The United States President Donald Trump would have no problem with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-back-foot-democrats-demand-release-of-full-mueller-report-205409"> release of the Mueller report into Russia's meddling in the 2016 US election</a>, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday.

"I don't think the president has any problem with it," Sanders said on a television show on NBC channel.

"He's more than happy for any of this stuff to come out because he knows exactly what did and what didn't happen and now frankly the rest of America knows," Sanders added.

Echoing Trump, Sanders said the American public knows "there was no collusion, they know there was no obstruction and it's a complete and total exoneration of the president."

In a letter sent to Congress summarising Mueller report on Sunday, Barr quoted Special Counsel saying, "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."&nbsp;

Barr said the investigation did not recommend any further indictments and does not have any further sealed indictments outstanding.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence regarding Trump or his campaign conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election in his favour.

Following Barr's letter to Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded the report to made publicly release while stressing that it does not exonerate Trump.

They also said Barr, nominated just months ago by Trump, is "not a neutral observer" in the process and that his summary of the report is not an objective determination about Mueller's findings.

Meanwhile, Trump called the outcome a "complete and total exoneration" despite Mueller's caveat on obstruction.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The United States President Donald Trump would have no problem with the release of the Mueller report into Russia's meddling in the 2016 US election, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday.

The United States President Donald Trump would have no problem with the release of the Mueller report into Russia's meddling in the 2016 US election, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday. "I don't think the president has any problem with it," Sanders said on a television show on NBC channel. "He's more than happy for any of this stuff to come out because he knows exactly what did and what didn't happen and now frankly the rest of America knows," Sanders added. Echoing Trump, Sanders said the American public knows "there was no collusion, they know there was no obstruction and it's a complete and total exoneration of the president." In a letter sent to Congress summarising Mueller report on Sunday, Barr quoted Special Counsel saying, "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." Barr said the investigation did not recommend any further indictments and does not have any further sealed indictments outstanding. Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence regarding Trump or his campaign conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election in his favour. Following Barr's letter to Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded the report to made publicly release while stressing that it does not exonerate Trump. They also said Barr, nominated just months ago by Trump, is "not a neutral observer" in the process and that his summary of the report is not an objective determination about Mueller's findings. Meanwhile, Trump called the outcome a "complete and total exoneration" despite Mueller's caveat on obstruction. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump has no problem with release of Mueller report: White House

President Donald Trump on Friday abruptly announced the cancellation of sanctions imposed by his own Treasury Department to tighten international pressure on North Korea.

"It was announced today by the US&nbsp;Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-first-new-north-korea-sanctions-since-failed-summit-204745">Sanctions on North Korea</a>. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!" Trump said in a tweet.

He appeared to be referring to measures unveiled Thursday that targeted two Chinese companies accused of helping North Korea to evade tight international sanctions meant to pressure Pyongyang into ending its nuclear weapons program.

But The Washington Post reported, citing Trump administration officials, that the president's tweet referenced future sanctions that had not been announced and were scheduled for "the coming days."

The Thursday sanctions were the first new sign of pressure since talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un broke down in Hanoi less than a month ago.

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It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1109143448634966020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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However, Trump, who has previously spoken of "love" for the totalitarian leader, appears to retain hope that his strong personal relationship will bear fruit.

"President Trump likes Chairman Kim and he doesn't think these sanctions will be necessary," the president's spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said.

Adam Schiff, a Democrat who heads the intelligence committee in the House of Representatives, blasted Trump for cancelling sanctions "imposed only yesterday and championed by his own national security advisor, because he 'loves' Kim."

"Foolish naivete is dangerous enough. Gross incompetence and disarray in the White House make it even worse," Schiff tweeted.

On Thursday, Trump national security advisor John Bolton had tweeted that the sanctions were meant to put an end to "illicit shipping practices" by North Korea.

"Everyone should take notice and review their own activities to ensure they are not involved in North Korea's sanctions evasion," he said.

China complained, saying that it did enforce all UN resolutions and opposed "any country imposing unilateral sanctions and taking long-arm jurisdiction against any Chinese entity according to their own domestic laws."

This was Trump's second major, unexpected foreign policy announcement by Twitter in two days.

On Thursday, he sent a tweet reversing decades of US policy and pledged to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the hotly contested Golan Heights border area with Syria.

President Donald Trump on Friday abruptly announced the cancellation of sanctions imposed by his own Treasury Department to tighten international pressure on North Korea.

President Donald Trump on Friday abruptly announced the cancellation of sanctions imposed by his own Treasury Department to tighten international pressure on North Korea. "It was announced today by the US Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!" Trump said in a tweet. He appeared to be referring to measures unveiled Thursday that targeted two Chinese companies accused of helping North Korea to evade tight international sanctions meant to pressure Pyongyang into ending its nuclear weapons program. But The Washington Post reported, citing Trump administration officials, that the president's tweet referenced future sanctions that had not been announced and were scheduled for "the coming days." The Thursday sanctions were the first new sign of pressure since talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un broke down in Hanoi less than a month ago. It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2019 × However, Trump, who has previously spoken of "love" for the totalitarian leader, appears to retain hope that his strong personal relationship will bear fruit. "President Trump likes Chairman Kim and he doesn't think these sanctions will be necessary," the president's spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who heads the intelligence committee in the House of Representatives, blasted Trump for cancelling sanctions "imposed only yesterday and championed by his own national security advisor, because he 'loves' Kim." "Foolish naivete is dangerous enough. Gross incompetence and disarray in the White House make it even worse," Schiff tweeted. On Thursday, Trump national security advisor John Bolton had tweeted that the sanctions were meant to put an end to "illicit shipping practices" by North Korea. "Everyone should take notice and review their own activities to ensure they are not involved in North Korea's sanctions evasion," he said. China complained, saying that it did enforce all UN resolutions and opposed "any country imposing unilateral sanctions and taking long-arm jurisdiction against any Chinese entity according to their own domestic laws." This was Trump's second major, unexpected foreign policy announcement by Twitter in two days. On Thursday, he sent a tweet reversing decades of US policy and pledged to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the hotly contested Golan Heights border area with Syria.

Trump drops new North Korea sanctions because he 'likes' Kim: White House

Facebook Inc confirmed Tuesday it had briefly blocked White House social media director Dan Scavino from replying to comments from a reader, saying it was aimed at stopping "automated bots" and had apologized to him.

The social media company said in an emailed statement that it caps "the amount of identical, repetitive activity coming from one account in a short period of time, such as @mentioning people. These limits can have the unintended consequence of temporarily preventing real people like Dan Scavino from engaging in such activity but lift in an hour or two, which is what happened in this case. We’ve been in touch with him and have apologized for the inconvenience."

Earlier Tuesday US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said&nbsp;he will look into Facebook's decision to block public comments by White House social media director Dan Scavino.

Scavino posted a screenshot late on Monday of a message from Facebook saying he was temporarily blocked from making public comments because some of his comments had been reported as spam.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-restores-services-after-global-outage-203386">Facebook </a>said the issue was an "unintended consequence" of the platform's policy on scam, adding, it has been in touch with Scavino and has apologized to him.

Explaining the error, Facebook said it caps the amount of identical, repetitive activity coming from one account in a short period of time as to stop automated bots.

"These limits can have the unintended consequence of temporarily preventing real people like Dan Scavino from engaging in such activity, but lift in an hour or two, which is what happened in this case," a Facebook spokesperson said.

"Dear Facebook—AMAZING. WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME from replying to comments followers have left me - on my own Facebook Page!!?? People have the right to know. Why are you silencing me??? Please LMK!" Scavino said in his post earlier.

Trump pounced on the issue. "I will be looking into this!" Trump said in a Twitter post.

Facebook said the issue is "content-agnostic and is solely about addressing potentially scammy repetitive behaviour."

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump accused social media platforms Facebook, YouTube and Twitter of favouring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans. Alphabet Inc's Google owns YouTube.

Twitter declined to comment while Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Facebook Inc confirmed Tuesday it had briefly blocked White House social media director Dan Scavino from replying to comments from a reader, saying it was aimed at stopping "automated bots" and had apologized to him.

Facebook Inc confirmed Tuesday it had briefly blocked White House social media director Dan Scavino from replying to comments from a reader, saying it was aimed at stopping "automated bots" and had apologized to him. The social media company said in an emailed statement that it caps "the amount of identical, repetitive activity coming from one account in a short period of time, such as @mentioning people. These limits can have the unintended consequence of temporarily preventing real people like Dan Scavino from engaging in such activity but lift in an hour or two, which is what happened in this case. We’ve been in touch with him and have apologized for the inconvenience." Earlier Tuesday US President Donald Trump said he will look into Facebook's decision to block public comments by White House social media director Dan Scavino. Scavino posted a screenshot late on Monday of a message from Facebook saying he was temporarily blocked from making public comments because some of his comments had been reported as spam. Facebook said the issue was an "unintended consequence" of the platform's policy on scam, adding, it has been in touch with Scavino and has apologized to him. Explaining the error, Facebook said it caps the amount of identical, repetitive activity coming from one account in a short period of time as to stop automated bots. "These limits can have the unintended consequence of temporarily preventing real people like Dan Scavino from engaging in such activity, but lift in an hour or two, which is what happened in this case," a Facebook spokesperson said. "Dear Facebook—AMAZING. WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME from replying to comments followers have left me - on my own Facebook Page!!?? People have the right to know. Why are you silencing me??? Please LMK!" Scavino said in his post earlier. Trump pounced on the issue. "I will be looking into this!" Trump said in a Twitter post. Facebook said the issue is "content-agnostic and is solely about addressing potentially scammy repetitive behaviour." Earlier on Tuesday, Trump accused social media platforms Facebook, YouTube and Twitter of favouring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans. Alphabet Inc's Google owns YouTube. Twitter declined to comment while Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Facebook confirms it briefly limited White House official Dan Scavino's account

<a href="http://cms.wionews.com/world/trump-eyes-large-scale-trade-deal-with-uk-203343">US President Donald Trump</a> said Thursday that a new Brexit referendum -- touted by many in Britain who say the first vote to leave the European Union led to political chaos -- would be unfair.

"I don't think another vote would be possible because it would be very unfair to people who have won" in the initial referendum to quit the European Union, he said in the White House.

Trump also said he was "surprised to see how badly it has all gone" in the attempt to disentangle Britain from the EU.

"I think it could have been negotiated in a different manner, frankly," he said, calling the shambolic situation a "shame."

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that a new Brexit referendum -- touted by many in Britain who say the first vote to leave the European Union led to political chaos -- would be unfair.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that a new Brexit referendum -- touted by many in Britain who say the first vote to leave the European Union led to political chaos -- would be unfair. "I don't think another vote would be possible because it would be very unfair to people who have won" in the initial referendum to quit the European Union, he said in the White House. Trump also said he was "surprised to see how badly it has all gone" in the attempt to disentangle Britain from the EU. "I think it could have been negotiated in a different manner, frankly," he said, calling the shambolic situation a "shame."

Second Brexit referendum would be 'very unfair': Trump

US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo will meet with top oil executives before he addresses a conference on Tuesday, seeking to get them to help the administration's effort to boost crude exports to Asia and to support its policy of isolating Iran, according to three people at two companies briefed on the agenda.

The outreach represents a significant new effort to sway industry executives to the Trump Administration’s “energy dominance” agenda that seeks to advance diplomatic and policy objectives through rapidly expanding US oil and gas exports. The effort has won success in convincing nations including China, Poland, Japan and South Korea to purchases more US oil and natural gas.

Pompeo plans on discussing how to boost US energy dominance worldwide, but particularly in Asia, and further isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran, which the United States re-imposed sanctions on last year, through strengthening ties with other Middle East nations, the people said. The location and time of the meeting was unclear.

Following the meeting in Houston, Pompeo is set to speak at IHS Markit's CERAWeek conference, the oil and gas industry’s largest annual gathering in the United States. He was scheduled to meet State Department employees in the late morning, according to an official schedule.

Executives from major companies including Chevron Corp, Total SA, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum Corp have been invited to the closed-door meeting. Representatives from a number of those companies are scheduled to speak earlier in the day at CERAWeek.

Occidental declined to comment. Chevron had no comment. A Total representative could not immediately be reached for comment. The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A US State Department spokesperson did not immediately comment on Pompeo's schedule but did say that Frank Fannon, the department's top energy diplomat, was meeting with energy companies on Tuesday in Houston to talk about the Asia policy.

According to two of the sources, Pompeo was expected in the closed-door meeting to discuss the Trump administration's plans for the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), which would form an alliance of Sunni Muslim countries in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, as the White House seeks to restrain Iran.

That group has become mired in a dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both important US allies in the region. The lead US negotiator for the alliance, Anthony Zinni, left the position earlier this year, putting a plan to promote Arab security and battle extremism in jeopardy.

Tuesday's sit-down was also expected to include discussions on the United States’ policy in Asia. Dubbed 'Asia Edge' by the administration, it aims to grow Asian energy security by further expanding US oil and gas exports to the region, according to the sources.

“The success of Asia Edge is highly dependent on what private industry does and then the work the government can do to support that,” the spokesperson at the State Department’s energy bureau said.

“The main message is how we can work best with the companies. Consequently engaging with the CEOs, especially on Asia Edge, is key because they're playing a much bigger role than we would have seen in other types of similar issues."

The United States produces more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, making it the world's largest producer, and it is the world's biggest exporter of refined products like diesel fuel and gasoline.

It has expanded sales of fuels, crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asian customers, including China in a bid to dominate worldwide energy trade after a four-decade ban on crude exports was ended by President Obama in 2016. The United States now exports more than 3 million bpd of crude.

The Trump White House has also imposed harsh sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, both members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), removing more than 2 million bpd of oil from daily global supply.

After the Iran sanctions were imposed, the United States granted waivers to eight countries that buy Iranian oil. The waivers, aimed at avoiding a spike in global crude prices, are due to expire in May. Some are not likely to be renewed, though analysts believe India and China, among the world's largest crude buyers, will continue to receive waivers.

Brian Hook, the State Department's top Iran diplomat, is scheduled to speak at CERAWeek in Houston on Wednesday morning on current US policy on Iran.

