to Lavrov

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday formally announced his entry into the race for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for the 2020 election.

"We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said in a stark video released online, calling on voters to deny Republican US&nbsp;President Donald Trump a second term in office.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/big-democratic-field-taking-shape-for-2020-us-presidential-race-213249">Big Democratic field taking shape for 2020 US presidential race</a>

Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Joe2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Joe2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3">https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3</a>
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1121353260231688192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Still, he starts as the leader of the pack in opinion polls of a Democratic field that now will total 20 contenders seeking the chance to challenge President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in November 2020.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday formally announced his entry into the race for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for the 2020 election.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday formally announced his entry into the race for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for the 2020 election. "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said in a stark video released online, calling on voters to deny Republican US President Donald Trump a second term in office. Also read: Big Democratic field taking shape for 2020 US presidential race Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing. The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 × Still, he starts as the leader of the pack in opinion polls of a Democratic field that now will total 20 contenders seeking the chance to challenge President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in November 2020.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden enters 2020 presidential race

Attorney General William Barr plans on Thursday morning to release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and contacts between Moscow and President Donald Trump's campaign, the Justice Department said on Monday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/timeline-big-moments-in-mueller-investigation-of-russian-meddling-in-2016-us-election-211303">Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 US election</a>

Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec did not provide a precise time, but said the report, which Barr has described as nearly 400 pages long, will be released both to Congress and the public. Congressional Democrats have demanded the release of the full report with nothing blacked out and also have asked for the underlying evidence gathered by Mueller, meaning Thursday's action by Barr may be just the first move in a longer fight that could play out in the courts.

Moments after the department announced its plans for releasing the report, the Republican president went to Twitter to make another attack on Mueller's team and derided the "Russia Hoax." The Mueller investigation has cast a cloud over the presidency of Trump, who has often called it a politically motivated "witch hunt."

Mueller turned over a copy of his confidential report to Barr on March 22, ending his 22-month-long inquiry. Two days later, Barr released a four-page letter summarizing what he said were Mueller's primary conclusions. In that letter to Congress, Barr said Mueller's investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia.

Barr also wrote that Mueller presented evidence "on both sides" about whether Trump obstructed justice by acting to impede the inquiry, but he did not draw a conclusion one way or the other. Barr said that he reviewed Mueller's evidence and made his own determination that Trump did not commit the crime of obstruction of justice.

REDACTION DECISIONS

Justice Department regulations give Barr, a Trump appointee and the top US&nbsp;law enforcement officer, broad authority to decide what to release and what to withhold from the report.

Barr has pledged to be as transparent as possible. But he has said he will redact certain portions for reasons including protecting secret grand jury information, intelligence-gathering sources and methods, information relating to ongoing cases and the privacy of "peripheral third parties" who were not charged.

The redactions in the report will be colour-coded by category, according to Barr, explaining the reasons that parts are blacked out.

After Barr released his four-page letter, Trump claimed "complete and total exoneration," condemned "an illegal takedown that failed" and accused unnamed political enemies of treasonous acts.

Since Barr released his letter, Trump has set his sights on the FBI, and accused the Justice Department of improperly targeting his campaign. Last week, Barr told a US Senate panel he believed that "spying" did occur on Trump's campaign, and he plans to investigate whether it was properly authorized.

Barr's comments were criticized by Democrats, already sceptical of how he has handled the report's release.

The attorney general has pledged to testify publicly about the report's conclusions before the Senate and House judiciary committees - on May 1 and 2, respectively. The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee voted on April 3 to empower its chairman, Jerrold Nadler, to issue subpoenas for the full report and underlying evidence.

Meanwhile, the top Democrat and Republican on the House Intelligence Committee are also asking Barr to produce all of the investigative materials compiled by Mueller's team and to make Mueller and his staff available for a briefing.

In a March 27 letter seen by Reuters on Monday, Democratic Chairman Adam Schiff and top Republican Devin Nunes told Barr they want Mueller to brief them on "the investigation's scope and areas of inquiry, its findings, and the intelligence and counterintelligence information gathered" in the investigation.

Attorney General William Barr plans on Thursday morning to release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and contacts between Moscow and President Donald Trump's campaign, the Justice Department said on Monday.

Attorney General William Barr plans on Thursday morning to release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and contacts between Moscow and President Donald Trump's campaign, the Justice Department said on Monday. Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 US election Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec did not provide a precise time, but said the report, which Barr has described as nearly 400 pages long, will be released both to Congress and the public. Congressional Democrats have demanded the release of the full report with nothing blacked out and also have asked for the underlying evidence gathered by Mueller, meaning Thursday's action by Barr may be just the first move in a longer fight that could play out in the courts. Moments after the department announced its plans for releasing the report, the Republican president went to Twitter to make another attack on Mueller's team and derided the "Russia Hoax." The Mueller investigation has cast a cloud over the presidency of Trump, who has often called it a politically motivated "witch hunt." Mueller turned over a copy of his confidential report to Barr on March 22, ending his 22-month-long inquiry. Two days later, Barr released a four-page letter summarizing what he said were Mueller's primary conclusions. In that letter to Congress, Barr said Mueller's investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia. Barr also wrote that Mueller presented evidence "on both sides" about whether Trump obstructed justice by acting to impede the inquiry, but he did not draw a conclusion one way or the other. Barr said that he reviewed Mueller's evidence and made his own determination that Trump did not commit the crime of obstruction of justice. REDACTION DECISIONS Justice Department regulations give Barr, a Trump appointee and the top US law enforcement officer, broad authority to decide what to release and what to withhold from the report. Barr has pledged to be as transparent as possible. But he has said he will redact certain portions for reasons including protecting secret grand jury information, intelligence-gathering sources and methods, information relating to ongoing cases and the privacy of "peripheral third parties" who were not charged. The redactions in the report will be colour-coded by category, according to Barr, explaining the reasons that parts are blacked out. After Barr released his four-page letter, Trump claimed "complete and total exoneration," condemned "an illegal takedown that failed" and accused unnamed political enemies of treasonous acts. Since Barr released his letter, Trump has set his sights on the FBI, and accused the Justice Department of improperly targeting his campaign. Last week, Barr told a US Senate panel he believed that "spying" did occur on Trump's campaign, and he plans to investigate whether it was properly authorized. Barr's comments were criticized by Democrats, already sceptical of how he has handled the report's release. The attorney general has pledged to testify publicly about the report's conclusions before the Senate and House judiciary committees - on May 1 and 2, respectively. The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee voted on April 3 to empower its chairman, Jerrold Nadler, to issue subpoenas for the full report and underlying evidence. Meanwhile, the top Democrat and Republican on the House Intelligence Committee are also asking Barr to produce all of the investigative materials compiled by Mueller's team and to make Mueller and his staff available for a briefing. In a March 27 letter seen by Reuters on Monday, Democratic Chairman Adam Schiff and top Republican Devin Nunes told Barr they want Mueller to brief them on "the investigation's scope and areas of inquiry, its findings, and the intelligence and counterintelligence information gathered" in the investigation.

Redacted Mueller report to be issued by US attorney general today

In pictures: Democrats win House, putting Trump under scrutiny

Donald Trump's unilateral proposal to end birthright citizenship has come under severe criticism. But it has got him, what he wants. He has managed to grab headlines days before Americans vote in the mid-terms. It's all part of Trump's strategy.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Trump is not contesting, but these elections will determine if his party keeps control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It will also be a referendum for Trump's Presidency. Any President's first mid-term is seen as a stamp of approval or disapproval for him. Floating such controversial ideas helps to keep the Republicans in the public eye.&nbsp; 
 
The headlines could boost chances for Republican candidates in key Senate races. It also boosts efforts to oust Democrat incumbents in traditional red states.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Trump's proposal also comes in the backdrop of the Immigration crisis. It has been Trump's long-term goal to seal borders and stop entry of what he calls 'aliens'. A proposal to end birthright citizenship is a step in that direction.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A lot is at stake for Donald Trump this election and he realises that. He is on a whirlwind tour of the country and in one such rally, he said if Democrats gain control, the next two years in the White House will be terrible.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
If Republicans lose control of either the House of Representatives or the Senate, they will lose their ability to send new bills to President Donald Trump’s desk with their party’s votes alone. Democrats will stall bill that hinges on conservative agenda. Which means, the conservative legislative agenda would be dead. All of Trump's plans to repeal Obamacare will be thwarted if Democrats take over.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Secondly, if either the House or the Congress goes the other way, the Trump administration could be staring at more investigations. If Democrats gain control, they would gain subpoena power, which would let them investigate the Trump administration far more aggressively. Apart from the Russia collusion charge, Trump could be staring at an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him, his businesses and all kinds of controversial policy choices or potential scandals.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In the last 100 years, an incumbent party has kept control of the House and the Senate only thrice. So if Trump, who is a political outsider manages to pull that off, it would certainly be an achievement. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Donald Trump's unilateral proposal to end birthright citizenship has come under severe criticism. But it has got him, what he wants. He has managed to grab headlines days before Americans vote in the mid-terms.

Donald Trump's unilateral proposal to end birthright citizenship has come under severe criticism. But it has got him, what he wants. He has managed to grab headlines days before Americans vote in the mid-terms. It's all part of Trump's strategy. Trump is not contesting, but these elections will determine if his party keeps control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It will also be a referendum for Trump's Presidency. Any President's first mid-term is seen as a stamp of approval or disapproval for him. Floating such controversial ideas helps to keep the Republicans in the public eye. The headlines could boost chances for Republican candidates in key Senate races. It also boosts efforts to oust Democrat incumbents in traditional red states. Trump's proposal also comes in the backdrop of the Immigration crisis. It has been Trump's long-term goal to seal borders and stop entry of what he calls 'aliens'. A proposal to end birthright citizenship is a step in that direction. A lot is at stake for Donald Trump this election and he realises that. He is on a whirlwind tour of the country and in one such rally, he said if Democrats gain control, the next two years in the White House will be terrible. If Republicans lose control of either the House of Representatives or the Senate, they will lose their ability to send new bills to President Donald Trump’s desk with their party’s votes alone. Democrats will stall bill that hinges on conservative agenda. Which means, the conservative legislative agenda would be dead. All of Trump's plans to repeal Obamacare will be thwarted if Democrats take over. Secondly, if either the House or the Congress goes the other way, the Trump administration could be staring at more investigations. If Democrats gain control, they would gain subpoena power, which would let them investigate the Trump administration far more aggressively. Apart from the Russia collusion charge, Trump could be staring at an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him, his businesses and all kinds of controversial policy choices or potential scandals. In the last 100 years, an incumbent party has kept control of the House and the Senate only thrice. So if Trump, who is a political outsider manages to pull that off, it would certainly be an achievement. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Donald Trump makes the right noises before US midterms

Facebook Inc's new searchable database of US political ads reveals that companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Ben &amp; Jerry's and Penzeys Spices are cumulatively spending millions of dollars to encourage voting and influence how Americans vote.

