As President-elect Donald Trump threatened to &ldquo;terminate&rdquo; the detente policy with Cuba, the White House Tuesday warned that reversing the historic rapprochement would have &ldquo;significant&rdquo; diplomatic, economic and cultural costs.

The policy is considered as one of the foreign policy legacies of outgoing President Barack Obama. Trump Monday threatened in a tweet to put an end to the detente policy.

&ldquo;If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the US as a whole, I will terminate deal,&rdquo; Trump said in a tweet.

Trump&rsquo;s tweet landed just as Cuba began its week-long farewell to its former leader Fidel Castro. The White House, however, was quick to warn that there are costs involved for cancelling such an agreement with Cuba, under which the two countries not only reestablished their diplomatic relationship after decades, but also resumed flights and lifted several sanctions.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m gonna be in a position of predicting the future. I think what I&rsquo;m merely highlighting and trying to underscore here in as much detail as possible, is that it&rsquo;s just not as simple as one tweet might make it seem,&rdquo; the White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.

Earnest said that reversing the policy would be &ldquo;a significant economic blow&rdquo; to Cubans and was &ldquo;not as easy as a stroke of a pen&rdquo;.

&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just an objective fact when you consider how the American people and US businesses have implemented this deal in a way that has provided significant benefits to the American people and provided significant benefits to the Cuban people,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;All of that would be undone by the reinstitution of a policy that has failed after having been in place for more than five decades. There are significant diplomatic, economic, cultural costs that will have to be accounted for if this policy is rolled back. This is among the many significant challenges that the incoming administration will have to carefully consider,&rdquo; Earnest said.

After realising that the five decades old policy was not working, Obama two years ago announced the beginning of the normalising of relations between the two countries.

&ldquo;This was rooted in the President&rsquo;s conclusion that a policy of isolation that the US had pursued for more than five decades had failed to bring about the improved human rights climate that I think just about every American citizen would like to see in Cuba. And after five decades of trying the same policy of isolation without seeing many results, the president believed it was time to try something different,&rdquo; he said.

The new Cuba policy has benefited the American people in a tangible way and it continues to be strongly supported by an overwhelming majority of Cubans when they&rsquo;re asked about their opinion of this change in our policy.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that was very warmly welcomed by the Cuban people and I think that should be a pretty good indication of the kind of success that this policy is already having,&rdquo; Earnest said.

Earlier in the morning, the Trump Transition Team communications director Jason Miller said though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Castro cannot be erased, the Trump Administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty.

Miller said Cuba is a very complex topic and the president-elect is aware of the nuances and complexities regarding the challenges that Ireland and the Cuban people face.

&ldquo;So this will be an issue that he addresses once he becomes president, but I wouldn&rsquo;t qualify it as far as changing up or down. I&rsquo;d say this has been an important issue, it will continue to be one, and to be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans and a good deal for Americans where we aren&rsquo;t played for fools,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression,&rdquo; Miller told reporters during a conference call.

(PTI)

The deal has brought significant benefits to both the Cuban and the American people, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said

As President-elect Donald Trump threatened to “terminate” the detente policy with Cuba, the White House Tuesday warned that reversing the historic rapprochement would have “significant” diplomatic, economic and cultural costs. The policy is considered as one of the foreign policy legacies of outgoing President Barack Obama. Trump Monday threatened in a tweet to put an end to the detente policy. “If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the US as a whole, I will terminate deal,” Trump said in a tweet. Trump’s tweet landed just as Cuba began its week-long farewell to its former leader Fidel Castro. The White House, however, was quick to warn that there are costs involved for cancelling such an agreement with Cuba, under which the two countries not only reestablished their diplomatic relationship after decades, but also resumed flights and lifted several sanctions. “I don’t think I’m gonna be in a position of predicting the future. I think what I’m merely highlighting and trying to underscore here in as much detail as possible, is that it’s just not as simple as one tweet might make it seem,” the White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference. Earnest said that reversing the policy would be “a significant economic blow” to Cubans and was “not as easy as a stroke of a pen”. “That’s just an objective fact when you consider how the American people and US businesses have implemented this deal in a way that has provided significant benefits to the American people and provided significant benefits to the Cuban people,” he said. “All of that would be undone by the reinstitution of a policy that has failed after having been in place for more than five decades. There are significant diplomatic, economic, cultural costs that will have to be accounted for if this policy is rolled back. This is among the many significant challenges that the incoming administration will have to carefully consider,” Earnest said. After realising that the five decades old policy was not working, Obama two years ago announced the beginning of the normalising of relations between the two countries. “This was rooted in the President’s conclusion that a policy of isolation that the US had pursued for more than five decades had failed to bring about the improved human rights climate that I think just about every American citizen would like to see in Cuba. And after five decades of trying the same policy of isolation without seeing many results, the president believed it was time to try something different,” he said. The new Cuba policy has benefited the American people in a tangible way and it continues to be strongly supported by an overwhelming majority of Cubans when they’re asked about their opinion of this change in our policy. “It’s something that was very warmly welcomed by the Cuban people and I think that should be a pretty good indication of the kind of success that this policy is already having,” Earnest said. Earlier in the morning, the Trump Transition Team communications director Jason Miller said though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Castro cannot be erased, the Trump Administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty. Miller said Cuba is a very complex topic and the president-elect is aware of the nuances and complexities regarding the challenges that Ireland and the Cuban people face. “So this will be an issue that he addresses once he becomes president, but I wouldn’t qualify it as far as changing up or down. I’d say this has been an important issue, it will continue to be one, and to be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans and a good deal for Americans where we aren’t played for fools,” he said. “Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression,” Miller told reporters during a conference call. (PTI)