US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo will meet with top oil executives before he addresses a conference on Tuesday, seeking to get them to help the administration's effort to boost crude exports to Asia and to support its policy of isolating Iran, according to three people at two companies briefed on the agenda.

US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo will meet with top oil executives before he addresses a conference on Tuesday, seeking to get them to help the administration's effort to boost crude exports to Asia and to support its policy of isolating Iran, according to three people at two companies briefed on the agenda. The outreach represents a significant new effort to sway industry executives to the Trump Administration’s “energy dominance” agenda that seeks to advance diplomatic and policy objectives through rapidly expanding US oil and gas exports. The effort has won success in convincing nations including China, Poland, Japan and South Korea to purchases more US oil and natural gas. Pompeo plans on discussing how to boost US energy dominance worldwide, but particularly in Asia, and further isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran, which the United States re-imposed sanctions on last year, through strengthening ties with other Middle East nations, the people said. The location and time of the meeting was unclear. Following the meeting in Houston, Pompeo is set to speak at IHS Markit's CERAWeek conference, the oil and gas industry’s largest annual gathering in the United States. He was scheduled to meet State Department employees in the late morning, according to an official schedule. Executives from major companies including Chevron Corp, Total SA, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum Corp have been invited to the closed-door meeting. Representatives from a number of those companies are scheduled to speak earlier in the day at CERAWeek. Occidental declined to comment. Chevron had no comment. A Total representative could not immediately be reached for comment. The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A US State Department spokesperson did not immediately comment on Pompeo's schedule but did say that Frank Fannon, the department's top energy diplomat, was meeting with energy companies on Tuesday in Houston to talk about the Asia policy. According to two of the sources, Pompeo was expected in the closed-door meeting to discuss the Trump administration's plans for the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), which would form an alliance of Sunni Muslim countries in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, as the White House seeks to restrain Iran. That group has become mired in a dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both important US allies in the region. The lead US negotiator for the alliance, Anthony Zinni, left the position earlier this year, putting a plan to promote Arab security and battle extremism in jeopardy. Tuesday's sit-down was also expected to include discussions on the United States’ policy in Asia. Dubbed 'Asia Edge' by the administration, it aims to grow Asian energy security by further expanding US oil and gas exports to the region, according to the sources. “The success of Asia Edge is highly dependent on what private industry does and then the work the government can do to support that,” the spokesperson at the State Department’s energy bureau said. “The main message is how we can work best with the companies. Consequently engaging with the CEOs, especially on Asia Edge, is key because they're playing a much bigger role than we would have seen in other types of similar issues." The United States produces more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, making it the world's largest producer, and it is the world's biggest exporter of refined products like diesel fuel and gasoline. It has expanded sales of fuels, crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asian customers, including China in a bid to dominate worldwide energy trade after a four-decade ban on crude exports was ended by President Obama in 2016. The United States now exports more than 3 million bpd of crude. The Trump White House has also imposed harsh sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, both members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), removing more than 2 million bpd of oil from daily global supply. After the Iran sanctions were imposed, the United States granted waivers to eight countries that buy Iranian oil. The waivers, aimed at avoiding a spike in global crude prices, are due to expire in May. Some are not likely to be renewed, though analysts believe India and China, among the world's largest crude buyers, will continue to receive waivers. Brian Hook, the State Department's top Iran diplomat, is scheduled to speak at CERAWeek in Houston on Wednesday morning on current US policy on Iran.

Pompeo to meet oil executives, push US crude exports, Iran policy: Report

President Donald Trump on Monday told Congress to slash funding for foreign aid and the State Department and increase spending for the military and the wall he wants to build on the US-Mexico border in his 2020 budget, the opening move in his next funding fight with Congress.

The Republican president's $4.7 trillion budget is expected to be rejected by Congress, where Democratic leaders on Sunday warned Trump against what they called a "repeat performance" of last year's funding war, which led to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/government-will-not-reopen-until-we-have-the-mexican-border-wall-trump-to-us-troops-186467">a five-week partial shutdown of the federal government</a>.

This year, the stakes are higher. The October 1 deadline for a funding deal to keep the government running coincides with the deadline to lift the debt limit. Without an increase in the limit, the US government would risk a default, which would shock the world economy.

Trump's budget asked for $8.6 billion to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico, more than six times what Congress gave him for border projects in each of the past two fiscal years, and 6 percent more than he has corralled by invoking emergency powers this year after he failed to get the money he wanted.

Trump called for defence spending to rise by 4 per cent to $750 billion, using the emergency Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account - derided by conservatives as a slush fund - to skirt spending caps set out in a 2011 fiscal restraint law.

Non-defence spending was held below those caps, thanks to steep proposed funding cut to the State Department (23 per cent) and Environmental Protection Agency (31 per cent), among others. The White House also proposed reforms to mandatory spending programs such as food stamps to cut $22 billion.

Even with the cuts, which the White House said would add up to $2.7 trillion in savings over a decade, the budget office said budget would not balance until 2034, exceeding the traditional 10-year outlook.

Tax cuts have been a priority for the Republican White House and Congress in recent years, rather than deficit reduction. The deficit ran to $900 billion in 2019, and the national debt has ballooned to $22 trillion.

President Donald Trump on Monday told Congress to slash funding for foreign aid and the State Department and increase spending for the military and the wall he wants to build on the US-Mexico border in his 2020 budget, the opening move in his next funding fight with Congress.

President Donald Trump on Monday told Congress to slash funding for foreign aid and the State Department and increase spending for the military and the wall he wants to build on the US-Mexico border in his 2020 budget, the opening move in his next funding fight with Congress. The Republican president's $4.7 trillion budget is expected to be rejected by Congress, where Democratic leaders on Sunday warned Trump against what they called a "repeat performance" of last year's funding war, which led to a five-week partial shutdown of the federal government. This year, the stakes are higher. The October 1 deadline for a funding deal to keep the government running coincides with the deadline to lift the debt limit. Without an increase in the limit, the US government would risk a default, which would shock the world economy. Trump's budget asked for $8.6 billion to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico, more than six times what Congress gave him for border projects in each of the past two fiscal years, and 6 percent more than he has corralled by invoking emergency powers this year after he failed to get the money he wanted. Trump called for defence spending to rise by 4 per cent to $750 billion, using the emergency Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account - derided by conservatives as a slush fund - to skirt spending caps set out in a 2011 fiscal restraint law. Non-defence spending was held below those caps, thanks to steep proposed funding cut to the State Department (23 per cent) and Environmental Protection Agency (31 per cent), among others. The White House also proposed reforms to mandatory spending programs such as food stamps to cut $22 billion. Even with the cuts, which the White House said would add up to $2.7 trillion in savings over a decade, the budget office said budget would not balance until 2034, exceeding the traditional 10-year outlook. Tax cuts have been a priority for the Republican White House and Congress in recent years, rather than deficit reduction. The deficit ran to $900 billion in 2019, and the national debt has ballooned to $22 trillion.

Slash foreign aid and increase funding for Mexico wall, military: Trump to Congress

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-mastermind-mudasir-believed-to-be-killed-in-encounter-jk-police-202489">Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&amp;K Police</a>

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-urges-india-to-stop-buying-oil-from-venezuelas-nicolas-maduro-government-top-envoy-202463">Urge India to stop buying oil from Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro government: US top envoy</a>

The United States is pressing India to stop buying oil from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela said, as the Trump administration this week threatened more US sanctions to cut off Maduro’s financial lifelines.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Over 1.5 crore voters of the total electorate in </a><a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479">18-19</a><a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479"> age group</a>

Lok Sabha elections 2019 will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-orders-its-airlines-to-suspend-use-of-boeing-737-max-aircraft-202485">After Ethiopian Airlines crash, China suspends use of Boeing 737 Max aircraft</a>

China's aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-ready-to-meet-kim-jong-un-again-for-denuclearisation-talks-white-house-202451">US President Donald Trump ready to meet Kim Jong Un again for denuclearisation talks: White House</a>

US President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again for denuclearisation talks, the White House said, underlining that his decision to walk out of the Hanoi summit sent a signal to other countries as well that he is not desperate for a deal unless it is in America's interest.

Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&K Police Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&K Police Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area. Urge India to stop buying oil from Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro government: US top envoy The United States is pressing India to stop buying oil from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela said, as the Trump administration this week threatened more US sanctions to cut off Maduro’s financial lifelines. Lok Sabha polls 2019: Over 1.5 crore voters of the total electorate in 18-19 age group Lok Sabha elections 2019 will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. After Ethiopian Airlines crash, China suspends use of Boeing 737 Max aircraft China's aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines. US President Donald Trump ready to meet Kim Jong Un again for denuclearisation talks: White House US President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again for denuclearisation talks, the White House said, underlining that his decision to walk out of the Hanoi summit sent a signal to other countries as well that he is not desperate for a deal unless it is in America's interest.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/some-time-may-pass-before-a-third-north-korea-summit-bolton-202420">US President Donald Trump</a> will seek $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-demolishes-trumps-border-wall-prototypes-200235">US-Mexico border</a> in the 2020 budget request, likely triggering another fight with Congress, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday.

The request, which is to be formally unveiled Monday, would far exceed the $5.7 billion Trump demanded last year, which led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial shutdown of the US government, the longest ever.

Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer decried the move, warning Trump that another legislative defeat would await him.&nbsp;

Kudlow, interviewed on "Fox News Sunday," conceded that the new request would likely mean a renewed fight in Congress over wall funding.

"I suppose there will be," he said.&nbsp;

But he said Trump "is going to stay with his wall. He is going to stay with his border security. I think it's essential."

Separately, Kudlow expressed optimism that US economic growth will surpass three per cent "in 2019 and beyond."&nbsp;

'Expensive and ineffective' 
With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Trump's new wall-funding request appears to stand little chance.

In a joint statement, Pelosi and Schumer charged that Trump "hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall."

"Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson," they said.

The Washington Post reported that the president's request for wall funding will come in the form of $5 billion from the Homeland Security Department and $3.6 billion from the Pentagon.

That would be on top of the $6.7 billion in wall funding that Trump has ordered redirected from other government programs under a national emergency he declared last month.

He declared the emergency after the Congress approved only $1.375 billion for construction of 55 miles (90 kilometres) of barriers along the border in Texas.

The emergency declaration was roundly criticized by Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, who said it represented a possibly unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.

Senate vote on emergency&nbsp; 
Some Republicans expressed fear that Trump could be setting a precedent that a future Democratic president might cite to pursue a pet project opposed by Congress. &nbsp;

The Democratic-controlled House voted last month by 245-to-182 to nullify Trump's emergency declaration.&nbsp;

The Senate, narrowly controlled by Republicans, is to vote on the same resolution this week. At least four members of Trump's party have said they plan -- despite pressure from Republican leaders and the White House -- to join Democrats in opposing the declaration.&nbsp;

That would provide a majority for overturning the declaration, and Trump would then be expected to veto the bill, his first use of presidential veto power.

"He's going to veto this," John Barrasso, the third-ranking Senate Republican, told Fox News, "and then his veto will be sustained. They will not be able to override the veto."

Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

US President Donald Trump will seek $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border in the 2020 budget request, likely triggering another fight with Congress, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday.

US President Donald Trump will seek $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border in the 2020 budget request, likely triggering another fight with Congress, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday. The request, which is to be formally unveiled Monday, would far exceed the $5.7 billion Trump demanded last year, which led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial shutdown of the US government, the longest ever. Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer decried the move, warning Trump that another legislative defeat would await him. Kudlow, interviewed on "Fox News Sunday," conceded that the new request would likely mean a renewed fight in Congress over wall funding. "I suppose there will be," he said. But he said Trump "is going to stay with his wall. He is going to stay with his border security. I think it's essential." Separately, Kudlow expressed optimism that US economic growth will surpass three per cent "in 2019 and beyond." 'Expensive and ineffective' With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Trump's new wall-funding request appears to stand little chance. In a joint statement, Pelosi and Schumer charged that Trump "hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall." "Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson," they said. The Washington Post reported that the president's request for wall funding will come in the form of $5 billion from the Homeland Security Department and $3.6 billion from the Pentagon. That would be on top of the $6.7 billion in wall funding that Trump has ordered redirected from other government programs under a national emergency he declared last month. He declared the emergency after the Congress approved only $1.375 billion for construction of 55 miles (90 kilometres) of barriers along the border in Texas. The emergency declaration was roundly criticized by Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, who said it represented a possibly unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority. Senate vote on emergency Some Republicans expressed fear that Trump could be setting a precedent that a future Democratic president might cite to pursue a pet project opposed by Congress. The Democratic-controlled House voted last month by 245-to-182 to nullify Trump's emergency declaration. The Senate, narrowly controlled by Republicans, is to vote on the same resolution this week. At least four members of Trump's party have said they plan -- despite pressure from Republican leaders and the White House -- to join Democrats in opposing the declaration. That would provide a majority for overturning the declaration, and Trump would then be expected to veto the bill, his first use of presidential veto power. "He's going to veto this," John Barrasso, the third-ranking Senate Republican, told Fox News, "and then his veto will be sustained. They will not be able to override the veto." Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

Trump to seek another $8.6 billion for border wall

When President Donald Trump proposes his 2020 federal budget on Monday, official Washington will likely have a quick look, shrug and move on, marking another stage in the quiet decay of the US government's traditional policy-making processes.

There was a time when the release of the president's budget was a red-letter day on the calendar of Washington wonkery, with policy experts and fiscal hawks delving into spreadsheets and expounding upon new spending plans and the national debt.

But the hoopla of the budget day is gone, a relic of a time when politics were less polarised, the federal deficit drove political decisions and the White House and Congress still took the budget process seriously.

"It has seemed to me that budget day ain't what it used to be," said Robert Bixby, who has pored over the budget for more than 25 years at the Concord Coalition, a fiscal responsibility advocacy group.

Last year's budget weighed in at a whopping $4.4 trillion. It was not balanced and was panned for relying on rosy economic projections and for not doing enough to cut the federal deficit.

The 2020 Trump budget will land a month after a deadline established in law, a lag blamed on the recent five-week partial shutdown of the federal government over a funding dispute.

Congress, which controls federal spending, is likely to dismiss Trump's proposal if recent history is any guide.