Little data is typically published on specific companies' online ad spending, but Facebook's increased transparency about political activity on its service has opened a trove of details ahead of elections on November 6. The social media network showed that $256.4 million was spent on political ads since May.

Alphabet Inc's Google and Twitter Inc have introduced similar databases. But compared to Facebook, Google covers a narrower set of advertisers and Twitter's tool is more difficult to use.

The database unveiled by Facebook on Tuesday, called the "Ad Archive Report," will provide weekly updates on how much advertisers are spending on Facebook ads that specifically, encourage voting or mention political races or issues of national importance.

That policy pulls in ads from official campaigns as well as paid posts containing a political dimension from boutique apparel makers, talk-show hosts and global firms.

Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent more than $2.1 million on Facebook ads since May, more than any corporation beside online petition service Care2.com Inc. ExxonMobil has promoted a campaign supporting offshore drilling and urged a "no" vote on a Colorado ballot measure that would limit fracking.

The company did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Ben &amp; Jerry's, a part of Unilever Plc, has spent more than $401,000 since May on various ads, including one supporting a Florida ballot measure that would let felons vote.

Jay Tandan, the ice cream maker's US digital marketing manager, said the company welcomed the transparency.

"We’ve long stood up for our company values and used our tools as a business – including monetary expenditure and our social media presence – to support driving the change we hope to see in the world," Tandan said in an email.

Penzeys, a nationwide retailer of spices based in Wisconsin, has put $773,000 into ads calling on people to vote despite any political frustration they may have following the contentious Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

"Make your plan to vote, but please give thought to encouraging others to vote, too," one ad seen by at least hundreds of thousands Facebook accounts said. "Help them put together the ingredients they need for a healthy and satisfying voting experience."

Smaller firms are aiming to capitalize on the election too. California-based Concealed Online, which sells firearms training for concealed carry permits, has spent $1.76 million encouraging people in Texas, Florida and other states to apply before a possible shift in power brings gun restrictions.

To be sure, Facebook's transparency has limits. It privately requires government-issued identification from political ad buyers but allows them pseudoanonymity in public disclosures through vague names such as Be Registered LLC.

The tech companies' political spending databases arrived after the threat of regulation over the lack of disclosure on such spending.

Facebook also has faced a barrage of criticism from users and lawmakers after it said last year that Russian agents used its platform to spread misinformation before and after the 2016 US presidential election, an accusation Moscow denies.

Facebook Inc's new searchable database of US political ads reveals that companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Ben & Jerry's and Penzeys Spices are cumulatively spending millions of dollars to encourage voting and influence how Americans vote.

Facebook Inc's new searchable database of US political ads reveals that companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Ben & Jerry's and Penzeys Spices are cumulatively spending millions of dollars to encourage voting and influence how Americans vote. Little data is typically published on specific companies' online ad spending, but Facebook's increased transparency about political activity on its service has opened a trove of details ahead of elections on November 6. The social media network showed that $256.4 million was spent on political ads since May. Alphabet Inc's Google and Twitter Inc have introduced similar databases. But compared to Facebook, Google covers a narrower set of advertisers and Twitter's tool is more difficult to use. The database unveiled by Facebook on Tuesday, called the "Ad Archive Report," will provide weekly updates on how much advertisers are spending on Facebook ads that specifically, encourage voting or mention political races or issues of national importance. That policy pulls in ads from official campaigns as well as paid posts containing a political dimension from boutique apparel makers, talk-show hosts and global firms. Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent more than $2.1 million on Facebook ads since May, more than any corporation beside online petition service Care2.com Inc. ExxonMobil has promoted a campaign supporting offshore drilling and urged a "no" vote on a Colorado ballot measure that would limit fracking. The company did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Ben & Jerry's, a part of Unilever Plc, has spent more than $401,000 since May on various ads, including one supporting a Florida ballot measure that would let felons vote. Jay Tandan, the ice cream maker's US digital marketing manager, said the company welcomed the transparency. "We’ve long stood up for our company values and used our tools as a business – including monetary expenditure and our social media presence – to support driving the change we hope to see in the world," Tandan said in an email. Penzeys, a nationwide retailer of spices based in Wisconsin, has put $773,000 into ads calling on people to vote despite any political frustration they may have following the contentious Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. "Make your plan to vote, but please give thought to encouraging others to vote, too," one ad seen by at least hundreds of thousands Facebook accounts said. "Help them put together the ingredients they need for a healthy and satisfying voting experience." Smaller firms are aiming to capitalize on the election too. California-based Concealed Online, which sells firearms training for concealed carry permits, has spent $1.76 million encouraging people in Texas, Florida and other states to apply before a possible shift in power brings gun restrictions. To be sure, Facebook's transparency has limits. It privately requires government-issued identification from political ad buyers but allows them pseudoanonymity in public disclosures through vague names such as Be Registered LLC. The tech companies' political spending databases arrived after the threat of regulation over the lack of disclosure on such spending. Facebook also has faced a barrage of criticism from users and lawmakers after it said last year that Russian agents used its platform to spread misinformation before and after the 2016 US presidential election, an accusation Moscow denies.

Exxon, Ben & Jerry's among buyers of $256 million in political ads on Facebook

US voters will soon render their verdict on Donald Trump and his ruling Republican Party after two tumultuous years that have deeply shaken the world's oldest existing democracy.

Have Americans had enough? The answer comes at polling stations one month from Saturday, with Republicans battling to keep control of the US Congress and Democrats hoping a "blue wave" will wash them out.&nbsp;

Trump -- among the most polarizing US leaders ever -- is not on the ballot, but his presence looms large over the midterms, which he has declared "the most important congressional elections of our lifetime."

He has hit the campaign trail for political allies and to rally his base, attacking "obstructionist" Democrats and touting his success in improving the US economy.

"I'm not on the ticket," he told supporters at a Mississippi rally Tuesday. "But I am on the ticket, because this is also a referendum about me."

Some Republicans, especially those who prevailed in 2016 in districts won by Hillary Clinton, are running at arm's length from Trump, whose poll ratings remain under water.

But many candidates have wholeheartedly embraced the president and acknowledged their election fortunes will rise or fall with him.

'Defining moment'

Democrats are energized, with well-funded campaigns aiming to snatch seats in Tennessee and other red states like Georgia, Kansas and Texas as they aim to reclaim the 435-member House of Representatives and the 100-member Senate.

"Folks are sensing a sea change coming here," Tariq Thowfeek of the Texas Democratic Party told AFP in Austin.

He pointed to the compelling grassroots candidacy of Beto O'Rourke, whose bid to oust Republican Senator Ted Cruz would send shockwaves through the nation if it succeeds on November 6.

O'Rourke often speaks of this being "a defining moment for our country," and embraces the opportunity to engage with Texans of all stripes.

He drills down on kitchen table issues including health care -- a top priority for Democratic voters -- jobs and education, while demanding criminal justice reform, more rational immigration policies and gun safety legislation.

But the man in the White House is still expected to have the predominant impact on the midterms.

"For Democrats the top issue by a mile is Donald Trump," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

"He is the reason they're turning out to vote, and almost unanimously they're voting against him."

In the first midterms of the anti-harassment #MeToo era, the power of the female vote is certain to be tested -- even more so with the dramatic debate currently roiling the US Senate.&nbsp;

The election season is occurring in the shadow of a bitter Supreme Court battle, in which Democrats are aiming to spoil the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a federal judge who stands accused of sexual assault.

'Rallying cry'

It remains unclear just how that partisan fight might impact the midterms. But Trump is confident his nominee, whose confirmation would shift the nine-justice high court rightward, will energize his base -- a necessity if the party wants to hold ground in November.

Kavanaugh "is like a rallying cry for the Republicans," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

If Kavanaugh gets confirmed, it would mean Republicans control the White House, both chambers of Congress, and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, potentially diminishing the sense of urgency among Republican voters.

Depressed turnout could spell disaster for Republicans, who face a hostile election climate.&nbsp;

Democrats must gain 23 seats to retake the House. Dave Wasserman of the non-partisan Cook Political Report predicts Democrats will flip 25 to 40 seats, while the Center for Politics says that number could near 50.

In a sign of 2018's Democratic tilt, a hefty 29 Republican-held House seats are rated a "toss up" by Cook, compared to just two Democratic seats.&nbsp;

"It's getting ugly" for Republicans, tweeted Wasserman, as he pointed to the GOP closing the funding spigot for some embattled candidates in districts won by Trump in 2016.

Trump has employed fear-mongering to counter the Democrats' enthusiasm edge.

"If Democrats get control, they will raise your taxes, flood your streets with criminal aliens, weaken our military, outlaw private health insurance and replace freedom with socialism," Trump said in Mississippi.

Meanwhile, Democrats are promoting a diverse collection of candidates. Native Americans, Muslims, and Latinas are seeking to make history in many races, while Florida, Georgia and Maryland could elect their first black governors.&nbsp;

A new Quinnipiac Poll gives conservatives some hope, as it showed Republicans cutting the general Democratic lead in House races from 14 points to seven.

