Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday.

The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact.

However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic.

&quot;It&#39;s true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base,&quot; the source reportedly said. &quot;Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently.&quot;

&quot;We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday.&quot;

A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there.

The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch.

&quot;North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,&quot; one of the sources was quoted as saying.

However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military.

North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing.

In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.

But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North.

The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war.

The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang condemned the move as a &quot;serious provocation&quot; on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday. The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact. However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic. "It's true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base," the source reportedly said. "Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently." "We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday." A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there. The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch. "North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days," one of the sources was quoted as saying. However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing. In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan. But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North. The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases. Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war. The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. Pyongyang condemned the move as a "serious provocation" on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test: Reports

An explosion apparently occurred near the last known position of an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/argentine-received-distress-calls-from-missing-submarine-6811"> Argentine submarine</a>, the&nbsp;navy&nbsp;confirmed on Thursday, dashing last hopes of finding the vessel and its 44 crew members.

Relatives of the missing sailors reacted with grief and anger to the news after holding out hope since the sub was reported overdue at its Mar del Plata base on November 17, two days after the explosion.

&quot;An anomalous, singular, short, violent and non-nuclear event consistent with an explosion,&quot; occurred shortly after the submarine&#39;s last communication, navy spokesman Captain Enrique Balbi told a news conference in Buenos Aires.

After days of false hopes, some of the relatives said the navy had retained information about the&nbsp;sub,&nbsp;and had lied to them over the past week.

&quot;I feel cheated,&quot; said Itati Leguizamon, whose husband German Suarez was a sonar operator on the ARA San Juan.

&quot;They did not tell us they died. But they tell us they are three thousand meters (9,800 feet) deep,&quot; added Leguizamon as other family members shouted angrily around her.

&quot;They lied to us,&quot; said&nbsp;Leguizamon, a lawyer.&nbsp;

A sobbing Jessica&nbsp;Gopar, whose husband was an electrician aboard the San Juan,&nbsp;said&nbsp;&quot;they just told us that the submarine exploded.&quot;

She spoke as she came out from the sub&#39;s base.

&quot;He was the love of my life, engaged seven years before we got married,&quot;&nbsp;Gopar&nbsp;said of her husband, Fernando Santilli. &quot;And how can I tell my son that he no longer has a father?&quot;

Underwater sounds detected in the first days of the search by two Argentine search ships were determined to originate from a sea creature, not the vessel. Satellite signals were also determined to be false alarms.

The San Juan, a 34-year-old German-built diesel-electric submarine, had reported a battery problem on November 15 and said it was diverting to Mar del Plata, but did not send a distress signal, according to the navy.

Balbi admitted on Wednesday that the situation for the sub and its crew appeared to be worsening.

However, he refused to speculate at that point on the origin of what he initially described as a &quot;hydro-acoustic anomaly&quot; detected in the ocean almost three hours after the sub&#39;s communication and 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of its last known position.

Balbi explained that information about the unusual noise only became available Wednesday after being relayed by the United States and &quot;after all the information from all agencies reporting such hydro-acoustic events was reviewed&quot;.

Explaining the lack of debris on the surface, Baldi said &quot;nothing will end up floating to the surface&quot; because a submarine &quot;implodes&quot;.

Gustavo&nbsp;Mauvecin, director of the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at Mar del Plata, said hydrogen &quot;is always an issue with submarines with electric engines&quot;.

The San Juan &quot;has 500 tons of lead-acid batteries, which release hydrogen if there is an overcharge in the battery, hydrogen in contact with oxygen is explosive&quot;.

An explosion &#39;so violent&#39;

&quot;In my opinion, after an explosion like that, it&#39;s difficult for there to be survivors,&quot; a former submarine commander told AFP.

The commander said a problem with batteries, as the sub had reported, could cause a blast.

&quot;A severe problem with batteries might generate hydrogen. Hydrogen above a certain percentage is explosive,&quot; said the commander who requested anonymity.

Horacio Tobias, former chief of diving for the San Juan, said it &quot;was so violent that they would not have had time to realize what happened&quot;.

The San Juan would have had enough oxygen for its crew to survive underwater in the South Atlantic for seven days since its last contact, according to officials. That time had&nbsp;elapsed by&nbsp;0730 GMT Wednesday.

Argentina is leading an air-and-sea search with help from several countries now including Brazil, Britain, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, Russia, the United States and Uruguay.

Russia was the latest navy to volunteer help, sending an oceanographic research ship as the operation shifted from rescue to recovery.

The Russian defense ministry said the Yantar was steaming to the area from the western coast of Africa on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.

The weeklong search has focused on the sub&#39;s last known position, around 200 miles off the Argentine coast, but has been hampered by bad weather.

Putin offered &quot;words of support over the situation with the San Juan submarine&quot; in a phone call to Argentine President Mauricio Macri late Wednesday, the Kremlin said.&nbsp;

Russia said the Yantar &quot;is equipped with two&nbsp;deep water&nbsp;submersibles which allow exploratory searches at a depth of up to 6,000 meters.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare-disaster-24978">US President Donald Trump</a> offered his support, tweeting: &quot;May God be with them and the people of Argentina!&quot;

An explosion apparently occurred near the last known position of an Argentine submarine, the?navy?confirmed on Thursday, dashing last hopes of finding the vessel and its 44 crew members

An explosion apparently occurred near the last known position of an Argentine submarine, the navy confirmed on Thursday, dashing last hopes of finding the vessel and its 44 crew members. Relatives of the missing sailors reacted with grief and anger to the news after holding out hope since the sub was reported overdue at its Mar del Plata base on November 17, two days after the explosion. "An anomalous, singular, short, violent and non-nuclear event consistent with an explosion," occurred shortly after the submarine's last communication, navy spokesman Captain Enrique Balbi told a news conference in Buenos Aires. After days of false hopes, some of the relatives said the navy had retained information about the sub, and had lied to them over the past week. "I feel cheated," said Itati Leguizamon, whose husband German Suarez was a sonar operator on the ARA San Juan. "They did not tell us they died. But they tell us they are three thousand meters (9,800 feet) deep," added Leguizamon as other family members shouted angrily around her. "They lied to us," said Leguizamon, a lawyer. A sobbing Jessica Gopar, whose husband was an electrician aboard the San Juan, said "they just told us that the submarine exploded." She spoke as she came out from the sub's base. "He was the love of my life, engaged seven years before we got married," Gopar said of her husband, Fernando Santilli. "And how can I tell my son that he no longer has a father?" Underwater sounds detected in the first days of the search by two Argentine search ships were determined to originate from a sea creature, not the vessel. Satellite signals were also determined to be false alarms. The San Juan, a 34-year-old German-built diesel-electric submarine, had reported a battery problem on November 15 and said it was diverting to Mar del Plata, but did not send a distress signal, according to the navy. Balbi admitted on Wednesday that the situation for the sub and its crew appeared to be worsening. However, he refused to speculate at that point on the origin of what he initially described as a "hydro-acoustic anomaly" detected in the ocean almost three hours after the sub's communication and 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of its last known position. Balbi explained that information about the unusual noise only became available Wednesday after being relayed by the United States and "after all the information from all agencies reporting such hydro-acoustic events was reviewed". Explaining the lack of debris on the surface, Baldi said "nothing will end up floating to the surface" because a submarine "implodes". Gustavo Mauvecin, director of the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at Mar del Plata, said hydrogen "is always an issue with submarines with electric engines". The San Juan "has 500 tons of lead-acid batteries, which release hydrogen if there is an overcharge in the battery, hydrogen in contact with oxygen is explosive". An explosion 'so violent' "In my opinion, after an explosion like that, it's difficult for there to be survivors," a former submarine commander told AFP. The commander said a problem with batteries, as the sub had reported, could cause a blast. "A severe problem with batteries might generate hydrogen. Hydrogen above a certain percentage is explosive," said the commander who requested anonymity. Horacio Tobias, former chief of diving for the San Juan, said it "was so violent that they would not have had time to realize what happened". The San Juan would have had enough oxygen for its crew to survive underwater in the South Atlantic for seven days since its last contact, according to officials. That time had elapsed by 0730 GMT Wednesday. Argentina is leading an air-and-sea search with help from several countries now including Brazil, Britain, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, Russia, the United States and Uruguay. Russia was the latest navy to volunteer help, sending an oceanographic research ship as the operation shifted from rescue to recovery. The Russian defense ministry said the Yantar was steaming to the area from the western coast of Africa on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. The weeklong search has focused on the sub's last known position, around 200 miles off the Argentine coast, but has been hampered by bad weather. Putin offered "words of support over the situation with the San Juan submarine" in a phone call to Argentine President Mauricio Macri late Wednesday, the Kremlin said. Russia said the Yantar "is equipped with two deep water submersibles which allow exploratory searches at a depth of up to 6,000 meters." US President Donald Trump offered his support, tweeting: "May God be with them and the people of Argentina!"

'Explosion' dashes last hopes for missing Argentina submarine

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, but the revival of the Asian &quot;Quad&quot; must overcome lingering mistrust in New Delhi towards its allies that hampers genuine military cooperation.

Joint naval drills have been at the heart of a relationship that analysts saw as a move to counterbalance China&#39;s rising power by binding the region&#39;s leading democracies more closely together.

But while the navies of the United States, Japan, and Australia can easily operate together -- based on common US&nbsp;designed combat systems and data links -- India is the outlier.

Not only are most of its ships and warplanes Russian-made, its government and military remain deeply reluctant to share data and open up sensitive military communications systems.

The United States has carried out more naval exercises with India than any other nation. But naval sources and experts say these are more about &quot;cultural familiarisation&quot; than drills for joint combat.

Because India will not sign an agreement on sharing data, naval exercises are conducted through voice and text commands with rudimentary SMS-style data exchange, Indian and Japanese military sources said.

&quot;Think of it as directing your friend to your house in the 1980s. Your left may be his right, neither of you have situational awareness,&quot; said Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior fellow at New Delhi&#39;s Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies who has tracked the military exercises.

&quot;What the Americans want is 2017 - drop a pin on Google maps and hit share. You know where your friend is and he knows where your house is and how to get to it.&quot;

The Indian defense ministry did not respond to a request for a comment. 
&nbsp;

Annual drills

The so-called Quad to discuss and cooperate on security emerged briefly as an initiative a decade ago - much to the annoyance of China - and was revived recently, with an officials-level meeting this month on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Manila.

The Trump administration has talked up cooperation with India as part of efforts for a &quot;free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific&quot;.

Describing the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a &quot;single strategic arena&quot;, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described India and the United States as regional &quot;bookends&quot;.

&quot;In concrete terms, it will lead to great coordination between the Indian, Japanese and American militaries including maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious warfare, and humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and search and rescue,&quot; he said.

To be sure, India and the United States have steadily been bringing more powerful ships into their annual &quot;Malabar&quot; drills that have been expanded to include Japan in recent years.

This year the USS Nimitz carrier group was deployed for the maneuvers off India&#39;s eastern coast, along with an aircraft carrier from India and a helicopter carrier from Japan.

But a Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces official said when Japan conducts drills with the Indian navy, communication is done mostly through voice transmission. There is no satellite link that would allow the two navies to access information and share monitor displays in onboard command centers.

Communication is usually the most difficult aspect of any joint drill, he said.

Building Blocks

The exercises are meant to lay the ground for joint patrols that the U.S. eventually wants to conduct with India and its allies across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said better interoperability was a goal of the exercises and noted that India&#39;s enhanced role as a major U.S. defense partner would help boost the relationship.

&quot;The designation of India as a major defense partner is significant and is intended to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of our closest allies and partners,&quot; he said.

&quot;As this relationship matures so will the level of interoperability.&quot;

Last year, India signed a military logistics pact with the United States after a decade of wrangling, but two other agreements are stuck.

The United States says the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) would allow it to supply India with encrypted communications equipment and systems. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement is the other pact that would set a framework through which the United States could share sensitive data to aid targeting and navigation with India.

India is concerned that agreeing to the CISMOA would open up its military communications to the United States, and even allow it to listen in on operations where Indian and U.S. interests may not coincide - such as against arch-rival Pakistan, military officials in New Delhi say.

&nbsp;Radars Turned Off

Captain Gurpreet Khurana, executive director at the government-funded National Maritime Foundation, said India&#39;s underlying concern was having its autonomy constrained by binding its military into U.S. codes and operating procedures.

Once, the Americans proposed a portable &quot;suitcase&quot; communications system called the CENTRIXS which could transmit full situational awareness data to Indian ships while the two navies practiced together. India refused to allow it to be plugged in for the duration of the exercise, citing operational security, according to an Indian source briefed on the planning of the exercises.

Even the joint air exercises that the two countries are conducting as a follow-on to Malabar are severely restricted, the source said.

India sends its Russian-acquired Sukhoi jets to the drills, but their radars and jammers are turned off.

David Shear, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia under President Barack Obama, said U.S. forces, particularly the Navy, were well aware of the interoperability constraints to interacting with India.

&quot;They understand what the obstacles are and that this is going to be a long-term project,&quot; he said.

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, but the revival of the Asian "Quad" must overcome lingering mistrust in New Delhi towards its allies that hampers genuine military cooperation. Joint naval drills have been at the heart of a relationship that analysts saw as a move to counterbalance China's rising power by binding the region's leading democracies more closely together. But while the navies of the United States, Japan, and Australia can easily operate together -- based on common US designed combat systems and data links -- India is the outlier. Not only are most of its ships and warplanes Russian-made, its government and military remain deeply reluctant to share data and open up sensitive military communications systems. The United States has carried out more naval exercises with India than any other nation. But naval sources and experts say these are more about "cultural familiarisation" than drills for joint combat. Because India will not sign an agreement on sharing data, naval exercises are conducted through voice and text commands with rudimentary SMS-style data exchange, Indian and Japanese military sources said. "Think of it as directing your friend to your house in the 1980s. Your left may be his right, neither of you have situational awareness," said Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior fellow at New Delhi's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies who has tracked the military exercises. "What the Americans want is 2017 - drop a pin on Google maps and hit share. You know where your friend is and he knows where your house is and how to get to it." The Indian defense ministry did not respond to a request for a comment. Annual drills The so-called Quad to discuss and cooperate on security emerged briefly as an initiative a decade ago - much to the annoyance of China - and was revived recently, with an officials-level meeting this month on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Manila. The Trump administration has talked up cooperation with India as part of efforts for a "free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific". Describing the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a "single strategic arena", U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described India and the United States as regional "bookends". "In concrete terms, it will lead to great coordination between the Indian, Japanese and American militaries including maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious warfare, and humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and search and rescue," he said. To be sure, India and the United States have steadily been bringing more powerful ships into their annual "Malabar" drills that have been expanded to include Japan in recent years. This year the USS Nimitz carrier group was deployed for the maneuvers off India's eastern coast, along with an aircraft carrier from India and a helicopter carrier from Japan. But a Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces official said when Japan conducts drills with the Indian navy, communication is done mostly through voice transmission. There is no satellite link that would allow the two navies to access information and share monitor displays in onboard command centers. Communication is usually the most difficult aspect of any joint drill, he said. Building Blocks The exercises are meant to lay the ground for joint patrols that the U.S. eventually wants to conduct with India and its allies across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said better interoperability was a goal of the exercises and noted that India's enhanced role as a major U.S. defense partner would help boost the relationship. "The designation of India as a major defense partner is significant and is intended to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of our closest allies and partners," he said. "As this relationship matures so will the level of interoperability." Last year, India signed a military logistics pact with the United States after a decade of wrangling, but two other agreements are stuck. The United States says the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) would allow it to supply India with encrypted communications equipment and systems. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement is the other pact that would set a framework through which the United States could share sensitive data to aid targeting and navigation with India. India is concerned that agreeing to the CISMOA would open up its military communications to the United States, and even allow it to listen in on operations where Indian and U.S. interests may not coincide - such as against arch-rival Pakistan, military officials in New Delhi say. Radars Turned Off Captain Gurpreet Khurana, executive director at the government-funded National Maritime Foundation, said India's underlying concern was having its autonomy constrained by binding its military into U.S. codes and operating procedures. Once, the Americans proposed a portable "suitcase" communications system called the CENTRIXS which could transmit full situational awareness data to Indian ships while the two navies practiced together. India refused to allow it to be plugged in for the duration of the exercise, citing operational security, according to an Indian source briefed on the planning of the exercises. Even the joint air exercises that the two countries are conducting as a follow-on to Malabar are severely restricted, the source said. India sends its Russian-acquired Sukhoi jets to the drills, but their radars and jammers are turned off. David Shear, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia under President Barack Obama, said U.S. forces, particularly the Navy, were well aware of the interoperability constraints to interacting with India. "They understand what the obstacles are and that this is going to be a long-term project," he said.

