The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American poultry and farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key US&nbsp;trade concession, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump cited trade barriers last year when removing India from its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to the United States. In retaliation, India slapped higher tariffs on more than two dozens US&nbsp;products.

Ahead of a Trump visit to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month, negotiators on both sides are hammering out terms for a trade deal that would include New Delhi rolling back higher tariffs on some farm goods such as almonds, walnuts and apples, one of the sources said.

Both governments had hoped to work out a limited trade deal last year, but struggled to reach an agreement.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/us-china-trade-deal-what-were-the-key-issues-and-are-they-resolved-275073">US-China trade deal - What were the key issues and are they resolved?</a>

India's commerce ministry and the US&nbsp;Embassy in New Delhi did not respond to a request for comment. The office of the US&nbsp;Trade Representative did not immediately respond outside regular business hours.

While India has offered a partial relief on medical device price caps that have hurt American pharma giants and a rollback in tariffs on some US&nbsp;goods, Trump's team wants a sweetener of $5-6 billion in additional trade for US&nbsp;goods to restore GSP privileges, three of the sources said.

That demand was conveyed by the United States to India in late December, said two sources.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indian-markets-scale-a-new-high-after-us-china-phase-one-trade-deal-274665">US-China trade deal - Hits and misses for India</a>

As part of the negotiation, the US&nbsp;wants India to increase imports of frozen poultry products, the first source said. The US&nbsp;has already been pushing India to cut the high import taxes on poultry products.

"The deal has to be agriculture-focused, the US&nbsp;is putting a number on everything (if India wants GSP back)," said one of the sources.

The sources asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

Other than the agriculture sector, the United States could be swayed if some of that additional revenue goes to its energy sector, said one of the sources.

Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan this week said India was looking forward to extending its energy cooperation with the United States and other countries but didn't disclose any planned deals.

Trump is likely to visit India in late February, in what would be his first visit to the South Asian nation since he took office three years ago.

The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American poultry and farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key US trade concession, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American poultry and farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key US trade concession, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters. US President Donald Trump cited trade barriers last year when removing India from its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to the United States. In retaliation, India slapped higher tariffs on more than two dozens US products. Ahead of a Trump visit to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month, negotiators on both sides are hammering out terms for a trade deal that would include New Delhi rolling back higher tariffs on some farm goods such as almonds, walnuts and apples, one of the sources said. Both governments had hoped to work out a limited trade deal last year, but struggled to reach an agreement. Also read: US-China trade deal - What were the key issues and are they resolved? India's commerce ministry and the US Embassy in New Delhi did not respond to a request for comment. The office of the US Trade Representative did not immediately respond outside regular business hours. While India has offered a partial relief on medical device price caps that have hurt American pharma giants and a rollback in tariffs on some US goods, Trump's team wants a sweetener of $5-6 billion in additional trade for US goods to restore GSP privileges, three of the sources said. That demand was conveyed by the United States to India in late December, said two sources. Also read: US-China trade deal - Hits and misses for India As part of the negotiation, the US wants India to increase imports of frozen poultry products, the first source said. The US has already been pushing India to cut the high import taxes on poultry products. "The deal has to be agriculture-focused, the US is putting a number on everything (if India wants GSP back)," said one of the sources. The sources asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Other than the agriculture sector, the United States could be swayed if some of that additional revenue goes to its energy sector, said one of the sources. Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan this week said India was looking forward to extending its energy cooperation with the United States and other countries but didn't disclose any planned deals. Trump is likely to visit India in late February, in what would be his first visit to the South Asian nation since he took office three years ago.

US pushes India to buy $5-6 billion more farm goods to seal trade deal: Report

Employees at Washington grocery store have reported several instances of theft and sounds of footsteps from above the ceiling.&nbsp;

Despite several shreds of evidence, the police are not able to track down the unwanted guest.&nbsp;

The police mentioned in their video caption :&nbsp;

"Auburn Police have been called to Haggen Lake Tapps on five occasions since Christmas Day. On that day, the suspect stole thousands of dollars' worth of cigarettes and liquor. There have been four additional 911 calls since then: two on January 15th, one of the 16th, and another this morning."

"In each incident, employees either saw the suspect or heard the suspect in the rafters above the ceiling. In each case, officers searched above the false ceiling but came up empty."

A commander at Auburn Police Department, Mike Hirman has told that all the search efforts have gone waste till now.&nbsp;

"We found where someone had been. There's ventilation that had been moved and tracks that had been moved. We spent probably about four-and-a-half hours up in the rafters trying to hunt this guy down."

After ramping up the chase by K-9 dogs and infrared sensors, the police remain empty-handed.&nbsp;

The WTHR reported that the store employee even saw legs dangling from the ceiling of a supply closet.

Employees at Washington grocery store have reported several instances of theft and sounds of footsteps from above the ceiling. Despite several shreds of evidence, the police are not able to track down the unwanted guest.

Employees at Washington grocery store have reported several instances of theft and sounds of footsteps from above the ceiling. Despite several shreds of evidence, the police are not able to track down the unwanted guest. The police mentioned in their video caption : "Auburn Police have been called to Haggen Lake Tapps on five occasions since Christmas Day. On that day, the suspect stole thousands of dollars' worth of cigarettes and liquor. There have been four additional 911 calls since then: two on January 15th, one of the 16th, and another this morning." "In each incident, employees either saw the suspect or heard the suspect in the rafters above the ceiling. In each case, officers searched above the false ceiling but came up empty." A commander at Auburn Police Department, Mike Hirman has told that all the search efforts have gone waste till now. "We found where someone had been. There's ventilation that had been moved and tracks that had been moved. We spent probably about four-and-a-half hours up in the rafters trying to hunt this guy down." After ramping up the chase by K-9 dogs and infrared sensors, the police remain empty-handed. The WTHR reported that the store employee even saw legs dangling from the ceiling of a supply closet.

Auburn Police released a CCTV footage on Facebook of a ceiling thief

The authorities have confirmed that a woman was killed and seven people were hurt, including a 9-year-old boy, after gunfire rang out in the heart of downtown Seattle, the second shooting in that part of the central business district in about 24 hours. The one killed was a woman between 40 and 50 years old. All of the patients were rushed for treatment to Harborview Medical Center.

Shooting In Downtown Seattle ,1 dead, 7 injured

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth.

The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS.

It came down in 1969 in Murchison, Victoria state, and scientists from Chicago's Field Museum have possessed a piece of it for five decades.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-nasa-to-welcome-supersonic-commercial-travel-269033/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Philipp Heck, the curator of meteorites at the museum, examined pre-solar grains, which are bits of stardust that become trapped in meteorites, making them time capsules of the period before the sun was born.

"They're solid samples of stars, real stardust," Heck said in a statement.

When the first stars died after two billion years of life they left behind the stardust, which formed into the block which fell to earth as the meteorite in Australia.

Although researchers first identified the grains in 1987 their age could not be determined.

But Heck and other colleagues recently used a new method to date these grains, which are microscopic in size. They are from silicon carbide, the first mineral formed when a star cools.

To separate the ancient grains from the relatively younger ones, scientists crushed fragments of the meteorite into a powder. Then they dissolved it in acid, which left only the pre-solar particles.&nbsp;

"It's like burning down the haystack to find the needle," says Heck.

When dust is in space it is exposed to cosmic rays which slowly change its composition. This allows researchers to date it.

A decade ago, only 20 grains from the meteorite were dated by a different method. Now, researchers have been able to determine the age of 40 grains, most of which are between 4.6 billion and 4.9 billion years old.

These ages correspond to the moment when the first stars began to break up, and since that type of star lived for two to 2.5 billion years, the stardust can be as old as seven billion years.

"These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy," Heck said.

The new dating by this team confirms an astronomical theory which predicted a baby boom of stars before the formation of our sun, instead of a constant rhythm of star formation.

"We basically came to the conclusion that there must have been a time in our galaxy when more stars formed than normal, and at the end of their lives they become dust-producing," Heck said.&nbsp;

The task now is to apply the same method on other meteorites.

But according to Heck, there are fewer than five known to be in collections and big enough to give up such secrets.

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth. The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS.