In the Senate, Democrats have a steeper climb, even though Republicans have a slim 51-49 majority.&nbsp;

Of the 35 Senate seats in contention in November, Democrats are defending 26 of them -- including 10 in states Trump won. Republicans are defending just nine seats.&nbsp;

US voters will soon render their verdict on Donald Trump and his ruling Republican Party after two tumultuous years that have deeply shaken the world's oldest existing democracy.

US voters will soon render their verdict on Donald Trump and his ruling Republican Party after two tumultuous years that have deeply shaken the world's oldest existing democracy. Have Americans had enough? The answer comes at polling stations one month from Saturday, with Republicans battling to keep control of the US Congress and Democrats hoping a "blue wave" will wash them out. Trump -- among the most polarizing US leaders ever -- is not on the ballot, but his presence looms large over the midterms, which he has declared "the most important congressional elections of our lifetime." He has hit the campaign trail for political allies and to rally his base, attacking "obstructionist" Democrats and touting his success in improving the US economy. "I'm not on the ticket," he told supporters at a Mississippi rally Tuesday. "But I am on the ticket, because this is also a referendum about me." Some Republicans, especially those who prevailed in 2016 in districts won by Hillary Clinton, are running at arm's length from Trump, whose poll ratings remain under water. But many candidates have wholeheartedly embraced the president and acknowledged their election fortunes will rise or fall with him. 'Defining moment' Democrats are energized, with well-funded campaigns aiming to snatch seats in Tennessee and other red states like Georgia, Kansas and Texas as they aim to reclaim the 435-member House of Representatives and the 100-member Senate. "Folks are sensing a sea change coming here," Tariq Thowfeek of the Texas Democratic Party told AFP in Austin. He pointed to the compelling grassroots candidacy of Beto O'Rourke, whose bid to oust Republican Senator Ted Cruz would send shockwaves through the nation if it succeeds on November 6. O'Rourke often speaks of this being "a defining moment for our country," and embraces the opportunity to engage with Texans of all stripes. He drills down on kitchen table issues including health care -- a top priority for Democratic voters -- jobs and education, while demanding criminal justice reform, more rational immigration policies and gun safety legislation. But the man in the White House is still expected to have the predominant impact on the midterms. "For Democrats the top issue by a mile is Donald Trump," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "He is the reason they're turning out to vote, and almost unanimously they're voting against him." In the first midterms of the anti-harassment #MeToo era, the power of the female vote is certain to be tested -- even more so with the dramatic debate currently roiling the US Senate. The election season is occurring in the shadow of a bitter Supreme Court battle, in which Democrats are aiming to spoil the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a federal judge who stands accused of sexual assault. 'Rallying cry' It remains unclear just how that partisan fight might impact the midterms. But Trump is confident his nominee, whose confirmation would shift the nine-justice high court rightward, will energize his base -- a necessity if the party wants to hold ground in November. Kavanaugh "is like a rallying cry for the Republicans," Trump told reporters Tuesday. If Kavanaugh gets confirmed, it would mean Republicans control the White House, both chambers of Congress, and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, potentially diminishing the sense of urgency among Republican voters. Depressed turnout could spell disaster for Republicans, who face a hostile election climate. Democrats must gain 23 seats to retake the House. Dave Wasserman of the non-partisan Cook Political Report predicts Democrats will flip 25 to 40 seats, while the Center for Politics says that number could near 50. In a sign of 2018's Democratic tilt, a hefty 29 Republican-held House seats are rated a "toss up" by Cook, compared to just two Democratic seats. "It's getting ugly" for Republicans, tweeted Wasserman, as he pointed to the GOP closing the funding spigot for some embattled candidates in districts won by Trump in 2016. Trump has employed fear-mongering to counter the Democrats' enthusiasm edge. "If Democrats get control, they will raise your taxes, flood your streets with criminal aliens, weaken our military, outlaw private health insurance and replace freedom with socialism," Trump said in Mississippi. Meanwhile, Democrats are promoting a diverse collection of candidates. Native Americans, Muslims, and Latinas are seeking to make history in many races, while Florida, Georgia and Maryland could elect their first black governors. A new Quinnipiac Poll gives conservatives some hope, as it showed Republicans cutting the general Democratic lead in House races from 14 points to seven. In the Senate, Democrats have a steeper climb, even though Republicans have a slim 51-49 majority. Of the 35 Senate seats in contention in November, Democrats are defending 26 of them -- including 10 in states Trump won. Republicans are defending just nine seats.

With US midterms a month away, verdict on Trump looms

China on Friday rejected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pence-accuses-china-of-seeking-to-change-us-president-169494">US Vice President Mike Pence's charge that Beijing was meddling in American elections</a> as "unwarranted" and "ridiculous".

In a blistering speech, Pence on Thursday accused China of military aggression, commercial theft and rising human rights violations as he cast the Asian power as a villain bent on interfering in upcoming US polls.

"The relevant speech made unwarranted accusations against China's domestic and foreign policies and slandered China by claiming that China meddles in US internal affairs and election," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

"This is nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it," she said.

Expanding on complaints aired by President Donald Trump at the United Nations last week, Pence accused China of waging an "unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion" ahead of critical congressional elections on November 6, and wanting "a different American president."

Relations between the world's two largest economies have plummeted in recent weeks with Trump placing $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, in part over charges that Beijing forces US companies to hand over technological know-how.&nbsp;

"It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatise its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections," Hua said.

"China always follows the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs and we have no interest in meddling in US internal affairs and elections," she said.

"We urge the US to correct its wrongdoing, stop groundlessly accusing and slandering China and harming China's interests and China-US ties."

China on Friday rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's charge that Beijing was meddling in American elections as "unwarranted" and "ridiculous". In a blistering speech, Pence on Thursday accused China of military aggression, commercial theft and rising human rights violations as he cast the Asian power as a villain bent on interfering in upcoming US polls.

China on Friday rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's charge that Beijing was meddling in American elections as "unwarranted" and "ridiculous". In a blistering speech, Pence on Thursday accused China of military aggression, commercial theft and rising human rights violations as he cast the Asian power as a villain bent on interfering in upcoming US polls. "The relevant speech made unwarranted accusations against China's domestic and foreign policies and slandered China by claiming that China meddles in US internal affairs and election," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement. "This is nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it," she said. Expanding on complaints aired by President Donald Trump at the United Nations last week, Pence accused China of waging an "unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion" ahead of critical congressional elections on November 6, and wanting "a different American president." Relations between the world's two largest economies have plummeted in recent weeks with Trump placing $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, in part over charges that Beijing forces US companies to hand over technological know-how. "It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatise its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections," Hua said. "China always follows the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs and we have no interest in meddling in US internal affairs and elections," she said. "We urge the US to correct its wrongdoing, stop groundlessly accusing and slandering China and harming China's interests and China-US ties."

China slams 'ridiculous' US election meddling charges

US President Donald Trump today attacked special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s investigation into Russia&#39;s election meddling as unfair, insisting the probe is staffed with &quot;hardened&quot; Democrats.

&quot;Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!&quot; Trump tweeted.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The salvo was the latest in an intensifying confrontation over Mueller&#39;s probe into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour.

The president also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday two days before he was due to retire, and former FBI director James Comey, who Trump sacked last year over the Russia probe.

Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey&#39;s firing May 9, 2017.

&quot;Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added,&quot; Trump said.

Widely respected in both political camps, Mueller was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W. Bush, and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama.

Lawmakers have repeatedly warned that any attempt by the president to oust him as special counsel would cross a red line.

In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as &quot;fake memos&quot; contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president.

Those memos could be fodder for Mueller&#39;s probe if he is pursuing potential obstruction of justice by the president.

&quot;Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don&#39;t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey.&quot;

After his firing, McCabe said he was the victim of a Trump administration &quot;war&quot; against the FBI and the special counsel.

Comey has pushed back as well. &quot;Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not,&quot; he tweeted yesterday. (AFP) CPS 0

"Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump tweeted.

US President Donald Trump today attacked special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's election meddling as unfair, insisting the probe is staffed with "hardened" Democrats. "Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump tweeted. The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018 × The salvo was the latest in an intensifying confrontation over Mueller's probe into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour. The president also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday two days before he was due to retire, and former FBI director James Comey, who Trump sacked last year over the Russia probe. Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey's firing May 9, 2017. "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added," Trump said. Widely respected in both political camps, Mueller was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W. Bush, and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama. Lawmakers have repeatedly warned that any attempt by the president to oust him as special counsel would cross a red line. In earlier tweets, Trump accused Comey of lying under oath in congressional testimony and dismissed as "fake memos" contemporaneous notes McCabe and Comey took of their interactions with the president. Those memos could be fodder for Mueller's probe if he is pursuing potential obstruction of justice by the president. "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don't believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey." After his firing, McCabe said he was the victim of a Trump administration "war" against the FBI and the special counsel. Comey has pushed back as well. "Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not," he tweeted yesterday. (AFP) CPS 0

Donald Trump attacks fairness of Robert Mueller probe into Russia meddling in US elections

Benjamin Netanyahu was to meet his &quot;true friend&quot; Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, even as an ex-aide to the Israeli prime minister signed a state witness deal in a corruption probe tightening around him back home.

Netanyahu, who is also grappling with a spreading governmental crisis that could trigger early elections, was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader, although analysts said little of note was likely to emerge from the meeting.

The Israeli leader has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncing as &quot;fake news&quot; the corruption allegations hanging over his head, a method Trump has honed in dealing with an investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Russia during the 2016 US elections.

Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government, and the two leaders were sure to discuss his recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a controversial move that received an extra boost Monday when Guatemala announced it too was moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The two leaders were also expected to discuss efforts to curb Iran&#39;s regional influence.

The White House meeting, held during Netanyahu&#39;s visit to the annual conference of the influential lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), will provide a boost for the right-wing Israeli leader as scandals and political turmoil brew at home.

&quot;I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist, conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are against us,&quot; said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem&#39;s Hebrew University.&nbsp;

The Israeli leader&#39;s domestic problems mounted even as he prepared to meet Trump, when Israeli media reported that a former spokesman for his family, Nir Hefetz, had become the third Netanyahu associate to sign a state witness deal with prosecutors in recent months.

Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, the telecoms mogul Shaul Elovitch and the news website Walla!, media reports said.

Police suspect the telecoms firm Bezeq was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website owned by Bezeq.

Hefetz is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister&#39;s wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds, according to reports.

Countering Iran

While Trump&#39;s plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this year has brought the two leaders closer together, it has infuriated the Palestinian leadership and was condemned by 128 states in a United Nations General Assembly vote in December.&nbsp;

The issue has also caused a widening rift in US public opinion. A survey in January by the Pew Research Center showed that 79 percent of Republicans were more sympathetic towards Israel than the Palestinians, against just 27 percent among Democrats.

The Middle East peace process grew even more complicated recently after Jared Kushner, the president&#39;s son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, lost his top-secret security clearance.&nbsp;

But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay in restarting the peace talks.

In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he is expected to focus mainly on Iran as Israel&#39;s greatest enemy, and one he says seeks a permanent military presence in neighboring Syria.

The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or the cancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.&nbsp;

Netanyahu was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader

Benjamin Netanyahu was to meet his "true friend" Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, even as an ex-aide to the Israeli prime minister signed a state witness deal in a corruption probe tightening around him back home. Netanyahu, who is also grappling with a spreading governmental crisis that could trigger early elections, was due to meet Trump in the Oval Office and have a working lunch with the US leader, although analysts said little of note was likely to emerge from the meeting. The Israeli leader has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncing as "fake news" the corruption allegations hanging over his head, a method Trump has honed in dealing with an investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Russia during the 2016 US elections. Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel and its government, and the two leaders were sure to discuss his recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a controversial move that received an extra boost Monday when Guatemala announced it too was moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The two leaders were also expected to discuss efforts to curb Iran's regional influence. The White House meeting, held during Netanyahu's visit to the annual conference of the influential lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), will provide a boost for the right-wing Israeli leader as scandals and political turmoil brew at home. "I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist, conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are against us," said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. The Israeli leader's domestic problems mounted even as he prepared to meet Trump, when Israeli media reported that a former spokesman for his family, Nir Hefetz, had become the third Netanyahu associate to sign a state witness deal with prosecutors in recent months. Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, the telecoms mogul Shaul Elovitch and the news website Walla!, media reports said. Police suspect the telecoms firm Bezeq was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website owned by Bezeq. Hefetz is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds, according to reports. Countering Iran While Trump's plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this year has brought the two leaders closer together, it has infuriated the Palestinian leadership and was condemned by 128 states in a United Nations General Assembly vote in December. The issue has also caused a widening rift in US public opinion. A survey in January by the Pew Research Center showed that 79 percent of Republicans were more sympathetic towards Israel than the Palestinians, against just 27 percent among Democrats. The Middle East peace process grew even more complicated recently after Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, lost his top-secret security clearance. But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay in restarting the peace talks. In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he is expected to focus mainly on Iran as Israel's greatest enemy, and one he says seeks a permanent military presence in neighboring Syria. The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or the cancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister to meet Trump in White House as scandal grows back home

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-is-aiming-to-interfere-in-coming-us-elections-warns-cia-chief-31153"> Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo</a> said China has much &quot;bigger footprint&quot; to carry out covert activities than Russia.

The CIA director had earlier <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-declines-to-apply-new-russia-sanctions-for-now-31162">said Moscow is expected to meddle</a> in the 2018 US mid-term elections.

However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election.

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber.

President Trump&#39;s election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of becoming president.

Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections.

Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to it,&quot; Trump had said, adding, that he would do it &quot;under oath.&quot;

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC, Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo said China has much "bigger footprint" to carry out covert activities than Russia. The CIA director had earlier said Moscow is expected to meddle in the 2018 US mid-term elections. However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election. The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber. President Trump's election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming president. Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections. Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election. "I'm looking forward to it," Trump had said, adding, that he would do it "under oath."

China has bigger footprint than Russia for covert activities: CIA chief Pompeo

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year&#39;s US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference Thursday.&nbsp;

&quot;All this was made up by people who are opposed to Trump so as to delegitimise his work,&quot; the president said in response to a question about allegations of Russian influence.

Putin said representatives of the Russian government had met with Trump&#39;s team but said this was normal diplomatic practice.&nbsp;

&quot;Our ambassador was accused of meeting with someone, but this is normal practice worldwide,&quot; the president said.&nbsp;

&quot;What is so transgressive in this case and why should it take on this spy-thriller tone?&quot;

Putin said he hoped relations between the two countries would improve but suggested it would not be possible in the current US political climate. &nbsp;

Asked to assess Trump&#39;s work so far as president, Putin said it was up to US voters rather than him to judge.

&quot;We can see several quite significant achievements in the short time he has been at work,&quot; Putin said, citing the markets and consumer confidence in particular.

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year's US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year's US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference Thursday. "All this was made up by people who are opposed to Trump so as to delegitimise his work," the president said in response to a question about allegations of Russian influence. Putin said representatives of the Russian government had met with Trump's team but said this was normal diplomatic practice. "Our ambassador was accused of meeting with someone, but this is normal practice worldwide," the president said. "What is so transgressive in this case and why should it take on this spy-thriller tone?" Putin said he hoped relations between the two countries would improve but suggested it would not be possible in the current US political climate. Asked to assess Trump's work so far as president, Putin said it was up to US voters rather than him to judge. "We can see several quite significant achievements in the short time he has been at work," Putin said, citing the markets and consumer confidence in particular.

Putin says Trump opponents 'made up' Russia vote interference

Twitter on Thursday revealed that nearly 2,000 ads were placed on the messaging service in 2016 by a Russian media group suspected of trying to interfere with the US presidential 
election.

A Twitter statement said the social media company shared data with congressional investigators about ads from RT, a television group with links to the Moscow government. 
 
Twitter said RT spent $274,000 in 2016 on Twitter ads that may have been used to try to influence the US election.

The news comes after Facebook acknowledged foreign entities linked to Russia paid to promote political messages on the leading social network, potentially violating US election 
laws.

A blog post by Twitter said its vice president for public policy, Colin Crowell, met with staff Thursday from two congressional panels investigating Russian interference in the 
election process.

&quot;This is an ongoing process and we will continue to collaborate with investigators,&quot; the statement said.

Twitter said it examined efforts by foreign agents to interfere with the election after Facebook indicated it found 450 accounts that appeared to have been used for this purpose.

&quot;Of the roughly 450 accounts that Facebook recently shared as a part of their review, we concluded that 22 had corresponding accounts on Twitter,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;All of those identified accounts had already been or immediately were suspended from Twitter for breaking our rules, most for violating our prohibitions against spam.&quot;The 
statement added that RT, which was named in January in a US intelligence report on election interference, spent at least $274,100 in 2016 for 1,823 tweet ads or &quot;promotions&quot; that 
&quot;definitely or potentially targeted the US market.&quot;

&quot;These campaigns were directed at followers of mainstream media and primarily promoted RT Tweets regarding news stories,&quot; the statement added.

&quot;We are concerned about violations of our terms of service and US law with respect to interference in the exercise of voting rights,&quot; the statement said.

Twitter said that during the election campaign, it removed tweets &quot;that were attempting to suppress or otherwise interfere with the exercise of voting rights, including the right to have 
a vote counted, by circulating intentionally misleading information.&quot;

Twitter said some of the ads, or promoted tweets, aimed to deceive voters by telling them they could &quot;text to vote,&quot; which has no basis in fact.

&quot;We have not found accounts associated with this activity to have obvious Russian origin, but some of the accounts appear to have been automated,&quot; the statement said. 
&quot;We have shared examples of the content of these removed tweets with congressional investigators.&quot;

Earlier this month, Facebook said it would turn over data on some 3,000 ads purchased by a Russian entity that appeared to inflame political divisions during the campaign. Some 
$100,000 was spent on the Facebook ads.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner called Twitter`s presentation &quot;deeply disappointing&quot; and &quot;inadequate.&quot;

Warner told reporters that the Twitter data was &quot;basically derivative based on accounts that Facebook had identified (and) showed an enormous lack of understanding from the 
Twitter team of how serious this issue is, the threat it poses to democratic institutions, and again begs many more questions.&quot;US lawmakers as well as a special prosecutor are 
investigating whether Russia interfered with the election or aided Donald Trump`s successful presidential campaign.

A study released Thursday meanwhile found the campaign to spread &quot;junk news&quot; during the 2016 presidential election via Twitter appeared to target key states that were the most 
contested.

The research paper by the Oxford University Project on Computational Propaganda suggested a sophisticated effort to spread disinformation using automated accounts, or &quot;bots.&quot; 
 
The researchers said that in the days leading up to the election, &quot;Twitter users got more misinformation, polarizing and conspiratorial content than professionally produced news.&quot; 
But in swing states, &quot;average levels of misinformation were higher,&quot; even when weighted for the relative size of the state.

The study is just the latest to highlight the role of a disinformation campaign, widely believed to have been directed from Russia, to influence the election and help Trump while 
hurting his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The Oxford researchers said the latest analysis suggests &quot;strategically disseminated polarizing information&quot; during the campaign.

A Twitter statement questioned the accuracy of the study, saying that research conducted by third parties about the impact of bots and misinformation on Twitter &quot;is almost always 
inaccurate and methodologically flawed.&quot;

One of the reasons for the inaccuracy, Twitter said, is that just two percent of all tweets contain geolocation data.