Indian navy the odd man out in Asia's 'Quad' alliance

US President Donald Trump&#39;s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump said today that she was looking forward to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad, asserting that the event was a testament to the &quot;strong friendship&quot; between India and the US.

Ivanka, 36, will lead a high-powered American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the three-day summit starting on November 28.

The summit will be attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries and would have around 350 participants from the US, a large number of whom are Indian-Americans.

Ivanka would deliver the keynote address at the summit, which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Terming India as &quot;a great friend and partner&quot;, she said the goal of the collaboration was to grow the shared economic and security partnership.

She said the summit was a testament to the &quot;strong friendship&quot; between India and the US.

Ivanka, who is headed to India after Thanksgiving ritual, said she was &quot;very much&quot; looking forward to her visit and meeting &quot;many of the entrepreneurs in India&quot;.

For the first time, in its eight editions, the summit has been themed &quot;Women First and Prosperity for All&quot;&nbsp;which &quot;demonstrates&quot; the administration&#39;s &quot;commitment to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive,&quot; Ivanka said.

Women will represent 52.5 per cent of the entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem supporters at the GES 2017 co-hosted by India and the US.

More than 10 countries including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel will be represented by an all-women delegation, the State Department said.

The entrepreneurs attending the GES also reflect a very young team with nearly 31.5 per cent of them being either aged 30 or below. The youngest entrepreneur is aged 13 while the oldest one is 84, it said.

Among prominent members of the administration joining Ivanka on the trip are US Treasurer Jovita Carranza, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Neomi Rao, USAID administrator Mark Green and Overseas Private Investment Corporation president and CEO Ray Washburne.

According to the officials, Ivanka is likely to spend some time on sightseeing, including a possible stop at the Charminar during her visit.

She will be participating in two panels: The plenary session: &quot;Be the Change - Women&#39;s Entrepreneurial Leadership,&quot; on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning a breakout session: &quot;We Can Do It! Innovations in Workforce Development and Skills Training&quot;, they said.

Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the White House in June had invited Ivanka to visit India.

In addition to the Global Entrepreneurship Network, several US companies such as Amazon, Amway, CNBC, Cognizant, Dell, Google, Intel, Kauffman Foundation, Salesforce, Silicon Valley Bank and Walmart are supporting the GES 2017.

&quot;The financial and in-kind support from the GES partners opens opportunities for more entrepreneurs to participate from around the world.

&quot;Partners also enhance the overall experience at the Summit, including through the creation of networking lounges and a Global Launch Lounge to encourage new commitments toward global entrepreneurship,&quot; the State Department said on Saturday.

&quot;Partners will also provide direct services for the entrepreneurs including live streaming sessions, global media coverage and programs to help entrepreneurs continue to grow and scale after the summit,&quot; it added.

Ivanka is an American television personality, fashion designer, author, and businesswoman, besides being an advocate for the education and empowerment of women and girls.

The daughter and adviser of the US President have been an executive vice president of the family-owned &#39;The Trump Organization&#39; as well as serving as a boardroom judge on her father&#39;s TV show &#39;The Apprentice&#39;.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump said today that she was looking forward to attending the summit in Hyderabad

US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump said today that she was looking forward to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad, asserting that the event was a testament to the "strong friendship" between India and the US. Ivanka, 36, will lead a high-powered American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the three-day summit starting on November 28. The summit will be attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries and would have around 350 participants from the US, a large number of whom are Indian-Americans. Ivanka would deliver the keynote address at the summit, which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Terming India as "a great friend and partner", she said the goal of the collaboration was to grow the shared economic and security partnership. She said the summit was a testament to the "strong friendship" between India and the US. Ivanka, who is headed to India after Thanksgiving ritual, said she was "very much" looking forward to her visit and meeting "many of the entrepreneurs in India". For the first time, in its eight editions, the summit has been themed "Women First and Prosperity for All" which "demonstrates" the administration's "commitment to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive," Ivanka said. Women will represent 52.5 per cent of the entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem supporters at the GES 2017 co-hosted by India and the US. More than 10 countries including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel will be represented by an all-women delegation, the State Department said. The entrepreneurs attending the GES also reflect a very young team with nearly 31.5 per cent of them being either aged 30 or below. The youngest entrepreneur is aged 13 while the oldest one is 84, it said. Among prominent members of the administration joining Ivanka on the trip are US Treasurer Jovita Carranza, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Neomi Rao, USAID administrator Mark Green and Overseas Private Investment Corporation president and CEO Ray Washburne. According to the officials, Ivanka is likely to spend some time on sightseeing, including a possible stop at the Charminar during her visit. She will be participating in two panels: The plenary session: "Be the Change - Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership," on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning a breakout session: "We Can Do It! Innovations in Workforce Development and Skills Training", they said. Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the White House in June had invited Ivanka to visit India. In addition to the Global Entrepreneurship Network, several US companies such as Amazon, Amway, CNBC, Cognizant, Dell, Google, Intel, Kauffman Foundation, Salesforce, Silicon Valley Bank and Walmart are supporting the GES 2017. "The financial and in-kind support from the GES partners opens opportunities for more entrepreneurs to participate from around the world. "Partners also enhance the overall experience at the Summit, including through the creation of networking lounges and a Global Launch Lounge to encourage new commitments toward global entrepreneurship," the State Department said on Saturday. "Partners will also provide direct services for the entrepreneurs including live streaming sessions, global media coverage and programs to help entrepreneurs continue to grow and scale after the summit," it added. Ivanka is an American television personality, fashion designer, author, and businesswoman, besides being an advocate for the education and empowerment of women and girls. The daughter and adviser of the US President have been an executive vice president of the family-owned 'The Trump Organization' as well as serving as a boardroom judge on her father's TV show 'The Apprentice'.

India great friend and partner: Ivanka Trump ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Summit

China dispatched a special envoy to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/satellite-images-indicate-aggressive-schedule-by-north-korea-to-build-ballistic-missile-submarine-institute-24433">North Korea&nbsp;</a>on Friday, a trip hailed as a &quot;big move&quot; by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hits-out-at-democrat-accused-of-groping-24422">US President Donald Trump</a>, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other &quot;issues of mutual interest&quot;, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-stays-defiant-in-face-of-fresh-un-sanctions-18664">United Nations sanctions on North Korea</a> over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/beijing-wont-show-any-restraint-in-future-6752">Beijing</a> last week that time was &quot;quickly running out&quot; to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;to hail the mission as &quot;a big move, we&#39;ll see what happens!&quot;.

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea&#39;s foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts doubt Song&#39;s visit will yield major breakthroughs.

&quot;China has virtually no political influence on<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-reaffirm-need-for-peaceful-resolution-of-north-korea-problem-24417"> North Korea</a>. Its influence is derived from economic leverage,&quot; Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP.

&quot;Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War,&quot; she said. &quot;Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration.&quot;

Ties at &#39;lowest point&#39;&nbsp;

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North.

But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-envoy-denies-blocking-un-proposal-to-ban-masood-azhar-12689">Chinese envoy</a> to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing&#39;s airport earlier&nbsp;on Friday.

China&#39;s relations with North Korea are currently at &quot;the lowest point they&#39;ve been in history&quot;, leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.&nbsp;

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea&#39;s top leaders, he said.

&quot;As far as North Korea is concerned, China&#39;s opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention,&quot; Lu said.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&#39;Freeze for freeze&#39;&nbsp;

As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a &quot;dual track approach&quot; in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy.

&quot;We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan,&quot; Geng told a regular news briefing.

Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song&#39;s mission.

&quot;We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes,&quot; Yuan said.

The visit is &quot;more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes&quot; because China&#39;s top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

Song would likely &quot;assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions.&quot;

Trump, who warned Xi Jinping during his trip to Beijing last week that time was 'quickly running out' to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter?on Thursday?to hail the mission as 'a big move, we'll see what happens!'

China dispatched a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US President Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally. Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other "issues of mutual interest", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast. Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!". The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime. But experts doubt Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs. "China has virtually no political influence on North Korea. Its influence is derived from economic leverage," Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP. "Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War," she said. "Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration." Ties at 'lowest point' China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North. But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse. Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited. Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing's airport earlier on Friday. China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history", leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said. "As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said. 'Freeze for freeze' As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes. Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy. "We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan," Geng told a regular news briefing. Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song's mission. "We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," Yuan said. The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said. Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions."

China sends envoy to North Korea, Trump hails 'big move'

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends.

While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang.

Trump has referred to Kim as a &quot;madman&quot; and &quot;Rocket Man&quot; while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a &quot;mentally deranged dotard&quot;.

On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North&#39;s state media as a &quot;lunatic old man&quot;.

&quot;Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me &#39;old,&#39; when I would NEVER call him &#39;short and fat&#39;?&quot; the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit.

&quot;Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!&quot; he wrote.

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me &quot;old,&quot; when I would NEVER call him &quot;short and fat?&quot; Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/929511061954297857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim&#39;s weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang.

The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership.

Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim&#39;s father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit.

Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with &quot;twisted fantasies&quot;.

&quot;That might be a strange thing to happen but it&#39;s certainly a possibility,&quot; he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital.

&quot;If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don&#39;t know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did,&quot; he added.

Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a &quot;cruel dictatorship,&quot; while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang&#39;s growing nuclear arsenal.

During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a &quot;hamburger&quot; - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

US President Donald Trump has said he would never call Kim Jong-Un "short and fat", after months of trading personal insults and threats of war with the North Korean leader

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends. While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang. Trump has referred to Kim as a "madman" and "Rocket Man" while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a "mentally deranged dotard". On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North's state media as a "lunatic old man". "Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat'?" the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit. "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" he wrote. Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017 × Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim's weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang. The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership. Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim's father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit. Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with "twisted fantasies". "That might be a strange thing to happen but it's certainly a possibility," he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital. "If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don't know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did," he added. Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a "cruel dictatorship," while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang's growing nuclear arsenal. During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a "hamburger" - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

Trump says he would never call North Korea leader 'short and fat'

US President Donald Trump told his Vietnamese counterpart Sunday he is ready to help resolve the dispute in the resource-rich South China Sea, which Beijing claims most of.

&quot;If I can help mediate or arbitrate, please let me know...I am a very good mediator,&quot; the dealmaking American leader told Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang during an official state visit Sunday.

Vietnam has long courted support from Washington in its dispute with China over the precious waterway, where Beijing has built military installations and artificial islands.

Beijing&#39;s sweeping claims also overlap with those of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Trump&#39;s comments come ahead of a state visit on Sunday afternoon by Chinese President Xi Jinping who will meet with top communist leaders.

Tensions over the sea spiked earlier this year when Vietnam suspended an oil exploration project in an area of the waterway also claimed by Beijing, reportedly under pressure from its powerhouse communist neighbour.

In 2014, China moved an oil rig into waters off Vietnam&#39;s coast, sparking violent protests in several Vietnamese cities.

Trump is in Hanoi for a brisk visit that could touch on boosting military support for America&#39;s former wartime foe.

Talks will also focus on promoting trade between the cosy allies, though Vietnam&#39;s gaping trade surplus with the United States, worth $32 billion in 2016, could be a sticking point.

Trump heads to Manila later Sunday for the final stop on his marathon Asia tour that has mainly focused on building regional consensus against North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions and espousing his &quot;America First&quot; vision of global trade.

US President Donald Trump told his Vietnamese counterpart Sunday he is ready to help resolve the dispute in the resource-rich South China Sea, which Beijing claims most of

US President Donald Trump told his Vietnamese counterpart Sunday he is ready to help resolve the dispute in the resource-rich South China Sea, which Beijing claims most of. "If I can help mediate or arbitrate, please let me know...I am a very good mediator," the dealmaking American leader told Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang during an official state visit Sunday. Vietnam has long courted support from Washington in its dispute with China over the precious waterway, where Beijing has built military installations and artificial islands. Beijing's sweeping claims also overlap with those of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Trump's comments come ahead of a state visit on Sunday afternoon by Chinese President Xi Jinping who will meet with top communist leaders. Tensions over the sea spiked earlier this year when Vietnam suspended an oil exploration project in an area of the waterway also claimed by Beijing, reportedly under pressure from its powerhouse communist neighbour. In 2014, China moved an oil rig into waters off Vietnam's coast, sparking violent protests in several Vietnamese cities. Trump is in Hanoi for a brisk visit that could touch on boosting military support for America's former wartime foe. Talks will also focus on promoting trade between the cosy allies, though Vietnam's gaping trade surplus with the United States, worth $32 billion in 2016, could be a sticking point. Trump heads to Manila later Sunday for the final stop on his marathon Asia tour that has mainly focused on building regional consensus against North Korea's nuclear ambitions and espousing his "America First" vision of global trade.

Trump offers to 'mediate' in South China Sea dispute

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

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

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

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told WION, will have a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the ASEAN summit which begins Monday in Manila.&nbsp;

The sources said Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the&nbsp;Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.&nbsp;

They added that Modi may also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and that he could possibly also meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.&nbsp;

The sources said the official-level meeting of India, US, Japan, and Australia will be held on November 12.&nbsp;

On a lighter note, they said, Modi may also shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he and Premier Ki Keqiang will also be present at the summit.&nbsp;

Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the?Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told WION, will have a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the ASEAN summit which begins Monday in Manila. The sources said Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. They added that Modi may also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and that he could possibly also meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The sources said the official-level meeting of India, US, Japan, and Australia will be held on November 12. On a lighter note, they said, Modi may also shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he and Premier Ki Keqiang will also be present at the summit.

Modi to have bilateral meeting with Trump at ASEAN summit: Sources

President Donald Trump gave a spirited airing of his &quot;America First&quot; doctrine in a speech to Asia-Pacific leaders on Friday, vowing his country will &quot;no longer tolerate&quot; unfair trade, closed markets, and intellectual property theft, as he seeks to rewrite the rules of global commerce.

In a speech that by turns lavished praise on Asia-Pacific nations and accused them of undercutting the world&#39;s largest economy, he said US interests had been ill-served by the architecture of global trade.&nbsp;&nbsp;

America &quot;will not tolerate... chronic trade abuses,&quot; he said as he took aim at the World Trade Organisation for failing to police free trade infringements.

&quot;We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore. I am always going to put America first the same way I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first.&quot;

In a day bringing together the big hitters of politics and business, Trump will share the venue with world leaders including Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin, Japan&#39;s Shinzo Abe, and China&#39;s Xi Jinping.

Xi is also set to deliver a speech, likely to present a competing narrative casting China as the leader of global free trade, a role vacated by America.

China announced Friday it will further open the country&#39;s financial markets to foreign firms, a key demand from the US and other global investors who have long complained about strict limits on access to the giant economy.&nbsp;

Trump arrives fresh from trips to Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing, where he sought to build a consensus against North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

In China he was gushing in his praise of Xi, calling his host &quot;a very special man&quot; in a trip rich with photo opportunities but lacking concrete outcomes on tackling key issues such as North Korea.

As the US retreats behind &quot;economic nationalism&quot;, China will take a stride forward, said Ian Bremmer of the political consultancy Eurasia.

&nbsp;Free trade on the rack&nbsp; 
The White House ruled out any meeting between Trump and Putin, a potential box office event with Russia accused of interfering in the US election last year that brought the billionaire one-time reality TV star to power.

Trump election campaign aides are under intense legal scrutiny in the US over possible ties to the Kremlin, but Russia denies any chicanery linked to his astonishing political ascent.

The rise of Trump as leader of the world&#39;s biggest economy risks unpicking decades of US-led economic diplomacy that webbed global economies together with free trade and low tariff pacts.

He has pledged to wring a better deal from countries the US has large trade deficits with -- including China -- and bring jobs back to the hollowed out industrial heartland that voted for him.

But proponents of free trade, including many allies, have looked on aghast as Trump tears up the rulebook and anti-globalization arguments ricochet through the US and Europe.

Trump has already pulled Washington&#39;s support from the sprawling 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact and vowed to renegotiate NAFTA, a trade deal between the US, Canada, and Mexico.