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth. The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS. It came down in 1969 in Murchison, Victoria state, and scientists from Chicago's Field Museum have possessed a piece of it for five decades. Philipp Heck, the curator of meteorites at the museum, examined pre-solar grains, which are bits of stardust that become trapped in meteorites, making them time capsules of the period before the sun was born. "They're solid samples of stars, real stardust," Heck said in a statement. When the first stars died after two billion years of life they left behind the stardust, which formed into the block which fell to earth as the meteorite in Australia. Although researchers first identified the grains in 1987 their age could not be determined. But Heck and other colleagues recently used a new method to date these grains, which are microscopic in size. They are from silicon carbide, the first mineral formed when a star cools. To separate the ancient grains from the relatively younger ones, scientists crushed fragments of the meteorite into a powder. Then they dissolved it in acid, which left only the pre-solar particles. "It's like burning down the haystack to find the needle," says Heck. When dust is in space it is exposed to cosmic rays which slowly change its composition. This allows researchers to date it. A decade ago, only 20 grains from the meteorite were dated by a different method. Now, researchers have been able to determine the age of 40 grains, most of which are between 4.6 billion and 4.9 billion years old. These ages correspond to the moment when the first stars began to break up, and since that type of star lived for two to 2.5 billion years, the stardust can be as old as seven billion years. "These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy," Heck said. The new dating by this team confirms an astronomical theory which predicted a baby boom of stars before the formation of our sun, instead of a constant rhythm of star formation. "We basically came to the conclusion that there must have been a time in our galaxy when more stars formed than normal, and at the end of their lives they become dust-producing," Heck said. The task now is to apply the same method on other meteorites. But according to Heck, there are fewer than five known to be in collections and big enough to give up such secrets.

7 billion-year-old stardust is oldest material found on Earth

Israel's&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;minister, Israel Katz, has postponed a&nbsp;visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;Dubai&nbsp;this month due to&nbsp;security&nbsp;concerns,&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;said on Sunday, linking the decision to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-foreign-minister-to-visit-iran-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-developments-in-middle-east-273726">Iran-US&nbsp;tensions</a>.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isreal-shares-its-regional-connectivity-plan-with-india-267101">Israel Katz</a>, who doubles as intelligence&nbsp;minister, had been scheduled to attend mid-month meetings in the Gulf emirate ahead of its Expo 2020&nbsp;Dubai&nbsp;but "on the instruction of&nbsp;security&nbsp;officials" would defer the&nbsp;visit, an&nbsp;Israeli diplomat said, without giving a new date.

Another diplomat, who also requested anonymity, said&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;was taking precautions lest its arch-foe Iran try to target Katz as part of retaliation against its US&nbsp;ally. The diplomat did not cite evidence to indicate any specific threat.

Decades-old hostilities between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libya-and-iran-top-agenda-in-merkel-putin-meeting-273573">Tehran and Washington</a> have boiled&nbsp;over&nbsp;in recent weeks, with a US&nbsp;strike killing a senior <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-iran-against-massacre-as-protests-erupt-over-downing-of-ukrainian-airplane-273670">Iranian commander</a> and Iran firing missiles at Iraqi airbases hosting US&nbsp;forces in response.

Iran and&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;have been fierce regional enemies since the 1979 Iranian revolution.&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;has in recent years built up ties with Sunni Gulf states that share its worries about Iran.

Though it does not enjoy formal relations with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iranians-step-up-protests-after-tehran-govt-admits-ukrainian-plane-strike-273779">United Arab Emirates</a>,&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;will have a pavilion at Expo 2020&nbsp;Dubai, which opens in October - participation that Prime&nbsp;Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-in-apparent-stumble-calls-israel-a-nuclear-power-272310">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> has described as part of "normalisation with the Arab states".

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, has postponed a visit to Dubai this month due to security concerns, diplomats said on Sunday, linking the decision to Iran-US tensions.

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, has postponed a visit to Dubai this month due to security concerns, diplomats said on Sunday, linking the decision to Iran-US tensions. Israel Katz, who doubles as intelligence minister, had been scheduled to attend mid-month meetings in the Gulf emirate ahead of its Expo 2020 Dubai but "on the instruction of security officials" would defer the visit, an Israeli diplomat said, without giving a new date. Another diplomat, who also requested anonymity, said Israel was taking precautions lest its arch-foe Iran try to target Katz as part of retaliation against its US ally. The diplomat did not cite evidence to indicate any specific threat. Decades-old hostilities between Tehran and Washington have boiled over in recent weeks, with a US strike killing a senior Iranian commander and Iran firing missiles at Iraqi airbases hosting US forces in response. Iran and Israel have been fierce regional enemies since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Israel has in recent years built up ties with Sunni Gulf states that share its worries about Iran. Though it does not enjoy formal relations with the United Arab Emirates, Israel will have a pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, which opens in October - participation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as part of "normalisation with the Arab states".

Israel: Foreign Minister Israel Katz postpones Dubai visit over 'security' reasons

A cafe in Washington has become a big hit with rescued cats on display which provides near "therapeutic" experience for cat lovers.

On Christmas Eve, the cats were all decked up by cafe owners to celebrate the festive occasion.

Ashley Campion, the cafe's chief operating officers said: "We just wanted to bring a little more Christmas joy to the 'Crumbs and Whiskers' atmosphere and give the kittens a little bit of holiday spirit." The gamble seems to have paid off as enthusiasts thronged the outlet looking for a "unique experience".

The novel concept allows people to book an "experience" online, the cafe COO informed that several people end up adopting the furry felines after spending time with them.

"We actually just hit our fifteen-hundredth adoption - which is crazy - just in our company together as a whole," the cafe's COO said, adding that it was a very, very big year with "lots of adoptions happening".

The cafe almost functions as a foster home for the cats where they are well cared for. Animal welfare activists have welcomed the move hailing the crumbs and whiskers experience. The "holistic" experience has everyone impressed including the outlet which had&nbsp;250 adoptions at a single location.

A cafe in Washington has become a big hit with rescued cats on display which provides near "therapeutic" experience for cat lovers. On Christmas Eve, the cats were all decked up by cafe owners to celebrate the festive occasion.

A cafe in Washington has become a big hit with rescued cats on display which provides near "therapeutic" experience for cat lovers. On Christmas Eve, the cats were all decked up by cafe owners to celebrate the festive occasion. Ashley Campion, the cafe's chief operating officers said: "We just wanted to bring a little more Christmas joy to the 'Crumbs and Whiskers' atmosphere and give the kittens a little bit of holiday spirit." The gamble seems to have paid off as enthusiasts thronged the outlet looking for a "unique experience". The novel concept allows people to book an "experience" online, the cafe COO informed that several people end up adopting the furry felines after spending time with them. "We actually just hit our fifteen-hundredth adoption - which is crazy - just in our company together as a whole," the cafe's COO said, adding that it was a very, very big year with "lots of adoptions happening". The cafe almost functions as a foster home for the cats where they are well cared for. Animal welfare activists have welcomed the move hailing the crumbs and whiskers experience. The "holistic" experience has everyone impressed including the outlet which had 250 adoptions at a single location.

Watch: Cat cafe brings Christmas cheer in Washington

Rescue kittens got dressed up in festive holiday sweaters on Christmas Eve (December 24) as adoring fans took turns playing and cuddling with them at a Washington cat cafe.

Kittens in festive sweaters bring holiday cheer to Washington cat cafe

South Korea and the United States failed on Wednesday to agree on Seoul’s contribution towards hosting some 28,500 US troops, but the US side hinted after the two days of talks that it will no longer stick to its US$5 billion demand. #Seoul #US #Washington #SouthKorea

Seoul, Washington fail to agree on cost of United States troops

During Balakot strike in February, Indian Air Force destroyed a terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control.

The incident led to the shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 jet but Islamabad had rejected the charge, and the United States had been more-or-less tight lipped in public about the whole controversy.

However, details have emerged that Washington was indeed worried about Pakistan misusing the F-16 jets, and had even dispatched a letter back in August to the Pakistan Air Force chief warning against it.

The letter which was written by Andrea Thompson, the then Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control, confirmed that Pakistan had indeed moved its F-16s and other American missiles to forward positions.&nbsp;

The act was a clear violation of the terms under which these jets had been sold to Pakistan.

The letter warned of the possibility of these weapons falling into the hands of malignant actors and endangering peace in the region.&nbsp;

It is worth noting that this was the first time the United States had expressed concern over Pakistan misusing the F-16 jets and also that the letter came from a high-ranking official of the Trump Administration.

Thompson has been a military intelligence officer all her career. She first entered the trump administration as national security advisor to vice president mike pence.

Pakistan does not have discretionary powers to use the F-16s, they can only be deployed at two specific airbases and are only meant for use in counter-terror operations, never against foreign countries.

India had earlier presented evidence saying Pakistan had not only used F-16s against them, but also American 'AMRAAM' missiles.

During Balakot strike in February, Indian Air Force destroyed a terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control. The incident led to the shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 jet but Islamabad had rejected the charge, and the United States had been more-or-less tight lipped in public about the whole controversy.