Twitter on Thursday revealed that nearly 2,000 ads were placed on the messaging service in 2016 by a Russian media group suspected of trying to interfere with the US presidential election

Twitter on Thursday revealed that nearly 2,000 ads were placed on the messaging service in 2016 by a Russian media group suspected of trying to interfere with the US presidential election. A Twitter statement said the social media company shared data with congressional investigators about ads from RT, a television group with links to the Moscow government. Twitter said RT spent $274,000 in 2016 on Twitter ads that may have been used to try to influence the US election. The news comes after Facebook acknowledged foreign entities linked to Russia paid to promote political messages on the leading social network, potentially violating US election laws. A blog post by Twitter said its vice president for public policy, Colin Crowell, met with staff Thursday from two congressional panels investigating Russian interference in the election process. "This is an ongoing process and we will continue to collaborate with investigators," the statement said. Twitter said it examined efforts by foreign agents to interfere with the election after Facebook indicated it found 450 accounts that appeared to have been used for this purpose. "Of the roughly 450 accounts that Facebook recently shared as a part of their review, we concluded that 22 had corresponding accounts on Twitter," the statement said. "All of those identified accounts had already been or immediately were suspended from Twitter for breaking our rules, most for violating our prohibitions against spam."The statement added that RT, which was named in January in a US intelligence report on election interference, spent at least $274,100 in 2016 for 1,823 tweet ads or "promotions" that "definitely or potentially targeted the US market." "These campaigns were directed at followers of mainstream media and primarily promoted RT Tweets regarding news stories," the statement added. "We are concerned about violations of our terms of service and US law with respect to interference in the exercise of voting rights," the statement said. Twitter said that during the election campaign, it removed tweets "that were attempting to suppress or otherwise interfere with the exercise of voting rights, including the right to have a vote counted, by circulating intentionally misleading information." Twitter said some of the ads, or promoted tweets, aimed to deceive voters by telling them they could "text to vote," which has no basis in fact. "We have not found accounts associated with this activity to have obvious Russian origin, but some of the accounts appear to have been automated," the statement said. "We have shared examples of the content of these removed tweets with congressional investigators." Earlier this month, Facebook said it would turn over data on some 3,000 ads purchased by a Russian entity that appeared to inflame political divisions during the campaign. Some $100,000 was spent on the Facebook ads. Democratic Senator Mark Warner called Twitter`s presentation "deeply disappointing" and "inadequate." Warner told reporters that the Twitter data was "basically derivative based on accounts that Facebook had identified (and) showed an enormous lack of understanding from the Twitter team of how serious this issue is, the threat it poses to democratic institutions, and again begs many more questions."US lawmakers as well as a special prosecutor are investigating whether Russia interfered with the election or aided Donald Trump`s successful presidential campaign. A study released Thursday meanwhile found the campaign to spread "junk news" during the 2016 presidential election via Twitter appeared to target key states that were the most contested. The research paper by the Oxford University Project on Computational Propaganda suggested a sophisticated effort to spread disinformation using automated accounts, or "bots." The researchers said that in the days leading up to the election, "Twitter users got more misinformation, polarizing and conspiratorial content than professionally produced news." But in swing states, "average levels of misinformation were higher," even when weighted for the relative size of the state. The study is just the latest to highlight the role of a disinformation campaign, widely believed to have been directed from Russia, to influence the election and help Trump while hurting his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. The Oxford researchers said the latest analysis suggests "strategically disseminated polarizing information" during the campaign. A Twitter statement questioned the accuracy of the study, saying that research conducted by third parties about the impact of bots and misinformation on Twitter "is almost always inaccurate and methodologically flawed." One of the reasons for the inaccuracy, Twitter said, is that just two percent of all tweets contain geolocation data.

Twitter reveals Russia-backed ads ahead of US election

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference.

The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election.&nbsp;

&quot;When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,&quot; he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey&#39;s firing with the investigation.

Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner.

&quot;I actually asked him, yes. I said, &#39;If it&#39;s possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?&#39;&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;He said, &#39;You are not under investigation,&#39;&quot; Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey&#39;s firing Tuesday.

&quot;All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I&#39;m not under investigation. Me. Personally. I&#39;m not talking about campaigns. I&#39;m not talking about anything else. I&#39;m not under investigation.&quot;

Trump&#39;s comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence.

Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump&#39;s question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and &quot;would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term.

Asking such a question &quot;would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would&#39;ve had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought,&quot; Tribe said.

The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. &quot;I don&#39;t see it as a conflict of interest,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief&#39;s handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails.

&quot;I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations,&quot; said the president. &quot;He&#39;s a showboat, he&#39;s a&nbsp;grandstander.&quot;&nbsp;

What&#39;s the reason?

Opponents have claimed that Comey&#39;s shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump&#39;s team.

Trump&#39;s interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey&#39;s sacking would not derail the Russia investigation.

&quot;There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,&quot; acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal.

&quot;You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing,&quot; he said. &quot;All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions.&quot;

Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been &quot;horrible.&quot;

He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow.

&quot;There&#39;s no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians,&quot; he said.

&#39;Broad support&#39;&nbsp;

While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in &quot;turmoil,&quot; &nbsp;McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file.

&quot;Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today,&quot; he told the committee.&nbsp;

Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey&#39;s dismissal &quot;especially troubling.&quot;

&quot;He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia&#39;s efforts to interfere in our election.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president&#39;s decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation.&quot;

McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications.

He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House.

(AFP)

Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference. The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election. "When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story," he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey's firing with the investigation. Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner. "I actually asked him, yes. I said, 'If it's possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?'" "He said, 'You are not under investigation,'" Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey's firing Tuesday. "All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I'm not under investigation. Me. Personally. I'm not talking about campaigns. I'm not talking about anything else. I'm not under investigation." Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines. US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence. Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump's question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and "would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation." Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term. Asking such a question "would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would've had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought," Tribe said. The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. "I don't see it as a conflict of interest," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief's handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton's emails. "I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations," said the president. "He's a showboat, he's a grandstander." What's the reason? Opponents have claimed that Comey's shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's team. Trump's interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey's sacking would not derail the Russia investigation. "There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date," acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal. "You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing," he said. "All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions." Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been "horrible." He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow. "There's no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians," he said. 'Broad support' While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in "turmoil," McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file. "Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today," he told the committee. Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey's dismissal "especially troubling." "He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts to interfere in our election." "For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president's decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation." McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications. He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House. (AFP)

Trump asked sacked FBI chief Comey three times if he was target of investigations

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking.

He vowed to replace Comey with someone &quot;far better.&quot;

&quot;Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,&quot; Trump wrote in a Tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862265729718128641">May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862267781336752128">May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign&#39;s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations.

&quot;There will be no effect,&quot; Putin told CBS.&quot;Your question looks very funny for me. Don&#39;t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

Sacked FBI director James Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking. He vowed to replace Comey with someone "far better." "Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me," Trump wrote in a Tweet. James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations. "There will be no effect," Putin told CBS."Your question looks very funny for me. Don't be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump defends FBI director sacking

Donald Trump will be sworn in on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, taking power over a divided country after a savage campaign and setting the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.

In a ceremony likely to draw 900,000 people, including protesters, Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at midday (1700 GMT) outside the domed US Capitol, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

Security was tight around the White House and Capitol Streets near the president`s home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints where law enforcement officers and National Guard troops checked people`s bags.

Some 28,000 officers were in place to secure the roughly 3-square-mile (8-square-kilometer) area of downtown Washington. The National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests, who were barred from bringing selfie sticks, coolers for beverages, and long umbrellas despite the rainy weather.

Trump, 70, enters the White House with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to &quot;engage with every windmill that he can find.&quot;

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favourably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.&nbsp;

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Democrat Barack Obama`s eight years, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.

Trump`s desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.

In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to &quot;knock the hell out of&quot; Islamic State militants.

Democrats&#39; boycott

The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump`s scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama`s policies.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among an inauguration crowd that organisers estimated will be upwards of 900,000. Many demonstrators will participate in the &quot;Women`s March on Washington&quot; on Saturday. protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Trump, whose November 8 victory stunned the world, will start his presidency with a 20-minute inaugural address that he has been writing himself with the help of top aides. It will be &quot;a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country,&quot; said his spokesman, Sean Spicer.

&quot;He`ll talk about infrastructure and education, our manufacturing base,&quot; Spicer told reporters. &quot;I think it`s going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document, a vision of where he sees the country, the proper role of government, the role of citizens.&quot;

Quick action

Trump`s to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama`s signature health care law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy.

Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump`s anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico.&nbsp;

Trump`s critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.

&quot;Any time you don&rsquo;t win the popular vote but you win by the Electoral College it makes people come unglued,&quot; said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. &quot;It angers people that somebody can win the popular vote but you`re not president.&quot;

Trump`s critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican`s favour. The president-elect has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.

To his supporters, many of them working-class whites, Trump is a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. To critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets.

But while a Wall Street Journal opinion poll showed a majority of Americans would like Trump to give up on Twitter, the new president said he would continue because the US news media does not treat him fairly. 
 
(Reuters)

In a ceremony likely to draw 900,000 people, including protesters, Trump will take the oath of office outside the domed US Capitol

Donald Trump will be sworn in on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, taking power over a divided country after a savage campaign and setting the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad. In a ceremony likely to draw 900,000 people, including protesters, Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at midday (1700 GMT) outside the domed US Capitol, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Security was tight around the White House and Capitol Streets near the president`s home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints where law enforcement officers and National Guard troops checked people`s bags. Some 28,000 officers were in place to secure the roughly 3-square-mile (8-square-kilometer) area of downtown Washington. The National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests, who were barred from bringing selfie sticks, coolers for beverages, and long umbrellas despite the rainy weather. Trump, 70, enters the White House with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find." An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favourably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Democrat Barack Obama`s eight years, raises a host of questions for the United States. Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad. Trump`s desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished. In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants. Democrats' boycott The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump`s scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama`s policies. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president. Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among an inauguration crowd that organisers estimated will be upwards of 900,000. Many demonstrators will participate in the "Women`s March on Washington" on Saturday. protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad. Trump, whose November 8 victory stunned the world, will start his presidency with a 20-minute inaugural address that he has been writing himself with the help of top aides. It will be "a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country," said his spokesman, Sean Spicer. "He`ll talk about infrastructure and education, our manufacturing base," Spicer told reporters. "I think it`s going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document, a vision of where he sees the country, the proper role of government, the role of citizens." Quick action Trump`s to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama`s signature health care law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy. Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump`s anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. Trump`s critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million. "Any time you don’t win the popular vote but you win by the Electoral College it makes people come unglued," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "It angers people that somebody can win the popular vote but you`re not president." Trump`s critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican`s favour. The president-elect has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election. To his supporters, many of them working-class whites, Trump is a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. To critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. But while a Wall Street Journal opinion poll showed a majority of Americans would like Trump to give up on Twitter, the new president said he would continue because the US news media does not treat him fairly. (Reuters)

Pageantry, protests to mark the start of Trump's US presidency

Allegations of Russian interference in US politics cast a shadow over inaugural preparations on Sunday, with the CIA chief warning that President-elect Donald Trump must tamp down his shoot-from-the-hip style to protect national security.&nbsp;

John Brennan&#39;s warning to the incoming Republican president -&nbsp;just days before Friday&#39;s inauguration -&nbsp;came as senators launched a bipartisan probe into Moscow&#39;s alleged meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I don&#39;t think he has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russia&#39;s intentions and actions,&quot; ?Brennan said of Trump on Fox News Sunday.&nbsp;

Trump has been effusive in his praise of Vladimir Putin and said in a news conference last week that if the Russian leader &quot;likes&quot; him it would be an &quot;asset&quot; to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship.