On Friday, Asia-Pacific ministers were struggling to salvage the TPP deal, with Canada denying reports that an agreement had been struck among the remaining 11 members to press ahead without the US.

Malaysian premier Najib Razak, whose country is among the so-called TPP-11 nations, lamented the wider change of &quot;tone&quot; towards globalization.

&quot;I see the rise of anti-globalization, I see the rise of more inward-looking (nations)... there&#39;s a lot of soul-searching we have to do during this APEC,&quot; he told a room packed with CEOs on the sidelines of the forum.

The annual APEC summit is one of the largest gatherings on the annual diplomatic calendar, bringing together scores of world leaders and more than 2,000 CEOs.

APEC represents 21 Pacific Rim economies, the equivalent of 60 percent of global GDP and covering nearly three billion people, and has pushed for freer trade since its inception in 1989.

America 'will not tolerate... chronic trade abuses,' Trump said as he took aim at the World Trade Organisation for failing to police free trade infringements

President Donald Trump gave a spirited airing of his "America First" doctrine in a speech to Asia-Pacific leaders on Friday, vowing his country will "no longer tolerate" unfair trade, closed markets, and intellectual property theft, as he seeks to rewrite the rules of global commerce. In a speech that by turns lavished praise on Asia-Pacific nations and accused them of undercutting the world's largest economy, he said US interests had been ill-served by the architecture of global trade. America "will not tolerate... chronic trade abuses," he said as he took aim at the World Trade Organisation for failing to police free trade infringements. "We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore. I am always going to put America first the same way I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first." In a day bringing together the big hitters of politics and business, Trump will share the venue with world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin, Japan's Shinzo Abe, and China's Xi Jinping. Xi is also set to deliver a speech, likely to present a competing narrative casting China as the leader of global free trade, a role vacated by America. China announced Friday it will further open the country's financial markets to foreign firms, a key demand from the US and other global investors who have long complained about strict limits on access to the giant economy. Trump arrives fresh from trips to Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing, where he sought to build a consensus against North Korea's nuclear ambitions. In China he was gushing in his praise of Xi, calling his host "a very special man" in a trip rich with photo opportunities but lacking concrete outcomes on tackling key issues such as North Korea. As the US retreats behind "economic nationalism", China will take a stride forward, said Ian Bremmer of the political consultancy Eurasia. Free trade on the rack The White House ruled out any meeting between Trump and Putin, a potential box office event with Russia accused of interfering in the US election last year that brought the billionaire one-time reality TV star to power. Trump election campaign aides are under intense legal scrutiny in the US over possible ties to the Kremlin, but Russia denies any chicanery linked to his astonishing political ascent. The rise of Trump as leader of the world's biggest economy risks unpicking decades of US-led economic diplomacy that webbed global economies together with free trade and low tariff pacts. He has pledged to wring a better deal from countries the US has large trade deficits with -- including China -- and bring jobs back to the hollowed out industrial heartland that voted for him. But proponents of free trade, including many allies, have looked on aghast as Trump tears up the rulebook and anti-globalization arguments ricochet through the US and Europe. Trump has already pulled Washington's support from the sprawling 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact and vowed to renegotiate NAFTA, a trade deal between the US, Canada, and Mexico. On Friday, Asia-Pacific ministers were struggling to salvage the TPP deal, with Canada denying reports that an agreement had been struck among the remaining 11 members to press ahead without the US. Malaysian premier Najib Razak, whose country is among the so-called TPP-11 nations, lamented the wider change of "tone" towards globalization. "I see the rise of anti-globalization, I see the rise of more inward-looking (nations)... there's a lot of soul-searching we have to do during this APEC," he told a room packed with CEOs on the sidelines of the forum. The annual APEC summit is one of the largest gatherings on the annual diplomatic calendar, bringing together scores of world leaders and more than 2,000 CEOs. APEC represents 21 Pacific Rim economies, the equivalent of 60 percent of global GDP and covering nearly three billion people, and has pushed for freer trade since its inception in 1989.

Trump defiant on trade, vows to put 'America First'

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a &quot;great political victory&quot; in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing.

Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea.

Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where &quot;I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory&quot;.

Trump&#39;s description of Xi&#39;s elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote&nbsp;sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China&#39;s status as a one-party state.

Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a &quot;straight up repudiation of American values and interests&quot;.

But analysts said Trump&#39;s praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China&#39;s massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing&#39;s economic ties to North Korea.

&quot;It&#39;s not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country,&quot; Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said.

&quot;He&#39;s laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him,&quot; Cabestan said.

In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a &quot;state visit-plus&quot; for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing.

China&#39;s welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia.

&quot;We&#39;re in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other,&quot; Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said.

By praising Xi, Trump is &quot;trying to set up a congenial atmosphere&quot;, Schell said.

&quot;Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat,&quot; he said.

&quot;So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery.&quot;

Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders,&quot; Schell said.

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a 'great political victory' in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a "great political victory" in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing. Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea. Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where "I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory". Trump's description of Xi's elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China's status as a one-party state. Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a "straight up repudiation of American values and interests". But analysts said Trump's praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China's massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing's economic ties to North Korea. "It's not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country," Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said. "He's laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him," Cabestan said. In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a "state visit-plus" for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing. China's welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia. "We're in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other," Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said. By praising Xi, Trump is "trying to set up a congenial atmosphere", Schell said. "Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat," he said. "So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery." Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders," Schell said.

Trump steps up praise for Xi ahead of China visit

Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty.

&quot;We are going to join the Paris Agreement,&quot; the Syrian delegate, speaking in Arabic, said during a plenary session at the 196-nation talks, according to Safa Al Jayoussi of the IndyAct NGO, who was monitoring the session.&nbsp;

The United States ratified the 2015 pact but US President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he would pull out, saying the pact did not serve US interests.

&quot;It is our understanding that the government of Syria announced today their intent to join the Paris Agreement,&quot; Nick Nuttall, the spokesman for the UN climate body, told AFP.

Nuttall identified the Syrian delegate as Wadah Katmawi, the deputy minister of the ministry of local administration and environment.

Syria must submit their &quot;instruments of ratification&quot; at the UN headquarters in New York before their adherence becomes official, he added.

According to the Syrian parliament website, a bill was passed on October 22 to ratify the Paris accord, &quot;in accordance with the Syrian Constitution which stipulates the protection of the environment&quot;.

Other parties at the 12-day negotiations, tasked with elaborating and implementing the agreement, welcomed the news.

&quot;Syria joining the Paris Agreement will be a good thing,&quot; South Africa&#39;s chief negotiator Maesela Kekana told AFP.

&quot;That&#39;s great,&quot; said Chai Qimin, a climate negotiator from China&#39;s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.&nbsp;

&quot;They were the last party to the UN Convention to sign the Paris Agreement,&quot; he said, referring to 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bedrock treaty for UN climate talks.

&quot;That leaves only the one who announced their withdrawal,&quot; he added, in an oblique reference to the United States.

US mocks Syria&nbsp;

War-torn Syria would be the 197th country to sign on to the climate pact, which vows to hold global warming to &quot;well below&quot; two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The United States mocked Syria&#39;s arrival in the climate change agreement Tuesday, side-stepping the charge that it has isolated itself by being the world&#39;s sole hold-out.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert fiercely dismissed suggestions that this means that Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; policy has in practice meant &quot;America Alone.&quot;

&quot;I find it ironic that the government of Syria, OK, would say that it wants to be involved and that it cares so much about climate and things like CO2 gas,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;If the government of Syria cared so much about what was put in the air, then it wouldn&#39;t be gassing its own people,&quot; she said, referring to the Damascus regime&#39;s brutal civil war tactics.

Nauert said that the department&#39;s undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, would lead a US delegation to the Bonn talks next week but that Trump&#39;s decision would stand.

&quot;We intend to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as we&#39;re eligible to do so,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;&#39;Splendid isolation&#39;&nbsp;

Openly isolated on the climate issue at G-7 and G-20 meetings earlier this year, the United States said it intended to withdraw &quot;unless the president can identify terms that are more favourable to American businesses, workers, and taxpayers.&quot;

The Trump administration has not said what those terms might be.

&quot;This means Trump is in splendid isolation -- no one wants to be in his company,&quot; said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

&quot;With Syria on board, now the entire world is resolutely committed to advancing climate action -&ndash; all save one country,&quot; said Paula Caballero, director for climate change at the World Resources Institute.

&quot;This should make the Trump administration pause and reflect on their ill-advised announcement about withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.&quot;

Signed in the French capital in December 2015, the treaty entered into force on November 4, 2016.

According to the terms, no country can formally submit their intent to withdraw until three years after the date of entry into force.&nbsp;

It will then take one year to fully withdraw, meaning the earliest the United States could officially withdraw is the day after the 2020 election.

&quot;When even Syria -- with all its problems -- can see the sense of a global climate agreement, it really shows how ideologically wedded to climate denialism the US Republican Party has become,&quot; said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead for Christian Aid. 
&nbsp;

Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty

Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty. "We are going to join the Paris Agreement," the Syrian delegate, speaking in Arabic, said during a plenary session at the 196-nation talks, according to Safa Al Jayoussi of the IndyAct NGO, who was monitoring the session. The United States ratified the 2015 pact but US President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he would pull out, saying the pact did not serve US interests. "It is our understanding that the government of Syria announced today their intent to join the Paris Agreement," Nick Nuttall, the spokesman for the UN climate body, told AFP. Nuttall identified the Syrian delegate as Wadah Katmawi, the deputy minister of the ministry of local administration and environment. Syria must submit their "instruments of ratification" at the UN headquarters in New York before their adherence becomes official, he added. According to the Syrian parliament website, a bill was passed on October 22 to ratify the Paris accord, "in accordance with the Syrian Constitution which stipulates the protection of the environment". Other parties at the 12-day negotiations, tasked with elaborating and implementing the agreement, welcomed the news. "Syria joining the Paris Agreement will be a good thing," South Africa's chief negotiator Maesela Kekana told AFP. "That's great," said Chai Qimin, a climate negotiator from China's National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation. "They were the last party to the UN Convention to sign the Paris Agreement," he said, referring to 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bedrock treaty for UN climate talks. "That leaves only the one who announced their withdrawal," he added, in an oblique reference to the United States. US mocks Syria War-torn Syria would be the 197th country to sign on to the climate pact, which vows to hold global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The United States mocked Syria's arrival in the climate change agreement Tuesday, side-stepping the charge that it has isolated itself by being the world's sole hold-out. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert fiercely dismissed suggestions that this means that Trump's "America First" policy has in practice meant "America Alone." "I find it ironic that the government of Syria, OK, would say that it wants to be involved and that it cares so much about climate and things like CO2 gas," she told reporters. "If the government of Syria cared so much about what was put in the air, then it wouldn't be gassing its own people," she said, referring to the Damascus regime's brutal civil war tactics. Nauert said that the department's undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, would lead a US delegation to the Bonn talks next week but that Trump's decision would stand. "We intend to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as we're eligible to do so," she said. 'Splendid isolation' Openly isolated on the climate issue at G-7 and G-20 meetings earlier this year, the United States said it intended to withdraw "unless the president can identify terms that are more favourable to American businesses, workers, and taxpayers." The Trump administration has not said what those terms might be. "This means Trump is in splendid isolation -- no one wants to be in his company," said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists. "With Syria on board, now the entire world is resolutely committed to advancing climate action -– all save one country," said Paula Caballero, director for climate change at the World Resources Institute. "This should make the Trump administration pause and reflect on their ill-advised announcement about withdrawing from the Paris Agreement." Signed in the French capital in December 2015, the treaty entered into force on November 4, 2016. According to the terms, no country can formally submit their intent to withdraw until three years after the date of entry into force. It will then take one year to fully withdraw, meaning the earliest the United States could officially withdraw is the day after the 2020 election. "When even Syria -- with all its problems -- can see the sense of a global climate agreement, it really shows how ideologically wedded to climate denialism the US Republican Party has become," said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead for Christian Aid.

Syria to join Paris climate pact, isolating the US

The US and its allies are &quot;making a lot of progress&quot; in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul.

&quot;North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires a worldwide action,&quot; he said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, adding the US was prepared to use the full range of its military capabilities if necessary.

But he added: &quot;It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.&quot;

&quot;I think we are making a lot of progress.&quot;

The US and its allies are "making a lot of progress" in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul.

The US and its allies are "making a lot of progress" in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul. "North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires a worldwide action," he said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, adding the US was prepared to use the full range of its military capabilities if necessary. But he added: "It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world." "I think we are making a lot of progress."

Trump: 'We are making a lot of progress' on North Korea

US President Donald Trump said he had &quot;great confidence&quot; in an anti-corruption sweep by Saudi Arabia that has seen dozens of high-profile political and business figures arrested.

&quot;I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.

&quot;Some of those they are harshly treating have been &#39;milking&#39; their country for years!&quot; added the US president, whose marathon Asia tour moves Tuesday to South Korea.

Saudi authorities have hinted they could widen the crackdown after princes, ministers, as well as billionaire tycoon Al-Waleed bin Talal, were swept up in a weekend purge hours after an anti-graft commission headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established.

The purge underscores an unprecedented restructuring of the kingdom as Prince Mohammed steps up a dramatic reform drive for a post-oil era while consolidating power before his eventual succession as king.

The US and Saudi Arabia have historically enjoyed close ties, which Trump re-affirmed in May when he visited the country in his first foreign trip since taking office.

Washington and Riyadh announced contracts worth more than $380 billion, including a $110 billion arms deal aimed at countering perceived threats from Iran and radical Islamists.

Trump spoke with King Salman by phone on Saturday, according to a readout from his office, in which he lauded the monarch and his son&#39;s &quot;recent public statements regarding the need to build a moderate, peaceful, and tolerant region&quot; and urged the kingdom to choose Wall Street as a venue for the IPO of oil giant Aramco.

US President Donald Trump said he had 'great confidence' in an anti-corruption sweep by Saudi Arabia that has seen dozens of high-profile political and business figures arrested

US President Donald Trump said he had "great confidence" in an anti-corruption sweep by Saudi Arabia that has seen dozens of high-profile political and business figures arrested. "I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Some of those they are harshly treating have been 'milking' their country for years!" added the US president, whose marathon Asia tour moves Tuesday to South Korea. Saudi authorities have hinted they could widen the crackdown after princes, ministers, as well as billionaire tycoon Al-Waleed bin Talal, were swept up in a weekend purge hours after an anti-graft commission headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established. The purge underscores an unprecedented restructuring of the kingdom as Prince Mohammed steps up a dramatic reform drive for a post-oil era while consolidating power before his eventual succession as king. The US and Saudi Arabia have historically enjoyed close ties, which Trump re-affirmed in May when he visited the country in his first foreign trip since taking office. Washington and Riyadh announced contracts worth more than $380 billion, including a $110 billion arms deal aimed at countering perceived threats from Iran and radical Islamists. Trump spoke with King Salman by phone on Saturday, according to a readout from his office, in which he lauded the monarch and his son's "recent public statements regarding the need to build a moderate, peaceful, and tolerant region" and urged the kingdom to choose Wall Street as a venue for the IPO of oil giant Aramco.

Trump says Saudi purge targets were 'milking' country

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial hearing in a graft case.

Sharif will appear before an accountability court on November 3 in connection with the corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB had earlier&nbsp;approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier&#39;s flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants.

The accountability court had recently started the trial of Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by NAB.

On Tuesday, the&nbsp;court ordered Pakistan&#39;s financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of Sharif and his two sons in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.

The North's nuclear programme is 'a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability,' Trump said

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial hearing in a graft case. Sharif will appear before an accountability court on November 3 in connection with the corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB had earlier approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier's flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants. The accountability court had recently started the trial of Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by NAB. On Tuesday, the court ordered Pakistan's financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of Sharif and his two sons in the Panama Papers case. Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.

Time for 'patience' on North Korea is over, says Trump

President Donald Trump has nominated Federal Reserve Governor Jerome &quot;Jay&quot; Powell to lead the US central bank, saying the former investment banker has the wisdom and intelligence to guide the world&#39;s largest economy.

Trump decided not to reappoint current Fed Chair Janet Yellen, the first woman to oversee monetary policy, despite praising her excellent management of the US economy over the past four years.