The Democratic-ruled House of Representatives and Republican-majority Senate also are unlikely to agree on a joint budget resolution of their own. Instead, they probably will stumble forward until fiscal 2019 ends and a spending deadline arrives on October 1, forcing them to produce a last-minute deal or face another government shutdown.

"The entire process has become one of the missed deadlines, make-believe budgets filled with gimmicks and magic asterisks," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

MacGuineas remembers in years gone by "scurrying around" to read through the budget as fast as possible so that she could answer a flurry of calls from reporters. These days, the budget is a blip on the news cycle, a process that is neither serious nor effective.

"I think it feels like a bit of kabuki theatre at this point, for everybody," MacGuineas said.

The White House disagreed. The budget process helps the administration set priorities for agencies for the year ahead and lays down a marker on issues, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Of course, Congress has the power of the purse but the president’s budget plants a flag to define terms of the tax and spending debate in Washington," the official said.

Budget on a stranger

The traditional budget and appropriations process was limping along well before Trump took office.

One of former President Ronald Reagan's budgets in the 1980s was brought out on a stretcher as a stunt to show the document was alive and well, ahead of it being declared dead-on-arrival in Congress, recalled Stephen Moore, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

"What we have right now is essentially government by automatic pilot and that's not healthy," Moore said, describing the cycle of last-minute massive omnibus spending bills agreed on only when deadlines loom.

The budget and spending process has been further hobbled by lawmakers' unwillingness to compromise and tendency to put off hard decisions while hoping for a shift in the next election cycle, said Kenneth Baer, an associate director in the Office of Management and Budget under former President Barack Obama.

Trump's budget office has accelerated the downward slide of the process by using more gimmicks to make up for shortfalls, Baer said. "All the normal ways of operating the government have just been thrown out of the window," he said.

Trump's acting budget director, Russell Vought, has said the budget aims to cut non-defence spending and cap spending under levels set in the 2011 Budget Control Act - a feat made possible only with an increase in an emergency account called the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund to cover Trump's plan to increase defense spending.

The tactic makes a mockery of the budget process, said Bixby of the Concord Coalition.

"It's nothing but an astronomical gimmick! It's over the top! It's so over the top, it's clownish!" Bixby said.

With the national debt now topping $22 trillion and the deficit at $900 billion in 2019, it is unlikely that Washington will find its way to fiscal discipline without an overhaul of the process, Bixby said.

He said he is frustrated and worried that it could take a crisis to jolt change, like a recession or a failure to raise the government's debt limit - something that needs to happen in coming months to avoid stumbling into a first-ever default.

"If they act as dysfunctionally this fall as they did last fall and throw the debt limit into the mix, it's very, very toxic," Bixby said.

When President Donald Trump proposes his 2020 federal budget on Monday, official Washington will likely have a quick look, shrug and move on, marking another stage in the quiet decay of the US government's traditional policy-making processes.

When President Donald Trump proposes his 2020 federal budget on Monday, official Washington will likely have a quick look, shrug and move on, marking another stage in the quiet decay of the US government's traditional policy-making processes. There was a time when the release of the president's budget was a red-letter day on the calendar of Washington wonkery, with policy experts and fiscal hawks delving into spreadsheets and expounding upon new spending plans and the national debt. But the hoopla of the budget day is gone, a relic of a time when politics were less polarised, the federal deficit drove political decisions and the White House and Congress still took the budget process seriously. "It has seemed to me that budget day ain't what it used to be," said Robert Bixby, who has pored over the budget for more than 25 years at the Concord Coalition, a fiscal responsibility advocacy group. Last year's budget weighed in at a whopping $4.4 trillion. It was not balanced and was panned for relying on rosy economic projections and for not doing enough to cut the federal deficit. The 2020 Trump budget will land a month after a deadline established in law, a lag blamed on the recent five-week partial shutdown of the federal government over a funding dispute. Congress, which controls federal spending, is likely to dismiss Trump's proposal if recent history is any guide. The Democratic-ruled House of Representatives and Republican-majority Senate also are unlikely to agree on a joint budget resolution of their own. Instead, they probably will stumble forward until fiscal 2019 ends and a spending deadline arrives on October 1, forcing them to produce a last-minute deal or face another government shutdown. "The entire process has become one of the missed deadlines, make-believe budgets filled with gimmicks and magic asterisks," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. MacGuineas remembers in years gone by "scurrying around" to read through the budget as fast as possible so that she could answer a flurry of calls from reporters. These days, the budget is a blip on the news cycle, a process that is neither serious nor effective. "I think it feels like a bit of kabuki theatre at this point, for everybody," MacGuineas said. The White House disagreed. The budget process helps the administration set priorities for agencies for the year ahead and lays down a marker on issues, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Of course, Congress has the power of the purse but the president’s budget plants a flag to define terms of the tax and spending debate in Washington," the official said. Budget on a stranger The traditional budget and appropriations process was limping along well before Trump took office. One of former President Ronald Reagan's budgets in the 1980s was brought out on a stretcher as a stunt to show the document was alive and well, ahead of it being declared dead-on-arrival in Congress, recalled Stephen Moore, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "What we have right now is essentially government by automatic pilot and that's not healthy," Moore said, describing the cycle of last-minute massive omnibus spending bills agreed on only when deadlines loom. The budget and spending process has been further hobbled by lawmakers' unwillingness to compromise and tendency to put off hard decisions while hoping for a shift in the next election cycle, said Kenneth Baer, an associate director in the Office of Management and Budget under former President Barack Obama. Trump's budget office has accelerated the downward slide of the process by using more gimmicks to make up for shortfalls, Baer said. "All the normal ways of operating the government have just been thrown out of the window," he said. Trump's acting budget director, Russell Vought, has said the budget aims to cut non-defence spending and cap spending under levels set in the 2011 Budget Control Act - a feat made possible only with an increase in an emergency account called the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund to cover Trump's plan to increase defense spending. The tactic makes a mockery of the budget process, said Bixby of the Concord Coalition. "It's nothing but an astronomical gimmick! It's over the top! It's so over the top, it's clownish!" Bixby said. With the national debt now topping $22 trillion and the deficit at $900 billion in 2019, it is unlikely that Washington will find its way to fiscal discipline without an overhaul of the process, Bixby said. He said he is frustrated and worried that it could take a crisis to jolt change, like a recession or a failure to raise the government's debt limit - something that needs to happen in coming months to avoid stumbling into a first-ever default. "If they act as dysfunctionally this fall as they did last fall and throw the debt limit into the mix, it's very, very toxic," Bixby said.

Trump's budget to land with a thud on Monday

Trump administration officials have not made any new plans to send a team to China for face-to-face trade talks although there is much work left to be done to reach a deal, White House trade adviser Clete Willems said on Friday.

"We're talking to them (Chinese officials) every day, but no one's got any trip plans," Willems told reporters on the sidelines of a Georgetown Law School event. When asked about the prospect for future face-to-face meetings, he said: "Maybe. But there are no plans right now."

The governments of the world's two largest economies have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff battle for months as Washington presses Beijing to address long-standing concerns over Chinese practices and policies around industrial subsidies, technology transfers, market access and intellectual property rights.

Advances in talks drove the White House to indefinitely delay hikes in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports that were set to kick in on March 2.

Willems said the two countries had made progress in talks but that there was still much more to be done. He declined to say whether Trump would set a new tariff deadline should the talks stall.

Members of Congress and the business community have expressed concerns that Trump is so eager for a deal ahead of presidential elections next year that he may accept an agreement that falls short of addressing key structural issues.

Willems pushed back against such concerns, saying the notion that Trump will settle for a "bad deal" is "totally inaccurate."

US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that Washington and Beijing have yet to set a date for Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping - a sign that neither side sees a deal as imminent.

"Both sides agree that there has to be significant progress, meaning a feeling that they're very close before that happens," Branstad told the newspaper in Beijing. "We’re not there yet. But we’re closer than we’ve been for a very long time."

One complicating factor has been Xi's plans to visit Europe after a meeting of the National People's Congress ends next week.

The Journal, citing people familiar with China's thinking, also reported that after Trump's failed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month, Beijing officials won't commit to a summit until they are sure of a deal.

Chinese officials were surprised Trump walked away from denuclearisation talks with Kim and do not want the same thing to happen to Xi, the newspaper said. For the Chinese, any summit would basically be a signing ceremony, it said.

Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, gave Fox Business Network an optimistic view of the progress so far.

"It is historic, it is written down, it was agreed to by the Chinese who were here two weeks ago, but it has to pass through the political filter of President Xi and the politburo," Kudlow said. "Perhaps a meeting of the leaders later this month or in April. Perhaps."

Kudlow said the emerging deal would provide "an end to the theft of intellectual property" through forced technology transfers and hacking of computer networks.

"We will get substantially lower tariffs, or maybe an end to tariffs on cars, commodities, agriculture, industrial supplies. We will get an enforcement procedure," he said.

"If the deal doesn't work for the United States, and our long-term interests, whether it's technology, IP, theft, enforcement, commodities, tariffs ... then it’s not our deal."

Trump administration officials have not made any new plans to send a team to China for face-to-face trade talks although there is much work left to be done to reach a deal, White House trade adviser Clete Willems said on Friday.

Trump administration officials have not made any new plans to send a team to China for face-to-face trade talks although there is much work left to be done to reach a deal, White House trade adviser Clete Willems said on Friday. "We're talking to them (Chinese officials) every day, but no one's got any trip plans," Willems told reporters on the sidelines of a Georgetown Law School event. When asked about the prospect for future face-to-face meetings, he said: "Maybe. But there are no plans right now." The governments of the world's two largest economies have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff battle for months as Washington presses Beijing to address long-standing concerns over Chinese practices and policies around industrial subsidies, technology transfers, market access and intellectual property rights. Advances in talks drove the White House to indefinitely delay hikes in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports that were set to kick in on March 2. Willems said the two countries had made progress in talks but that there was still much more to be done. He declined to say whether Trump would set a new tariff deadline should the talks stall. Members of Congress and the business community have expressed concerns that Trump is so eager for a deal ahead of presidential elections next year that he may accept an agreement that falls short of addressing key structural issues. Willems pushed back against such concerns, saying the notion that Trump will settle for a "bad deal" is "totally inaccurate." US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that Washington and Beijing have yet to set a date for Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping - a sign that neither side sees a deal as imminent. "Both sides agree that there has to be significant progress, meaning a feeling that they're very close before that happens," Branstad told the newspaper in Beijing. "We’re not there yet. But we’re closer than we’ve been for a very long time." One complicating factor has been Xi's plans to visit Europe after a meeting of the National People's Congress ends next week. The Journal, citing people familiar with China's thinking, also reported that after Trump's failed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month, Beijing officials won't commit to a summit until they are sure of a deal. Chinese officials were surprised Trump walked away from denuclearisation talks with Kim and do not want the same thing to happen to Xi, the newspaper said. For the Chinese, any summit would basically be a signing ceremony, it said. Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, gave Fox Business Network an optimistic view of the progress so far. "It is historic, it is written down, it was agreed to by the Chinese who were here two weeks ago, but it has to pass through the political filter of President Xi and the politburo," Kudlow said. "Perhaps a meeting of the leaders later this month or in April. Perhaps." Kudlow said the emerging deal would provide "an end to the theft of intellectual property" through forced technology transfers and hacking of computer networks. "We will get substantially lower tariffs, or maybe an end to tariffs on cars, commodities, agriculture, industrial supplies. We will get an enforcement procedure," he said. "If the deal doesn't work for the United States, and our long-term interests, whether it's technology, IP, theft, enforcement, commodities, tariffs ... then it’s not our deal."

Trump team has no plan to go to China for trade talks: Official

President Donald Trump's communications director, Bill Shine, resigned on Friday, the White House said.

"Assistant to the president and communications director Bill Shine offered his resignation to the president yesterday evening, and the president accepted," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement reported by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

"Bill continues to support President Trump and his agenda and will serve as senior advisor to the 2020 re-election campaign."

Shine has served as a Fox News executive previously.&nbsp;

Shine steps down&nbsp;amid reports of US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson's resignation. Long considered a top candidate to become the next secretary of defence, Wilson has decided to resign after about two years leading a service at the heart of America's campaigns in Syria and Afghanistan, a US official told Reuters on Friday.

The official told Reuters that Wilson aims to return to academia and was not asked or pressured to leave by the Trump administration.

Wilson took to Twitter and communicated about her decision of stepping&nbsp;down.

"Today I informed the President I will resign as Secretary of the Air Force to be President of the University of Texas at El Paso. It has been a privilege to serve with our #Airmen—I am proud of the progress we have made to restore the readiness &amp; lethality of #USAF," her tweet read.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Today I informed the President I will resign as Secretary of the Air Force to be President of the University of Texas at El Paso. It has been a privilege to serve with our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Airmen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Airmen</a>—I am proud of the progress we have made to restore the readiness &amp; lethality of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USAF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USAF</a>.
— Dr. Heather Wilson (@SecAFOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecAFOfficial/status/1104061257068498944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Wilson is reported to step down on May 31, if the University of Texas Board of Regents approves her selection to be president of University of Texas at El Paso, said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

President Donald Trump's communications director, Bill Shine, resigned on Friday, the White House said. "Assistant to the president and communications director Bill Shine offered his resignation to the president yesterday evening, and the president accepted," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement reported by news agency AFP.

President Donald Trump's communications director, Bill Shine, resigned on Friday, the White House said. "Assistant to the president and communications director Bill Shine offered his resignation to the president yesterday evening, and the president accepted," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement reported by news agency AFP. "Bill continues to support President Trump and his agenda and will serve as senior advisor to the 2020 re-election campaign." Shine has served as a Fox News executive previously. Shine steps down amid reports of US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson's resignation. Long considered a top candidate to become the next secretary of defence, Wilson has decided to resign after about two years leading a service at the heart of America's campaigns in Syria and Afghanistan, a US official told Reuters on Friday. The official told Reuters that Wilson aims to return to academia and was not asked or pressured to leave by the Trump administration. Wilson took to Twitter and communicated about her decision of stepping down. "Today I informed the President I will resign as Secretary of the Air Force to be President of the University of Texas at El Paso. It has been a privilege to serve with our #Airmen—I am proud of the progress we have made to restore the readiness & lethality of #USAF," her tweet read. Today I informed the President I will resign as Secretary of the Air Force to be President of the University of Texas at El Paso. It has been a privilege to serve with our #Airmen—I am proud of the progress we have made to restore the readiness & lethality of #USAF. — Dr. Heather Wilson (@SecAFOfficial) March 8, 2019 × Wilson is reported to step down on May 31, if the University of Texas Board of Regents approves her selection to be president of University of Texas at El Paso, said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump's communications director, Air Force Secretary resign

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday referred to the tech giant Apple's&nbsp;CEO as ''Tim Apple'' instead of Tim Cook.