&quot;I think Mr. Trump has to be very disciplined in terms of what it is that he says publicly,&quot; Brennan said. &quot;He is going to be, in a few days&#39; time, the most powerful person in the world, in terms of sitting on top of the United States government and I think he has to recognise that his words do have impact.&quot;

&quot;This is more than being about him, it&#39;s about the United States and national security... he&#39;s going to have the opportunity to do something for national security as opposed to talking and tweeting,&quot; he said.

&quot;Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests, so therefore, when he speaks, when he reacts, he has to make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound.&quot;

&#39;A sophisticated effort&#39;

US intelligence agencies allege that Putin ordered a covert effort to interfere in the election to boost Trump, 70, and harm his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Incoming Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday dismissed notions that the Trump team and the Kremlin had made contact during the 2016 race.

&quot;This is all a distraction,&quot; he said on NBC&#39;s Meet the Press. &quot;It&#39;s all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election and to question the legitimacy of his presidency.&quot;

A report from the Director of National Intelligence released this month said hackers working for Russia penetrated Democratic Party computers and accounts to release files embarrassing to Clinton, and also conducted a campaign of media manipulation with the same aim.

Asked whether she believed Russian efforts impacted the election&#39;s outcome, Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California -- vice chair of the Senate committee launching the bipartisan probe into the matter -- told NBC &quot;that&#39;s what I believe.&quot;

&quot;I have had all of the major classified briefings. I have been astonished at what has been a two-year effort at Russia to spearfish, to hack, to provide disinformation, propaganda, wherever it really could,&quot; the senator said.

&quot;I think it has been a very sophisticated effort.&quot;

&#39;Salacious allegations&#39;

Speculation was also swirling around an unproven dossier compiled by a former British MI6 intelligence agent, which alleged close ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and also said Moscow had compromising video of Trump.

The fact that intelligence agencies had briefed the president-elect on the dossier -- which was later published online by BuzzFeed -- lent the allegations credence, but Brennan said the intelligence community was only &quot;making sure that the president-elect was aware that it was circulating.&quot;

&quot;I think there are some very salacious allegations in there -- again, unsubstantiated,&quot; he said, adding it was &quot;a responsibility in the minds of the intelligence directors&quot; to inform Trump as well as the Obama White House of the report.

Brennan bristled at Trump&#39;s likening of the US intelligence community to Nazi Germany, a comparison the president-elect made last week in a tweet after &nbsp;suggesting it was those agencies that had leaked the report.

&quot;What I do find outrageous is equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany,&quot; the outgoing spy chief said of Trump&#39;s outburst. &quot;I do take great umbrage at that.&quot;

Speaking earlier Sunday on CBS, Pence blamed the scandal on &quot;media bias.&quot;

That some news organizations &quot;actually trafficked in a memo that was produced as opposition research and associated that with intelligence efforts -- I think that could only be attributed to media bias,&quot; the vice president-elect said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Trump said last week that if the Russian leader 'likes' him it would be an 'asset' to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship

Allegations of Russian interference in US politics cast a shadow over inaugural preparations on Sunday, with the CIA chief warning that President-elect Donald Trump must tamp down his shoot-from-the-hip style to protect national security. John Brennan's warning to the incoming Republican president - just days before Friday's inauguration - came as senators launched a bipartisan probe into Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016 election. "I don't think he has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russia's intentions and actions," ?Brennan said of Trump on Fox News Sunday. Trump has been effusive in his praise of Vladimir Putin and said in a news conference last week that if the Russian leader "likes" him it would be an "asset" to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship. "I think Mr. Trump has to be very disciplined in terms of what it is that he says publicly," Brennan said. "He is going to be, in a few days' time, the most powerful person in the world, in terms of sitting on top of the United States government and I think he has to recognise that his words do have impact." "This is more than being about him, it's about the United States and national security... he's going to have the opportunity to do something for national security as opposed to talking and tweeting," he said. "Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests, so therefore, when he speaks, when he reacts, he has to make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound." 'A sophisticated effort' US intelligence agencies allege that Putin ordered a covert effort to interfere in the election to boost Trump, 70, and harm his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. Incoming Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday dismissed notions that the Trump team and the Kremlin had made contact during the 2016 race. "This is all a distraction," he said on NBC's Meet the Press. "It's all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election and to question the legitimacy of his presidency." A report from the Director of National Intelligence released this month said hackers working for Russia penetrated Democratic Party computers and accounts to release files embarrassing to Clinton, and also conducted a campaign of media manipulation with the same aim. Asked whether she believed Russian efforts impacted the election's outcome, Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California -- vice chair of the Senate committee launching the bipartisan probe into the matter -- told NBC "that's what I believe." "I have had all of the major classified briefings. I have been astonished at what has been a two-year effort at Russia to spearfish, to hack, to provide disinformation, propaganda, wherever it really could," the senator said. "I think it has been a very sophisticated effort." 'Salacious allegations' Speculation was also swirling around an unproven dossier compiled by a former British MI6 intelligence agent, which alleged close ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and also said Moscow had compromising video of Trump. The fact that intelligence agencies had briefed the president-elect on the dossier -- which was later published online by BuzzFeed -- lent the allegations credence, but Brennan said the intelligence community was only "making sure that the president-elect was aware that it was circulating." "I think there are some very salacious allegations in there -- again, unsubstantiated," he said, adding it was "a responsibility in the minds of the intelligence directors" to inform Trump as well as the Obama White House of the report. Brennan bristled at Trump's likening of the US intelligence community to Nazi Germany, a comparison the president-elect made last week in a tweet after suggesting it was those agencies that had leaked the report. "What I do find outrageous is equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany," the outgoing spy chief said of Trump's outburst. "I do take great umbrage at that." Speaking earlier Sunday on CBS, Pence blamed the scandal on "media bias." That some news organizations "actually trafficked in a memo that was produced as opposition research and associated that with intelligence efforts -- I think that could only be attributed to media bias," the vice president-elect said. (AFP)

US: CIA chief urges Trump to temper impulses amid Russia claims

Russian president Vladimir Putin was &quot;personally involved&quot; in interfering in the US presidential elections, NBC quoted senior US intelligence officials as saying.

The Russian president &quot;personally directed&quot; how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials with direct access to the information told NBC.

The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for US allies, the officials said.&nbsp;

The CIA believes Russians facilitated in leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats so as to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of winning the elections, US media has reported previously.

The officials further said that US intelligence officials have a &quot;high level of confidence&quot; that Putin was personally involved in the covert campaign to interfere in the US elections. He did so because of his &quot;vendetta&quot; against Hillary Clinton, to show corruption in American politics and to &quot;split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn&#39;t depend on the US&nbsp;to be a credible global leader anymore,&quot; a highly placed intelligence official told NBC.

&quot;He has had a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, that has been known for a long time because of what she said about his elections back in the parliamentary elections of 2011. He wants to discredit American democracy and make us weaker in terms of leading the liberal democratic order. And most certainly he likes President-elect Trump&#39;s views on Russia,&quot; Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, told NBC.

A CIA secret report concluded that Russian interference in the election helped Donald Trump win the White House, The Washington Post reported last week.

The Post reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Commitee emails and Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign chief John Podesta.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, has&nbsp;rejected Russian involvement in the elections.

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

Putin 'personally directed' how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials told NBC

Russian president Vladimir Putin was "personally involved" in interfering in the US presidential elections, NBC quoted senior US intelligence officials as saying. The Russian president "personally directed" how hacked materials from Democrats were to be leaked and used, two senior intelligence officials with direct access to the information told NBC. The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for US allies, the officials said. The CIA believes Russians facilitated in leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats so as to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the elections, US media has reported previously. The officials further said that US intelligence officials have a "high level of confidence" that Putin was personally involved in the covert campaign to interfere in the US elections. He did so because of his "vendetta" against Hillary Clinton, to show corruption in American politics and to "split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn't depend on the US to be a credible global leader anymore," a highly placed intelligence official told NBC. "He has had a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, that has been known for a long time because of what she said about his elections back in the parliamentary elections of 2011. He wants to discredit American democracy and make us weaker in terms of leading the liberal democratic order. And most certainly he likes President-elect Trump's views on Russia," Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, told NBC. A CIA secret report concluded that Russian interference in the election helped Donald Trump win the White House, The Washington Post reported last week. The Post reported that individuals connected to the Russian government provided Wikileaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Commitee emails and Hillary Clinton's campaign chief John Podesta. Donald Trump, meanwhile, has rejected Russian involvement in the elections. (WION)

Putin 'personally' interfered in US elections: NBC

President-elect Donald J. Trump on Thursday chose Andrew F. Puzder as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor.

&ldquo;Andy Puzder has created and boosted the careers of thousands of Americans, and his extensive record fighting for workers makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Labor,&rdquo; Mr. Trump said in a statement to New York Times.

Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, which operates the Carl`s Jr. and Hardee`s fast-food chains, has been a vehement critic of government regulation of the workplace.

He has criticized paid sick leave policies of the sort recently enacted for federal contractors and strongly supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says has created a &ldquo;government-mandated restaurant recession&rdquo; because rising premiums have left people with less money to spend on dining out.

Speaking to Business Insider this year, Mr. Puzder said that increased automation could be a welcome development because machines were &ldquo;always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there&rsquo;s never a slip-and-fall or an age, sex or race discrimination case.&rdquo;

On the political incorrectness front, Mr. Puzder&rsquo;s company, CKE Restaurants, runs advertisements that frequently feature women wearing next to nothing while gesturing suggestively. &ldquo;I like our ads,&rdquo; he told the publication Entrepreneur. &ldquo;I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it&rsquo;s very American.&rdquo;

Matthew Haller, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at the International Franchise Association, of which Mr. Puzder is a board member, said Mr. Puzder saw &ldquo;a role for government to provide advice to employers, rather than simply deterrence by &lsquo;gotcha&rsquo; enforcement,&rdquo; an allusion to the Obama Labor Department&rsquo;s enforcement of laws and regulations in the fast-food industry.

In an appearance on Fox Business in May Puzder, he said that he was &ldquo;not opposed to raising the minimum wage rationally; I&rsquo;m opposed to raising it to the point where lower-skilled workers, working-class Americans, young people, minorities, are losing the jobs they need to get on the ladder of success.&rdquo;

CRITICISM

Trump&#39;s this decision of chosing Puzder is drawing criticism from labour advocates worried about his opposition to a higher minimum wage and government regulation of the workplace.

Fast-food workers, who are largely not unionized, are engaged in a multi-year campaign known as the &quot;Fight for $15,&quot; which is supported by labour unions, to raise minimum wages to $15 per hour. They have had state-wide successes in New York and California and in cities and municipalities such as Seattle.

Republican Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in last month&#39;s election by carrying swing states - and some traditionally Democratic states - in the U.S. Rust Belt after promising to create jobs and to review or cancel trade deals that he said were bad for workers.

Labor leaders have been girding for Trump to appoint pro-business regulators at the Labor Department and National Labor Relations Board, and to roll back key regulatory initiatives of the Obama administration such as a Labor Department rule granting overtime pay to more than 4 million salaried workers, both unionized and not unionized.

Economic research suggests that an increase to the vicinity of $10.10 per hour would have little or no effect on employment in much of the country, though the impact could be larger in low-wage, low-cost areas. Mr. Puzder has raised concerns about the effects in those regions.

On other issues, Mr. Puzder has taken hard-line positions that leave less room for negotiation. Perhaps most prominent is the so-called joint employer doctrine that the Obama administration and its agency appointees have put forth in recent years.

Under that doctrine, large companies that have franchises or hire other companies as contractors are more likely to be held liable for violations of employment laws by those contractors or franchisees. Parent companies typically argue that they have no legal responsibility in these cases.

Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Mr. Puzder is how he would be perceived as a wealthy chief executive charged with looking out for workers&rsquo; interests.

According to a 2012 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Puzder&rsquo;s base salary that year was more than $1 million and his total compensation over $4 million, down from more than $10 million the year before. &ldquo;Annual base salaries should be competitive and create a measure of financial security for our executive officers,&rdquo; the filing said.

&nbsp; 
(WION, with inputs from New York Times and Reuters)

Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, has been a vehement critic of govt regulation of the workplace

President-elect Donald J. Trump on Thursday chose Andrew F. Puzder as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor. “Andy Puzder has created and boosted the careers of thousands of Americans, and his extensive record fighting for workers makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Labor,” Mr. Trump said in a statement to New York Times. Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, which operates the Carl`s Jr. and Hardee`s fast-food chains, has been a vehement critic of government regulation of the workplace. He has criticized paid sick leave policies of the sort recently enacted for federal contractors and strongly supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says has created a “government-mandated restaurant recession” because rising premiums have left people with less money to spend on dining out. Speaking to Business Insider this year, Mr. Puzder said that increased automation could be a welcome development because machines were “always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall or an age, sex or race discrimination case.” On the political incorrectness front, Mr. Puzder’s company, CKE Restaurants, runs advertisements that frequently feature women wearing next to nothing while gesturing suggestively. “I like our ads,” he told the publication Entrepreneur. “I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.” Matthew Haller, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at the International Franchise Association, of which Mr. Puzder is a board member, said Mr. Puzder saw “a role for government to provide advice to employers, rather than simply deterrence by ‘gotcha’ enforcement,” an allusion to the Obama Labor Department’s enforcement of laws and regulations in the fast-food industry. In an appearance on Fox Business in May Puzder, he said that he was “not opposed to raising the minimum wage rationally; I’m opposed to raising it to the point where lower-skilled workers, working-class Americans, young people, minorities, are losing the jobs they need to get on the ladder of success.” CRITICISM Trump's this decision of chosing Puzder is drawing criticism from labour advocates worried about his opposition to a higher minimum wage and government regulation of the workplace. Fast-food workers, who are largely not unionized, are engaged in a multi-year campaign known as the "Fight for $15," which is supported by labour unions, to raise minimum wages to $15 per hour. They have had state-wide successes in New York and California and in cities and municipalities such as Seattle. Republican Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in last month's election by carrying swing states - and some traditionally Democratic states - in the U.S. Rust Belt after promising to create jobs and to review or cancel trade deals that he said were bad for workers. Labor leaders have been girding for Trump to appoint pro-business regulators at the Labor Department and National Labor Relations Board, and to roll back key regulatory initiatives of the Obama administration such as a Labor Department rule granting overtime pay to more than 4 million salaried workers, both unionized and not unionized. Economic research suggests that an increase to the vicinity of $10.10 per hour would have little or no effect on employment in much of the country, though the impact could be larger in low-wage, low-cost areas. Mr. Puzder has raised concerns about the effects in those regions. On other issues, Mr. Puzder has taken hard-line positions that leave less room for negotiation. Perhaps most prominent is the so-called joint employer doctrine that the Obama administration and its agency appointees have put forth in recent years. Under that doctrine, large companies that have franchises or hire other companies as contractors are more likely to be held liable for violations of employment laws by those contractors or franchisees. Parent companies typically argue that they have no legal responsibility in these cases. Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Mr. Puzder is how he would be perceived as a wealthy chief executive charged with looking out for workers’ interests. According to a 2012 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Puzder’s base salary that year was more than $1 million and his total compensation over $4 million, down from more than $10 million the year before. “Annual base salaries should be competitive and create a measure of financial security for our executive officers,” the filing said. (WION, with inputs from New York Times and Reuters)

Andrew F. Puzder is Trump's Labor pick

US President-elect Donald Trump has warned US companies wanting to set up business abroad of dire consequences if they &quot;leave&nbsp;our country for another country.&quot;

In a series of tweets, the president-elect gave a clear indication of protectionist times ahead. He claimed he would &quot;substantially reduce taxes and regulations&quot; for US-based firms but would impose a 35 per cent&nbsp;tax on companies wanting to set up business outside.

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The U.S. is going to substantialy reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but any business that leaves our country for another country,
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/805376548882776064">December 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. ......
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/805378393537658880">December 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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without retribution or consequence, is WRONG! There will be a tax on our soon to be strong border of 35% for these companies ......
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/805380553008680961">December 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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wanting to sell their product, cars, A.C. units etc., back across the border. This tax will make leaving financially difficult, but.....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/805382541343653888">December 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Trump earlier challenged US companies at a campaign-style rally on Thursday after striking a deal with Carrier to keep about 1,100 jobs in Indiana in exchange for $7 million in state tax incentives over 10 years.

&quot;Companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences. Not going to happen,&quot; Trump had told the cheering crowd.

&quot;They can leave from state to state, and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very difficult.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s promise to increase jobs for US citizens and increase protectionism does not seem to be campaign rhetoric, it seems. If the US president-elect keeps his word, it could spell dangerous times for the globalised economy in the years to come, denting growth rate of developing countries and hitting global trade overall.

Trump warned he would impose a 35% tax on companies setting up operations outside US

US President-elect Donald Trump has warned US companies wanting to set up business abroad of dire consequences if they "leave our country for another country." In a series of tweets, the president-elect gave a clear indication of protectionist times ahead. He claimed he would "substantially reduce taxes and regulations" for US-based firms but would impose a 35 per cent tax on companies wanting to set up business outside. The U.S. is going to substantialy reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but any business that leaves our country for another country, — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016 × fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. ...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016 × without retribution or consequence, is WRONG! There will be a tax on our soon to be strong border of 35% for these companies ...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016 × wanting to sell their product, cars, A.C. units etc., back across the border. This tax will make leaving financially difficult, but..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016 × Trump earlier challenged US companies at a campaign-style rally on Thursday after striking a deal with Carrier to keep about 1,100 jobs in Indiana in exchange for $7 million in state tax incentives over 10 years. "Companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences. Not going to happen," Trump had told the cheering crowd. "They can leave from state to state, and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very difficult." Trump's promise to increase jobs for US citizens and increase protectionism does not seem to be campaign rhetoric, it seems. If the US president-elect keeps his word, it could spell dangerous times for the globalised economy in the years to come, denting growth rate of developing countries and hitting global trade overall.

Trump warns US companies against setting up businesses abroad

Anticipating a more protectionist US technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India&#39;s $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there.

Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US., their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients.

Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year.

President-elect Trump&#39;s campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime.

&quot;The world over, there&#39;s a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce,&quot; said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India&#39;s second-largest information technology firm.

While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs.

And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there.

&quot;We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there,&quot; said Infosys&#39; Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the U.S.

&quot;Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs,&quot; he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the U.S. and Europe, around 80 percent of whom are locals.

Acquisitions in US to increase

Trump&#39;s election win and Britain&#39;s referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India&#39;s IT sector, as clients such as big U.S. and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles.

In India&#39;s IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins.