&quot;He is strong. He&#39;s committed. He&#39;s smart,&quot; Trump said of Powell yesterday during the ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. &quot;He has proven to be a consensus builder.&quot;

&quot;Based on his record I am confident that Jay has the wisdom and leadership to guide our economy through any challenges that our great economy may face.&quot;

Analysts say choosing Powell allows Trump to put his own imprimatur on the central bank with a minimum of disruption.

&quot;Powell allows Trump to change the Fed leadership without changing the basic monetary policy strategy. That strategy has been largely successful,&quot; said University of Oregon economist Tim Duy.

The president&#39;s decision to replace the sitting Fed chair is something no first-term US president had done in 40 years.

He has made it clear he has no problem upsetting tradition, and specifically cited his desire to leave his mark on the Fed during the very public search process. Still, in choosing the 64-year-old Powell, a Republican, Trump took a less radical course.

Powell has echoed the administration&#39;s views in favour of bank deregulation but has supported the Yellen Fed&#39;s very gradual interest rate increases.

Trump has repeatedly hailed the country&#39;s smooth economic progress and Wall Street&#39;s successive rallies, making the prospect of disrupting the status quo at the Fed particularly risky.

Powell is the latest in a string of former investment bankers Trump has tapped for high-profile posts.

He will require Senate confirmation, but he already went through that process when he became a member of the Fed&#39;s board of governors.

Trump noted that his Fed pick has &quot;a unique background of prior government service and business experience.&quot;

&quot;As a result he understands what it takes for our economy to grow,&quot; Trump said.

Powell has a declared personal fortune ranging between about USD 20 million and USD 55 million after nearly a decade at the Washington-based private equity firm Carlyle Group, where fellow Fed Governor Randal Quarles once worked as well.

In another break with tradition, Powell is not a trained economist. Even so Terry Sheehan of Oxford Economics said he has received a working education and is &quot;well qualified&quot; to serve as Fed chair. 
But she warned he may have to defend the Fed&#39;s independence &quot;in a hostile political environment.&quot;

In accepting the nomination, Powell said he would ensure the Fed &quot;remains vigilant and prepared to respond to changes in markets and evolving risks,&quot; but he also cited the independence of the Fed in setting monetary policy.

Trump and Powell offered extensive praise for Yellen, who they said demonstrated judicious economic stewardship during the current recovery.

Yellen congratulated Powell on his nomination and said she would work to ensure a &quot;smooth transition&quot; in February.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump has nominated Federal Reserve Governor Jerome "Jay" Powell to lead the US central bank, saying the former investment banker has the wisdom and intelligence to guide the world's largest economy.

President Donald Trump has nominated Federal Reserve Governor Jerome "Jay" Powell to lead the US central bank, saying the former investment banker has the wisdom and intelligence to guide the world's largest economy. Trump decided not to reappoint current Fed Chair Janet Yellen, the first woman to oversee monetary policy, despite praising her excellent management of the US economy over the past four years. "He is strong. He's committed. He's smart," Trump said of Powell yesterday during the ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. "He has proven to be a consensus builder." "Based on his record I am confident that Jay has the wisdom and leadership to guide our economy through any challenges that our great economy may face." Analysts say choosing Powell allows Trump to put his own imprimatur on the central bank with a minimum of disruption. "Powell allows Trump to change the Fed leadership without changing the basic monetary policy strategy. That strategy has been largely successful," said University of Oregon economist Tim Duy. The president's decision to replace the sitting Fed chair is something no first-term US president had done in 40 years. He has made it clear he has no problem upsetting tradition, and specifically cited his desire to leave his mark on the Fed during the very public search process. Still, in choosing the 64-year-old Powell, a Republican, Trump took a less radical course. Powell has echoed the administration's views in favour of bank deregulation but has supported the Yellen Fed's very gradual interest rate increases. Trump has repeatedly hailed the country's smooth economic progress and Wall Street's successive rallies, making the prospect of disrupting the status quo at the Fed particularly risky. Powell is the latest in a string of former investment bankers Trump has tapped for high-profile posts. He will require Senate confirmation, but he already went through that process when he became a member of the Fed's board of governors. Trump noted that his Fed pick has "a unique background of prior government service and business experience." "As a result he understands what it takes for our economy to grow," Trump said. Powell has a declared personal fortune ranging between about USD 20 million and USD 55 million after nearly a decade at the Washington-based private equity firm Carlyle Group, where fellow Fed Governor Randal Quarles once worked as well. In another break with tradition, Powell is not a trained economist. Even so Terry Sheehan of Oxford Economics said he has received a working education and is "well qualified" to serve as Fed chair. But she warned he may have to defend the Fed's independence "in a hostile political environment." In accepting the nomination, Powell said he would ensure the Fed "remains vigilant and prepared to respond to changes in markets and evolving risks," but he also cited the independence of the Fed in setting monetary policy. Trump and Powell offered extensive praise for Yellen, who they said demonstrated judicious economic stewardship during the current recovery. Yellen congratulated Powell on his nomination and said she would work to ensure a "smooth transition" in February.

Trump taps Jerome Powell to lead US Federal Reserve

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his call for the death penalty against the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people by driving a truck down a popular Manhattan bike path in the deadliest act of suspected terrorism to strike New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, was charged in federal court on Wednesday with acting in support of the militant group Islamic State by plowing the truck down a riverside bike trail, injuring a dozen people in addition to those killed.

Trump had suggested on Wednesday sending Saipov to the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, where terrorism suspects apprehended overseas are incarcerated, but on Thursday he said doing so would be too complicated.

&quot;Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

He added: &quot;There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!&quot;

According to the complaint filed against him, Saipov told investigators that he had been inspired by watching Islamic State propaganda videos on his cellphone, felt good about what he had done and asked for permission to display the Islamic State flag in his room at Bellevue Hospital Center.

Saipov was taken to Bellevue after he was shot in the abdomen by a police officer at the time of his arrest.

Trump on Thursday also repeated his the call for Congress to end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program under which Saipov entered the United States in 2010, saying on Twitter: &quot;We need to make AMERICA SAFE!&quot;

The diversity program, signed into law in 1990 by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was designed to provide more permanent resident visas to people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates.

One of the two criminal counts Saipov faces, violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people, carries the death penalty if the government chooses to seek it, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim.

Tweets and the death penalty

Trump&#39;s tweets calling for the death penalty before Saipov even had a chance to enter a plea to the charges he faces could work to the defendant&#39;s advantage by giving his lawyers a chance to argue that the president prejudiced potential jurors.

&quot;The defence is sure to raise this as unfair and raising questions about a jury being able to reach an impartial verdict,&quot; said James Acker, a criminal justice professor at the State University of New York in Albany who specializes in capital punishment.

It could be used to make an argument that a judge should not allow the death penalty as a sentencing option, Acker said, adding that &quot;the likelihood of that succeeding is very small.&quot;

Saipov&#39;s defence attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked by reporters whether he thought Saipov should be executed if convicted, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he categorically opposes the death penalty.

&quot;I believe this is an individual who should rot in prison for the rest of his life,&quot; he told a news conference.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving member of a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers who killed three people and injured more than 260 when they bombed the 2013 Boston Marathon in an attack inspired by the al Qaeda militant group, was sentenced to death in 2015. He is the only inmate among the 61 people on federal death row convicted for an act charged as terrorism.

Senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, on Thursday repeated his criticism of the Justice Department for charging Saipov in the courts rather than treating him as an enemy combatant.

&quot;I&#39;m dumbfounded as to why the Trump Administration still follows the Obama playbook when it comes to dealing with terror suspects,&quot; Graham said in a statement.

Kim, the federal prosecutor, said the filing of charges against Saipov in federal court does not preclude the government from later declaring him an enemy combatant, though legal experts said such a move was highly unlikely.

Experts also said it would be highly improbable to send Saipov to Guantanamo because a federal judge would have to agree to turn him over to a military commission, and no person has ever been sent to Guantanamo straight from U.S. soil. In addition, as a permanent legal resident of the United States Saipov has virtually the same rights as a U.S. citizen, they said.

Declaring an individual an enemy combatant allows investigators to interrogate the person without having a lawyer present.

Saipov did waive his right to remain silent or have an attorney present when he agreed to speak to investigators from his bed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, according to the criminal complaint.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack.

Five Argentine tourists, a Belgian woman, a New Yorker and a New Jersey man were killed in Tuesday&#39;s attack.

The attack unfolded a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center where some 2,600 people lost their lives after suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the Twin Towers 16 years ago.

'There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!' Trump tweeted

US President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his call for the death penalty against the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people by driving a truck down a popular Manhattan bike path in the deadliest act of suspected terrorism to strike New York City since Sept. 11, 2001. Sayfullo Saipov, 29, was charged in federal court on Wednesday with acting in support of the militant group Islamic State by plowing the truck down a riverside bike trail, injuring a dozen people in addition to those killed. Trump had suggested on Wednesday sending Saipov to the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, where terrorism suspects apprehended overseas are incarcerated, but on Thursday he said doing so would be too complicated. "Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system," Trump said on Twitter. He added: "There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!" According to the complaint filed against him, Saipov told investigators that he had been inspired by watching Islamic State propaganda videos on his cellphone, felt good about what he had done and asked for permission to display the Islamic State flag in his room at Bellevue Hospital Center. Saipov was taken to Bellevue after he was shot in the abdomen by a police officer at the time of his arrest. Trump on Thursday also repeated his the call for Congress to end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program under which Saipov entered the United States in 2010, saying on Twitter: "We need to make AMERICA SAFE!" The diversity program, signed into law in 1990 by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was designed to provide more permanent resident visas to people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. One of the two criminal counts Saipov faces, violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people, carries the death penalty if the government chooses to seek it, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim. Tweets and the death penalty Trump's tweets calling for the death penalty before Saipov even had a chance to enter a plea to the charges he faces could work to the defendant's advantage by giving his lawyers a chance to argue that the president prejudiced potential jurors. "The defence is sure to raise this as unfair and raising questions about a jury being able to reach an impartial verdict," said James Acker, a criminal justice professor at the State University of New York in Albany who specializes in capital punishment. It could be used to make an argument that a judge should not allow the death penalty as a sentencing option, Acker said, adding that "the likelihood of that succeeding is very small." Saipov's defence attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked by reporters whether he thought Saipov should be executed if convicted, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he categorically opposes the death penalty. "I believe this is an individual who should rot in prison for the rest of his life," he told a news conference. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving member of a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers who killed three people and injured more than 260 when they bombed the 2013 Boston Marathon in an attack inspired by the al Qaeda militant group, was sentenced to death in 2015. He is the only inmate among the 61 people on federal death row convicted for an act charged as terrorism. Senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, on Thursday repeated his criticism of the Justice Department for charging Saipov in the courts rather than treating him as an enemy combatant. "I'm dumbfounded as to why the Trump Administration still follows the Obama playbook when it comes to dealing with terror suspects," Graham said in a statement. Kim, the federal prosecutor, said the filing of charges against Saipov in federal court does not preclude the government from later declaring him an enemy combatant, though legal experts said such a move was highly unlikely. Experts also said it would be highly improbable to send Saipov to Guantanamo because a federal judge would have to agree to turn him over to a military commission, and no person has ever been sent to Guantanamo straight from U.S. soil. In addition, as a permanent legal resident of the United States Saipov has virtually the same rights as a U.S. citizen, they said. Declaring an individual an enemy combatant allows investigators to interrogate the person without having a lawyer present. Saipov did waive his right to remain silent or have an attorney present when he agreed to speak to investigators from his bed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, according to the criminal complaint. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack. Five Argentine tourists, a Belgian woman, a New Yorker and a New Jersey man were killed in Tuesday's attack. The attack unfolded a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center where some 2,600 people lost their lives after suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the Twin Towers 16 years ago.

Trump reiterates call for death penalty for New York truck attack suspect

US President Donald Trump&#39;s well-known Twitter account briefly vanished on Thursday evening -- with the social media company blaming &quot;human error by a Twitter employee.&quot;

Visitors to @realDonaldTrump around 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) were greeted with the message &quot;Sorry, that page doesn&#39;t exist!&quot;

&quot;Earlier today @realDonaldTrump&#39;s account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored,&quot; the official Twitter Government account said.

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Earlier today <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a>&rsquo;s account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored. We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again.
&mdash; Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterGov/status/926238960594178048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again.&quot;

The outspoken US president has 41.7 million followers on his personal Twitter account, from which he blasts his most controversial and attention-grabbing comments -- often in the form of early morning &quot;tweetstorms.&quot;

Trump&#39;s official White House account, @POTUS, which has 20.9 million followers, was apparently not affected.

Trump did not tweet about his account&#39;s vanishing act, but after it was restored made a post about his party&#39;s tax plan.

&nbsp;

Visitors to @realDonaldTrump around 2300 GMT were greeted with the message 'Sorry, that page doesn't exist!'

US President Donald Trump's well-known Twitter account briefly vanished on Thursday evening -- with the social media company blaming "human error by a Twitter employee." Visitors to @realDonaldTrump around 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) were greeted with the message "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!" "Earlier today @realDonaldTrump's account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored," the official Twitter Government account said. Earlier today @realdonaldtrump’s account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored. We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again. — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) November 3, 2017 × "We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again." The outspoken US president has 41.7 million followers on his personal Twitter account, from which he blasts his most controversial and attention-grabbing comments -- often in the form of early morning "tweetstorms." Trump's official White House account, @POTUS, which has 20.9 million followers, was apparently not affected. Trump did not tweet about his account's vanishing act, but after it was restored made a post about his party's tax plan.

Trump's Twitter account vanishes, briefly

Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person stemming from the US probe of Russia&#39;s attempts to tilt the 2016 presidential elections in Donald Trump&#39;s favor.

There was no indication, in reporting by CNN and other media, of who might be charged or what crimes might be alleged in the ongoing inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller.&nbsp;

But Trump, in a rapid burst of tweets early Sunday, again denounced the investigation as a &quot;witch hunt&quot; and repeated his denials of any collusion with Russia.

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Never seen such Republican ANGER &amp; UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?),....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924635359480303616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924637600094326784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924637600094326784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...&quot;collusion,&quot; which doesn&#39;t exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R&#39;s...
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924639422066384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...&quot;collusion,&quot; which doesn&#39;t exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R&#39;s...
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924639422066384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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All of this &quot;Russia&quot; talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts &amp; Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924649059520073730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Mueller&#39;s team has remained publicly mum about reports that a first arrest could come as early as Monday. He is empowered to pursue not only Russian interference but any other crimes his large team of prosecutors should uncover.

But Chris Christie, a Republican governor close to Trump, said Sunday on ABC that &quot;the important thing about today for the American people to know is the president is not under investigation. And no one has told him that he is.&quot;

It was not clear the New Jersey governor would know whether Trump is being investigated; he may have been referring to earlier comments by former FBI chief James Comey.&nbsp;

But Christie told CNN that anyone who has been advised by Mueller&#39;s office that they are a target of the inquiry &quot;should be concerned.&quot;

&#39;I cannot answer&#39; 
Typically, such a wide-ranging investigation would first target lower-level people while building a case against those higher up. Sometimes early indictments are used to pressure potential witnesses into turning against others.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, demurred Sunday when asked whether Trump was under investigation. &quot;I can&#39;t answer that one way or the other,&quot; he told ABC.

But he mentioned two possible targets on whom much speculation has focused: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, both of them once involved in undeclared lobbying for foreign interests.

Buzzfeed reported Sunday the FBI is probing a series of wire transfers linked to Manafort that saw offshore companies move over $3 million between 2012 and 2013.

Flagged as suspicious by US financial institutions, some of the 13 transfers Buzzfeed obtained details of involved wires of large sums from Ukraine.

According to the news site, federal law enforcement was aware of such transfers as far back as 2012, when they began investigating whether Manafort committed tax fraud or helped the Ukrainian regime -- close to Vladimir Putin -- launder money.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb told the New York Times that Trump felt confident that neither Flynn nor Manafort had damaging information to offer prosecutors.&nbsp;

&quot;The president has no concerns in terms of any impact, as to what happens to them, on his campaign or on the White House,&quot; Cobb said in an interview published Saturday.

Cobb also asserted Sunday that Trump&#39;s latest tweets were &quot;unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate,&quot; news media reported.