Trump was addressing the inaugural meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board at the White House when he misspelt the name.

"I used to say, 'Tim, you've got to start doing it over here,' and you really have. You really put a big investment in our country. We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple," Trump said while he was sitting right next to the Apple CEO.

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Trump just called Apple CEO Tim Cook “Tim Apple” <a href="https://t.co/gTHHtjWvc9">pic.twitter.com/gTHHtjWvc9</a>
— Sean O'Kane (@sokane1) <a href="https://twitter.com/sokane1/status/1103421841505505280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Soon the video went viral on social media, and people started tweeting hilarious reactions and memes.

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Tim Apple <a href="https://t.co/aa4fCL0Fff">pic.twitter.com/aa4fCL0Fff</a>
— Jake G (@incubatedeleph1) <a href="https://twitter.com/incubatedeleph1/status/1103478562521145344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Here are some other historic figures similar to Tim Apple <a href="https://t.co/9Ya6U1uX76">pic.twitter.com/9Ya6U1uX76</a>
— Jack Fink (@Mrjackfink) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mrjackfink/status/1103464932568313856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Tim Apple with President Orange 
🍏🍊 <a href="https://t.co/1cI1QkA0an">pic.twitter.com/1cI1QkA0an</a>
— suppelsa (@suppeIsa) <a href="https://twitter.com/suppeIsa/status/1103452454497275905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Getting the whole gang together: 
 
Tim Apple 
Jeff Amazon 
Elon Tesla 
Mark Facebook 
Jack Twitter 
Sundar Google 
Larry Oracle 
Mark Salesforce 
Daruber 
Satya Soft 
Reed Flix
— timmy apple (@RMac18) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMac18/status/1103427158146351105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Unfortunately,&nbsp;this is not the first time Trump has goofed-up someone's&nbsp;last name with the name of the company&nbsp;they were associated with.

Last year, he referred to aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin's CEO Marillyn Hewson as "Marillyn Lockheed."

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday referred to the tech giant Apple's CEO as ''Tim Apple'' instead of Tim Cook. Trump was addressing the inaugural meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board at the White House when he misspelt the name.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday referred to the tech giant Apple's CEO as ''Tim Apple'' instead of Tim Cook. Trump was addressing the inaugural meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board at the White House when he misspelt the name. "I used to say, 'Tim, you've got to start doing it over here,' and you really have. You really put a big investment in our country. We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple," Trump said while he was sitting right next to the Apple CEO. Trump just called Apple CEO Tim Cook “Tim Apple” pic.twitter.com/gTHHtjWvc9 — Sean O'Kane (@sokane1) March 6, 2019 × Soon the video went viral on social media, and people started tweeting hilarious reactions and memes. Tim Apple pic.twitter.com/aa4fCL0Fff — Jake G (@incubatedeleph1) March 7, 2019 × Here are some other historic figures similar to Tim Apple pic.twitter.com/9Ya6U1uX76 — Jack Fink (@Mrjackfink) March 7, 2019 × Tim Apple with President Orange 🍏🍊 pic.twitter.com/1cI1QkA0an — suppelsa (@suppeIsa) March 7, 2019 × Getting the whole gang together: Tim Apple Jeff Amazon Elon Tesla Mark Facebook Jack Twitter Sundar Google Larry Oracle Mark Salesforce Daruber Satya Soft Reed Flix — timmy apple (@RMac18) March 6, 2019 × Unfortunately, this is not the first time Trump has goofed-up someone's last name with the name of the company they were associated with. Last year, he referred to aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin's CEO Marillyn Hewson as "Marillyn Lockheed."

Trump calls Apple CEO 'Tim Apple', Twitter responds with funniest memes

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-launch-sweeping-probe-targeting-dozens-in-trump-orbit-201205">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;branded Democratic opponents "crazy" and guilty of overreach Tuesday in a fevered response to a huge new Democratic-led probe of his alleged crimes.

In a searing burst of early morning tweets, the president said the House Judiciary Committee investigation launched Monday was "the greatest overreach in the history of our Country."

"The real crime is what the Dems are doing, and have done!" he said.

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The greatest overreach in the history of our Country. The Dems are obstructing justice and will not get anything done. A big, fat, fishing expedition desperately in search of a crime, when in fact the real crime is what the Dems are doing, and have done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1102934716607578112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another tweet labelled Democratic leaders "stone cold CRAZY."

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Now that they realize the only Collusion with Russia was done by Crooked Hillary Clinton &amp; the Democrats, Nadler, Schiff and the Dem heads of the Committees have gone stone cold CRAZY. 81 letter sent to innocent people to harass them. They won’t get ANYTHING done for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1102920338529288193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" said another.

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PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1102934910900363266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump's exclamation mark- and capital letter-laden outbursts indicated rising temperature in a White House under assault from multiple directions.

Democrats, who took control of the House of Representatives last November, suspect Trump of a slew of potentially impeachable offences, including obstruction of justice and abuse of office.

The powerful judiciary committee is demanding information from 81 Trump-connected individuals and entities, including his sons.

The new front opened just as Trump braces for the results of an independent probe into his dealings with Russia by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Rumours that Mueller is close to ending his two-year investigation have set Washington on edge.

Debate over whether the prosecutor's findings should be made immediately public is already underway, with Democrats warning that attempts at a cover-up by the White House could lead them to subpoena Mueller to testify.

Republicans waver&nbsp; 
Trump's response to the pressure has been consistent with his longtime playbook: to insult accusers, admit no weakness, and rely on backing from his ultra-loyal political base.

Polls show that the president's support among Republican voters remains strong, even if Democratic voters are just as convinced in opposition.

However, cracks in Republican support at the top echelons of the party have appeared.

When the Democratic majority in the House voted to overturn Trump's controversial use of emergency powers to force funding for US-Mexico border wall construction, that was expected. However, this week four Republican senators have broken ranks to join their Democratic opponents in the upper house, meaning the motion can pass there too.

Trump will likely be able to brush aside that rebuke by using the first veto of his presidency. However, the fact that he has lost the guaranteed backing of his party in the Senate could point to trouble ahead.

2020 election link 
In Trump's combative vision of politics, the looming probes are not all bad news.

Already the White House is framing the Democratic onslaught as symptomatic of leftist radicalism supposedly threatening the country.

Trump has made the spectre of far-left socialism a growing part of his 2020 reelection campaign, even claiming that Democrats want to replicate the violent chaos underway in Venezuela.

"Democrats are harassing the President to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America," Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said late Monday.

Trump's other main angle of attack has been to dismiss the validity of the Mueller probe, which he has repeatedly dubbed a "witch hunt" and "phony" in hopes of reducing its credibility.

But in an indication that the president's rhetorical bombshells risk misfiring, former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb went public Tuesday with a surprising defence of Mueller, calling him an "American hero."

"I don't feel the investigation is a witch hunt," Cobb told ABC News podcast "The Investigation."

President Donald Trump branded Democratic opponents "crazy" and guilty of overreach Tuesday in a fevered response to a huge new Democratic-led probe of his alleged crimes.

President Donald Trump branded Democratic opponents "crazy" and guilty of overreach Tuesday in a fevered response to a huge new Democratic-led probe of his alleged crimes. In a searing burst of early morning tweets, the president said the House Judiciary Committee investigation launched Monday was "the greatest overreach in the history of our Country." "The real crime is what the Dems are doing, and have done!" he said. The greatest overreach in the history of our Country. The Dems are obstructing justice and will not get anything done. A big, fat, fishing expedition desperately in search of a crime, when in fact the real crime is what the Dems are doing, and have done! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019 × Another tweet labelled Democratic leaders "stone cold CRAZY." Now that they realize the only Collusion with Russia was done by Crooked Hillary Clinton & the Democrats, Nadler, Schiff and the Dem heads of the Committees have gone stone cold CRAZY. 81 letter sent to innocent people to harass them. They won’t get ANYTHING done for our Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019 × "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" said another. PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019 × Trump's exclamation mark- and capital letter-laden outbursts indicated rising temperature in a White House under assault from multiple directions. Democrats, who took control of the House of Representatives last November, suspect Trump of a slew of potentially impeachable offences, including obstruction of justice and abuse of office. The powerful judiciary committee is demanding information from 81 Trump-connected individuals and entities, including his sons. The new front opened just as Trump braces for the results of an independent probe into his dealings with Russia by special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Rumours that Mueller is close to ending his two-year investigation have set Washington on edge. Debate over whether the prosecutor's findings should be made immediately public is already underway, with Democrats warning that attempts at a cover-up by the White House could lead them to subpoena Mueller to testify. Republicans waver Trump's response to the pressure has been consistent with his longtime playbook: to insult accusers, admit no weakness, and rely on backing from his ultra-loyal political base. Polls show that the president's support among Republican voters remains strong, even if Democratic voters are just as convinced in opposition. However, cracks in Republican support at the top echelons of the party have appeared. When the Democratic majority in the House voted to overturn Trump's controversial use of emergency powers to force funding for US-Mexico border wall construction, that was expected. However, this week four Republican senators have broken ranks to join their Democratic opponents in the upper house, meaning the motion can pass there too. Trump will likely be able to brush aside that rebuke by using the first veto of his presidency. However, the fact that he has lost the guaranteed backing of his party in the Senate could point to trouble ahead. 2020 election link In Trump's combative vision of politics, the looming probes are not all bad news. Already the White House is framing the Democratic onslaught as symptomatic of leftist radicalism supposedly threatening the country. Trump has made the spectre of far-left socialism a growing part of his 2020 reelection campaign, even claiming that Democrats want to replicate the violent chaos underway in Venezuela. "Democrats are harassing the President to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America," Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said late Monday. Trump's other main angle of attack has been to dismiss the validity of the Mueller probe, which he has repeatedly dubbed a "witch hunt" and "phony" in hopes of reducing its credibility. But in an indication that the president's rhetorical bombshells risk misfiring, former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb went public Tuesday with a surprising defence of Mueller, calling him an "American hero." "I don't feel the investigation is a witch hunt," Cobb told ABC News podcast "The Investigation."

As Democrats probe his alleged crimes, Trump says they're 'stone cold CRAZY'

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle.

With controversies swirling around Trump, the powerful House Judiciary Committee's chairman sent strongly worded letters to family members of the president -- including sons Don Jr and Eric -- as well as political confidantes and related entities.

The letters demanded documents that could shed light on possible wrongdoing by the administration and Trump himself.

Son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Trump Organisation's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, were among the 81 people and organisations -- such as the National Rifle Association -- receiving letters from the panel's Democratic chairman Jerry Nadler.

They also include White House ex-aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, former attorney general Jeff Sessions, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The request is the most serious overt ramp-up of investigations into Trump since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in early January, and seeks to uncover whether Trump or his administration participated in the obstruction of justice or public corruption -- potentially impeachable offences.&nbsp;

"This is a critical time for our nation, and we have a responsibility to investigate these matters and hold hearings for the public to have all the facts," Nadler said in a statement.

"Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms," he added.

"Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress."

'Political hoax'?

Trump himself swatted away the probe as a "political hoax," but said he would cooperate.

He later hardened his reaction, tweeting that any effort by the Democrats to probe new avenues of possible wrongdoing "will never work."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders lambasted the probe as "disgraceful and abusive."

"Chairman Nadler and his fellow Democrats have embarked on this fishing expedition because they are terrified that their two-year false narrative of 'Russia collusion' is crumbling," she added.

"Their intimidation and abuse of American citisens are shameful. Democrats are harassing the president to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America."

The unusually strong statement further claimed that "the Democrats are not after the truth, they are after the president."

Conspicuously absent from the list of Nadler's targets -- who have two weeks to respond -- is the president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House advisor married to Kushner.

The chairmen of three other House panels also joined the fray, demanding the White House produce details of communications between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after reports that such information was destroyed or hidden in the aftermath of their 2017 Helsinki summit.

The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that Putin ordered the influence campaign as a way to help elect Trump. The US president has repeatedly cast doubt on the findings.

Nadler's broad investigation focuses on Trump's business dealings and obstruction of justice allegations, along with possible Russian collusion.

It also will address accusations of campaign finance law violations and potential violations of the US Constitution's ban on foreign emoluments.

Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, in explosive congressional testimony last week, implicated the president in illegal activities, including a scheme shortly before the 2016 election to pay hush money to two women who say they had affairs with Trump.

One of the women reportedly received the payoffs through American Media Inc, a company run by longtime Trump ally David Pecker.

Nadler demanded information from both Pecker and AMI about their involvement.

Letters to other key players include requests for information on the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower attended by Kushner, Trump Jr, now-jailed former campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer reportedly close to the Kremlin, and documents surrounding the termination of FBI director James Comey.

The expansive new probe could pave the way toward possible impeachment proceedings against Trump.

But Democratic congressional leaders, including Nadler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been reticent about pushing for the president's impeachment.&nbsp;

Nadler told ABC television's "This Week" that such action would be "a long way down the road."

However, he added, "it's very clear that the president obstructed justice."

In addition to the NRA, Nadler also sought documents from the White House, the Trump Organisation, Trump's charity, the FBI and Cambridge Analytica -- a data company that worked with the Trump campaign and has been investigated by Congress in connection with Russia's election interference efforts.

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle.