During Balakot strike in February, Indian Air Force destroyed a terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control. The incident led to the shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 jet but Islamabad had rejected the charge, and the United States had been more-or-less tight lipped in public about the whole controversy. However, details have emerged that Washington was indeed worried about Pakistan misusing the F-16 jets, and had even dispatched a letter back in August to the Pakistan Air Force chief warning against it. The letter which was written by Andrea Thompson, the then Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control, confirmed that Pakistan had indeed moved its F-16s and other American missiles to forward positions. The act was a clear violation of the terms under which these jets had been sold to Pakistan. The letter warned of the possibility of these weapons falling into the hands of malignant actors and endangering peace in the region. It is worth noting that this was the first time the United States had expressed concern over Pakistan misusing the F-16 jets and also that the letter came from a high-ranking official of the Trump Administration. Thompson has been a military intelligence officer all her career. She first entered the trump administration as national security advisor to vice president mike pence. Pakistan does not have discretionary powers to use the F-16s, they can only be deployed at two specific airbases and are only meant for use in counter-terror operations, never against foreign countries. India had earlier presented evidence saying Pakistan had not only used F-16s against them, but also American 'AMRAAM' missiles.

Washington privately warned Pakistan against usage of F-16 to combat India: Sources

Public opinion always fractures along party lines when it comes to President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-row-according-to-call-records-nunes-had-frequent-contact-with-giuliani-266054">Donald Trump</a>, and the congressional impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office for personal political gain in his handling of Ukraine has done little to change that.

While most Democrats want to see him impeached, most Republicans do not. And the televised hearings last month that were meant to build public support for impeachment appear to have pushed the two sides further apart. With Democrats and Republicans increasingly dug in, the balance may shift according to the feelings of those few Americans who do not favor either party and are nearly evenly split on impeachment: political independents.

Here is what Americans have said about the impeachment inquiry over the past year, according to polling by Reuters/Ipsos:

Most Americans believe the kind of thing that Trump is accused of using his power to unfairly attack a political rival is common in US&nbsp;politics. Yet they differ on what to do with those officials who are caught.

While eight out of 10 Democrats think they should be removed, Republicans are much more likely to argue to keep them in office. Only five out of 10 Republicans think elected officials should be removed if they use the power of their office to attack a rival. And that support plunges to one in 10 when Republicans are asked about a US&nbsp;president, not just an elected official, who leverages the office for personal gain.

Independents are in the middle. While a majority share the Democrats’ stance on removing elected officials who improperly use the power of their position, independents are much more lenient on presidents.

A majority of independents oppose an impeachment inquiry for anything short of outright lawbreaking by the president.

Eight in 10 said they oppose an inquiry for a president who uses the office to do something that is unethical “but not strictly illegal” and seven in 10 opposed an inquiry for a president who uses the office to get an unfair political advantage.

Six in 10 independents said an inquiry was justified for a president who breaks the law, and four in 10 said it was not.

Independents generally lean toward supporting the congressional inquiry. Yet many are skeptical of the Democrat-led proceedings in the House, and they may sour on the entire process if it slows down other business in Washington.

About four in 10 independents say they think the congressional impeachment inquiry is not being conducted fairly.

And more than six in 10 said that Congress should “focus on fixing important problems facing Americans, rather than focusing on investigating President Trump.”

Support for impeachment is generally higher now than it was earlier in 2019.

However, Democrats are responsible for much of the increase. Republicans continue to be mostly opposed and independents are split.

The latest poll, conducted November&nbsp;25-26, found that 47 per cent&nbsp;of Americans supported impeachment, including eight in 10 Democrats, one in 10 Republicans and four in 10 independents. It also found that 40 per cent&nbsp;of Americans opposed impeachment, including one in 10 Democrats, eight in 10 Republicans and five in 10 independents.

Public opinion always fractures along party lines when it comes to President Donald Trump, and the congressional impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office for personal political gain in his handling of Ukraine has done little to change that.

Public opinion always fractures along party lines when it comes to President Donald Trump, and the congressional impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office for personal political gain in his handling of Ukraine has done little to change that. While most Democrats want to see him impeached, most Republicans do not. And the televised hearings last month that were meant to build public support for impeachment appear to have pushed the two sides further apart. With Democrats and Republicans increasingly dug in, the balance may shift according to the feelings of those few Americans who do not favor either party and are nearly evenly split on impeachment: political independents. Here is what Americans have said about the impeachment inquiry over the past year, according to polling by Reuters/Ipsos: Most Americans believe the kind of thing that Trump is accused of using his power to unfairly attack a political rival is common in US politics. Yet they differ on what to do with those officials who are caught. While eight out of 10 Democrats think they should be removed, Republicans are much more likely to argue to keep them in office. Only five out of 10 Republicans think elected officials should be removed if they use the power of their office to attack a rival. And that support plunges to one in 10 when Republicans are asked about a US president, not just an elected official, who leverages the office for personal gain. Independents are in the middle. While a majority share the Democrats’ stance on removing elected officials who improperly use the power of their position, independents are much more lenient on presidents. A majority of independents oppose an impeachment inquiry for anything short of outright lawbreaking by the president. Eight in 10 said they oppose an inquiry for a president who uses the office to do something that is unethical “but not strictly illegal” and seven in 10 opposed an inquiry for a president who uses the office to get an unfair political advantage. Six in 10 independents said an inquiry was justified for a president who breaks the law, and four in 10 said it was not. Independents generally lean toward supporting the congressional inquiry. Yet many are skeptical of the Democrat-led proceedings in the House, and they may sour on the entire process if it slows down other business in Washington. About four in 10 independents say they think the congressional impeachment inquiry is not being conducted fairly. And more than six in 10 said that Congress should “focus on fixing important problems facing Americans, rather than focusing on investigating President Trump.” Support for impeachment is generally higher now than it was earlier in 2019. However, Democrats are responsible for much of the increase. Republicans continue to be mostly opposed and independents are split. The latest poll, conducted November 25-26, found that 47 per cent of Americans supported impeachment, including eight in 10 Democrats, one in 10 Republicans and four in 10 independents. It also found that 40 per cent of Americans opposed impeachment, including one in 10 Democrats, eight in 10 Republicans and five in 10 independents.

How US public opinion has evolved on impeachment of Trump

The US Air Force scrambled jets on Tuesday (November 26) after reports of an unidentified aircraft in restricted airspace over Washington forced a brief lockdown of the White House and Capitol.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that it's jet fighters "are on-site and responding".

The plane that allegedly violated the airspace of the US capital city "is not considered hostile at this time", they said.

"The White House was locked down this morning due to a potential violation of the restricted airspace in the National Capital Region," the US Secret Service, which protects President Donald Trump, said in a statement.

"The lockdown has been lifted at this time," they said.

The alert lasted less than an hour. The Capitol Police said the report of a possible aircraft in restricted airspace came in at 8:27 AM (1327 GMT) and the situation was cleared at 9:12 AM "without incident".

There was no information about what Trump and his wife Melania did during the alert.

The alert evoked memories of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks when Al Qaeda militants piloted a passenger jet into the Pentagon and were believed to be targeting another at the White House or Congress before it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Two other jets were flown by the attackers into the World Trade Center in New York.

Washington airspace restrictions were severely tightened after those attacks, which left nearly 3,000 dead.

And surface to air missile batteries have been installed around the city to target potentially attacking aircraft.

In history, a number of Americans have flown aircraft into downtown Washington in protest.

In 1974 Robert Preston, a despondent army private who was 20 years old landed a military helicopter on the White House lawn after police cars tracked him on the ground and Secret Service agents fired at him with shotguns.

In April 2015 Florida mailman Doug Hughes, angry about how big money was allegedly corrupting US politics, flew undetected in a small gyrocopter into downtown Washington, landing it just outside the Capitol building.

He landed without incident, was arrested and a year later was sentenced to 120 days in jail for the felony crime of operating the aircraft without a pilot licence.

The US Air Force scrambled jets on Tuesday (November 26) after reports of an unidentified aircraft in restricted airspace over Washington forced a brief lockdown of the White House and Capitol.

The US Air Force scrambled jets on Tuesday (November 26) after reports of an unidentified aircraft in restricted airspace over Washington forced a brief lockdown of the White House and Capitol. The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that it's jet fighters "are on-site and responding". The plane that allegedly violated the airspace of the US capital city "is not considered hostile at this time", they said. "The White House was locked down this morning due to a potential violation of the restricted airspace in the National Capital Region," the US Secret Service, which protects President Donald Trump, said in a statement. "The lockdown has been lifted at this time," they said. The alert lasted less than an hour. The Capitol Police said the report of a possible aircraft in restricted airspace came in at 8:27 AM (1327 GMT) and the situation was cleared at 9:12 AM "without incident". There was no information about what Trump and his wife Melania did during the alert. The alert evoked memories of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks when Al Qaeda militants piloted a passenger jet into the Pentagon and were believed to be targeting another at the White House or Congress before it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Two other jets were flown by the attackers into the World Trade Center in New York. Washington airspace restrictions were severely tightened after those attacks, which left nearly 3,000 dead. And surface to air missile batteries have been installed around the city to target potentially attacking aircraft. In history, a number of Americans have flown aircraft into downtown Washington in protest. In 1974 Robert Preston, a despondent army private who was 20 years old landed a military helicopter on the White House lawn after police cars tracked him on the ground and Secret Service agents fired at him with shotguns. In April 2015 Florida mailman Doug Hughes, angry about how big money was allegedly corrupting US politics, flew undetected in a small gyrocopter into downtown Washington, landing it just outside the Capitol building. He landed without incident, was arrested and a year later was sentenced to 120 days in jail for the felony crime of operating the aircraft without a pilot licence.