As the Mueller investigation nears a dramatic new phase, Republican officials and conservative media have stepped up their attacks on Democrats, above all on Trump&#39;s rival in last year&#39;s election, Hillary Clinton -- attacks that Democrats dismiss as blatant attempts to divert attention.&nbsp;

&#39;So much GUILT&#39; 
Trump, in his tweets Sunday, again complained of Clinton&#39;s handling of emails while secretary of state, of Democratic Party funding of what he said was a &quot;fake&quot; dossier on Trump&#39;s background, and of a US sale during the Obama administration of uranium rights to Russia.&nbsp;

&quot;There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!&quot; Trump tweeted.

Trump&#39;s mention of the &quot;fake&quot; dossier appeared to refer to revelations that the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee had funded part of the research by a former British intelligence agent into possible links between Trump, his collaborators and Russia.

In the uranium case, Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom sought in 2010 to buy a share in Toronto-based Uranium One, which has mining stakes in the United States. A panel of nine US government agencies, including the State Department, approved the sale, though Clinton says she was &quot;not personally involved.&quot;

As Mueller&#39;s inquiry advances, there have been calls from a few Republicans -- and from the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal -- for him to resign. Christie cautioned on Sunday that the former FBI chief should be &quot;very, very careful&quot; about proceeding with transparency and credibility.

Democrats meantime have warned that if Trump were to fire Mueller -- or issue preemptive pardons to anyone caught in his net -- it would be crossing a dangerous line, potentially sparking a constitutional crisis.

Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person

Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person stemming from the US probe of Russia's attempts to tilt the 2016 presidential elections in Donald Trump's favor. There was no indication, in reporting by CNN and other media, of who might be charged or what crimes might be alleged in the ongoing inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller. But Trump, in a rapid burst of tweets early Sunday, again denounced the investigation as a "witch hunt" and repeated his denials of any collusion with Russia. Never seen such Republican ANGER & UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?),.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × All of this "Russia" talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts & Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × Mueller's team has remained publicly mum about reports that a first arrest could come as early as Monday. He is empowered to pursue not only Russian interference but any other crimes his large team of prosecutors should uncover. But Chris Christie, a Republican governor close to Trump, said Sunday on ABC that "the important thing about today for the American people to know is the president is not under investigation. And no one has told him that he is." It was not clear the New Jersey governor would know whether Trump is being investigated; he may have been referring to earlier comments by former FBI chief James Comey. But Christie told CNN that anyone who has been advised by Mueller's office that they are a target of the inquiry "should be concerned." 'I cannot answer' Typically, such a wide-ranging investigation would first target lower-level people while building a case against those higher up. Sometimes early indictments are used to pressure potential witnesses into turning against others. Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, demurred Sunday when asked whether Trump was under investigation. "I can't answer that one way or the other," he told ABC. But he mentioned two possible targets on whom much speculation has focused: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, both of them once involved in undeclared lobbying for foreign interests. Buzzfeed reported Sunday the FBI is probing a series of wire transfers linked to Manafort that saw offshore companies move over $3 million between 2012 and 2013. Flagged as suspicious by US financial institutions, some of the 13 transfers Buzzfeed obtained details of involved wires of large sums from Ukraine. According to the news site, federal law enforcement was aware of such transfers as far back as 2012, when they began investigating whether Manafort committed tax fraud or helped the Ukrainian regime -- close to Vladimir Putin -- launder money. White House lawyer Ty Cobb told the New York Times that Trump felt confident that neither Flynn nor Manafort had damaging information to offer prosecutors. "The president has no concerns in terms of any impact, as to what happens to them, on his campaign or on the White House," Cobb said in an interview published Saturday. Cobb also asserted Sunday that Trump's latest tweets were "unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate," news media reported. As the Mueller investigation nears a dramatic new phase, Republican officials and conservative media have stepped up their attacks on Democrats, above all on Trump's rival in last year's election, Hillary Clinton -- attacks that Democrats dismiss as blatant attempts to divert attention. 'So much GUILT' Trump, in his tweets Sunday, again complained of Clinton's handling of emails while secretary of state, of Democratic Party funding of what he said was a "fake" dossier on Trump's background, and of a US sale during the Obama administration of uranium rights to Russia. "There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!" Trump tweeted. Trump's mention of the "fake" dossier appeared to refer to revelations that the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee had funded part of the research by a former British intelligence agent into possible links between Trump, his collaborators and Russia. In the uranium case, Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom sought in 2010 to buy a share in Toronto-based Uranium One, which has mining stakes in the United States. A panel of nine US government agencies, including the State Department, approved the sale, though Clinton says she was "not personally involved." As Mueller's inquiry advances, there have been calls from a few Republicans -- and from the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal -- for him to resign. Christie cautioned on Sunday that the former FBI chief should be "very, very careful" about proceeding with transparency and credibility. Democrats meantime have warned that if Trump were to fire Mueller -- or issue preemptive pardons to anyone caught in his net -- it would be crossing a dangerous line, potentially sparking a constitutional crisis.

Trump campaign-Russia collusion: First arrest said to be near

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump&#39;s hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break.

The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats.

The proposal &quot;is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward,&quot; an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday.

With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan&#39;s office at 9 pm&nbsp;to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am.&nbsp;

Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. &quot;It&#39;s got to be close,&quot; he said.

Scalise predicted victory. &quot;We&#39;re going to get it done,&quot; he told Fox News Channel.

Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week.

If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January.

&quot;I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with,&quot; Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters.

An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it.

Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table.

&quot;I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow,&quot; he said.

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump's hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break.

A budget plan crucial to President Donald Trump's hopes for large-scale tax cuts looked set for a close vote in the US House of Representatives on Thursday after some Republicans vowed opposition in an effort to protect a popular tax break. The rebellious faction is resisting a proposal to eliminate a federal deduction for state and local income taxes, which would hit middle-class voters in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. The idea is one of several that have been floated as Republicans craft a tax-cut plan. The budget blueprint, which has already been approved by the Senate, is central to their efforts to push tax legislation through Congress in the face of staunch opposition from Democrats. The proposal "is obviously an issue of concern to a group of members, and the shared goal is to work together to address the issue and move forward," an aide to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Wednesday. With the clock ticking toward a vote, the impasse had yet to be settled. Republican lawmakers had planned to meet in House Speaker Paul Ryan's office at 9 pm to try to hammer out a resolution, but the meeting was postponed until after the budget vote, which was set for 10:30 am. Republican Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey told reporters it was possible there were enough votes to block the budget plan. "It's got to be close," he said. Scalise predicted victory. "We're going to get it done," he told Fox News Channel. Republicans have sketched out a tax package that independent analysts say would cut taxes for businesses and individuals by up to $6 trillion over the next decade, but detailed legislation is not expected to be unveiled until next week. If Congress approves a tax-cut plan, it would hand Trump his first major legislative win since he took office in January. "I am urging Republicans who have questions about SALT (the state and local tax deduction) to vote no tomorrow, and keep voting no until we get some compromise we can live with," Republican Representative Peter King of New York told Reuters. An aide to Republican Representative Tom Reed of New York said there was discussion of a compromise that would call for a tax credit up to a certain income amount to replace the deduction, and that he would support it. Republican Representative Leonard Lance of New Jersey told Reuters he was not interested in a compromise at this time, and instead wanted the repeal provision taken off the table. "I will be voting no on the budget tomorrow," he said.

Republican tax fight complicates plan to pass budget in US House

&nbsp;The top US military officer sought on Monday to tamp down criticism the Pentagon had not been forthcoming about the death of four US&nbsp;soldiers in an ambush in Niger, providing a timeline of the incident and acknowledging unanswered questions remained.

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US&nbsp;military&#39;s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the United States Africa Command was conducting an investigation into the Oct. 4 attack. Some lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon for being slow to provide answers.

Dunford acknowledged that a number of issues were still under investigation, including why US&nbsp;forces on the ground waited an hour until they called for support, what type of intelligence was used in the mission and why it took as long as it did to recover a US&nbsp;soldier&#39;s body.

&quot;There has been a lot of speculation about the operation in Niger and there&#39;s a perception that the Department of Defense has not been forthcoming and I thought it would be helpful for me to personally clarify to you what we know today, and to outline what we hope to find out in the ongoing investigation,&quot; Dunford said in a news conference.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&rsquo;s handling of condolence messages to the families of the dead soldiers has been criticized by lawmakers in Washington and has raised the profile of the deadly incident.

Dunford said for the first time that US&nbsp;forces on the ground in Niger waited an hour before calling for support. Within minutes, a US drone located nearby was moved over the firefight and provided intelligence and full-motion video. 
French fighter jets arrived at the scene about an hour after that, said Dunford.

&quot;It is important to note that when they didn&#39;t ask for support for that first hour, my judgment would be&nbsp;that unit thought they could handle the situation without additional support,&quot; Dunford said.

The French fighters did not drop bombs when they arrived, something Dunford said was under investigation. 
 
QUESTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS

 
Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week he may consider issuing a subpoena because the White House had not been forthcoming with details of the attack.

On Monday, McCain said lawmakers were getting cooperation and information from the Pentagon and expected a &quot;formal hearing&quot; on Thursday about the ambush.

The attack threw a spotlight on the little-known counterterrorism mission in the West African country, which has about 800 U.S. troops, out of a total of 6,000 U.S. troops in Africa. The United States says it is there to support Niger in fighting Islamist extremists.

The Pentagon said at the time that three soldiers had been killed in the ambush. The body of a fourth soldier, Sergeant La David Johnson, was recovered about two days later.

Dunford said that on Oct. 3, a dozen U.S. soldiers accompanied 30 Nigerien forces on a reconnaissance mission near the village of Tongo Tongo.

After spending the night near the village, the forces were moving back to their base when they came under attack from about 50 enemy fighters, who appeared to be from a local Islamic State affiliate. The militants attacked with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, Dunford said.

&quot;It was planned as a reconnaissance mission,&quot; Dunford said. &quot;What happened after they began to execute, in other words, did the mission change? That is one of the questions that&#39;s being asked,&quot; he said. 
 
CONSIDERED A LOWER-RISK MISSION

 
The mission had been seen as a relatively lower-risk endeavor for elite US&nbsp;commandos and there was no armed air cover at the time that could carry out air strikes if necessary.

He added there was no indication the soldiers had taken too many risks.

&quot;I don&#39;t have any indication right now to believe or to know that they did anything other than operating within the orders they were given,&quot; Dunford said.

US&nbsp;forces were conducting normal operations in Niger again and the plan was for them to continue to train and advise local partners. Dunford said there had been no discussions about increasing US&nbsp;troops.

A controversy has swirled for a week over how Trump has handled the task of consoling relatives of slain service members.

Myeshia Johnson, the widow of the Army sergeant killed in Niger, said on Monday that Trump had &quot;made me cry even worse&quot; in a condolence call when he said her husband &quot;knew what he signed up for.&quot;

&ldquo;We owe the families as much information as we can find out about what happened, and we owe the American people an explanation of what their men and women were doing at this particular time,&quot; Dunford said.

US military official sought on Monday to tamp down criticism the Pentagon had not been forthcoming about the death of four US soldiers, providing a timeline of the incident

The top US military officer sought on Monday to tamp down criticism the Pentagon had not been forthcoming about the death of four US soldiers in an ambush in Niger, providing a timeline of the incident and acknowledging unanswered questions remained. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the United States Africa Command was conducting an investigation into the Oct. 4 attack. Some lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon for being slow to provide answers. Dunford acknowledged that a number of issues were still under investigation, including why US forces on the ground waited an hour until they called for support, what type of intelligence was used in the mission and why it took as long as it did to recover a US soldier's body. "There has been a lot of speculation about the operation in Niger and there's a perception that the Department of Defense has not been forthcoming and I thought it would be helpful for me to personally clarify to you what we know today, and to outline what we hope to find out in the ongoing investigation," Dunford said in a news conference. US President Donald Trump’s handling of condolence messages to the families of the dead soldiers has been criticized by lawmakers in Washington and has raised the profile of the deadly incident. Dunford said for the first time that US forces on the ground in Niger waited an hour before calling for support. Within minutes, a US drone located nearby was moved over the firefight and provided intelligence and full-motion video. French fighter jets arrived at the scene about an hour after that, said Dunford. "It is important to note that when they didn't ask for support for that first hour, my judgment would be that unit thought they could handle the situation without additional support," Dunford said. The French fighters did not drop bombs when they arrived, something Dunford said was under investigation. QUESTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week he may consider issuing a subpoena because the White House had not been forthcoming with details of the attack. On Monday, McCain said lawmakers were getting cooperation and information from the Pentagon and expected a "formal hearing" on Thursday about the ambush. The attack threw a spotlight on the little-known counterterrorism mission in the West African country, which has about 800 U.S. troops, out of a total of 6,000 U.S. troops in Africa. The United States says it is there to support Niger in fighting Islamist extremists. The Pentagon said at the time that three soldiers had been killed in the ambush. The body of a fourth soldier, Sergeant La David Johnson, was recovered about two days later. Dunford said that on Oct. 3, a dozen U.S. soldiers accompanied 30 Nigerien forces on a reconnaissance mission near the village of Tongo Tongo. After spending the night near the village, the forces were moving back to their base when they came under attack from about 50 enemy fighters, who appeared to be from a local Islamic State affiliate. The militants attacked with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, Dunford said. "It was planned as a reconnaissance mission," Dunford said. "What happened after they began to execute, in other words, did the mission change? That is one of the questions that's being asked," he said. CONSIDERED A LOWER-RISK MISSION The mission had been seen as a relatively lower-risk endeavor for elite US commandos and there was no armed air cover at the time that could carry out air strikes if necessary. He added there was no indication the soldiers had taken too many risks. "I don't have any indication right now to believe or to know that they did anything other than operating within the orders they were given," Dunford said. US forces were conducting normal operations in Niger again and the plan was for them to continue to train and advise local partners. Dunford said there had been no discussions about increasing US troops. A controversy has swirled for a week over how Trump has handled the task of consoling relatives of slain service members. Myeshia Johnson, the widow of the Army sergeant killed in Niger, said on Monday that Trump had "made me cry even worse" in a condolence call when he said her husband "knew what he signed up for." “We owe the families as much information as we can find out about what happened, and we owe the American people an explanation of what their men and women were doing at this particular time," Dunford said.

Top U.S. military officer seeks to address criticism of fatal Niger operation

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an NFL free agent who last year began the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-the-us-sports-stars-are-not-standing-up-during-the-national-anthem-20725" target="_blank"> kneeling protest during US anthems</a> that became a major controversy, has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL.

Six weeks into the NFL season the 29-year-old Kaepernick is still without a job despite a number of job openings created by injuries to other quarterbacks.&nbsp;

Kaepernick and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, are claiming the owners violated terms of the collective bargaining agreement, specifically a clause that prohibits teams from acting together in regards to a player&#39;s employment status.

He filed his grievance&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;just days before the owners are scheduled to meet in New York.

&quot;We can confirm that this morning we filed a grievance under the CBA on behalf of Colin Kaepernick,&quot; Geragos said in a statement. &quot;This was done only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives.&nbsp;

&quot;If the NFL (as well as all professional sports leagues) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful political protests -- which the owners themselves made great theater imitating weeks ago -- should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government.&nbsp;

&quot;Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation. Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance.&quot;&nbsp;

Kaepernick, who spent six seasons with the 49ers, appears ready to go to court rather than go through the players union with his grievance claim.

Kaepernick claims owners have colluded to keep him out of the league because of his kneeling protests during the playing of &quot;The Star-Spangled Banner&quot; last year.

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March but found no team willing to sign him despite past successes that included leading the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl, where they lost to Baltimore 34-31.

Tensions were raised about the kneeling when US President Donald Trump last month called any NFL player kneeling during the anthem a &quot;son of a bitch&quot; and said they should be fired.

Owners to meet&nbsp;

That has prompted a rise in the number of players who kneel or link arms in a sign of unity over the past four weeks and set the stage for league executives and owners to talk about the matter in depth next week at regularly scheduled club owners meetings.

The NFL players association responded&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;with a statement offering Kaepernick its support and reiterating that it is prepared to assist him, &quot;as we do all players.&quot;

US Vice President Mike Pence walked out on an NFL game last weekend in Indianapolis when about 20 players for the 49ers kneeled during the anthem, a move Trump later took credit for on Twitter.