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle. With controversies swirling around Trump, the powerful House Judiciary Committee's chairman sent strongly worded letters to family members of the president -- including sons Don Jr and Eric -- as well as political confidantes and related entities. The letters demanded documents that could shed light on possible wrongdoing by the administration and Trump himself. Son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Trump Organisation's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, were among the 81 people and organisations -- such as the National Rifle Association -- receiving letters from the panel's Democratic chairman Jerry Nadler. They also include White House ex-aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, former attorney general Jeff Sessions, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The request is the most serious overt ramp-up of investigations into Trump since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in early January, and seeks to uncover whether Trump or his administration participated in the obstruction of justice or public corruption -- potentially impeachable offences. "This is a critical time for our nation, and we have a responsibility to investigate these matters and hold hearings for the public to have all the facts," Nadler said in a statement. "Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms," he added. "Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress." 'Political hoax'? Trump himself swatted away the probe as a "political hoax," but said he would cooperate. He later hardened his reaction, tweeting that any effort by the Democrats to probe new avenues of possible wrongdoing "will never work." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders lambasted the probe as "disgraceful and abusive." "Chairman Nadler and his fellow Democrats have embarked on this fishing expedition because they are terrified that their two-year false narrative of 'Russia collusion' is crumbling," she added. "Their intimidation and abuse of American citisens are shameful. Democrats are harassing the president to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America." The unusually strong statement further claimed that "the Democrats are not after the truth, they are after the president." Conspicuously absent from the list of Nadler's targets -- who have two weeks to respond -- is the president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House advisor married to Kushner. The chairmen of three other House panels also joined the fray, demanding the White House produce details of communications between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after reports that such information was destroyed or hidden in the aftermath of their 2017 Helsinki summit. The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that Putin ordered the influence campaign as a way to help elect Trump. The US president has repeatedly cast doubt on the findings. Nadler's broad investigation focuses on Trump's business dealings and obstruction of justice allegations, along with possible Russian collusion. It also will address accusations of campaign finance law violations and potential violations of the US Constitution's ban on foreign emoluments. Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, in explosive congressional testimony last week, implicated the president in illegal activities, including a scheme shortly before the 2016 election to pay hush money to two women who say they had affairs with Trump. One of the women reportedly received the payoffs through American Media Inc, a company run by longtime Trump ally David Pecker. Nadler demanded information from both Pecker and AMI about their involvement. Letters to other key players include requests for information on the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower attended by Kushner, Trump Jr, now-jailed former campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer reportedly close to the Kremlin, and documents surrounding the termination of FBI director James Comey. The expansive new probe could pave the way toward possible impeachment proceedings against Trump. But Democratic congressional leaders, including Nadler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been reticent about pushing for the president's impeachment. Nadler told ABC television's "This Week" that such action would be "a long way down the road." However, he added, "it's very clear that the president obstructed justice." In addition to the NRA, Nadler also sought documents from the White House, the Trump Organisation, Trump's charity, the FBI and Cambridge Analytica -- a data company that worked with the Trump campaign and has been investigated by Congress in connection with Russia's election interference efforts.

Democrats launch sweeping probe targeting dozens in Trump orbit

The head of the US House Judiciary Committee said on Sunday the panel would seek documents from more than 60 people and entities as part of a probe into possible obstruction of justice and abuse of power by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-conservatives-against-socialist-nightmare-200863">President Donald Trump</a>.

Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler told ABC's "This Week" the panel wanted to get documents from the Department of Justice, the president's son Donald Trump Jr and Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, among others.

"We are going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption ... and into obstruction of justice," Nadler said. "It's our job to protect the rule of law."

"It’s very clear that the president obstructed justice," Nadler said. He said it was too soon to consider whether impeachment should be pursued, however.

"Before you impeach somebody, you have to persuade the American public that it ought to happen," he said.&nbsp;

As evidence of obstruction, Nadler cited Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey, who at the time was leading an investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow.

That investigation was subsequently taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is expected to deliver his findings to the US attorney general within weeks.

Nadler also cited what he called Trump's attempts to intimidate witnesses in the investigation.

The White House, the Justice Department and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nadler said the committee on Monday would release the list of people and organizations it would be requesting documents from.

The head of the US House Judiciary Committee said on Sunday the panel would seek documents from more than 60 people and entities as part of a probe into possible obstruction of justice and abuse of power by President Donald Trump.

The head of the US House Judiciary Committee said on Sunday the panel would seek documents from more than 60 people and entities as part of a probe into possible obstruction of justice and abuse of power by President Donald Trump. Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler told ABC's "This Week" the panel wanted to get documents from the Department of Justice, the president's son Donald Trump Jr and Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, among others. "We are going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption ... and into obstruction of justice," Nadler said. "It's our job to protect the rule of law." "It’s very clear that the president obstructed justice," Nadler said. He said it was too soon to consider whether impeachment should be pursued, however. "Before you impeach somebody, you have to persuade the American public that it ought to happen," he said. As evidence of obstruction, Nadler cited Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey, who at the time was leading an investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow. That investigation was subsequently taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is expected to deliver his findings to the US attorney general within weeks. Nadler also cited what he called Trump's attempts to intimidate witnesses in the investigation. The White House, the Justice Department and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nadler said the committee on Monday would release the list of people and organizations it would be requesting documents from.

US House of Representatives panel launches probe into obstruction of justice by Trump

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

It said senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to write an internal memo about how he had been ordered to give Kushner the top-secret clearance.

The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining concerns raised about Kushner and how McGahn had recommended against the decision, it said.

The Times said the memos contradicted a statement made by Trump in an interview with the newspaper in January that he had no role in Kushner's receiving his clearance.

Asked about the report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "We don’t comment on security clearances."

Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell, said in an email that White House and security clearance officials last year asserted that Kushner's clearance was "handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone."

"New stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time," Mirijanian said.

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday. It said senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to write an internal memo about how he had been ordered to give Kushner the top-secret clearance. The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining concerns raised about Kushner and how McGahn had recommended against the decision, it said. The Times said the memos contradicted a statement made by Trump in an interview with the newspaper in January that he had no role in Kushner's receiving his clearance. Asked about the report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "We don’t comment on security clearances." Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell, said in an email that White House and security clearance officials last year asserted that Kushner's clearance was "handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone." "New stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time," Mirijanian said.

Trump ordered aide to give Kushner security clearance: Report

The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement Thursday, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions.

They had "very good and constructive meetings" and "discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts", White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

But she went on: "No agreement was reached at this time," adding that their "respective teams look forward to meeting in the future,"

No joint communique was issued, despite high expectations beforehand for progress.

In the original White House programme, a &nbsp;"Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" was scheduled as well as a working lunch for the two leaders.&nbsp;

In the event, both men left the summit venue without a public signing ceremony and Trump moved up his news conference by two hours, sparking doubts about the progress made at the summit.

The Hanoi summit was supposed to build on their initial historic meeting at Singapore that critics said was more style over substance.

In Hanoi, the smiles and bonhomie remained as Trump touted the "special relationship" between the two but concrete statements were vague.

From the outset, Trump had appeared to downplay expectations of an immediate breakthrough in nuclear talks, saying he was in "no rush" to clinch a rapid deal and was content if a pause in missile testing continued.

He frequently dangled the prospect of a brighter economic future for a nuclear-free North Korea, at one point saying there was "AWESOME" potential.

As in Singapore, the two men put on a show of bonhomie appeared to share jokes in front of reporters.

Looking relaxed but appearing to say little, they indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel, a colonial-era building that has played host to stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Brad Pitt.

It echoed a garden walkabout in Singapore, where the two men bonded over Trump's hulking car -- the "Beast" -- with the US president allowing the younger man a glimpse inside.

'Rocket man'

It was a far cry from the height of missile-testing tensions in 2017 when Trump slammed Kim as "rocket man" and the younger man branded the American president a "mentally deranged US dotard".

In apparently unprecedented scenes, Kim answered unscripted questions from foreign reporters, saying that he would welcome the establishment of a US liaison office in Pyongyang, which would be a step on the way to diplomatic normalisation.

The Pyongyang strongman is looking for relief from sanctions imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes, which saw tensions soar in 2017 before a wave of detente.

He said there were "people who hold a sceptical view of our meeting" but pledged to seek "great, ultimately good results".

"I think watching us have a great time will be like watching a scene from a fantasy movie," he added.

Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

There were also hopes Kim could pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy -- and North Korea has promised to mothball it twice before.

A patent distraction from the summit was a scandal back home in Washington with Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen calling him a "racist" and a "conman" during a congressional hearing.

The president already showed he had the testimony at the back of his mind when he tweeted about it before his first meeting with Kim, saying Cohen -- who has been sentenced to three years in jail -- was "lying in order to reduce his prison time".

The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement Thursday, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions.

The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement Thursday, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions. They had "very good and constructive meetings" and "discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts", White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. But she went on: "No agreement was reached at this time," adding that their "respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," No joint communique was issued, despite high expectations beforehand for progress. In the original White House programme, a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" was scheduled as well as a working lunch for the two leaders. In the event, both men left the summit venue without a public signing ceremony and Trump moved up his news conference by two hours, sparking doubts about the progress made at the summit. The Hanoi summit was supposed to build on their initial historic meeting at Singapore that critics said was more style over substance. In Hanoi, the smiles and bonhomie remained as Trump touted the "special relationship" between the two but concrete statements were vague. From the outset, Trump had appeared to downplay expectations of an immediate breakthrough in nuclear talks, saying he was in "no rush" to clinch a rapid deal and was content if a pause in missile testing continued. He frequently dangled the prospect of a brighter economic future for a nuclear-free North Korea, at one point saying there was "AWESOME" potential. As in Singapore, the two men put on a show of bonhomie appeared to share jokes in front of reporters. Looking relaxed but appearing to say little, they indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel, a colonial-era building that has played host to stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Brad Pitt. It echoed a garden walkabout in Singapore, where the two men bonded over Trump's hulking car -- the "Beast" -- with the US president allowing the younger man a glimpse inside. 'Rocket man' It was a far cry from the height of missile-testing tensions in 2017 when Trump slammed Kim as "rocket man" and the younger man branded the American president a "mentally deranged US dotard". In apparently unprecedented scenes, Kim answered unscripted questions from foreign reporters, saying that he would welcome the establishment of a US liaison office in Pyongyang, which would be a step on the way to diplomatic normalisation. The Pyongyang strongman is looking for relief from sanctions imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes, which saw tensions soar in 2017 before a wave of detente. He said there were "people who hold a sceptical view of our meeting" but pledged to seek "great, ultimately good results". "I think watching us have a great time will be like watching a scene from a fantasy movie," he added. Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. There were also hopes Kim could pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy -- and North Korea has promised to mothball it twice before. A patent distraction from the summit was a scandal back home in Washington with Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen calling him a "racist" and a "conman" during a congressional hearing. The president already showed he had the testimony at the back of his mind when he tweeted about it before his first meeting with Kim, saying Cohen -- who has been sentenced to three years in jail -- was "lying in order to reduce his prison time".

'No agreement was reached' at Trump, Kim summit: White House

The US has asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences.

Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, a State Department spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon urging India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said.

''We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation,'' the spokesperson added.&nbsp;

The US also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds.

''Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, the spokesperson said.

This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details" of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country.

The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday.

It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control.

Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country.

With PTI inputs&nbsp;

The US has asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, a State Department spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon urging India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said.

The US has asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate their tension and avoid military to resolve their differences. Responding to reporters questions over the current situation between India and Pakistan, a State Department spokesperson joined the White House and the Pentagon urging India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability, the spokesperson said. ''We urge both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, including through direct communication. Further military activity will exacerbate the situation,'' the spokesperson added. The US also asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds. ''Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds, the spokesperson said. This US statement came after India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on specific details" of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country. The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. It was conveyed that India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its control. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. With PTI inputs

US asks India and Pakistan to de-escalate tension, avoid military to resolve differences

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-speaks-on-pulwama-attack-says-very-dangerous-situation-between-india-pakistan-199055">US President Donald Trump</a> said on Friday that the United States has developed a "much better" relationship recently with Pakistan, which has long been at odds with the United States over the war in Afghanistan.

Trump, speaking at a White House event on trade negotiations with China, noted that relations had improved over the "last short period of time" and added that the United States may set up some meetings with Pakistan.

US envoys say Pakistan has an important role to play in Afghan peace talks, given its links to the Taliban.

Taliban representatives are due to meet US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar on February 25 in the next round of talks. The Taliban has refused to allow the participation of the Afghan government, which it regards as a US puppet.

Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani ambassador on Wednesday over remarks that Afghan peace talks could be affected if India resorted to violence after last week's deadly attack on Indian paramilitary police in the disputed Kashmir region, for which Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group claimed responsibility.

The Taliban had earlier announced that its team would meet US negotiators this week in Islamabad. The meetings did not take place for reasons that remain unclear.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States has developed a "much better" relationship recently with Pakistan, which has long been at odds with the United States over the war in Afghanistan.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States has developed a "much better" relationship recently with Pakistan, which has long been at odds with the United States over the war in Afghanistan. Trump, speaking at a White House event on trade negotiations with China, noted that relations had improved over the "last short period of time" and added that the United States may set up some meetings with Pakistan. US envoys say Pakistan has an important role to play in Afghan peace talks, given its links to the Taliban. Taliban representatives are due to meet US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar on February 25 in the next round of talks. The Taliban has refused to allow the participation of the Afghan government, which it regards as a US puppet. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani ambassador on Wednesday over remarks that Afghan peace talks could be affected if India resorted to violence after last week's deadly attack on Indian paramilitary police in the disputed Kashmir region, for which Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group claimed responsibility. The Taliban had earlier announced that its team would meet US negotiators this week in Islamabad. The meetings did not take place for reasons that remain unclear.

US has developed 'much better' relations with Pakistan recently: Trump

The US military will keep around 200 troops in Syria after President Donald Trump's pullout from the war-torn country, the White House said Thursday.

"A small peace-keeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

The announcement comes amid fierce criticism of Trump's decision to withdraw America's 2,000 or so troops from Syria by April 30, with members of his own Republican Party blasting the move.

In December, Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria, even though thousands of jihadists remain and fighting continues around their last holdout.&nbsp;

Critics have decried a number of possible outcomes from a precipitous withdrawal, including a Turkish attack on US-backed Kurdish forces and a resurgence of IS.

Sanders did not provide additional details, but the troops' "peace-keeping" designation could pave the way for European allies to commit forces for such a mission.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan visited Europe last week where he attempted to convince allies to maintain a troop presence in Syria after the US pulls out.&nbsp;

But he struggled to persuade other countries why they should risk their forces with America gone.

Trump earlier Thursday spoke with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and the two men discussed Syria, according to a White House summary.