Washington airspace alert sparks White House lockdown

The Washington Nationals completed one of the most shocking championship runs in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/baseball-nationals-beat-astros-to-force-world-series-game-seven-showdown-258744">Major League Baseball</a> history Wednesday by defeating Houston 6-2 to capture the US capital's first World Series title since 1924.

Howie Kendrick and Anthony Rendon blasted home runs and the Nationals rallied from two runs down after six innnings in the winner-take-all showdown to claim the best-of-seven final 4-3.

Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke mystified the Nationals for 6 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit while Yuli Gurriel hit a solo homer and scored on a Carlos Correa single to give Houston a 2-0 lead.

Houston native Rendon, however, smashed a solo homer over the left-field wall off a Greinke changeup in the seventh, sending him to the showers after walking Juan Soto.

Kendrick followed by smacking a fastball from Astros reliever Will Harris off the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer that put the Nats ahead to stay.

Washington added an insurance run in the eighth when Adam Eaton walked, stole second and scored on a Soto single.

In the ninth,&nbsp;Eaton singled with the bases loaded to drive in two more runs and all-but seal Houston's fate.

Patrick Corbin threw three shutout innings and allowed only two hits in relief of Max Scherzer and Daniel Hudson ran down the Astros in order in the ninth to complete the victory.

&nbsp;

The Washington Nationals completed one of the most shocking championship runs in Major League Baseball history Wednesday by defeating Houston 6-2 to capture the US capital's first World Series title since 1924.

The Washington Nationals completed one of the most shocking championship runs in Major League Baseball history Wednesday by defeating Houston 6-2 to capture the US capital's first World Series title since 1924. Howie Kendrick and Anthony Rendon blasted home runs and the Nationals rallied from two runs down after six innnings in the winner-take-all showdown to claim the best-of-seven final 4-3. Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke mystified the Nationals for 6 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit while Yuli Gurriel hit a solo homer and scored on a Carlos Correa single to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Houston native Rendon, however, smashed a solo homer over the left-field wall off a Greinke changeup in the seventh, sending him to the showers after walking Juan Soto. Kendrick followed by smacking a fastball from Astros reliever Will Harris off the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer that put the Nats ahead to stay. Washington added an insurance run in the eighth when Adam Eaton walked, stole second and scored on a Soto single. In the ninth, Eaton singled with the bases loaded to drive in two more runs and all-but seal Houston's fate. Patrick Corbin threw three shutout innings and allowed only two hits in relief of Max Scherzer and Daniel Hudson ran down the Astros in order in the ninth to complete the victory.

Baseball: Washington Nationals defeat Houston to win World Series

Stephen Strasburg baffled Houston's batters and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs to power the Washington Nationals over the Astros 7-2 Tuesday, forcing a one-game winner-take-all showdown for the 115th World Series championship.

Washington pulled level at 3-3 in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final, setting up a seventh game Wednesday to decide the title.

Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits over 8 1/3 masterful innings while walking two and striking out seven Houston batters, improving to 5-0 in the playoffs after an 18-6 season.

"Big pitchers do what he did," said Nationals manager Dave Martinez. "I told him, 'You were tremendous. You picked us up and because of you, we're going to game seven'," added Martinez, who was ejected late on after a disputed call.

Washington's Juan Soto and Adam Eaton blasted solo home runs in the fifth inning and Houston native Rendon hit a two-run homer in the seventh and a two-run double in the ninth.

"Rendon stepped up big," Martinez said.

That was enough run production for the Nationals thanks to Strasburg mystifying the Houston hitters who had produced 19 runs over the prior three games.

"I saw an incredible pitcher," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was really good. We didn't put a lot of stress on him."

Strasburg had been tipping his pitches to Houston hitters in the first inning when Alex Bregman homered off him, but Martinez solved the problem.

"I said, 'You're tipping you're pitching. We need to fix it,'" Martinez said. "After that, he was lights out."

Strasburg began to wiggle his glove to throw the Astros off.

"Started shaking my glove so they didn't know what I was throwing. Obviously, they look for certain things," Strasburg said. "It's something that has burned me in the past and they burned me there in the first.

"It's just a part of the game. You've got to do your best to stay consistent in your delivery on each pitch."

Martinez became the first World Series manager ejected since Atlanta's Bobby Cox in 1996, needing to be restrained from angrily confronting umpires after a controversial call in the seventh inning.

"I'm not going to criticize the umpires about anything," Martinez said. "I don't really want to make this about me and take away from what the boys did. It was a judgement call. I don't want to make it about one play."

The Nationals, who improved to 4-0 in playoff elimination games this month, will start three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in game seven after neck spasms kept him out of game five. Fellow right-hander Zack Greinke will start for Houston.

"We have a great opportunity to play a game seven in the World Series in our ballpark," Hinch said.

But a World Series in which Houston was one of the heaviest favorites in years has turned into a historical epic, the first World Series with road teams winning the first six games.

"It's weird," Martinez said. "You can't explain it."

The Astros will try for their second title in three seasons while the Nationals seek the first crown in their franchise's 50-year history.

It would also be the first World Series title for Washington since 1924.

Houston's Justin Verlander, who won a season-best 21 games, surrendered three runs on five hits to suffer the loss and remain winless in seven career World Series starts, the most of any pitcher without a win. His 0-6 record is the all-time worst World Series mark.

Washington clung to a 3-2 lead in the seventh when controversy struck.

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was called out for interference on first baseman Yuli Gurriel and the decision was upheld after a 4 1/2-minute video review. It would cost Washington a run when Rendon smashed a homer to left field.

After the inning, Martinez angrily moved toward the umpires, bench coach Chip Hale restraining him. But Martinez yelled until home plate umpire Sam Holbrook ejected him, leaving Hale to take the team to the finish.

Rendon's two-run homer put Washington ahead 5-2 and his two-run double in the ninth added more insurance runs.

Stephen Strasburg baffled Houston's batters and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs to power the Washington Nationals over the Astros 7-2 Tuesday, forcing a one-game winner-take-all showdown for the 115th World Series championship.

Stephen Strasburg baffled Houston's batters and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs to power the Washington Nationals over the Astros 7-2 Tuesday, forcing a one-game winner-take-all showdown for the 115th World Series championship. Washington pulled level at 3-3 in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final, setting up a seventh game Wednesday to decide the title. Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits over 8 1/3 masterful innings while walking two and striking out seven Houston batters, improving to 5-0 in the playoffs after an 18-6 season. "Big pitchers do what he did," said Nationals manager Dave Martinez. "I told him, 'You were tremendous. You picked us up and because of you, we're going to game seven'," added Martinez, who was ejected late on after a disputed call. Washington's Juan Soto and Adam Eaton blasted solo home runs in the fifth inning and Houston native Rendon hit a two-run homer in the seventh and a two-run double in the ninth. "Rendon stepped up big," Martinez said. That was enough run production for the Nationals thanks to Strasburg mystifying the Houston hitters who had produced 19 runs over the prior three games. "I saw an incredible pitcher," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was really good. We didn't put a lot of stress on him." Strasburg had been tipping his pitches to Houston hitters in the first inning when Alex Bregman homered off him, but Martinez solved the problem. "I said, 'You're tipping you're pitching. We need to fix it,'" Martinez said. "After that, he was lights out." Strasburg began to wiggle his glove to throw the Astros off. "Started shaking my glove so they didn't know what I was throwing. Obviously, they look for certain things," Strasburg said. "It's something that has burned me in the past and they burned me there in the first. "It's just a part of the game. You've got to do your best to stay consistent in your delivery on each pitch." Martinez became the first World Series manager ejected since Atlanta's Bobby Cox in 1996, needing to be restrained from angrily confronting umpires after a controversial call in the seventh inning. "I'm not going to criticize the umpires about anything," Martinez said. "I don't really want to make this about me and take away from what the boys did. It was a judgement call. I don't want to make it about one play." The Nationals, who improved to 4-0 in playoff elimination games this month, will start three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in game seven after neck spasms kept him out of game five. Fellow right-hander Zack Greinke will start for Houston. "We have a great opportunity to play a game seven in the World Series in our ballpark," Hinch said. But a World Series in which Houston was one of the heaviest favorites in years has turned into a historical epic, the first World Series with road teams winning the first six games. "It's weird," Martinez said. "You can't explain it." The Astros will try for their second title in three seasons while the Nationals seek the first crown in their franchise's 50-year history. It would also be the first World Series title for Washington since 1924. Houston's Justin Verlander, who won a season-best 21 games, surrendered three runs on five hits to suffer the loss and remain winless in seven career World Series starts, the most of any pitcher without a win. His 0-6 record is the all-time worst World Series mark. Washington clung to a 3-2 lead in the seventh when controversy struck. Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was called out for interference on first baseman Yuli Gurriel and the decision was upheld after a 4 1/2-minute video review. It would cost Washington a run when Rendon smashed a homer to left field. After the inning, Martinez angrily moved toward the umpires, bench coach Chip Hale restraining him. But Martinez yelled until home plate umpire Sam Holbrook ejected him, leaving Hale to take the team to the finish. Rendon's two-run homer put Washington ahead 5-2 and his two-run double in the ninth added more insurance runs.