The US media reported earlier this month that Kaepernick has been ready to work out in private for NFL teams and sought to be judged only as a player while staying quiet during the controversy to avoid becoming a distraction.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has denied the league has deliberately kept Kaepernick off of rosters, but as quarterbacks have become injured in recent weeks he had not been given a tryout.

Kaepernick has completed nearly 60 percent of his career NFL passes for 12,271 yards and 72 touchdowns with 30 interceptions over 69 NFL games.

Colin Kaepernick has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL. He says it refuses to hire him

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an NFL free agent who last year began the kneeling protest during US anthems that became a major controversy, has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL. Six weeks into the NFL season the 29-year-old Kaepernick is still without a job despite a number of job openings created by injuries to other quarterbacks. Kaepernick and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, are claiming the owners violated terms of the collective bargaining agreement, specifically a clause that prohibits teams from acting together in regards to a player's employment status. He filed his grievance on Sunday just days before the owners are scheduled to meet in New York. "We can confirm that this morning we filed a grievance under the CBA on behalf of Colin Kaepernick," Geragos said in a statement. "This was done only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives. "If the NFL (as well as all professional sports leagues) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful political protests -- which the owners themselves made great theater imitating weeks ago -- should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government. "Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation. Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance." Kaepernick, who spent six seasons with the 49ers, appears ready to go to court rather than go through the players union with his grievance claim. Kaepernick claims owners have colluded to keep him out of the league because of his kneeling protests during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" last year. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March but found no team willing to sign him despite past successes that included leading the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl, where they lost to Baltimore 34-31. Tensions were raised about the kneeling when US President Donald Trump last month called any NFL player kneeling during the anthem a "son of a bitch" and said they should be fired. Owners to meet That has prompted a rise in the number of players who kneel or link arms in a sign of unity over the past four weeks and set the stage for league executives and owners to talk about the matter in depth next week at regularly scheduled club owners meetings. The NFL players association responded Sunday with a statement offering Kaepernick its support and reiterating that it is prepared to assist him, "as we do all players." US Vice President Mike Pence walked out on an NFL game last weekend in Indianapolis when about 20 players for the 49ers kneeled during the anthem, a move Trump later took credit for on Twitter. The US media reported earlier this month that Kaepernick has been ready to work out in private for NFL teams and sought to be judged only as a player while staying quiet during the controversy to avoid becoming a distraction. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has denied the league has deliberately kept Kaepernick off of rosters, but as quarterbacks have become injured in recent weeks he had not been given a tryout. Kaepernick has completed nearly 60 percent of his career NFL passes for 12,271 yards and 72 touchdowns with 30 interceptions over 69 NFL games.

Athlete who started kneeling protest against Trump sues NFL

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took another dig Sunday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

This time it was over the growing US-Pakistan relationship.&nbsp;

Trump had tweeted early Saturday morning that he was &quot;Starting to develop a much better relationship with Pakistan and its leaders&quot;.&nbsp;

This was after Pakistani security forces rescued a Canadian-American couple on Wednesday from the Haqqani network.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/freed-canadian-hostage-says-haqqani-network-raped-american-wife-murdered-baby-22456" target="_blank">Also read: Freed Canadian hostage says Haqqani network raped American wife, murdered baby</a>

The couple had been kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012.&nbsp;

On Sunday, referencing Trump&#39;s tweet, Gandhi tweeted: &quot;Modi ji quick; looks like President Trump needs another hug.&quot;&nbsp;

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Modi ji quick; looks like President Trump needs another hug <a href="https://t.co/B4001yw5rg">pic.twitter.com/B4001yw5rg</a>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/919479635909341184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump, who has been known to change track suddenly and without warning, had earlier accused Pakistan of &quot;housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s latest tweet, ANI said, was likely to be discussed by Indian leaders and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he visits India in the last week of October.&nbsp;

The &quot;Trump-needs-another-hug&quot; comment from Rahul was of course a reference to the many hugs Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives his counterparts.&nbsp;

So much so that he has acquired the reputation of being a &quot;serial hugger&quot;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-takes-battle-to-bjp-again-calls-it-anti-women-21214" target="_blank">Also read: Rahul Gandhi takes battle to BJP again; Amit Shah, Yogi, Smriti Irani hit back</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-happened-to-tolerance-harmony-in-india-rahul-gandhi-in-us-20457" target="_blank">Also read: What happened to tolerance, harmony in India? Rahul Gandhi in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-happened-to-tolerance-harmony-in-india-rahul-gandhi-in-us-20457" target="_blank">US</a>

&nbsp;

'Starting to develop a much better relationship with Pakistan and its leaders,' Trump had tweeted on Saturday

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took another dig Sunday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time it was over the growing US-Pakistan relationship. Trump had tweeted early Saturday morning that he was "Starting to develop a much better relationship with Pakistan and its leaders". This was after Pakistani security forces rescued a Canadian-American couple on Wednesday from the Haqqani network. Also read: Freed Canadian hostage says Haqqani network raped American wife, murdered baby The couple had been kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012. On Sunday, referencing Trump's tweet, Gandhi tweeted: "Modi ji quick; looks like President Trump needs another hug." Modi ji quick; looks like President Trump needs another hug pic.twitter.com/B4001yw5rg — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 15, 2017 × Trump, who has been known to change track suddenly and without warning, had earlier accused Pakistan of "housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately." Trump's latest tweet, ANI said, was likely to be discussed by Indian leaders and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he visits India in the last week of October. The "Trump-needs-another-hug" comment from Rahul was of course a reference to the many hugs Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives his counterparts. So much so that he has acquired the reputation of being a "serial hugger". Also read: Rahul Gandhi takes battle to BJP again; Amit Shah, Yogi, Smriti Irani hit back Also read: What happened to tolerance, harmony in India? Rahul Gandhi in US

Rahul takes another dig at PM Modi, this time over growing US-Pak relationship

The growing split between the United States and the rest of the world spilled into the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington this week.

The US administration showed a diminished view of the Bretton Woods institutions that shaped a US-led order after World War II, rejecting efforts to expand their activities, and defending its attack on free-trade pacts as part of President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; agenda.

And at the same time, the US continued to stymie China&#39;s ambitions to elevate its global role via an expanded stake in both the IMF and World Bank.

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<h5>US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin took aim at the IMF and World Bank bureaucracies, calling them inefficient and suggesting their staffs are overpaid -- a longstanding view among many US conservative critics of both</h5>
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The Trump administration spelled out its view by rejecting a capital increase that the World Bank wants to expand its global anti-poverty mission.

&quot;More capital is not the solution when existing capital is not allocated effectively,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Friday, one day after Bank President Jim Yong Kim said he believed the Trump administration was now supportive of the move.

There was also no movement on the IMF&#39;s long-planned boost in its lending resources that would come with a shakeup of its shareholder quotas. Last year, the Republican-controlled Congress effectively vetoed the move, and the Trump administration has not supported bringing it back to life.

US questions IMF, Bank pay 
Instead, Mnuchin took aim at the IMF and World Bank bureaucracies, calling them inefficient and suggesting their staffs are overpaid -- a longstanding view among many US conservative critics of both.&nbsp;

&quot;We see scope for further budget discipline, especially with respect to compensation and the Executive Board budget,&quot; he said of the World Bank.

The new US stance on globalization under the Trump administration also came through in the meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs that took place during the IMF-World Bank meetings.

In the past, the group regularly raised the alarm over protectionist and anti-free-trade sentiment.

But this week the Trump administration -- which this year killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asia-Pacific nations, stalled talks on a transatlantic free trade zone, and forced a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement -- appeared to stifle such talk.

After presenting a tepid G20 statement with no mention of trade or protectionism, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble quipped that the G20 lacks expertise in the matter. Because of that, he said, &quot;at this time, global discussions are much more relaxed.&quot;

Schaeuble challenges US 
The US differences with its allies were not evident on the surface, and the nearly week-long meetings of the two giant multilateral institutions went off smoothly.&nbsp;

The World Bank&#39;s Kim and IMF chief Christine Lagarde kept the focus on the need for countries to reform for the long term while global growth is strong, and to address growing inequality, especially in the most developed nations.

But in statements to the steering committees of the two institutions, many countries made clear their differences with the United States.

Most said they backed a capital hike for the World Bank. Schaeuble called it &quot;urgent.&quot;

He also was tough on the trade issue.&nbsp;

&quot;We should all be concerned about slow global trade growth and increased anti-free-trade rhetoric. Both are a threat to our common economic prosperity,&quot; Schaeuble said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/world-praising-india-for-reforms-like-demonetisation-gst-arun-jaitley-22453" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;World praising India for reforms like demonetisation &amp; GST, says Arun Jaitley</a>

&quot;Protectionist measures will only harm growth and harm those they claim to protect,&quot; he added.

In its formal statement, China called the lack of progress on increasing World Bank capital &quot;regrettable.&quot;

&#39;Climate change&#39; restored 
It is a crucial issue for Beijing, which sees that a larger shareholding in both the IMF and World Bank, both dominated by the United States, would recognize its status as the world&#39;s number two economy and a political superpower.

&quot;We hope that all parties will provide more political impetus from the perspective of increasing the legitimacy and effectiveness of the World Bank&#39;s governance structure... so as to increase the representation and voice of emerging market and developing countries,&quot; China said.

The US push for both to curb compensation met unenthusiastic reactions. In a closing statement, the Bank&#39;s steering committee blandly pledged support for a compensation review.

But the IMF bristled. &quot;The Fund is highly cost-conscious and in fact we have been operating under a flat budget in real terms for six years in a row,&quot; a spokesperson said. &quot;Salaries and benefits are reviewed on a regular basis by our Executive Board.&quot;

But one notable change suggested the Trump administration was not always getting its way -- or was changing its stance.&nbsp;

In the April IMF-World Bank meetings, the final Bank statement was bereft of any mention of climate change, reflecting Trump&#39;s refusal to accept it as a key global challenge.

In the statement released Saturday, climate change was reinstated as one of the world&#39;s key challenges.

The US rejected the World Bank's and the IMF's efforts to expand their activities, and defended its attack on free-trade pacts as part of President Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda

The growing split between the United States and the rest of the world spilled into the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington this week. The US administration showed a diminished view of the Bretton Woods institutions that shaped a US-led order after World War II, rejecting efforts to expand their activities, and defending its attack on free-trade pacts as part of President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. And at the same time, the US continued to stymie China's ambitions to elevate its global role via an expanded stake in both the IMF and World Bank. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin took aim at the IMF and World Bank bureaucracies, calling them inefficient and suggesting their staffs are overpaid -- a longstanding view among many US conservative critics of both × The Trump administration spelled out its view by rejecting a capital increase that the World Bank wants to expand its global anti-poverty mission. "More capital is not the solution when existing capital is not allocated effectively," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Friday, one day after Bank President Jim Yong Kim said he believed the Trump administration was now supportive of the move. There was also no movement on the IMF's long-planned boost in its lending resources that would come with a shakeup of its shareholder quotas. Last year, the Republican-controlled Congress effectively vetoed the move, and the Trump administration has not supported bringing it back to life. US questions IMF, Bank pay Instead, Mnuchin took aim at the IMF and World Bank bureaucracies, calling them inefficient and suggesting their staffs are overpaid -- a longstanding view among many US conservative critics of both. "We see scope for further budget discipline, especially with respect to compensation and the Executive Board budget," he said of the World Bank. The new US stance on globalization under the Trump administration also came through in the meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs that took place during the IMF-World Bank meetings. In the past, the group regularly raised the alarm over protectionist and anti-free-trade sentiment. But this week the Trump administration -- which this year killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asia-Pacific nations, stalled talks on a transatlantic free trade zone, and forced a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement -- appeared to stifle such talk. After presenting a tepid G20 statement with no mention of trade or protectionism, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble quipped that the G20 lacks expertise in the matter. Because of that, he said, "at this time, global discussions are much more relaxed." Schaeuble challenges US The US differences with its allies were not evident on the surface, and the nearly week-long meetings of the two giant multilateral institutions went off smoothly. The World Bank's Kim and IMF chief Christine Lagarde kept the focus on the need for countries to reform for the long term while global growth is strong, and to address growing inequality, especially in the most developed nations. But in statements to the steering committees of the two institutions, many countries made clear their differences with the United States. Most said they backed a capital hike for the World Bank. Schaeuble called it "urgent." He also was tough on the trade issue. "We should all be concerned about slow global trade growth and increased anti-free-trade rhetoric. Both are a threat to our common economic prosperity," Schaeuble said. Also read: World praising India for reforms like demonetisation & GST, says Arun Jaitley "Protectionist measures will only harm growth and harm those they claim to protect," he added. In its formal statement, China called the lack of progress on increasing World Bank capital "regrettable." 'Climate change' restored It is a crucial issue for Beijing, which sees that a larger shareholding in both the IMF and World Bank, both dominated by the United States, would recognize its status as the world's number two economy and a political superpower. "We hope that all parties will provide more political impetus from the perspective of increasing the legitimacy and effectiveness of the World Bank's governance structure... so as to increase the representation and voice of emerging market and developing countries," China said. The US push for both to curb compensation met unenthusiastic reactions. In a closing statement, the Bank's steering committee blandly pledged support for a compensation review. But the IMF bristled. "The Fund is highly cost-conscious and in fact we have been operating under a flat budget in real terms for six years in a row," a spokesperson said. "Salaries and benefits are reviewed on a regular basis by our Executive Board." But one notable change suggested the Trump administration was not always getting its way -- or was changing its stance. In the April IMF-World Bank meetings, the final Bank statement was bereft of any mention of climate change, reflecting Trump's refusal to accept it as a key global challenge. In the statement released Saturday, climate change was reinstated as one of the world's key challenges.

Divide between US & rest of world spills out at World Bank-IMF meetings in Washington

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump`s upcoming visit to China.

Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump`s trip in November.

The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after months of tensions over how to handle North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un`s nuclear provocations.

Trump has repeatedly urged Xi to exert more economic pressure on Pyongyang to convince the renegade regime to give up its nuclear ambitions.

China, North Korea`s main trade partner, has responded by backing a slew of new United Nations sanctions.

For its part, Beijing has insisted that the sanctions must be coupled with efforts to organise peace talks, but Trump and Kim have traded increasingly personal insults that have raised fears that the crisis could spark a conflict.

The acting US assistant secretary for East Asia, Susan Thornton, told sceptical US lawmakers ahead of Tillerson`s trip that China appears to be on board with the plan to squeeze Pyongyang.

&quot;We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress -- growing, if uneven -- that China has made on this front,&quot; she said.

&quot;We have recently seen Chinese authorities take additional actions,&quot; she said, referring to new controls on the cross-border trade and finance that is North Korea`s economic lifeline.

On Thursday, China said it was ordering North Korean firms on its territory to close by January.

The announcement came days after China confirmed it will limit exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from October 1 while banning imports of textiles from its neighbour.

The measures were in accordance with UN sanctions that were approved earlier in September after North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb -- a test that triggered an earthquake felt across the border in China.

Trump`s November trip will be part of a tour that will also take in regional allies Japan and South Korea.

Tillerson is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and foreign minister Wang Yi

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump`s upcoming visit to China. Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump`s trip in November. The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after months of tensions over how to handle North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un`s nuclear provocations. Trump has repeatedly urged Xi to exert more economic pressure on Pyongyang to convince the renegade regime to give up its nuclear ambitions. China, North Korea`s main trade partner, has responded by backing a slew of new United Nations sanctions. For its part, Beijing has insisted that the sanctions must be coupled with efforts to organise peace talks, but Trump and Kim have traded increasingly personal insults that have raised fears that the crisis could spark a conflict. The acting US assistant secretary for East Asia, Susan Thornton, told sceptical US lawmakers ahead of Tillerson`s trip that China appears to be on board with the plan to squeeze Pyongyang. "We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress -- growing, if uneven -- that China has made on this front," she said. "We have recently seen Chinese authorities take additional actions," she said, referring to new controls on the cross-border trade and finance that is North Korea`s economic lifeline. On Thursday, China said it was ordering North Korean firms on its territory to close by January. The announcement came days after China confirmed it will limit exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from October 1 while banning imports of textiles from its neighbour. The measures were in accordance with UN sanctions that were approved earlier in September after North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb -- a test that triggered an earthquake felt across the border in China. Trump`s November trip will be part of a tour that will also take in regional allies Japan and South Korea.