"The two presidents agreed to continue coordinating on the creation of a potential safe zone" in Syria, the readout said.

At the height of its rule, IS imposed its brutal ideology on a territory roughly the size of the United Kingdom, attracting thousands of supporters from abroad.

But the jihadists have since lost almost all their territory save for a tiny sliver of around half a square kilometer (a fifth of a square mile) in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are working towards evacuating civilians remaining in the holdout, so they can polish off the dying IS "caliphate" whether through an assault or a surrender deal.

Syria's Kurds have long demanded the repatriation of foreigners accused of belonging to IS in their custody, but their home countries have been reluctant.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was barring a US-born former IS propagandist from returning home from Syria, where the conflict has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the diplomatic status of the father of Alabama woman Hoda Muthana means she is not a US citizen.

It came after a lawyer for the family of a teenager who fled London to join the jihadists when she was 15 said Britain was revoking her citizenship.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The US military will keep around 200 troops in Syria after President Donald Trump's pullout from the war-torn country, the White House said Thursday. "A small peace-keeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

The US military will keep around 200 troops in Syria after President Donald Trump's pullout from the war-torn country, the White House said Thursday. "A small peace-keeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. The announcement comes amid fierce criticism of Trump's decision to withdraw America's 2,000 or so troops from Syria by April 30, with members of his own Republican Party blasting the move. In December, Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria, even though thousands of jihadists remain and fighting continues around their last holdout. Critics have decried a number of possible outcomes from a precipitous withdrawal, including a Turkish attack on US-backed Kurdish forces and a resurgence of IS. Sanders did not provide additional details, but the troops' "peace-keeping" designation could pave the way for European allies to commit forces for such a mission. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan visited Europe last week where he attempted to convince allies to maintain a troop presence in Syria after the US pulls out. But he struggled to persuade other countries why they should risk their forces with America gone. Trump earlier Thursday spoke with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and the two men discussed Syria, according to a White House summary. "The two presidents agreed to continue coordinating on the creation of a potential safe zone" in Syria, the readout said. At the height of its rule, IS imposed its brutal ideology on a territory roughly the size of the United Kingdom, attracting thousands of supporters from abroad. But the jihadists have since lost almost all their territory save for a tiny sliver of around half a square kilometer (a fifth of a square mile) in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are working towards evacuating civilians remaining in the holdout, so they can polish off the dying IS "caliphate" whether through an assault or a surrender deal. Syria's Kurds have long demanded the repatriation of foreigners accused of belonging to IS in their custody, but their home countries have been reluctant. US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was barring a US-born former IS propagandist from returning home from Syria, where the conflict has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the diplomatic status of the father of Alabama woman Hoda Muthana means she is not a US citizen. It came after a lawyer for the family of a teenager who fled London to join the jihadists when she was 15 said Britain was revoking her citizenship.

Around 200 US troops to remain in Syria after pullout: White House

President Donald Trump is due to meet Friday afternoon with China's top trade negotiator, as talks continue to try to defuse the escalation of the tariff war between the world's economic superpowers.

Global stock markets were higher as the two sides continued to project optimism, with Trump's personal involvement a likely signal of the White House's confidence in a successful outcome.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-china-trade-talks-free-trade-must-not-be-derailed-198923">US-China trade talks, free trade must not be derailed</a>

Just a week remains to avoid a sharp increase in US duty rates on more than $200 billion in Chinese exports -- though Trump has suggested he could extend this deadline if needed.

The fourth round of talks has been underway all week, with senior officials meeting as of Thursday. The White House said Trump would meet with China's Vice Premier Liu He, who is leading the delegation from Beijing.&nbsp;

China's President Xi Jinping also met with US negotiators last week in Beijing, a sign the two leaders are closely following the high-stakes talks.

Analysts say the two sides are likely to trumpet mutual agreements to resolve the easier parts of the trade dispute -- increasing Chinese purchases of American exports, more open investment in China and tougher protections for intellectual property and companies' proprietary technology.

The harder parts -- structural changes to China's economy including an end to Beijing's massive intervention in markets and scaling back its ambitious industrial strategy for global preeminence -- are another question.

William Reinsch, a former senior Treasury official for trade in the administration of President Bill Clinton, told AFP it was unclear if Trump would seek to force Beijing to make such deep concessions.

'Combined impacts'

"Will he hold out for the whole loaf? I don't think anybody knows whether he'll do that. I don’t know if he knows," said Reinsch.

A risk for Trump, said Reinsch, is whether any agreement holds and the Chinese honour their commitments.

"If it unravels and we have a string of unmet commitments and then US retaliation right before the election, we're kind of right back where we started," he said.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is leading the US negotiating team, which also includes Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

In a sign of how high the stakes could be, Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, called the US-China trade tensions a "major risk" to global economic growth.

Since July, the countries have hit out with tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade.

By themselves, Lagarde told the US radio broadcast Marketplace, the tariffs are having "minimal" effect on global trade but they are also damaging business confidence and weighing on stock markets.

"So the combined three impacts -- trade, markets, confidence -- actually reduce global growth and certainly explain our downside projection," Lagarde said, referring to the IMF's recent cuts to global growth forecasts.

The two sides are working towards memorandums of understanding to formalize their commitments ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Xi.

"The big surprise would be a complete removal of tariffs by Trump but I’m expecting an asymmetrical removal of tariffs by China in order to get to some of these numbers," said Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

China may have to remove its tariffs in order to increase purchases of US exports while Trump may feel no pressing obligation to lower the tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports last year, he said.

Global stock markets have been battered since last year through the ups and downs of the trade war but have tended to react positively to signs relations at least will not deteriorate further.

Word of progress had Wall Street in a cheerful mood, with the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.6 per cent at 1600 GMT.

President Donald Trump is due to meet Friday afternoon with China's top trade negotiator, as talks continue to try to defuse the escalation of the tariff war between the world's economic superpowers.

President Donald Trump is due to meet Friday afternoon with China's top trade negotiator, as talks continue to try to defuse the escalation of the tariff war between the world's economic superpowers. Global stock markets were higher as the two sides continued to project optimism, with Trump's personal involvement a likely signal of the White House's confidence in a successful outcome. Also read: US-China trade talks, free trade must not be derailed Just a week remains to avoid a sharp increase in US duty rates on more than $200 billion in Chinese exports -- though Trump has suggested he could extend this deadline if needed. The fourth round of talks has been underway all week, with senior officials meeting as of Thursday. The White House said Trump would meet with China's Vice Premier Liu He, who is leading the delegation from Beijing. China's President Xi Jinping also met with US negotiators last week in Beijing, a sign the two leaders are closely following the high-stakes talks. Analysts say the two sides are likely to trumpet mutual agreements to resolve the easier parts of the trade dispute -- increasing Chinese purchases of American exports, more open investment in China and tougher protections for intellectual property and companies' proprietary technology. The harder parts -- structural changes to China's economy including an end to Beijing's massive intervention in markets and scaling back its ambitious industrial strategy for global preeminence -- are another question. William Reinsch, a former senior Treasury official for trade in the administration of President Bill Clinton, told AFP it was unclear if Trump would seek to force Beijing to make such deep concessions. 'Combined impacts' "Will he hold out for the whole loaf? I don't think anybody knows whether he'll do that. I don’t know if he knows," said Reinsch. A risk for Trump, said Reinsch, is whether any agreement holds and the Chinese honour their commitments. "If it unravels and we have a string of unmet commitments and then US retaliation right before the election, we're kind of right back where we started," he said. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is leading the US negotiating team, which also includes Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. In a sign of how high the stakes could be, Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, called the US-China trade tensions a "major risk" to global economic growth. Since July, the countries have hit out with tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade. By themselves, Lagarde told the US radio broadcast Marketplace, the tariffs are having "minimal" effect on global trade but they are also damaging business confidence and weighing on stock markets. "So the combined three impacts -- trade, markets, confidence -- actually reduce global growth and certainly explain our downside projection," Lagarde said, referring to the IMF's recent cuts to global growth forecasts. The two sides are working towards memorandums of understanding to formalize their commitments ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Xi. "The big surprise would be a complete removal of tariffs by Trump but I’m expecting an asymmetrical removal of tariffs by China in order to get to some of these numbers," said Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. China may have to remove its tariffs in order to increase purchases of US exports while Trump may feel no pressing obligation to lower the tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports last year, he said. Global stock markets have been battered since last year through the ups and downs of the trade war but have tended to react positively to signs relations at least will not deteriorate further. Word of progress had Wall Street in a cheerful mood, with the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.6 per cent at 1600 GMT.

Trump to meet China's top trade negotiator as deadline presses

The White House has formally received the proposed changes in the existing regulations to end the work authorisation for certain categories of H1B foreign work visas.

The move that would impact over 90,000 spouses of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/want-to-encourage-talented-highly-skilled-people-to-pursue-career-in-us-trump-tweets-good-news-for-h1-b-holders-189645">H1B visa holders</a>, an overwhelming number of whom are <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indians-maximum-among-h1b-visa-applicants-denial-by-us-at-all-time-high-finds-american-think-tank-156077">Indians</a>, was sent by the Department of Homeland Security to the White House Office of management for Budget on Wednesday, officials said.

It's now for the White House to take a final call on it, before a formal regulation in this regard could be issued and the Department of Homeland Security can inform a federal court, where a lawsuit on this issue is pending.

Now White House would carry out its review of the proposed regulation, take inputs from various agencies, before taking a final call. The entire process could take from a few weeks to several months.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which manages the programme said the proposed regulation was not final until the review and comment process was complete. As per the existing process, once White House gives its nod, the regulation would be published in federal register with a 30-day comment period.

It is only after that the new changes can come into effect. The Trump administration is moving ahead with its proposed regulation, despite strong resistance from a group of US lawmakers including Senator Kamala Harris, and Silicon Valley companies who argue that this is not only anti-women, but also prevents talented spouses of H1B visa holders from working in the United States.

Meanwhile, the US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia has extended the time for various stakeholders, including the Department of Homeland Security to submit its responses on the lawsuit against it filed by the organisation Save Jobs USA.

In September, Save Jobs USA which had filed the lawsuit urged the court to remove the abeyance and move forward with the case.

The case is before a three-member bench including Indian American Sree Srinivasan. The move comes after the Department of Homeland Security sought a stay on all existing deadlines because of the more than one-month-long partial shutdown of the federal government.

Save Jobs USA has expressed its disappointment over the slow progress on this issue.

The White House has formally received the proposed changes in the existing regulations to end the work authorisation for certain categories of H1B foreign work visas.

The White House has formally received the proposed changes in the existing regulations to end the work authorisation for certain categories of H1B foreign work visas. The move that would impact over 90,000 spouses of H1B visa holders, an overwhelming number of whom are Indians, was sent by the Department of Homeland Security to the White House Office of management for Budget on Wednesday, officials said. It's now for the White House to take a final call on it, before a formal regulation in this regard could be issued and the Department of Homeland Security can inform a federal court, where a lawsuit on this issue is pending. Now White House would carry out its review of the proposed regulation, take inputs from various agencies, before taking a final call. The entire process could take from a few weeks to several months. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which manages the programme said the proposed regulation was not final until the review and comment process was complete. As per the existing process, once White House gives its nod, the regulation would be published in federal register with a 30-day comment period. It is only after that the new changes can come into effect. The Trump administration is moving ahead with its proposed regulation, despite strong resistance from a group of US lawmakers including Senator Kamala Harris, and Silicon Valley companies who argue that this is not only anti-women, but also prevents talented spouses of H1B visa holders from working in the United States. Meanwhile, the US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia has extended the time for various stakeholders, including the Department of Homeland Security to submit its responses on the lawsuit against it filed by the organisation Save Jobs USA. In September, Save Jobs USA which had filed the lawsuit urged the court to remove the abeyance and move forward with the case. The case is before a three-member bench including Indian American Sree Srinivasan. The move comes after the Department of Homeland Security sought a stay on all existing deadlines because of the more than one-month-long partial shutdown of the federal government. Save Jobs USA has expressed its disappointment over the slow progress on this issue.

White House receives proposed regulation to end work authorisation for spouses of H1B visa holders

The US economy should continue growing this year at the same pace seen in 2018, and there is only a very slim chance of recession, the chief White House economist said Tuesday.

US companies last year used the tax cuts passed at the end of 2017 to boost investment, which should translate in higher output in 2019, Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told CNBC.

"We're sticking with our guns and we're going to say we're going to have another three per cent year," he said of expectations for growth in the world's largest economy.

That upbeat assessment contrasts with widespread expectations the US economy will cool as the bump from tax cuts and fiscal stimulus last year dissipates.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office last month forecast growth of 2.3 per cent this year, down from 3.1 per cent in 2018, while the International Monetary Fund expects a slightly stronger 2.5 per cent growth in 2019, slowing to 1.8 per cent next year.

As of last month, the New York Federal Reserve Bank put the odds of a recession with a year at nearly 24 per cent -- the highest since the Great Recession more than 10 years ago.

But Hassett said given the likely boost to factory output as a result of higher capital investments, the odds of a sustained decline in the economy in 2019 are very low "maybe like one per cent or two per cent or something like that."

Companies "built factories last year. They're going to flip the factories on this year and we're going to get growth from that," he said.

Capital expenditures outside the defence and aviation sectors, seen as a proxy for business investment, softened in the latter part of 2018, government data show, which occurred in tandem with a slowdown in the broader economy.

Critics of 2017's corporate tax cuts have said that rather than just boosting investment, the windfall encouraged record spending on share buybacks, transferring wealth from taxpayers to shareholders.

The US economy should continue growing this year at the same pace seen in 2018, and there is only a very slim chance of recession, the chief White House economist said Tuesday.