US baseball: Nationals beat Astros to force World Series showdown

Exposing The 'Woke' Washington Post, Its Definition Dilemma & Its Three Headlines On al-Baghdadi's Death

Gravitas: Washington Post's Al-baghdadi Headline: The Death Of Reason?

Jane Fonda accepted her BAFTA Brittania Award while being arrested at a climate change protest in Washington, D.C. Fonda has moved to Washington and has been lobbying lawmakers for a Green New Deal policy to slow and combat the effects of climate change.

Arrested Jane Fonda accept BAFTA award via video message

Watch in WION Wallet: China seeks sanctions on the U.S. in the World Trade Organisation.

WION Wallet: China seeks sanctions on U.S. in World Trade Organisation

Turkey agreed to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by Washington but which Turkish leaders cast as a complete victory.

Ceasefire announced in Syria: Turkey agreed to no military actions

'Ceasefire' or a 'pause'? What happened when Washington, Ankara met over Syria offensive

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huaweis-new-phone-lacks-google-access-after-us-ban-250639">Huawei's revenues jumped</a> to $86.2 billion&nbsp;and its profit margin grew 8.7 per cent, the company announced.

The firm has been under immense pressure this year as Washington lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company's telecom gear over security concerns, and in May blacklisted it from both the US market and buying crucial US components.

The United States has expressed concerns that Huawei equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic.

The company has repeatedly denied the accusation.

"Huawei has maintained its focus on ICT infrastructure and smart devices, and continued to boost the efficiency and quality of its operations," a company statement said.

"This contributed to increased operational and organisational stability and solidified the company's performance in the first three quarters of 2019."

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally.

Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew 24.4 per cent year-on-year despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally. Huawei's revenues jumped to $86.2 billion and its profit margin grew 8.7 per cent, the company announced. The firm has been under immense pressure this year as Washington lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company's telecom gear over security concerns, and in May blacklisted it from both the US market and buying crucial US components. The United States has expressed concerns that Huawei equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic. The company has repeatedly denied the accusation. "Huawei has maintained its focus on ICT infrastructure and smart devices, and continued to boost the efficiency and quality of its operations," a company statement said. "This contributed to increased operational and organisational stability and solidified the company's performance in the first three quarters of 2019."

Nine-month revenue up despite US pressure: Huawei

The United States said on Sunday it will withdraw its remaining 1,000 troops from northern Syria in the face of an expanding Turkish offensive while Syria's army struck a deal with Kurdish forces to redeploy along its border with Turkey, both major victories for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The developments illustrate Washington's waning influence over events in Syria and the failure of the US policy of keeping Assad from reasserting state authority over areas lost during the more than eight-year conflict with rebels trying to end his rule.

The developments also represent wins for Russia and Iran, which have backed Assad since 2011 when his violent effort to crush what began as peaceful protests against his family's decades-long rule of Syria exploded into a full-blown civil war.

While the US withdrawal moves American troops out of the line of fire, the return of Syrian soldiers to the Turkish border opens up the possibility of a wider conflagration should the Syrian army come in direct conflict with Turkish forces.

The Turkish onslaught in northern Syria has also raised the prospect that Islamic State militants and their families held by the Kurdish forces targeted by Turkey may escape - scores were said to have done so already - and permit the group's revival.

The remarkable turn of events was set in motion a week ago when U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw about 50 special operations forces from two outposts in northern Syria, a step widely seen as paving the way for Turkey to launch its week-long incursion against Kurdish militia in the region.

Turkey aims to neutralize the Kurdish YPG militia, the main element of Washington's Kurdish-led ally, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a key US ally in dismantling the jihadist "caliphate" set up by Islamic State militants in Syria.

Ankara regards the YPG as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.

ERDOGAN OUTLINES WIDER OPERATION

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said the offensive would extend from Kobani in the west to Hasaka in the east and extend some 30 km (19 miles) into Syrian territory, with the town of Ras al-Ain now in Turkish control.

US Defense Secretary Mike Esper said the United States decided to withdraw its roughly 1,000 troops in northern Syria - two U.S. officials told Reuters it could pull the bulk out in days - after learning of the deepening Turkish offensive.

It was unclear what would happen to the several hundred US&nbsp;troops at the American military outpost of Tanf, near Syria's southern border with Iraq and Jordan.

Another factor behind the decision, Esper indicated in an interview with the CBS program "Face the Nation," was that the SDF aimed to make a deal with Russia and Syria to counter the Turkish onslaught. Several hours later, the Kurdish-led administration said it had struck just such an agreement for the Syrian army to deploy along the length of the border with Turkey to help repel Ankara's offensive.

The deployment would help the SDF in countering "this aggression and liberating the areas that the Turkish army and mercenaries had entered," it added, referring to Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, and would also allow for the liberation of other Syrian cities occupied by the Turkish army such as Afrin.

The fighting has sparked Western concerns that the SDF, holding large swathes of northern Syria once controlled by Islamic State, would be unable to keep thousands of jihadists in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps.

The region's Kurdish-led administration said 785 Islamic State-affiliated foreigners escaped the camp at Ain Issa but the British-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing sources in the camp, said around 100 people had escaped.

Erdogan dismissed the reports and told the state-run Anadolu news agency that accounts of escapes by Islamic State prisoners were "disinformation" aimed at provoking the West.

SANCTIONS THREAT

Trump, who has come under withering criticism for the U.S. withdrawal, including from his fellow Republicans, placed the onus on the Kurds and Turkey to restrain the Islamic State fighters and blamed European nations for not taking back their own citizens.

"Turkey and the Kurds must not let them escape. Europe should have taken them back," Trump wrote on Twitter. "They will never come to, or be allowed in, the United States!"

Turkey also said Turkish and allied Syrian rebel forces seized a highway some 30-35 km (18-22 miles) into Syrian territory, which would sever a major artery linking the Kurdish-run regions of war-torn Syria's north.

An SDF official said clashes were going on along the road.

New reports of civilian casualties surfaced. A Turkish airstrike in Ras al-Ain killed 14 people including 10 civilians on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The SDF said a "civilian convoy" had been targeted.

Turkey's stated aim is to carve out a "safe zone" inside Syria to resettle many of the 3.6 million Syrian war refugees it is hosting. Erdogan has threatened to send them to Europe if the EU does not back his assault.

But the Turkish offensive has triggered international alarm over its large-scale displacements of civilians as well as U.S. domestic criticism that Trump has effectively abandoned the US Kurdish allies. Trump argues that the United States should withdraw from "endless" Middle East wars and protect its own borders.

Turkey now faces threats of possible sanctions from the United States, a NATO ally, unless it calls off the incursion.

Two other NATO allies, Germany and France, have suspended arms exports to Turkey, and French President Emmanuel Macron was convening an emergency defense cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss options regarding the offensive.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said Washington was studying "extremely troubling" reports that a Kurdish politician and captured Kurdish fighters were killed by Turkish proxy forces amid the offensive.

More than 130,000 people have been displaced from rural areas around Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain as a result of the fighting, the United Nations said.

The planned evacuation of U.S. forces came a week after Trump spoke by telephone with Erdogan and then abruptly shifted policy and withdrew about 50 U.S. troops deployed to support Kurdish forces in the campaign against Islamic State.

"In the last 24 hours, we learned that (the Turks) likely intend to extend their attack further south than originally planned, and to the west," Esper said. "We also have learned in the last 24 hours that the ... SDF are looking to cut a deal, if you will, with the Syrians and the Russians to counter-attack against the Turks in the north."

Syrian state media reported that the Syrian army has begun deploying its troops to northern battlefronts to confront "Turkish aggression" on Syrian territory.