Tillerson in China to pile pressure on North Korea

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned under pressure from President Donald Trump on Friday in an uproar over Price&#39;s use of costly private charter planes for government business.

His abrupt departure was announced an hour after Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Price&#39;s use of private aircraft and did not like the way it reflected on his administration.

&quot;Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the president accepted,&quot; the White House said in a statement.

Trump named Don Wright to serve as acting secretary. Wright is currently the deputy assistant secretary for health and director of the office of disease prevention and health promotion.

&quot;I&#39;m not happy. OK? I&#39;m not happy,&quot; Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn.

Candidates to succeed Price included Seema Verma, who is administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and who is close to Vice President Mike Pence, and Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to industry analysts.

Several sources saw Gottlieb as a clear front runner. They said he got along well with the White House and is viewed favourably there.

Price&#39;s resignation leaves Trump with a second Cabinet position to fill. He has yet to pick a secretary for homeland security after hiring former Secretary John Kelly as his White House chief of staff.

It was the latest blow to the Trump White House, which has struggled to get major legislative achievements passed by Congress and has been embroiled in one controversy after another since Trump took office in January.

Price, a former congressman, was instrumental in the Trump administration&#39;s policies aimed at undercutting Obamacare, as well as working with governors across the country to slowly begin unravelling parts of the law.

In a resignation letter, Price offered little in the way of contrition. He said he had been working to reform the U.S. healthcare system and reduce regulatory burdens, among other goals.

&quot;I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first. I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives,&quot; he said.

Trump, currently trying to sell his tax cut plan and oversee the federal response to devastation wreaked by three hurricanes, saw the Price drama as an unnecessary distraction and behind the scenes was telling aides &quot;what was he thinking?,&quot; a source close to the president said.

Price promised on Thursday to repay the nearly $52,000 cost of his seats on private charter flights. &quot;The taxpayers won&rsquo;t pay a dime for my seat on those planes,&quot; Price said.

But that was not enough to satisfy Trump.

Trump told reporters that the &quot;optics&quot; of Price&#39;s travel were not good, since, as president he was trying to renegotiate U.S. contracts to get a better deal for taxpayers.

&quot;Look, I think he&#39;s a very fine person. I certainly don&#39;t like the optics,&quot; Trump said.

Price had also been seen in the White House as having been ineffective in getting Congress to pass healthcare reform legislation, an effort that has fizzled on Capitol Hill.

Price was one of a handful of senior officials in Trump&rsquo;s administration put on the defensive over reports about their use of charter flights and government aircraft, sometimes for personal travel, when they could have flown commercial for less money.

The White House issued an order late on Friday saying use of private planes required approval from White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and that the commercial air system was appropriate even for very senior officials with few exceptions.

The Washington Post on Friday reported that Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin attended a Wimbledon tennis match, toured Westminster Abbey and took a cruise on the Thames this summer during a 10-day trip to discuss veterans&#39; health issues in Britain and Denmark.

Shulkin, who travelled on a commercial airline, was accompanied on the trip by his wife, whose airfare was paid for by the government and who received a per diem for meals, the Post said, noting that the Department of Veterans Affairs said she was travelling on &quot;approved invitational orders.&quot;

His six-person travelling party included an acting undersecretary of health and her husband as well as two aides. They were accompanied by a security detail of as many as six people, the Post said.

Washington news media outlet Politico has reported that Price had taken at least two dozen private charter flights since May at a cost to U.S. taxpayers of more than $400,000. Politico also reported he took approved military flights to Africa and Europe costing $500,000.

Senior U.S. government officials travel frequently, but are generally expected to keep costs down by taking commercial flights or the train when possible.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have also been in the spotlight for their travel habits.

Tom Price's abrupt departure was announced an hour after Trump told reporters he was disappointed in his use of private aircraft

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned under pressure from President Donald Trump on Friday in an uproar over Price's use of costly private charter planes for government business. His abrupt departure was announced an hour after Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Price's use of private aircraft and did not like the way it reflected on his administration. "Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the president accepted," the White House said in a statement. Trump named Don Wright to serve as acting secretary. Wright is currently the deputy assistant secretary for health and director of the office of disease prevention and health promotion. "I'm not happy. OK? I'm not happy," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn. Candidates to succeed Price included Seema Verma, who is administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and who is close to Vice President Mike Pence, and Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to industry analysts. Several sources saw Gottlieb as a clear front runner. They said he got along well with the White House and is viewed favourably there. Price's resignation leaves Trump with a second Cabinet position to fill. He has yet to pick a secretary for homeland security after hiring former Secretary John Kelly as his White House chief of staff. It was the latest blow to the Trump White House, which has struggled to get major legislative achievements passed by Congress and has been embroiled in one controversy after another since Trump took office in January. Price, a former congressman, was instrumental in the Trump administration's policies aimed at undercutting Obamacare, as well as working with governors across the country to slowly begin unravelling parts of the law. In a resignation letter, Price offered little in the way of contrition. He said he had been working to reform the U.S. healthcare system and reduce regulatory burdens, among other goals. "I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first. I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives," he said. Trump, currently trying to sell his tax cut plan and oversee the federal response to devastation wreaked by three hurricanes, saw the Price drama as an unnecessary distraction and behind the scenes was telling aides "what was he thinking?," a source close to the president said. Price promised on Thursday to repay the nearly $52,000 cost of his seats on private charter flights. "The taxpayers won’t pay a dime for my seat on those planes," Price said. But that was not enough to satisfy Trump. Trump told reporters that the "optics" of Price's travel were not good, since, as president he was trying to renegotiate U.S. contracts to get a better deal for taxpayers. "Look, I think he's a very fine person. I certainly don't like the optics," Trump said. Price had also been seen in the White House as having been ineffective in getting Congress to pass healthcare reform legislation, an effort that has fizzled on Capitol Hill. Price was one of a handful of senior officials in Trump’s administration put on the defensive over reports about their use of charter flights and government aircraft, sometimes for personal travel, when they could have flown commercial for less money. The White House issued an order late on Friday saying use of private planes required approval from White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and that the commercial air system was appropriate even for very senior officials with few exceptions. The Washington Post on Friday reported that Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin attended a Wimbledon tennis match, toured Westminster Abbey and took a cruise on the Thames this summer during a 10-day trip to discuss veterans' health issues in Britain and Denmark. Shulkin, who travelled on a commercial airline, was accompanied on the trip by his wife, whose airfare was paid for by the government and who received a per diem for meals, the Post said, noting that the Department of Veterans Affairs said she was travelling on "approved invitational orders." His six-person travelling party included an acting undersecretary of health and her husband as well as two aides. They were accompanied by a security detail of as many as six people, the Post said. Washington news media outlet Politico has reported that Price had taken at least two dozen private charter flights since May at a cost to U.S. taxpayers of more than $400,000. Politico also reported he took approved military flights to Africa and Europe costing $500,000. Senior U.S. government officials travel frequently, but are generally expected to keep costs down by taking commercial flights or the train when possible. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have also been in the spotlight for their travel habits.

US health secretary resigns over use of costly pvt planes for govt business

Pakistan refuses to be a &quot;scapegoat&quot; for Afghanistan&#39;s bloodshed or to fight wars for others, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the United Nations on Thursday.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Abbasi did not explicitly criticize US President Donald Trump&#39;s new strategy on Afghanistan but made clear his displeasure with the renewed onus on Pakistan.

&quot;Having suffered and sacrificed so much due to our role in the global counter terrorism campaign, it is especially galling for Pakistan to be blamed for the military or political stalemate in Afghanistan,&quot; Abbasi said.

&quot;We are not prepared to be anyone&#39;s scapegoat,&quot; he said.

&quot;What Pakistan is not prepared to do is to fight the Afghan war on Pakistan&#39;s soil. Nor can we endorse any failed strategy that will prolong and intensify the suffering of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and other regional countries,&quot; he said.

Abbasi said that 27,000 Pakistanis have been killed by extremists since the launch of the US war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

He called for a priority on eliminating extremists, including from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, in Afghanistan but ultimately a political solution with the Taliban.

US and Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of playing a double game, with the powerful intelligence services -- not the civilian government -- maintaining ties with extremists.&nbsp;

US forces tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 in Abbottabad, a popular resort for Pakistan&#39;s military elite.

Trump, unveiling a new strategy last month, pledged to take a tougher line on Pakistan -- making public what had long been more private US frustrations.

Trump has sent thousands more US troops into Afghanistan in a bid to defeat the Taliban, reversing his previous calls to end America&#39;s longest-ever war.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in his own speech to the United Nations appealed to Pakistan for dialogue, saying that the neighbors can work together to eliminate extremism.

Renewed attack on India 
Analysts say that Islamabad&#39;s role in Afghanistan is rooted in the security elite&#39;s fixation on historic rival India, which has warm ties with the post-Taliban government in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Abbasi, who took office last month after his predecessor Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from office over a corruption scandal, used his UN address to renew Pakistan&#39;s condemnation of India&#39;s rule in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory divided between the two nuclear powers.

Accusing India of &quot;massive and indiscriminate force&quot; in Kashmir, Abbasi urged an international investigation and warned of escalation on their military frontier, the Line of Control.

&quot;Pakistan has acted with restraint. But if India does venture across the LoC, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response,&quot; he said.

He was referring to an Indian strategic doctrine, rarely discussed openly, of a limited military response on Pakistan that is intended to stop short of triggering a nuclear reprisal.

India accuses Islamabad of training, arming and infiltrating militants into Kashmir. India considered but ultimately decided not to strike Pakistan after a bloody 2008 assault on Mumbai, which was planned by Pakistan-based extremists.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi did not explicitly criticise US President Donald Trump's new strategy on Afghanistan but made clear his displeasure with the renewed onus on Pakistan

Pakistan refuses to be a "scapegoat" for Afghanistan's bloodshed or to fight wars for others, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the United Nations on Thursday. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Abbasi did not explicitly criticize US President Donald Trump's new strategy on Afghanistan but made clear his displeasure with the renewed onus on Pakistan. "Having suffered and sacrificed so much due to our role in the global counter terrorism campaign, it is especially galling for Pakistan to be blamed for the military or political stalemate in Afghanistan," Abbasi said. "We are not prepared to be anyone's scapegoat," he said. "What Pakistan is not prepared to do is to fight the Afghan war on Pakistan's soil. Nor can we endorse any failed strategy that will prolong and intensify the suffering of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and other regional countries," he said. Abbasi said that 27,000 Pakistanis have been killed by extremists since the launch of the US war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He called for a priority on eliminating extremists, including from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, in Afghanistan but ultimately a political solution with the Taliban. US and Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of playing a double game, with the powerful intelligence services -- not the civilian government -- maintaining ties with extremists. US forces tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 in Abbottabad, a popular resort for Pakistan's military elite. Trump, unveiling a new strategy last month, pledged to take a tougher line on Pakistan -- making public what had long been more private US frustrations. Trump has sent thousands more US troops into Afghanistan in a bid to defeat the Taliban, reversing his previous calls to end America's longest-ever war. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in his own speech to the United Nations appealed to Pakistan for dialogue, saying that the neighbors can work together to eliminate extremism. Renewed attack on India Analysts say that Islamabad's role in Afghanistan is rooted in the security elite's fixation on historic rival India, which has warm ties with the post-Taliban government in Afghanistan. Abbasi, who took office last month after his predecessor Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from office over a corruption scandal, used his UN address to renew Pakistan's condemnation of India's rule in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory divided between the two nuclear powers. Accusing India of "massive and indiscriminate force" in Kashmir, Abbasi urged an international investigation and warned of escalation on their military frontier, the Line of Control. "Pakistan has acted with restraint. But if India does venture across the LoC, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response," he said. He was referring to an Indian strategic doctrine, rarely discussed openly, of a limited military response on Pakistan that is intended to stop short of triggering a nuclear reprisal. India accuses Islamabad of training, arming and infiltrating militants into Kashmir. India considered but ultimately decided not to strike Pakistan after a bloody 2008 assault on Mumbai, which was planned by Pakistan-based extremists.

Pakistan tells UN it won't be 'scapegoat' in Afghan war

North Korea&#39;s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho has said his country may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.&nbsp;

The test, if it comes, would be carried out in response to US President Donald Trump&#39;s assertion that should America be threatened, it would be forced to &quot;totally destroy&quot; North Korea.&nbsp;

Ho made his comments to reporters in New York, where the UN General Assembly is currently in session.&nbsp;

Ho however added that the final decision over whether to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific or not would be taken by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp;

&quot;This could probably mean the strongest hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean. Regarding which measures to take, I don&#39;t really know since it is what Kim Jong Un does,&quot; CNN reported Ho as saying.

Trump has already announced the ramping up of sanctions on North Korea. To which Kim replied by calling him &quot;mentally deranged&quot;.&nbsp;

North Korea has of late conducted a series of bomb tests which have been followed by threats and sanctions from the US, leading to a constant ramping up of tensions between the two countries.&nbsp;

The comment was made by North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho has said his country may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. The test, if it comes, would be carried out in response to US President Donald Trump's assertion that should America be threatened, it would be forced to "totally destroy" North Korea. Ho made his comments to reporters in New York, where the UN General Assembly is currently in session. Ho however added that the final decision over whether to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific or not would be taken by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. "This could probably mean the strongest hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean. Regarding which measures to take, I don't really know since it is what Kim Jong Un does," CNN reported Ho as saying. Trump has already announced the ramping up of sanctions on North Korea. To which Kim replied by calling him "mentally deranged". North Korea has of late conducted a series of bomb tests which have been followed by threats and sanctions from the US, leading to a constant ramping up of tensions between the two countries.

WATCH: North Korea says it may test hydrogen bomb over Pacific

The United States ramped up sanctions aimed at curtailing North Korea`s nuclear weapons drive Thursday, as Kim Jong-Un vowed that Donald Trump`s &quot;deranged&quot; threats would only toughen his resolve.&nbsp;

The US president unveiled the new measures as he met with the leaders of allies Japan and South Korea, even as key international players China and Russia voiced unease with his more aggressive approach.

Two days after threatening in his first address to the UN General Assembly to &quot;totally destroy North Korea,&quot; Trump signed an executive order to ban firms from operating in the United States if they deal with North Korea.

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<h5>Foreign financial institutions are now on notice that going forward they can choose to do business with the United States or with North Korea, but not both,&#39; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said</h5>
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Time will tell whether economic pressure forces Kim to back down, but the young dictator was keen to show the world that he was not intimidated by Trump`s forceful rhetoric, and responded with some of his own.

Kim, whom Trump has nicknamed &quot;Rocket Man&quot;, called the 71-year-old &quot;mentally deranged&quot; and warned that his &quot;threats have convinced me, rather than frightening or stopping me, that the path I chose is correct and that it is the one I have to follow to the last.&quot;

Trump`s most senior cabinet members have joined him in New York for the UN meeting and a week of high-stakes diplomacy, and were on hand to reinforce his message.

&quot;Foreign financial institutions are now on notice that going forward they can choose to do business with the United States or with North Korea, but not both,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

Later, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the UN Security Council: &quot;North Korea may assume that nuclear weapons may ensure the survival of its regime. In truth, nuclear weapons are clearly only leading to greater isolation, ignominy and deprivation.&quot;

The United States already punishes foreign firms tied to North Korea`s military programs but the latest action sharply expands the range, targeting businesses involved in everything from technology to fishing.

Financial companies may feel the biggest impact. Trump`s order also bans any aircraft or ship that has traveled to North Korea from landing in the United States.

The European Union readied its own sanctions. The wealthy bloc agreed to a ban on investments in North Korea and EU exports of oil to the regime, diplomatic sources said in Brussels.

Trump also said China`s central bank had ordered national banks to curb their dealings with North Korea, describing the move from Pyongyang`s key ally as &quot;very bold&quot; and &quot;unexpected.&quot;&nbsp;

This month North Korea has tested its sixth nuclear bomb and has test-fired intercontinental missiles -- saying it needs to defend itself against hostility from the United States and its allies.

The US administration has refused to offer North Korea incentives to open negotiations and has ramped up threats of military action to force leader Kim to change course.

But meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said &quot;Why not?&quot; when asked whether there could be a dialogue with North Korea.China has by far the most influence on North Korea, providing an economic lifeline. But it also fears the consequences if the regime collapses, such as an exodus of refugees or a US-allied reunited Korea on its border.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the General Assembly there was still room for talks -- the polar opposite of remarks a day earlier by Japan`s Abe who said that past dialogue had achieved nothing.