The US economy should continue growing this year at the same pace seen in 2018, and there is only a very slim chance of recession, the chief White House economist said Tuesday. US companies last year used the tax cuts passed at the end of 2017 to boost investment, which should translate in higher output in 2019, Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told CNBC. "We're sticking with our guns and we're going to say we're going to have another three per cent year," he said of expectations for growth in the world's largest economy. That upbeat assessment contrasts with widespread expectations the US economy will cool as the bump from tax cuts and fiscal stimulus last year dissipates. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office last month forecast growth of 2.3 per cent this year, down from 3.1 per cent in 2018, while the International Monetary Fund expects a slightly stronger 2.5 per cent growth in 2019, slowing to 1.8 per cent next year. As of last month, the New York Federal Reserve Bank put the odds of a recession with a year at nearly 24 per cent -- the highest since the Great Recession more than 10 years ago. But Hassett said given the likely boost to factory output as a result of higher capital investments, the odds of a sustained decline in the economy in 2019 are very low "maybe like one per cent or two per cent or something like that." Companies "built factories last year. They're going to flip the factories on this year and we're going to get growth from that," he said. Capital expenditures outside the defence and aviation sectors, seen as a proxy for business investment, softened in the latter part of 2018, government data show, which occurred in tandem with a slowdown in the broader economy. Critics of 2017's corporate tax cuts have said that rather than just boosting investment, the windfall encouraged record spending on share buybacks, transferring wealth from taxpayers to shareholders.

US economy to see another strong year, recession unlikely: White House

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/coalition-of-us-states-sue-trump-administration-in-showdown-over-border-wall-funds-198324">President Donald Trump</a> said Tuesday that trade talks with China are complex but are "going very well" and again indicated the March 1 deadline for raising tariffs could be extended.

Officials on Tuesday resumed the high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending a damaging tariff war between the economic superpowers.

"I think the talks are going very well," Trump said on the sidelines of an event at the White House. But he called the discussions "very complex."

After the third round of talks ended Friday in Beijing with no deal, Trump suggested he could extend a March 1 truce deadline for an agreement to be reached.&nbsp;

If he does not extend the timeframe, the US is set to more than double punitive import tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods.

"I can't tell you exactly about timing. The date is not a magical date because a lot of things are happening," Trump told reporters. "We’ll see what happens."

That comment cheered investors and sent US stock prices higher, boosting confidence that the sides will avoid worsening the conflict. Markets in London, Frankfurt and Tokyo also gained ground.

Senior officials were due to hold another round of talks on Thursday and Friday but deputy level meetings got underway Tuesday.

On Friday, Trump had reiterated he might be willing to hold off on increasing tariffs to 25 per cent from the current 10 per cent on March 1 on $200 billion in Chinese goods if Washington and Beijing were close to finalizing an agreement to deal with US allegations of unfair trade and theft of American technology.

American officials accuse Beijing of seeking global industrial dominance through an array of unfair trade practices, including the alleged theft of American intellectual property, and Washington has demanded a reduction in the US trade deficit with China.

Structural changes needed&nbsp; 
The talks are aimed at "achieving needed structural changes in China that affect trade between the United States and China," the White House said Monday.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the White House also is seeking a commitment from China to keep its currency from depreciating against the US dollar, which would counteract the impact of the tariffs.

Citing two people familiar with the negotiations, the report said the currency issue has been discussed multiple times and the United States could use even higher tariffs to respond to a weakening of the yuan.

Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute for International Finance, a global banking organization, said the six per cent decline of the yuan -- also known as the renminbi or RMB -- against the dollar counteracted the impact of the two rounds of US tariffs on a total of $250 billion in Chinese goods.

Brooks told AFP that "the RMB is still undervalued significantly."&nbsp;

However, the currency has recovered since the low point of October 31, which indicates markets are expecting an agreement that would roll back the tariffs significantly -- a view he called "too optimistic."

Beijing and Washington have imposed duties on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, which is weighing on their manufacturing sectors and has shaken global financial markets.&nbsp;

Brooks said Chinese companies also have cut prices to try to prevent sales to the United States from eroding too far, which is hurting their bottom line and means China is paying an economic price for the tariff war.

Since the December detente, China has resumed purchases of some US soybeans and dangled massive buying of American commodities to get US trade negotiators closer to a deal.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead the American delegation, which includes Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, economic policy adviser Larry Kudlow and trade adviser Peter Navarro, the White House said in a statement.

"The two sides will also discuss China's pledge to purchase a substantial amount of goods and services from the United States."

China's Commerce Ministry said its delegation will be led by Vice Premier Liu He, who is Beijing's top trade negotiator and key aide to President Xi Jinping, who agreed to a trade war truce with Trump at a meeting in Buenos Aires in December.

"We hope China and the US will both work hard together to implement the important consensus reached by our two heads of state in Argentina, get down to work and walk together in the same direction towards a mutually acceptable and mutually beneficial agreement," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that trade talks with China are complex but are "going very well" and again indicated the March 1 deadline for raising tariffs could be extended.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that trade talks with China are complex but are "going very well" and again indicated the March 1 deadline for raising tariffs could be extended. Officials on Tuesday resumed the high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending a damaging tariff war between the economic superpowers. "I think the talks are going very well," Trump said on the sidelines of an event at the White House. But he called the discussions "very complex." After the third round of talks ended Friday in Beijing with no deal, Trump suggested he could extend a March 1 truce deadline for an agreement to be reached. If he does not extend the timeframe, the US is set to more than double punitive import tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. "I can't tell you exactly about timing. The date is not a magical date because a lot of things are happening," Trump told reporters. "We’ll see what happens." That comment cheered investors and sent US stock prices higher, boosting confidence that the sides will avoid worsening the conflict. Markets in London, Frankfurt and Tokyo also gained ground. Senior officials were due to hold another round of talks on Thursday and Friday but deputy level meetings got underway Tuesday. On Friday, Trump had reiterated he might be willing to hold off on increasing tariffs to 25 per cent from the current 10 per cent on March 1 on $200 billion in Chinese goods if Washington and Beijing were close to finalizing an agreement to deal with US allegations of unfair trade and theft of American technology. American officials accuse Beijing of seeking global industrial dominance through an array of unfair trade practices, including the alleged theft of American intellectual property, and Washington has demanded a reduction in the US trade deficit with China. Structural changes needed The talks are aimed at "achieving needed structural changes in China that affect trade between the United States and China," the White House said Monday. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the White House also is seeking a commitment from China to keep its currency from depreciating against the US dollar, which would counteract the impact of the tariffs. Citing two people familiar with the negotiations, the report said the currency issue has been discussed multiple times and the United States could use even higher tariffs to respond to a weakening of the yuan. Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute for International Finance, a global banking organization, said the six per cent decline of the yuan -- also known as the renminbi or RMB -- against the dollar counteracted the impact of the two rounds of US tariffs on a total of $250 billion in Chinese goods. Brooks told AFP that "the RMB is still undervalued significantly." However, the currency has recovered since the low point of October 31, which indicates markets are expecting an agreement that would roll back the tariffs significantly -- a view he called "too optimistic." Beijing and Washington have imposed duties on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, which is weighing on their manufacturing sectors and has shaken global financial markets. Brooks said Chinese companies also have cut prices to try to prevent sales to the United States from eroding too far, which is hurting their bottom line and means China is paying an economic price for the tariff war. Since the December detente, China has resumed purchases of some US soybeans and dangled massive buying of American commodities to get US trade negotiators closer to a deal. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead the American delegation, which includes Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, economic policy adviser Larry Kudlow and trade adviser Peter Navarro, the White House said in a statement. "The two sides will also discuss China's pledge to purchase a substantial amount of goods and services from the United States." China's Commerce Ministry said its delegation will be led by Vice Premier Liu He, who is Beijing's top trade negotiator and key aide to President Xi Jinping, who agreed to a trade war truce with Trump at a meeting in Buenos Aires in December. "We hope China and the US will both work hard together to implement the important consensus reached by our two heads of state in Argentina, get down to work and walk together in the same direction towards a mutually acceptable and mutually beneficial agreement," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Tuesday.

Trump says US-China trade talks 'going very well'

A small group of demonstrators rallied outside the White House Monday to protest President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-us-mexico-border-emergency-democrats-protest-197678">Trump's declaration of a national emergency</a> to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border.

The declaration allows Trump to bypass Congress, which approved only a quarter of the $5.6 billion he wanted for the wall.

"Donald Trump is trying to subvert our democracy," said Sam Crook, 65, a Green Party activist, holding a sign that reads: "Trump is a two-bit tin-pot wannabe dictator."

Although presidents have declared national emergencies before, Friday's action is believed to be the first time one has been used to raise funds that were specifically rejected by Congress.

The action will be fought in court, with California's attorney general already warning that his state will file suit.

The declaration enables him to divert funds from the Pentagon's military construction budget and other sources.

A small group of demonstrators rallied outside the White House Monday to protest President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border.

A small group of demonstrators rallied outside the White House Monday to protest President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border. The declaration allows Trump to bypass Congress, which approved only a quarter of the $5.6 billion he wanted for the wall. "Donald Trump is trying to subvert our democracy," said Sam Crook, 65, a Green Party activist, holding a sign that reads: "Trump is a two-bit tin-pot wannabe dictator." Although presidents have declared national emergencies before, Friday's action is believed to be the first time one has been used to raise funds that were specifically rejected by Congress. The action will be fought in court, with California's attorney general already warning that his state will file suit. The declaration enables him to divert funds from the Pentagon's military construction budget and other sources.

Trump's emergency declaration sparks protests outside White House

The White House received Monday a Commerce Department report on the auto industry that could trigger tariffs against imported cars and intensify tensions with Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has labelled as "frightening" the prospect that European car imports could be declared a national security threat to the United States.

Two people familiar with the matter earlier told AFP that the Commerce Department report has concluded that auto imports pose such a threat.

As part of his "America First" agenda, US President Donald Trump has already imposed a range of tariffs against allies, as well as China.

"Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross formally submitted to President Donald J. Trump the results of the Department of Commerce's investigation into the effect of imports of automobiles and automobile parts on the national security of the United States," a Commerce Department statement issued late Sunday said.

It gave no further details. Sunday was the deadline for Ross to file his report.

Trump ordered the investigation in May, and after receiving the report he now has 90 days to decide whether or not to impose tariffs.

Trump has threatened 25 per cent duties on European autos, especially targeting Germany, which he says has harmed the American car industry.

In July, Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reached a trade truce under which they pledged no new tariffs while negotiations continued.

The White House has already used the national security argument -- saying that undermining the American manufacturing base impairs military readiness, among other claims -- to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.&nbsp;

His action drew instant retaliation from the EU, Canada, Mexico and China.

In 2017 just under half of the 17 million cars sold in the United States were imported, most of them produced in Canada and Mexico. Those two countries have reached a new free trade pact with Washington and are expected to be exempt from any new automobile duties.

German automobile groups last year exported 470,000 cars from Germany to the United States, according to the VDA manufacturers' federation.

Aside from economic matters, US-European ties are already upended over Trump's approach towards Iran and Syria, as well as other issues.

&nbsp;

The White House received Monday a Commerce Department report on the auto industry that could trigger tariffs against imported cars and intensify tensions with Europe.

The White House received Monday a Commerce Department report on the auto industry that could trigger tariffs against imported cars and intensify tensions with Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has labelled as "frightening" the prospect that European car imports could be declared a national security threat to the United States. Two people familiar with the matter earlier told AFP that the Commerce Department report has concluded that auto imports pose such a threat. As part of his "America First" agenda, US President Donald Trump has already imposed a range of tariffs against allies, as well as China. "Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross formally submitted to President Donald J. Trump the results of the Department of Commerce's investigation into the effect of imports of automobiles and automobile parts on the national security of the United States," a Commerce Department statement issued late Sunday said. It gave no further details. Sunday was the deadline for Ross to file his report. Trump ordered the investigation in May, and after receiving the report he now has 90 days to decide whether or not to impose tariffs. Trump has threatened 25 per cent duties on European autos, especially targeting Germany, which he says has harmed the American car industry. In July, Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reached a trade truce under which they pledged no new tariffs while negotiations continued. The White House has already used the national security argument -- saying that undermining the American manufacturing base impairs military readiness, among other claims -- to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. His action drew instant retaliation from the EU, Canada, Mexico and China. In 2017 just under half of the 17 million cars sold in the United States were imported, most of them produced in Canada and Mexico. Those two countries have reached a new free trade pact with Washington and are expected to be exempt from any new automobile duties. German automobile groups last year exported 470,000 cars from Germany to the United States, according to the VDA manufacturers' federation. Aside from economic matters, US-European ties are already upended over Trump's approach towards Iran and Syria, as well as other issues.

White House gets report that could trigger auto tariffs

High level US trade negotiators in Beijing will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top White House official confirmed Thursday.

President Donald Trump's economic advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters in Washington that he'd just talked to the delegation, which includes US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"They're covering all the ground. They're hard at it. They are going to meet with President Xi, so that's a very good sign," he said.

Kudlow said "the vibe is good."

But he said there'd been "no decision" on extending a March 1 truce in tariff hikes between the world's two main economic powers.

Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported that the US officials would meet with Xi, bolstering hopes for a successful outcome in the talks.

Trump has said he is open to extending the March 1 deadline to give time for more negotiations and he says he will meet with Xi to finalise any deal.

The United States accuses China of a slew of unfair trading practices, including systemic theft of US intellectual property, and wants deep reforms to the system.

Beijing and Washington have already imposed duties on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, weighing on their manufacturing sectors and shaking global financial markets.

High level US trade negotiators in Beijing will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top White House official confirmed Thursday. President Donald Trump's economic advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters in Washington that he'd just talked to the delegation, which includes US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

High level US trade negotiators in Beijing will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top White House official confirmed Thursday. President Donald Trump's economic advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters in Washington that he'd just talked to the delegation, which includes US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "They're covering all the ground. They're hard at it. They are going to meet with President Xi, so that's a very good sign," he said. Kudlow said "the vibe is good." But he said there'd been "no decision" on extending a March 1 truce in tariff hikes between the world's two main economic powers. Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported that the US officials would meet with Xi, bolstering hopes for a successful outcome in the talks. Trump has said he is open to extending the March 1 deadline to give time for more negotiations and he says he will meet with Xi to finalise any deal. The United States accuses China of a slew of unfair trading practices, including systemic theft of US intellectual property, and wants deep reforms to the system. Beijing and Washington have already imposed duties on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, weighing on their manufacturing sectors and shaking global financial markets.

US trade negotiators to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping: White House

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed the United States and its regional allies on Thursday for a suicide bombing in southeastern Iran that killed 27 members of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards, Iranian state TV reported.

The force said on Wednesday a suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives had attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

A militant Sunni Muslim group, Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian media have reported.