Esper called the situation "untenable" for U.S. forces, saying he spoke with Trump on Saturday night and that the president directed the U.S. military to "begin a deliberate withdrawal of forces from northern Syria".

Erdogan told reporters that Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies had besieged Tel Abyad, a key border town west of Ras al-Ain. They later advanced into the centre of Tel Abyad where the situation was calm and they were conducting search operations, a Reuters witness said.

Erdogan also said Turkish-led forces had killed 440 SDF fighters so far and captured 109 square km (42 square miles) of terrain, including 17 villages around Tel Abyad and four villages around Ras Al Ain.

The United States said on Sunday it will withdraw its remaining 1,000 troops from northern Syria in the face of an expanding Turkish offensive while Syria's army struck a deal with Kurdish forces to redeploy along its border with Turkey, both major victories for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States said on Sunday it will withdraw its remaining 1,000 troops from northern Syria in the face of an expanding Turkish offensive while Syria's army struck a deal with Kurdish forces to redeploy along its border with Turkey, both major victories for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The developments illustrate Washington's waning influence over events in Syria and the failure of the US policy of keeping Assad from reasserting state authority over areas lost during the more than eight-year conflict with rebels trying to end his rule. The developments also represent wins for Russia and Iran, which have backed Assad since 2011 when his violent effort to crush what began as peaceful protests against his family's decades-long rule of Syria exploded into a full-blown civil war. While the US withdrawal moves American troops out of the line of fire, the return of Syrian soldiers to the Turkish border opens up the possibility of a wider conflagration should the Syrian army come in direct conflict with Turkish forces. The Turkish onslaught in northern Syria has also raised the prospect that Islamic State militants and their families held by the Kurdish forces targeted by Turkey may escape - scores were said to have done so already - and permit the group's revival. The remarkable turn of events was set in motion a week ago when U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw about 50 special operations forces from two outposts in northern Syria, a step widely seen as paving the way for Turkey to launch its week-long incursion against Kurdish militia in the region. Turkey aims to neutralize the Kurdish YPG militia, the main element of Washington's Kurdish-led ally, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a key US ally in dismantling the jihadist "caliphate" set up by Islamic State militants in Syria. Ankara regards the YPG as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. ERDOGAN OUTLINES WIDER OPERATION Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said the offensive would extend from Kobani in the west to Hasaka in the east and extend some 30 km (19 miles) into Syrian territory, with the town of Ras al-Ain now in Turkish control. US Defense Secretary Mike Esper said the United States decided to withdraw its roughly 1,000 troops in northern Syria - two U.S. officials told Reuters it could pull the bulk out in days - after learning of the deepening Turkish offensive. It was unclear what would happen to the several hundred US troops at the American military outpost of Tanf, near Syria's southern border with Iraq and Jordan. Another factor behind the decision, Esper indicated in an interview with the CBS program "Face the Nation," was that the SDF aimed to make a deal with Russia and Syria to counter the Turkish onslaught. Several hours later, the Kurdish-led administration said it had struck just such an agreement for the Syrian army to deploy along the length of the border with Turkey to help repel Ankara's offensive. The deployment would help the SDF in countering "this aggression and liberating the areas that the Turkish army and mercenaries had entered," it added, referring to Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, and would also allow for the liberation of other Syrian cities occupied by the Turkish army such as Afrin. The fighting has sparked Western concerns that the SDF, holding large swathes of northern Syria once controlled by Islamic State, would be unable to keep thousands of jihadists in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps. The region's Kurdish-led administration said 785 Islamic State-affiliated foreigners escaped the camp at Ain Issa but the British-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing sources in the camp, said around 100 people had escaped. Erdogan dismissed the reports and told the state-run Anadolu news agency that accounts of escapes by Islamic State prisoners were "disinformation" aimed at provoking the West. SANCTIONS THREAT Trump, who has come under withering criticism for the U.S. withdrawal, including from his fellow Republicans, placed the onus on the Kurds and Turkey to restrain the Islamic State fighters and blamed European nations for not taking back their own citizens. "Turkey and the Kurds must not let them escape. Europe should have taken them back," Trump wrote on Twitter. "They will never come to, or be allowed in, the United States!" Turkey also said Turkish and allied Syrian rebel forces seized a highway some 30-35 km (18-22 miles) into Syrian territory, which would sever a major artery linking the Kurdish-run regions of war-torn Syria's north. An SDF official said clashes were going on along the road. New reports of civilian casualties surfaced. A Turkish airstrike in Ras al-Ain killed 14 people including 10 civilians on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The SDF said a "civilian convoy" had been targeted. Turkey's stated aim is to carve out a "safe zone" inside Syria to resettle many of the 3.6 million Syrian war refugees it is hosting. Erdogan has threatened to send them to Europe if the EU does not back his assault. But the Turkish offensive has triggered international alarm over its large-scale displacements of civilians as well as U.S. domestic criticism that Trump has effectively abandoned the US Kurdish allies. Trump argues that the United States should withdraw from "endless" Middle East wars and protect its own borders. Turkey now faces threats of possible sanctions from the United States, a NATO ally, unless it calls off the incursion. Two other NATO allies, Germany and France, have suspended arms exports to Turkey, and French President Emmanuel Macron was convening an emergency defense cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss options regarding the offensive. A U.S. State Department spokesman said Washington was studying "extremely troubling" reports that a Kurdish politician and captured Kurdish fighters were killed by Turkish proxy forces amid the offensive. More than 130,000 people have been displaced from rural areas around Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain as a result of the fighting, the United Nations said. The planned evacuation of U.S. forces came a week after Trump spoke by telephone with Erdogan and then abruptly shifted policy and withdrew about 50 U.S. troops deployed to support Kurdish forces in the campaign against Islamic State. "In the last 24 hours, we learned that (the Turks) likely intend to extend their attack further south than originally planned, and to the west," Esper said. "We also have learned in the last 24 hours that the ... SDF are looking to cut a deal, if you will, with the Syrians and the Russians to counter-attack against the Turks in the north." Syrian state media reported that the Syrian army has begun deploying its troops to northern battlefronts to confront "Turkish aggression" on Syrian territory. Esper called the situation "untenable" for U.S. forces, saying he spoke with Trump on Saturday night and that the president directed the U.S. military to "begin a deliberate withdrawal of forces from northern Syria". Erdogan told reporters that Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies had besieged Tel Abyad, a key border town west of Ras al-Ain. They later advanced into the centre of Tel Abyad where the situation was calm and they were conducting search operations, a Reuters witness said. Erdogan also said Turkish-led forces had killed 440 SDF fighters so far and captured 109 square km (42 square miles) of terrain, including 17 villages around Tel Abyad and four villages around Ras Al Ain.

US to pull last troops from north Syria; Syrian army to redeploy on border

The United States announced on Friday (October 11, 2019) a new, large deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia to help bolster the kingdom's defences following the Sept. 14 attack on its oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran.

Deployment of large number of forces to Saudi Arabia by U.S.

Turkey intensified its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-turkish-soldier-killed-during-syria-operation-defence-ministry-255146">air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia </a>in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism.

A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling.

In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy.

Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said.

On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.

Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage.

A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain.

Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said.

"In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said.

Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west.

"The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said.

Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war.

At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side.

Refugees "weaponised"

Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU.

"We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week.

The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign.

The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State.

The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps.

A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said.

Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled.

Rare Republican criticism of Trump

In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!".

"I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House.

Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey.

Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump. The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism. A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling. In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy. Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said. On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar. Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage. A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain. Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said. "In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west. "The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said. Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war. At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday. Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side. Refugees "weaponised" Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU. "We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week. The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign. The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State. The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps. A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said. Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin. Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled. Rare Republican criticism of Trump In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!". "I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House. Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey. Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensifies Syria campaign; Washington warns of 'serious consequences'

Asian markets rose Thursday but investors moved cautiously as they sifted through conflicting reports about the outlook for upcoming China-US trade talks.

Global investors have been broadly upbeat in recent weeks that the meeting in Washington between top-level representatives would see at least some progress.

But with the much-anticipated gathering due to start within hours, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported pre-meeting discussions had not made any progress on key areas such as forced technology transfers and would be cut in half to just one day.

That came after Wall Street's three main indexes had ended with healthy gains on reports that a pared-down deal was still possible, with Beijing boosting agricultural purchases and the US delaying the imposition of new tariffs next week.

Tensions were already showing this week after the US unveiled restrictions on 28 Chinese entities over human rights violations in Xinjiang province and imposed visa restrictions on some officials, while a report said the White House was considering curtailing US investment in the country.

For its part, sources were reported to have said China had narrowed the issues it was willing to discuss as it felt in a stronger position owing to Donald Trump facing an impeachment inquiry at home and a weakening economy.