Buying U.S. companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations.

Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector&#39;s revenue.

&quot;We have to accelerate acquisitions,&quot; said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including U.S.-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies.

Jatin Dalal, Wipro&#39;s chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a U.S. cloud services firm.

The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, C.P. Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more U.S. acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fintech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services.

Offshoring and automation

In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services.

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. &quot;The AI platform is 5-6 percent of our revenues,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;Three years ago, it was zero.&quot;

More automation would mean fewer onshore developers.

&quot;The &#39;Plan B&#39; would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients,&quot; said Partha Iyengar, Gartner&#39;s head of research in India.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

India's IT sector is anticipating more visa restrictions under the Trump administration

Anticipating a more protectionist US technology visa programme under a Donald Trump administration, India's $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there. Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro have long used H1-B skilled worker visas to fly computer engineers to the US., their largest overseas market, temporarily to service clients. Staff from those three companies accounted for around 86,000 new H1-B workers in 2005-14. The US currently issues close to that number of H1-B visas each year. President-elect Trump's campaign rhetoric, and his pick for Attorney General of Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the visa programme, have many expecting a tighter regime. "The world over, there's a lot of protectionism coming in and push back on immigration. Unfortunately, people are confusing immigration with a high-skilled temporary workforce, because we are really a temporary workforce," said Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, India's second-largest information technology firm. While few expect a complete shutdown of skilled worker visas as Indian engineers are an established part of the fabric of Silicon Valley, and US businesses depend on their cheaper IT and software solutions, any changes are likely to push up costs. And a more restrictive programme would likely mean Indian IT firms sending fewer developers and engineers to the United States, and increasing campus recruitment there. "We have to accelerate hiring of locals if they are available, and start recruiting freshers from universities there," said Infosys' Rao, noting a shift from the traditional model of recruiting mainly experienced people in the U.S. "Now we have to get into a model where we will recruit freshers, train them and gradually deploy them, and this will increase our costs," he said, noting Infosys typically recruits 500-700 people each quarter in the U.S. and Europe, around 80 percent of whom are locals. Acquisitions in US to increase Trump's election win and Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union are headwinds for India's IT sector, as clients such as big U.S. and British banks and insurers hold off on spending while the dust settles. In India's IT hub of Bengaluru and the financial capital Mumbai, executives expect a Trump administration to raise the minimum wage for foreign workers, pressuring already squeezed margins. Buying U.S. companies would help Indian IT firms build their local headcount, increase their on-the-ground presence in key markets and help counter any protectionist regulations. Indian software services companies have invested more than $2 billion in the United States in the past five years. North America accounts for more than half of the sector's revenue. "We have to accelerate acquisitions," said Rao at Infosys, which in the past two years has bought companies including U.S.-based Noah Consulting and Kallidus Technologies. Jatin Dalal, Wipro's chief financial officer, said his growth strategy is to buy companies that offer something beyond what Wipro already does, or new, disruptive firms - such as Appirio, a U.S. cloud services firm. The chief executive of Tech Mahindra, C.P. Gurnani, said his firm, which two years ago bought network services management firm Lightbridge Communications Corp, is on the look-out for more U.S. acquisitions, particularly in healthcare and fintech - financial technology firms that are disrupting traditional banking services. Offshoring and automation In a broader shift from labour intensive onsite projects, Indian IT firms are also turning to higher-tech services such as automation, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. With better technology and faster networks, IT firms are encouraging Western clients to adopt more virtual services. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka says he has focused on automation and AI as growth drivers since 2014. "The AI platform is 5-6 percent of our revenues," he told Reuters. "Three years ago, it was zero." More automation would mean fewer onshore developers. "The 'Plan B' would be to accelerate the trend ... to reduce their reliance on people and increase their focus on delivering automation, leveraging the cloud for their clients," said Partha Iyengar, Gartner's head of research in India. (Reuters)

Trump win spurs India's IT firms to speed up recruitments from US campuses

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he has &ldquo;great confidence&rdquo; in Trump after his meeting with the President-elect in New York.&nbsp;Abe is the first foreign leader to have met the US President-elect face-to-face.

The meeting at the Trump Tower in Manhattan lasted for approximately 90 minutes, according to a Trump official.

&quot;We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere,&quot; Abe told reporters after their meeting.

&quot;Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future,&quot; he added.

&quot;As an outcome of today&#39;s discussions, I am convinced&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Trump is a leader in whom I can have great confidence.&quot;

The meeting was reportedly&nbsp;organised&nbsp;at the last minute after Abe called Trump to congratulate him, and mentioned that he would be passing through New York on his way to an Asia-Pacific trade summit in Peru.

Abe thanked Trump for meeting him.

&quot;Despite his extremely busy schedule because of decisions to be made vis-a-vis appointments or other related business, he was kind enough to receive me,&quot; the Japanese leader said.

&quot;I renewed my conviction that together with&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Trump I will be able to establish a relationship of trust.&quot;

Abe added the two had agreed to meet again for deeper talks on a wider range of issues.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump is someone 'in whom I can have great confidence', said the Japanese PM. It was Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he has “great confidence” in Trump after his meeting with the President-elect in New York. Abe is the first foreign leader to have met the US President-elect face-to-face. The meeting at the Trump Tower in Manhattan lasted for approximately 90 minutes, according to a Trump official. "We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere," Abe told reporters after their meeting. "Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future," he added. "As an outcome of today's discussions, I am convinced Mr Trump is a leader in whom I can have great confidence." The meeting was reportedly organised at the last minute after Abe called Trump to congratulate him, and mentioned that he would be passing through New York on his way to an Asia-Pacific trade summit in Peru. Abe thanked Trump for meeting him. "Despite his extremely busy schedule because of decisions to be made vis-a-vis appointments or other related business, he was kind enough to receive me," the Japanese leader said. "I renewed my conviction that together with Mr Trump I will be able to establish a relationship of trust." Abe added the two had agreed to meet again for deeper talks on a wider range of issues. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Abe meets Trump, calls him able

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a senior Trump official.

The official would not say whether Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who advised Trump during the campaign on national security issues, has officially accepted the job, according to AP.

(Reuters)

A senior Trump official told AP about the job offer, but did not say whether Flynn had officially accepted the job

US President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a senior Trump official. The official would not say whether Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who advised Trump during the campaign on national security issues, has officially accepted the job, according to AP. (Reuters)

Trump has offered national security adviser job to Flynn: Associated Press

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

Donald Trump in 2012 stated on Twitter that the electoral college was a &quot;disaster for democracy&quot;, but his opinion has reversed itself ever since being elected the next US president despite losing the popular vote.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
That feeling when the system is rigged, but then you realize it&#39;s rigged in a way that benefits you <a href="https://t.co/rCCCjUzEPr">pic.twitter.com/rCCCjUzEPr</a>
&mdash; Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/798522791997771780">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Trump said that the electoral college was &quot;actually genius&quot;.

Trump appeared&nbsp;sensitive against the charge that his presidency isn&#39;t a reflection of the will of the American populace, and&nbsp;defended himself for winning the presidency even though more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton

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If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798519600413601792">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

(WION)

&nbsp;

In 2012 he called it a 'disaster for a democracy', but after winning the US election despite losing the popular vote he said it was 'genius'

Donald Trump in 2012 stated on Twitter that the electoral college was a "disaster for democracy", but his opinion has reversed itself ever since being elected the next US president despite losing the popular vote. That feeling when the system is rigged, but then you realize it's rigged in a way that benefits you pic.twitter.com/rCCCjUzEPr — Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) November 15, 2016 × On Tuesday, Trump said that the electoral college was "actually genius". Trump appeared sensitive against the charge that his presidency isn't a reflection of the will of the American populace, and defended himself for winning the presidency even though more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2016 × (WION)

Trump reverses opinion of electoral college

As the United States transitions from President Barack Obama to President-elect Donald Trump, the latter responded to questions over his new team.

The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was &quot;very organised&quot;.

While reports in the US media said that two senior members of the team working on national security have been forced out, Trump said, &ldquo;I am the only who knows who the finalists are.&rdquo;

A BBC report stated that New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been replaced with vice-president-elect Mike Pence as head of the transition team.

Media reports also suggested that Trump&#39;s son-in-law and close advisor Jared Kushner was responsible for the change.

Former Congressman and house intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers handling national security for the transition, announced on Tuesday that he was leaving, BBC reported.

The New York Times, however, reported that Rogers, along with another member of the national security team, Matthew Freedman, were sacked.

At the senior economic positions are campaign finance chair and Wall Street veteran Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary, and long-time backer Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary, according to Trump ally Carl Icahn, stated a Reuters report.

&quot;Very organised process taking place as I decide on cabinet and many other positions,&quot; Trump tweeted.

Trump also denied that he had requested security clearances for his children

Trump has less than 70 days until his January 20 inauguration to settle on cabinet members and other senior appointees. He is required to fill around 4,000 open positions, Reuters reported.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was "very organised"

As the United States transitions from President Barack Obama to President-elect Donald Trump, the latter responded to questions over his new team. The process of selecting the new cabinet and other positions, Trump said, was "very organised". While reports in the US media said that two senior members of the team working on national security have been forced out, Trump said, “I am the only who knows who the finalists are.” A BBC report stated that New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been replaced with vice-president-elect Mike Pence as head of the transition team. Media reports also suggested that Trump's son-in-law and close advisor Jared Kushner was responsible for the change. Former Congressman and house intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers handling national security for the transition, announced on Tuesday that he was leaving, BBC reported. The New York Times, however, reported that Rogers, along with another member of the national security team, Matthew Freedman, were sacked. At the senior economic positions are campaign finance chair and Wall Street veteran Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary, and long-time backer Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary, according to Trump ally Carl Icahn, stated a Reuters report. "Very organised process taking place as I decide on cabinet and many other positions," Trump tweeted. Trump also denied that he had requested security clearances for his children Trump has less than 70 days until his January 20 inauguration to settle on cabinet members and other senior appointees. He is required to fill around 4,000 open positions, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump shuffles transition team, eyes loyalists for cabinet

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