"The crime will remain as a 'dirty stain' in the black record of the main supporters of terrorism in the White House, Tel Aviv and their regional agents," Rouhani said.

Apart from Israel, Rouhani did not name the regional states he believed were to blame. Mainly Shi'ite Muslim Iran does not recognise Israel, which is a key U.S. ally in the region and sees Tehran as posing an existential threat to its existence.

"There is a link between this crime ... and some regional and international spying and intelligence agencies," TV quoted Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying.

Khamenei ordered immediate action against those responsible for the attack.

In the past, Tehran has accused its main regional rival Saudi Arabia of backing Sunni militia groups who have carried out bloody attacks against Iranian security forces. Riyadh has denied the charges.

Repeating warnings made by senior commanders of the Guards, Rouhani said Iran was determined to bring justice to those responsible for one of the worst assaults ever against the Revolutionary Guards in years.

The assault, which wounded at least 13 people, took place in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim, ethnic Baluchi community, which straddles the border with Pakistan.

Jaish al Adl has carried out attacks against the border guards from Pakistan since its founding in 2012. Iran has called on neighbouring countries to crack down on separatist groups. 
&nbsp;

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed the United States and its regional allies on Thursday for a suicide bombing in southeastern Iran that killed 27 members of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards, Iranian state TV reported.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed the United States and its regional allies on Thursday for a suicide bombing in southeastern Iran that killed 27 members of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards, Iranian state TV reported. The force said on Wednesday a suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives had attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan. A militant Sunni Muslim group, Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian media have reported. "The crime will remain as a 'dirty stain' in the black record of the main supporters of terrorism in the White House, Tel Aviv and their regional agents," Rouhani said. Apart from Israel, Rouhani did not name the regional states he believed were to blame. Mainly Shi'ite Muslim Iran does not recognise Israel, which is a key U.S. ally in the region and sees Tehran as posing an existential threat to its existence. "There is a link between this crime ... and some regional and international spying and intelligence agencies," TV quoted Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying. Khamenei ordered immediate action against those responsible for the attack. In the past, Tehran has accused its main regional rival Saudi Arabia of backing Sunni militia groups who have carried out bloody attacks against Iranian security forces. Riyadh has denied the charges. Repeating warnings made by senior commanders of the Guards, Rouhani said Iran was determined to bring justice to those responsible for one of the worst assaults ever against the Revolutionary Guards in years. The assault, which wounded at least 13 people, took place in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim, ethnic Baluchi community, which straddles the border with Pakistan. Jaish al Adl has carried out attacks against the border guards from Pakistan since its founding in 2012. Iran has called on neighbouring countries to crack down on separatist groups.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani blames US, Israel for attack on elite Guards that killed 27: Report

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-not-happy-with-budget-deal-but-shutdown-unlikely-197021">to avoid a partial shutdown</a> of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would.

"We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. "It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything that's in it."

Congress, which faces a tight deadline to pass legislation to avert another US&nbsp;government shutdown, is considering a compromise measure that does not deliver all the funds Trump had demanded to build a wall along the US&nbsp;border with Mexico.

On Tuesday, the Republican president said he was not happy with the deal and he did not rule out a possible veto of the legislation.

The Democratic-controlled US&nbsp;House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night.

The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in US&nbsp;history.

The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons.

Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year — along 55 miles (90 km) of the border — but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall.

Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement.

"I think the president will sign it. I think he will do so reluctantly, and then obviously, have to use executive actions to secure our borders," US&nbsp;Representative Mark Meadows, head of the Republicans' conservative caucus in the House, told reporters on Tuesday.

The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects along the southern border. CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options

"There are some positives in this bill, but it's certainly not enough," Sanders said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "The president and his team have been looking at every option possible to get the full funding they need in order to complete the wall."

Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded $5.7 billion in wall funding, which was opposed by Democrats in Congress. That triggered a 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

The president previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall -- a move that would almost certainly draw opposition in Congress and in the courts.

Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would.

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would. "We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. "It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything that's in it." Congress, which faces a tight deadline to pass legislation to avert another US government shutdown, is considering a compromise measure that does not deliver all the funds Trump had demanded to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. On Tuesday, the Republican president said he was not happy with the deal and he did not rule out a possible veto of the legislation. The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night. The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in US history. The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons. Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year — along 55 miles (90 km) of the border — but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall. Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement. "I think the president will sign it. I think he will do so reluctantly, and then obviously, have to use executive actions to secure our borders," US Representative Mark Meadows, head of the Republicans' conservative caucus in the House, told reporters on Tuesday. The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects along the southern border. CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options "There are some positives in this bill, but it's certainly not enough," Sanders said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "The president and his team have been looking at every option possible to get the full funding they need in order to complete the wall." Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded $5.7 billion in wall funding, which was opposed by Democrats in Congress. That triggered a 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay. The president previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall -- a move that would almost certainly draw opposition in Congress and in the courts. Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

Not clear if Trump will sign border wall funding deal: White House

The President of the United States, said Monday that it depends on the Democrats whether there will be a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-meet-on-border-security-scrambling-to-avert-shutdown-196776">partial government shutdown</a> again this weekend due to lack of funds, as he began a visit to the border with Mexico to continue his campaign in favour of the construction of a wall there.

"It's up to the Democrats," Donald Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if there will be another partial closure of the administration later this week.

On February 15 the legislation expires that temporarily provided funds to the government at the end of January, which put an end to a 35-day shutdown of numerous government activities due to disagreement over the financing of the wall that Trump wants to build on the border with Mexico.

A bipartisan committee with members of the lower house and the Senate has been negotiating for two weeks to reach an agreement on immigration that can adhere to a new budget, thus avoiding a repeat of the partial paralysis.

In such political climate, Trump travelled to the border city of El Paso, Texas, on Monday to hold his first rally this year, while former Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke prepares an alternative rally in the city at the same time.

"We're going to El Paso... We have a line that is very long already... And I understand our competition's got a line, too, but it's a tiny, little line," the president said.

Trump lambasted a Democrats' plan to limit the number of beds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can keep in their detention centres.

"Now it turns out not only don't they want to give us money for the wall, but they also don't want to give us the space to detain murderers, criminals, drug dealers, human smugglers," Trump said.

Trump's government last month asked Congress for $ 4.2 billion to support the maintenance of 52,000 beds in its immigrant detention centres, a notable increase from the current 40,000 beds.

Democrats believe that, with that increase, ICE is also trying to detain undocumented immigrants with no criminal record, and they want to use the current negotiations to set a limit of 35,520 beds for the rest of this fiscal year, including a maximum of 16,500 for US detainees.

ICE acting deputy director Matt Albence warned that cutting funds for the detention centres of his department would be "extremely damaging to public safety."

In a telephone press conference, Albence confirmed that the ICE detained some "20,000 or 22,000" undocumented people, who were captured inside the country, the majority with a criminal record, and claimed that a cut of funds would force his department to "release" some of them.

The President of the United States, said Monday that it depends on the Democrats whether there will be a partial government shutdown again this weekend due to lack of funds, as he began a visit to the border with Mexico to continue his campaign in favour of the construction of a wall there.

The President of the United States, said Monday that it depends on the Democrats whether there will be a partial government shutdown again this weekend due to lack of funds, as he began a visit to the border with Mexico to continue his campaign in favour of the construction of a wall there. "It's up to the Democrats," Donald Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if there will be another partial closure of the administration later this week. On February 15 the legislation expires that temporarily provided funds to the government at the end of January, which put an end to a 35-day shutdown of numerous government activities due to disagreement over the financing of the wall that Trump wants to build on the border with Mexico. A bipartisan committee with members of the lower house and the Senate has been negotiating for two weeks to reach an agreement on immigration that can adhere to a new budget, thus avoiding a repeat of the partial paralysis. In such political climate, Trump travelled to the border city of El Paso, Texas, on Monday to hold his first rally this year, while former Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke prepares an alternative rally in the city at the same time. "We're going to El Paso... We have a line that is very long already... And I understand our competition's got a line, too, but it's a tiny, little line," the president said. Trump lambasted a Democrats' plan to limit the number of beds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can keep in their detention centres. "Now it turns out not only don't they want to give us money for the wall, but they also don't want to give us the space to detain murderers, criminals, drug dealers, human smugglers," Trump said. Trump's government last month asked Congress for $ 4.2 billion to support the maintenance of 52,000 beds in its immigrant detention centres, a notable increase from the current 40,000 beds. Democrats believe that, with that increase, ICE is also trying to detain undocumented immigrants with no criminal record, and they want to use the current negotiations to set a limit of 35,520 beds for the rest of this fiscal year, including a maximum of 16,500 for US detainees. ICE acting deputy director Matt Albence warned that cutting funds for the detention centres of his department would be "extremely damaging to public safety." In a telephone press conference, Albence confirmed that the ICE detained some "20,000 or 22,000" undocumented people, who were captured inside the country, the majority with a criminal record, and claimed that a cut of funds would force his department to "release" some of them.

It's up to Democrats if government shuts again: Trump

The top four Democratic and Republican negotiators in the US&nbsp;Congress on border security funding plan to meet on Monday in a bid to reach an elusive deal by a Friday deadline <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-more-us-congressional-talks-scheduled-to-avert-shutdown-196466">to avert another partial government shutdown</a>.

The talks were scheduled to resume in Washington hours before Republican President Donald Trump plans a rally in the Texas border city of El Paso, where he is expected to promote his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border.

An anti-wall protest will greet the Republican president, led by hometown Democrat Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman who is considering running for his party's 2020 presidential nomination after gaining national prominence last year by nearly upsetting Republican Ted Cruz in a US&nbsp;Senate race in Texas.

In Washington, the lawmakers hope to reach an agreement on Monday to allow time for the legislation to pass the House of Representatives and Senate and get Trump's signature by Friday when funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies.

Negotiations broke down during the weekend over funding for immigrant detention beds and physical barriers along the US-Mexico border.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a Democrat, and the panel's top Republican, US&nbsp;Representative Kay Granger, will attend the meeting with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican, and the panel's senior Democrat Patrick Leahy, according to congressional aides. They were tentatively set to meet at 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT).

Trump's December demand for $5.7 billion to help construct a border wall triggered a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month without the president getting wall funding. Trump agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow congressional negotiators time to find a compromise on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, to avert another shutdown on February 15.

The disagreement over border barriers and making detention facilities able to hold more immigrants to be deported are at the heart of the dispute between congressional Democrats and Trump, who has sought to crack down on illegal and legal immigration.

Campaign promise

Trump made a border wall one of his central campaign promises in 2016, saying it is needed to curb illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other crimes. Democrats, who assumed control of the House last month from Trump's fellow Republicans, oppose a wall as ineffective, expensive and immoral.

A sticking point in the border security talks has been a Democratic demand for funding fewer detention beds. Democrats oppose the Trump administration expanding its capacity to hold more people arrested by US&nbsp;Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for eventual deportation.

Democrats generally push for less use of detention, arguing it is much cheaper to release some immigrants but require restrictions on them such as wearing ankle bracelets that track their location. Republicans want to increase the number of beds in detention facilities to enable holding more people to speed up and expand deportations.

Trump has called the situation at the border a national security crisis and deployed an extra 3,750 US&nbsp;troops there this month.

His 2020 re-election campaign made a wall the centrepiece of a fundraising drive seeking contributions of $5 or more from supporters by midnight on Monday.

California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, was poised to withdraw all 360 of his state's National Guard troops from the border to counter Trump's claim of a national security crisis, according to US&nbsp;media reports. Democratic-governed New Mexico made a similar move last week.

&nbsp;

The top four Democratic and Republican negotiators in the US Congress on border security funding plan to meet on Monday in a bid to reach an elusive deal by a Friday deadline to avert another partial government shutdown.

The top four Democratic and Republican negotiators in the US Congress on border security funding plan to meet on Monday in a bid to reach an elusive deal by a Friday deadline to avert another partial government shutdown. The talks were scheduled to resume in Washington hours before Republican President Donald Trump plans a rally in the Texas border city of El Paso, where he is expected to promote his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border. An anti-wall protest will greet the Republican president, led by hometown Democrat Beto O'Rourke, the former congressman who is considering running for his party's 2020 presidential nomination after gaining national prominence last year by nearly upsetting Republican Ted Cruz in a US Senate race in Texas. In Washington, the lawmakers hope to reach an agreement on Monday to allow time for the legislation to pass the House of Representatives and Senate and get Trump's signature by Friday when funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and several other federal agencies. Negotiations broke down during the weekend over funding for immigrant detention beds and physical barriers along the US-Mexico border. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a Democrat, and the panel's top Republican, US Representative Kay Granger, will attend the meeting with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican, and the panel's senior Democrat Patrick Leahy, according to congressional aides. They were tentatively set to meet at 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT). Trump's December demand for $5.7 billion to help construct a border wall triggered a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month without the president getting wall funding. Trump agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow congressional negotiators time to find a compromise on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, to avert another shutdown on February 15. The disagreement over border barriers and making detention facilities able to hold more immigrants to be deported are at the heart of the dispute between congressional Democrats and Trump, who has sought to crack down on illegal and legal immigration. Campaign promise Trump made a border wall one of his central campaign promises in 2016, saying it is needed to curb illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other crimes. Democrats, who assumed control of the House last month from Trump's fellow Republicans, oppose a wall as ineffective, expensive and immoral. A sticking point in the border security talks has been a Democratic demand for funding fewer detention beds. Democrats oppose the Trump administration expanding its capacity to hold more people arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for eventual deportation. Democrats generally push for less use of detention, arguing it is much cheaper to release some immigrants but require restrictions on them such as wearing ankle bracelets that track their location. Republicans want to increase the number of beds in detention facilities to enable holding more people to speed up and expand deportations. Trump has called the situation at the border a national security crisis and deployed an extra 3,750 US troops there this month. His 2020 re-election campaign made a wall the centrepiece of a fundraising drive seeking contributions of $5 or more from supporters by midnight on Monday. California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, was poised to withdraw all 360 of his state's National Guard troops from the border to counter Trump's claim of a national security crisis, according to US media reports. Democratic-governed New Mexico made a similar move last week.

US lawmakers to hold border security talks in bid to avert shutdown

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