The SCMP report "reverses the trade optimism that was dominating overnight flow as investors were hoping that at minimum, some type of a deal could be forged", said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader.

'Petals from a flower'

"So instead of debating how encompassing the deal might be, investors are now back to plucking petals from a flower guessing if there will be a deal at all."

On regional markets Shanghai and Hong Kong each rose 0.4 per cent while Tokyo went into the break 0.5 per cent higher. Sydney and Singapore each added 0.1 per cent, with Manila and Jakarta also higher.

Wellington was flat and Seoul sank 0.8 per cent.

In foreign exchanges, the dollar was lower against most other currencies after minutes from the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting showed it was growing concerned about the impact of Trump's trade war.

The central bank is expected to cut interest rates for the third time when the board meets again later this month.

The minutes "revealed greater concerns over downside risk from slowing global growth and trade tensions with subdued inflation also seen as a reason to cut", said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank.

But he pointed out that "a few officials saw the need to push back against market Fed rate cut expectations".

Oil prices extended Wednesday's losses following data showing a bigger-than-forecast pick-up in US inventories that reinforced worries about the impact on demand from a global slowdown and trade frictions.

The data reversed a rally of more than one per cent in the commodity that came after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Syria.

Asian markets rose Thursday but investors moved cautiously as they sifted through conflicting reports about the outlook for upcoming China-US trade talks. Global investors have been broadly upbeat in recent weeks that the meeting in Washington between top-level representatives would see at least some progress.

Asian markets rose Thursday but investors moved cautiously as they sifted through conflicting reports about the outlook for upcoming China-US trade talks. Global investors have been broadly upbeat in recent weeks that the meeting in Washington between top-level representatives would see at least some progress. But with the much-anticipated gathering due to start within hours, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported pre-meeting discussions had not made any progress on key areas such as forced technology transfers and would be cut in half to just one day. That came after Wall Street's three main indexes had ended with healthy gains on reports that a pared-down deal was still possible, with Beijing boosting agricultural purchases and the US delaying the imposition of new tariffs next week. Tensions were already showing this week after the US unveiled restrictions on 28 Chinese entities over human rights violations in Xinjiang province and imposed visa restrictions on some officials, while a report said the White House was considering curtailing US investment in the country. For its part, sources were reported to have said China had narrowed the issues it was willing to discuss as it felt in a stronger position owing to Donald Trump facing an impeachment inquiry at home and a weakening economy. The SCMP report "reverses the trade optimism that was dominating overnight flow as investors were hoping that at minimum, some type of a deal could be forged", said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader. 'Petals from a flower' "So instead of debating how encompassing the deal might be, investors are now back to plucking petals from a flower guessing if there will be a deal at all." On regional markets Shanghai and Hong Kong each rose 0.4 per cent while Tokyo went into the break 0.5 per cent higher. Sydney and Singapore each added 0.1 per cent, with Manila and Jakarta also higher. Wellington was flat and Seoul sank 0.8 per cent. In foreign exchanges, the dollar was lower against most other currencies after minutes from the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting showed it was growing concerned about the impact of Trump's trade war. The central bank is expected to cut interest rates for the third time when the board meets again later this month. The minutes "revealed greater concerns over downside risk from slowing global growth and trade tensions with subdued inflation also seen as a reason to cut", said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank. But he pointed out that "a few officials saw the need to push back against market Fed rate cut expectations". Oil prices extended Wednesday's losses following data showing a bigger-than-forecast pick-up in US inventories that reinforced worries about the impact on demand from a global slowdown and trade frictions. The data reversed a rally of more than one per cent in the commodity that came after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Syria.

Asia markets rise as dealers nervously await start of trade talks

On Tuesday, Trump administration had blocked the 28 companies yesterday as China has detained over one million in Xinjiang. So, in that matter now the U.S. imposes visa restrictions on some Chinese officials.

Chinese Embassy in Washington: Visa restrictions for some Chinese officials

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington DC on October 01. The EAM is on a three-day visit to Washington. During his visit, he will meet US Defence Secretary Mark Esper and the new National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien.

EAM Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Pompeo in Washington DC

Russia on Monday said it was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-russians-over-2018-elections-interference-252904">"bewildered" by fresh US sanctions</a> and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack".&nbsp;

The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians &nbsp;-- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered."&nbsp;

"We urge American politicians to stop this useless sanctions game, the result of which is zero, and to return to the position of common sense," the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

The financial sanctions, which target Russian financier Evgeny Prigozhin, some of his assets and the so-called Internet Research Agency, are the first to be taken under an executive order signed last year President Donald Trump seeking to punish foreign actors accused of interfering in US elections.&nbsp;

The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Monday.

The foreign ministry said the sanctions were part of an "internal political crisis" in the United States in which "Russian issues are deliberately used by part of the Washington establishment as a tool to achieve their own opportunistic goals."&nbsp;

The sanctions marked the third time the US had added Prigozhin's name to its list of foreign nationals formally barred from the US financial system, a move which freezes him out of much of the global financial system as well.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-want-access-to-trumps-phone-calls-with-russian-president-putin-others-252704">US prosecutors last year indicted the Internet Research Agency as well as alleged employees</a>, charging them with a broad conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections by spreading disinformation in the United States via social media.

The US Treasury said Monday the agency had announced its intention to do likewise in the 2018 midterms by seeking to discredit candidates it viewed as hostile to Moscow.

There was no evidence they were successful in preventing voting, altering vote counts or disrupting vote tallying, the Treasury said.

Russia on Monday said it was "bewildered" by fresh US sanctions and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack". The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians -- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered.

Russia on Monday said it was "bewildered" by fresh US sanctions and vowed to retaliate following what it called an "anti-Russian attack". The foreign ministry said the new sanctions on several Russians -- including a businessman tied to President Vladimir Putin and a disinformation operation accused of conspiring to manipulate the US 2018 midterm election -- "will not go unanswered." "We urge American politicians to stop this useless sanctions game, the result of which is zero, and to return to the position of common sense," the ministry said in a statement. The financial sanctions, which target Russian financier Evgeny Prigozhin, some of his assets and the so-called Internet Research Agency, are the first to be taken under an executive order signed last year President Donald Trump seeking to punish foreign actors accused of interfering in US elections. The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Monday. The foreign ministry said the sanctions were part of an "internal political crisis" in the United States in which "Russian issues are deliberately used by part of the Washington establishment as a tool to achieve their own opportunistic goals." The sanctions marked the third time the US had added Prigozhin's name to its list of foreign nationals formally barred from the US financial system, a move which freezes him out of much of the global financial system as well. US prosecutors last year indicted the Internet Research Agency as well as alleged employees, charging them with a broad conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections by spreading disinformation in the United States via social media. The US Treasury said Monday the agency had announced its intention to do likewise in the 2018 midterms by seeking to discredit candidates it viewed as hostile to Moscow. There was no evidence they were successful in preventing voting, altering vote counts or disrupting vote tallying, the Treasury said.

Moscow vows to retaliate over new 'anti-Russian' United States sanctions

The Indian-American business community is hopeful for the trade deal between New Delhi and Washington. Listen in to know their expectations!

WION Speaks to the Members of Indian-American business community

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said.

Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman.

He said it is not an active shooting situation.

"Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said.

Watch: Late night shoot-out in Northwest Washington DC, several injured

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/reports-late-night-shoot-out-in-northwest-washington-dc-several-injured-250712/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Of the five wounded victims of the shooting, two were considered critcal and other injuries ranged from serious to minor, but all were expected to survive their injuries, he said.

All of the victims are adults, Emerman said.

The gunfire erupted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, about two miles (three km) from the White House on Thursday night about 10 p.m., and happened outdoors in a courtyard of an apartment building, police said.

ABC affiliate WJLA-TV posted images on Twitter of ambulances carrying victims from the scene and said there had been a "massive" police response at the intersection of 14th Street and Columbia Road.

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said. Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman.

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said. Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman. He said it is not an active shooting situation. "Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said. Watch: Late night shoot-out in Northwest Washington DC, several injured Of the five wounded victims of the shooting, two were considered critcal and other injuries ranged from serious to minor, but all were expected to survive their injuries, he said. All of the victims are adults, Emerman said. The gunfire erupted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, about two miles (three km) from the White House on Thursday night about 10 p.m., and happened outdoors in a courtyard of an apartment building, police said. ABC affiliate WJLA-TV posted images on Twitter of ambulances carrying victims from the scene and said there had been a "massive" police response at the intersection of 14th Street and Columbia Road.

One dead, five hurt in Washington, DC shooting: Police

Late-night shooting in Northwest Washington D.C. Several people are injured in this shoot-out. More details are awaited.