&quot;There is still hope for peace and we must not give up. Negotiation is the only way out and deserves every effort,&quot; said Wang, who also asked South Korea and Japan not to consider developing their own nuclear weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while his government condemns North Korea, &quot;military hysteria is not just an impasse, it`s disaster.&quot;

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel delivered a strikingly open rebuttal to Trump`s &quot;America First&quot; theme from an ally.

&quot;The motto `Our country first` not only leads to more national confrontations and less prosperity. In the end, there will only be losers,&quot; Gabriel said in his address, three days before Germany`s election.

South Korea`s Moon, a longtime dove who was elected president in May, supported the sanctions but took a different tone from Trump.

South Korea was not seeking the collapse of its neighbor and was ready to help if Pyongyang decides &quot;to stand on the right side of history&quot; and halts its provocations, he said.

&quot;The situation surrounding the North Korean nuclear issue needs to be managed stably so that tensions will not become overly intensified or accidental military clashes will not destroy peace,&quot; said Moon, who met later jointly with Trump and Abe.Peter Harrell, a former State Department official, said Trump`s executive order was &quot;pretty sweeping in scope&quot; and went well beyond the latest UN sanctions, which curtailed North Korean textile exports and guest workers.

But Harrell, now at the Center for a New American Security think tank, said the key question would be implementation.

&quot;If important Chinese and Russian companies keep trading with North Korea, will Trump in fact impose sanctions on them?&quot; he asked.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho is expected to meet on Saturday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will send out feelers on possible diplomatic talks.

Trump signed an executive order banning firms from operating in the United States if they deal with North Korea

The United States ramped up sanctions aimed at curtailing North Korea`s nuclear weapons drive Thursday, as Kim Jong-Un vowed that Donald Trump`s "deranged" threats would only toughen his resolve. The US president unveiled the new measures as he met with the leaders of allies Japan and South Korea, even as key international players China and Russia voiced unease with his more aggressive approach. Two days after threatening in his first address to the UN General Assembly to "totally destroy North Korea," Trump signed an executive order to ban firms from operating in the United States if they deal with North Korea. Foreign financial institutions are now on notice that going forward they can choose to do business with the United States or with North Korea, but not both,' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said × Time will tell whether economic pressure forces Kim to back down, but the young dictator was keen to show the world that he was not intimidated by Trump`s forceful rhetoric, and responded with some of his own. Kim, whom Trump has nicknamed "Rocket Man", called the 71-year-old "mentally deranged" and warned that his "threats have convinced me, rather than frightening or stopping me, that the path I chose is correct and that it is the one I have to follow to the last." Trump`s most senior cabinet members have joined him in New York for the UN meeting and a week of high-stakes diplomacy, and were on hand to reinforce his message. "Foreign financial institutions are now on notice that going forward they can choose to do business with the United States or with North Korea, but not both," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Later, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the UN Security Council: "North Korea may assume that nuclear weapons may ensure the survival of its regime. In truth, nuclear weapons are clearly only leading to greater isolation, ignominy and deprivation." The United States already punishes foreign firms tied to North Korea`s military programs but the latest action sharply expands the range, targeting businesses involved in everything from technology to fishing. Financial companies may feel the biggest impact. Trump`s order also bans any aircraft or ship that has traveled to North Korea from landing in the United States. The European Union readied its own sanctions. The wealthy bloc agreed to a ban on investments in North Korea and EU exports of oil to the regime, diplomatic sources said in Brussels. Trump also said China`s central bank had ordered national banks to curb their dealings with North Korea, describing the move from Pyongyang`s key ally as "very bold" and "unexpected." This month North Korea has tested its sixth nuclear bomb and has test-fired intercontinental missiles -- saying it needs to defend itself against hostility from the United States and its allies. The US administration has refused to offer North Korea incentives to open negotiations and has ramped up threats of military action to force leader Kim to change course. But meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said "Why not?" when asked whether there could be a dialogue with North Korea.China has by far the most influence on North Korea, providing an economic lifeline. But it also fears the consequences if the regime collapses, such as an exodus of refugees or a US-allied reunited Korea on its border. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the General Assembly there was still room for talks -- the polar opposite of remarks a day earlier by Japan`s Abe who said that past dialogue had achieved nothing. "There is still hope for peace and we must not give up. Negotiation is the only way out and deserves every effort," said Wang, who also asked South Korea and Japan not to consider developing their own nuclear weapons. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while his government condemns North Korea, "military hysteria is not just an impasse, it`s disaster." German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel delivered a strikingly open rebuttal to Trump`s "America First" theme from an ally. "The motto `Our country first` not only leads to more national confrontations and less prosperity. In the end, there will only be losers," Gabriel said in his address, three days before Germany`s election. South Korea`s Moon, a longtime dove who was elected president in May, supported the sanctions but took a different tone from Trump. South Korea was not seeking the collapse of its neighbor and was ready to help if Pyongyang decides "to stand on the right side of history" and halts its provocations, he said. "The situation surrounding the North Korean nuclear issue needs to be managed stably so that tensions will not become overly intensified or accidental military clashes will not destroy peace," said Moon, who met later jointly with Trump and Abe.Peter Harrell, a former State Department official, said Trump`s executive order was "pretty sweeping in scope" and went well beyond the latest UN sanctions, which curtailed North Korean textile exports and guest workers. But Harrell, now at the Center for a New American Security think tank, said the key question would be implementation. "If important Chinese and Russian companies keep trading with North Korea, will Trump in fact impose sanctions on them?" he asked. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho is expected to meet on Saturday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will send out feelers on possible diplomatic talks.

Trump slaps new sanctions on North Korea, Kim calls him 'deranged'

President Donald Trump&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-have-no-choice-but-to-totally-destroy-north-korea-says-trump-at-un-general-assembly-20413"> debut speech at the United Nations </a>featured saber-rattling aplenty, but it also showed glimmers of a Trump doctrine that could transform America&#39;s place in the world.

(Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/read-full-text-of-donald-trumps-un-speech-20420">Full text of Donald Trump&#39;s UN speech</a>)

It was described by one observer as a &quot;42-minute tweetstorm&quot; and by another as president George W Bush&#39;s &quot;&#39;axis of evil&#39; speech on steroids.&quot;

But in most respects, Trump&#39;s first stint before the green marble rostrum was everything you might expect from the truculent, norm-shattering businessman-turned-politician.

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It was decidedly not what anyone would have expected from any of his 44 predecessors as president of the United States, and heralded a new style of American leadership in the global arena.

Trump&#39;s rhetoric -- dubbing Kim Jong-un a &quot;rocket man&quot; on a &quot;suicide mission&quot; -- was lapped up by supporters at home, but left allies around the world bewildered at the change that has gripped the world&#39;s only superpower.

Beyond the bellicose style, Trump demanded a change in substance, making it clear he wants to turn the clock back on the last half-century&#39;s growth of global rules and global institutions and return to the primacy of the nation state.

Trump&#39;s remarks used the words &quot;sovereign&quot; or &quot;sovereignty&quot; 21 times, rhetoric more often deployed in modern times by China to deflect criticism of a domestic crackdown or by Russia to deride US interference in domestic affairs.

Aides say Trump&#39;s call for a strong nation state was not a rejection of multilateralism per se, but rather a rejection of a globalism that dilutes the will of the people.&nbsp;

Allies were left with a renewed sense that &quot;America First&quot; will mean America alone.

&quot;In America, we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to watch,&quot; Trump said.

Top Trump advisors had billed the address as &quot;deeply philosophical,&quot; setting out an intellectual framework for the president&#39;s long-held world view.

For the White House, that idea is a useful counterpoint to critics who say Trump has no intellectual heft, and a beginning to build an ideological legacy that could survive beyond one presidency.

But it also reflects the continued influence of nationalist ideas inside Trump&#39;s White House, even after the departure of controversial aide Steve Bannon.

The speech also showed the continued influence of advisors like Stephen Miller, who played a major role in drafting the address, and appears to be following in the footsteps of Barack Obama aide Ben Rhodes, who developed a huge amount of power by wielding the speechwriter&#39;s pen.&nbsp;

But Washington&#39;s foreign policy establishment -- not predisposed to praise Trump -- pointed to numerous contradictions that put a question mark over the creation of any cohesive &quot;Trump doctrine.&quot;

While insisting that America no longer builds democracies, Trump called for democracy to prevail in Iran and Venezuela.

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A man with no plan? 
 
Trump trashed the deal to curb Iran&#39;s nuclear program, but the White House has offered no clear attainable alternative beyond extending it in perpetuity.&nbsp;

US officials privately admit that any military option against North Korea would be potentially disastrous for allies in South Korea, within range of Pyongyang artillery loaded with chemical weapons.

&quot;He comes across as a man with no plan,&quot; said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. &quot;It will be seen as weak and directionless and full of bluster.&quot;

Above all, Trump&#39;s critics question whether the clock can be rolled back to philosophies that dominated the less globalised world of the early 1900s.&nbsp;

&quot;Sovereignty in our era fundamentally requires close cooperation with other nations and with strong global institutions, which President Trump rejects,&quot; said Barry Pavel, a veteran of policymaker in Republican and Democratic administrations now with the Atlantic Council.

That thinking still resonates with many of the diplomats, commanding officers and spooks -- those dubbed the deep state by Trump supporters -- who have largely continued with business as usual, despite the new White House occupants.

Even Trump&#39;s closest lieutenants, from Defense Secretary James Mattis to Vice President Mike Pence, have -- without directly contradicting Trump -- shaved off the rougher edges of his rhetoric.

And, so far, Trump&#39;s actions do not match his words. He has ripped up a trans-Pacific trade pact, but despite criticism has not yet left left the Paris climate accord or collapsed the Iran accord by reintroducing sanctions.

That may change in the coming months as Trump&#39;s team transposes speeches like that at the UN or in Warsaw and Riyadh into a formal National Security Strategy.

Allies were left with a renewed sense that 'America First' will mean America alone

President Donald Trump's debut speech at the United Nations featured saber-rattling aplenty, but it also showed glimmers of a Trump doctrine that could transform America's place in the world. (Read: Full text of Donald Trump's UN speech) It was described by one observer as a "42-minute tweetstorm" and by another as president George W Bush's "'axis of evil' speech on steroids." But in most respects, Trump's first stint before the green marble rostrum was everything you might expect from the truculent, norm-shattering businessman-turned-politician. Trump's rhetoric -- dubbing Kim Jong-un a 'rocket man' on a 'suicide mission' -- was lapped up by supporters at home, but left allies around the world bewildered at the change that has gripped the world's only superpower × It was decidedly not what anyone would have expected from any of his 44 predecessors as president of the United States, and heralded a new style of American leadership in the global arena. Trump's rhetoric -- dubbing Kim Jong-un a "rocket man" on a "suicide mission" -- was lapped up by supporters at home, but left allies around the world bewildered at the change that has gripped the world's only superpower. Beyond the bellicose style, Trump demanded a change in substance, making it clear he wants to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and global institutions and return to the primacy of the nation state. Trump's remarks used the words "sovereign" or "sovereignty" 21 times, rhetoric more often deployed in modern times by China to deflect criticism of a domestic crackdown or by Russia to deride US interference in domestic affairs. Aides say Trump's call for a strong nation state was not a rejection of multilateralism per se, but rather a rejection of a globalism that dilutes the will of the people. Allies were left with a renewed sense that "America First" will mean America alone. "In America, we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to watch," Trump said. Top Trump advisors had billed the address as "deeply philosophical," setting out an intellectual framework for the president's long-held world view. For the White House, that idea is a useful counterpoint to critics who say Trump has no intellectual heft, and a beginning to build an ideological legacy that could survive beyond one presidency. But it also reflects the continued influence of nationalist ideas inside Trump's White House, even after the departure of controversial aide Steve Bannon. The speech also showed the continued influence of advisors like Stephen Miller, who played a major role in drafting the address, and appears to be following in the footsteps of Barack Obama aide Ben Rhodes, who developed a huge amount of power by wielding the speechwriter's pen. But Washington's foreign policy establishment -- not predisposed to praise Trump -- pointed to numerous contradictions that put a question mark over the creation of any cohesive "Trump doctrine." While insisting that America no longer builds democracies, Trump called for democracy to prevail in Iran and Venezuela. Washington's foreign policy establishment pointed to numerous contradictions that put a question mark over the creation of any cohesive 'Trump doctrine'. While insisting that America no longer builds democracies, Trump called for democracy to prevail in Iran and Venezuela × A man with no plan? Trump trashed the deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, but the White House has offered no clear attainable alternative beyond extending it in perpetuity. US officials privately admit that any military option against North Korea would be potentially disastrous for allies in South Korea, within range of Pyongyang artillery loaded with chemical weapons. "He comes across as a man with no plan," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. "It will be seen as weak and directionless and full of bluster." Above all, Trump's critics question whether the clock can be rolled back to philosophies that dominated the less globalised world of the early 1900s. "Sovereignty in our era fundamentally requires close cooperation with other nations and with strong global institutions, which President Trump rejects," said Barry Pavel, a veteran of policymaker in Republican and Democratic administrations now with the Atlantic Council. That thinking still resonates with many of the diplomats, commanding officers and spooks -- those dubbed the deep state by Trump supporters -- who have largely continued with business as usual, despite the new White House occupants. Even Trump's closest lieutenants, from Defense Secretary James Mattis to Vice President Mike Pence, have -- without directly contradicting Trump -- shaved off the rougher edges of his rhetoric. And, so far, Trump's actions do not match his words. He has ripped up a trans-Pacific trade pact, but despite criticism has not yet left left the Paris climate accord or collapsed the Iran accord by reintroducing sanctions. That may change in the coming months as Trump's team transposes speeches like that at the UN or in Warsaw and Riyadh into a formal National Security Strategy.

WATCH: Trump's fiery UN address redefines US role in the world

Former White House press secretary made a surprise appearance at the Emmys.&nbsp;

When host Stephen Colbert asked how many people were watching the Emmys, Spicer slid on to the stage behind a White House-style podium and declared: &quot;This will be the large audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world.&quot;

Spicer&#39;s comments were a reference to his and US President Donald Trump&#39;s assertion that the turnout for his inauguration was the largest ever in US history -- despite photographic evidence to the contrary.&nbsp;

Spicer was very well-received.&nbsp;

With some commentators saying he was the highlight of stand-up comic Colbert&#39;s opening monologue.

Alec Baldwin, who won for best-supporting actor in a comedy series for his impersonation of Trump on Saturday Night Live, seemed to think so.&nbsp;

AFP reported Baldwin as praising Spicer for having the good grace to turn up.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve done some jobs or things that you shouldn&#39;t admire or respect,&quot; AFP reported Baldwin as saying. &quot;He and I have that in common.&quot;

Remember of course that Spicer too was pillioried on SNL.&nbsp;

His character was played by the actress Melissa McCarthy, who most memorably rammed a White House podium -- on the show -- into a pack of reporters as she tried to shout them down.&nbsp;

McCarthy herself won a Creative Arts statuette for her &quot;Unhinged Spicey&quot; impersonation of Spicer.&nbsp;

When Colbert asked how many people were watching the awards, Spicer slid onto stage and declared: 'This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world'

Former White House press secretary made a surprise appearance at the Emmys. When host Stephen Colbert asked how many people were watching the Emmys, Spicer slid on to the stage behind a White House-style podium and declared: "This will be the large audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world." Spicer's comments were a reference to his and US President Donald Trump's assertion that the turnout for his inauguration was the largest ever in US history -- despite photographic evidence to the contrary. Spicer was very well-received. With some commentators saying he was the highlight of stand-up comic Colbert's opening monologue. Alec Baldwin, who won for best-supporting actor in a comedy series for his impersonation of Trump on Saturday Night Live, seemed to think so. AFP reported Baldwin as praising Spicer for having the good grace to turn up. "I've done some jobs or things that you shouldn't admire or respect," AFP reported Baldwin as saying. "He and I have that in common." Remember of course that Spicer too was pillioried on SNL. His character was played by the actress Melissa McCarthy, who most memorably rammed a White House podium -- on the show -- into a pack of reporters as she tried to shout them down. McCarthy herself won a Creative Arts statuette for her "Unhinged Spicey" impersonation of Spicer.

69th Emmy Awards: Sean Spicer makes surprise appearance, wins big laughs