Reports: Late night shoot-out in Northwest Washington D.C., several injured

Two shootings in Washington, DC left two people dead and seven injured late on Thursday, reports by police and several media outlets said, as authorities on Friday hunted for a pair of suspects from one of the attacks likely armed with an assault rifle.

In the first attack, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/multiple-people-shot-on-streets-of-washington-250705">one man was killed and five people wounded</a>, two of them critically, in a drive-by shooting. The victims had been standing in an apartment building courtyard in the Columbia Heights neighbourhood when they were shot, Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman said.

Two suspects were seen in a Nissan sedan and used an "AK style rifle," police said in statement.

"Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said.

About half an hour after the first incident, three people were shot in the northeastern part of the city, leaving one dead, according to NBC's Washington affiliate. There was no initial indication the two shootings were linked, NBC reported, citing police.

DC Police on Twitter confirmed the second shooting in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue just south of the Brookland neighborhood but gave no other details.

ABC affiliate WJLA-TV showed ambulances carrying victims from the scene of the first shooting.

Gun violence has been a regular feature of American life, but a spate of recent mass shootings in Texas, Ohio and other states have renewed debate over the nation's gun laws and spurred calls for action.

Many Republicans and the powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, oppose further restrictions on gun ownership. Republican Vice President Mike Pence has decried the gun-control stance and accused the Democrats as having a "radical agenda."

Republican President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News that aired on Thursday, said he was looking for compromise steps that both Democrats and Republicans could support on gun control, but has given no details on what action he may push.

House Democrats have passed several gun initiatives, including expanded background checks, but the Republican-led Senate has not taken up the legislation.

The controversy over the use of assault rifles has entered the 2020 presidential race, with candidate and former US Representative Beto O'Rourke declaring at a Democratic debate that he would confiscate such rifles.

O'Rourke has made gun safety the centerpiece of his campaign since late August, when his hometown of El Paso, Texas, was the site of a racially motivated mass shooting that killed 22 people inside a Walmart store.

On Thursday, gunmaker Colt said it was suspending its productions of the AR15 and other rifles for the civilian market, the Associated Press reported.

Two shootings in Washington, DC left two people dead and seven injured late on Thursday, reports by police and several media outlets said, as authorities on Friday hunted for a pair of suspects from one of the attacks likely armed with an assault rifle.

Two shootings in Washington, DC left two people dead and seven injured late on Thursday, reports by police and several media outlets said, as authorities on Friday hunted for a pair of suspects from one of the attacks likely armed with an assault rifle. In the first attack, one man was killed and five people wounded, two of them critically, in a drive-by shooting. The victims had been standing in an apartment building courtyard in the Columbia Heights neighbourhood when they were shot, Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman said. Two suspects were seen in a Nissan sedan and used an "AK style rifle," police said in statement. "Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said. About half an hour after the first incident, three people were shot in the northeastern part of the city, leaving one dead, according to NBC's Washington affiliate. There was no initial indication the two shootings were linked, NBC reported, citing police. DC Police on Twitter confirmed the second shooting in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue just south of the Brookland neighborhood but gave no other details. ABC affiliate WJLA-TV showed ambulances carrying victims from the scene of the first shooting. Gun violence has been a regular feature of American life, but a spate of recent mass shootings in Texas, Ohio and other states have renewed debate over the nation's gun laws and spurred calls for action. Many Republicans and the powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, oppose further restrictions on gun ownership. Republican Vice President Mike Pence has decried the gun-control stance and accused the Democrats as having a "radical agenda." Republican President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News that aired on Thursday, said he was looking for compromise steps that both Democrats and Republicans could support on gun control, but has given no details on what action he may push. House Democrats have passed several gun initiatives, including expanded background checks, but the Republican-led Senate has not taken up the legislation. The controversy over the use of assault rifles has entered the 2020 presidential race, with candidate and former US Representative Beto O'Rourke declaring at a Democratic debate that he would confiscate such rifles. O'Rourke has made gun safety the centerpiece of his campaign since late August, when his hometown of El Paso, Texas, was the site of a racially motivated mass shooting that killed 22 people inside a Walmart store. On Thursday, gunmaker Colt said it was suspending its productions of the AR15 and other rifles for the civilian market, the Associated Press reported.

Two killed, seven wounded in two Washington, DC shootings; police seek suspects: Reports

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-signals-veto-in-the-standoff-with-us-over-afghan-un-mission-diplomats-250192">China and the United States</a> have formed highly complementary, deeply integrated and mutually beneficial relations, as reflected by the statistics in a report recently released by the US-China Business Council (USCBC), Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Geng said that China hopes the US&nbsp;could give ear to more rational voices in the country.

"We have noticed the report issued by the US-China Business Council. The views in the report are representative to some extent, and show that in the past period of time, US&nbsp;commercial and industrial fields and regional districts have been worried about the escalation of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trade-talks-seen-as-unlikely-to-mend-us-china-divide-250119">China-US&nbsp;trade frictions</a>, and expecting the two sides to solve the trade frictions properly through negotiations," Geng said.

Geng said the report indicated that concerning the goods trade, 265 US&nbsp;electoral districts saw a decline in the export volume to China in 2018, 157 of which saw a double-digit drop. The central and western US&nbsp;and the plain area, where soybeans and other agricultural products were exported, have been most severely affected; as to the service trade, the export volume to China declined in 100 electoral districts in 2017, while in 2016, the volume in 380 electoral districts showed a double-digit or even faster growth.

Geng said that against the backdrop of the China-US&nbsp;trade dispute, the US&nbsp;exports to China in 2018 increased by only 0.75 percent, while in the meantime, the growth rates were respectively 15.3 percent, 14.3 percent and 11.7 percent from South Korea, Japan and European Union.

"The statistics quoted in the report once again prove that the US&nbsp;and China have formed highly complementary, deeply integrated and mutually beneficial relations. The escalating trade dispute is accelerating the market shares loss by the US&nbsp;It damages the interests of the US&nbsp;commercial and industrial fields at first and ultimately damages the interests of the ordinary Americans. In general, trade dispute damages both the US&nbsp;itself and others, and the loss outweighs the gains. We hope the US&nbsp;can give ear to domestic rational voices and work together with China to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win deal through negotiations based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, which not only agrees with the interests of the two countries and their peoples, but is also a common expectation of the international community," Geng said.

The USCBC recently issued the report to analyze the changes of the US&nbsp;voting districts’ goods and service exports to China in the past 10 years, and concluded that China remains a major destination for the US&nbsp;manufacturing and service industries, but the escalating US-China tensions and the uncertainty of the trade dispute would have a negative impact on the US&nbsp;enterprises to expand their markets in China.

China and the United States have formed highly complementary, deeply integrated and mutually beneficial relations, as reflected by the statistics in a report recently released by the US-China Business Council (USCBC), Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

China and the United States have formed highly complementary, deeply integrated and mutually beneficial relations, as reflected by the statistics in a report recently released by the US-China Business Council (USCBC), Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday. Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Geng said that China hopes the US could give ear to more rational voices in the country. "We have noticed the report issued by the US-China Business Council. The views in the report are representative to some extent, and show that in the past period of time, US commercial and industrial fields and regional districts have been worried about the escalation of the China-US trade frictions, and expecting the two sides to solve the trade frictions properly through negotiations," Geng said. Geng said the report indicated that concerning the goods trade, 265 US electoral districts saw a decline in the export volume to China in 2018, 157 of which saw a double-digit drop. The central and western US and the plain area, where soybeans and other agricultural products were exported, have been most severely affected; as to the service trade, the export volume to China declined in 100 electoral districts in 2017, while in 2016, the volume in 380 electoral districts showed a double-digit or even faster growth. Geng said that against the backdrop of the China-US trade dispute, the US exports to China in 2018 increased by only 0.75 percent, while in the meantime, the growth rates were respectively 15.3 percent, 14.3 percent and 11.7 percent from South Korea, Japan and European Union. "The statistics quoted in the report once again prove that the US and China have formed highly complementary, deeply integrated and mutually beneficial relations. The escalating trade dispute is accelerating the market shares loss by the US It damages the interests of the US commercial and industrial fields at first and ultimately damages the interests of the ordinary Americans. In general, trade dispute damages both the US itself and others, and the loss outweighs the gains. We hope the US can give ear to domestic rational voices and work together with China to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win deal through negotiations based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, which not only agrees with the interests of the two countries and their peoples, but is also a common expectation of the international community," Geng said. The USCBC recently issued the report to analyze the changes of the US voting districts’ goods and service exports to China in the past 10 years, and concluded that China remains a major destination for the US manufacturing and service industries, but the escalating US-China tensions and the uncertainty of the trade dispute would have a negative impact on the US enterprises to expand their markets in China.

Beijing, Washington hold deeply integrated, mutually beneficial ties: China

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