White House to Trump: Reversing Cuba thaw will have 'significant' costs

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

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

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

Obama to host Trump at White House

Hillary Clinton got a support bounce of four to seven percentage points after the Democratic National Convention and now holds a substantial lead over Donald Trump in the White House race, polls released Monday showed. 
 
Clinton&#39;s advantage over the Republican Trump is 46 per cent to 39 per cent, according to the CBS News poll. 
 
After the Republican convention but prior to the Democratic one, Trump got a two-point bump and the race was tied, CBS said. 
 
A CNN-ORC poll released later Monday has Clinton, the former secretary of state, commanding an even larger lead of nine points, 52-43, in the aftermath of the Democratic confab in Philadelphia. 
 
That poll had Trump ahead 48-45 following the Republican convention. 
 
Clinton also came out stronger in terms of the share of Americans who think her policies will move the country in the right direction, rising from 43 percent of respondents before either convention to 48 percent today, according to the CNN poll.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s &quot;right direction&quot; number held nearly steady following the conventions. 
 
&quot;I think both parties got what they wanted out of their conventions,&quot; Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus told CNN after the network&#39;s poll was released. 
 
One of Clinton&#39;s biggest problems - Americans&#39; negative view of her - remains, but it has eased somewhat since the convention last week, the CBS survey suggested. 
 
Fifty per cent of registered voters have a negative opinion of Clinton compared to 36 per cent who view her positively, the poll said.&nbsp; 
That positive number is up five points and the negative one is down six, it added. 
 
Thirty-one per cent of voters have a positive opinion of Trump, which is about the same as before the Republican convention, according to CBS. Fifty-two per cent see him negatively. 
 
The survey was carried out July 29-31 among 1,393 adults and has a margin of error of three percentage points. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Clinton came out stronger in terms of the share of Americans who think her policies will move the country in the right direction

Hillary Clinton got a support bounce of four to seven percentage points after the Democratic National Convention and now holds a substantial lead over Donald Trump in the White House race, polls released Monday showed. Clinton's advantage over the Republican Trump is 46 per cent to 39 per cent, according to the CBS News poll. After the Republican convention but prior to the Democratic one, Trump got a two-point bump and the race was tied, CBS said. A CNN-ORC poll released later Monday has Clinton, the former secretary of state, commanding an even larger lead of nine points, 52-43, in the aftermath of the Democratic confab in Philadelphia. That poll had Trump ahead 48-45 following the Republican convention. Clinton also came out stronger in terms of the share of Americans who think her policies will move the country in the right direction, rising from 43 percent of respondents before either convention to 48 percent today, according to the CNN poll. Trump's "right direction" number held nearly steady following the conventions. "I think both parties got what they wanted out of their conventions," Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus told CNN after the network's poll was released. One of Clinton's biggest problems - Americans' negative view of her - remains, but it has eased somewhat since the convention last week, the CBS survey suggested. Fifty per cent of registered voters have a negative opinion of Clinton compared to 36 per cent who view her positively, the poll said. That positive number is up five points and the negative one is down six, it added. Thirty-one per cent of voters have a positive opinion of Trump, which is about the same as before the Republican convention, according to CBS. Fifty-two per cent see him negatively. The survey was carried out July 29-31 among 1,393 adults and has a margin of error of three percentage points. (AFP)

Post Democratic convention polls show Clinton in firm lead over rival Trump in White House race

The White House on Tuesday condemned US&nbsp;presidential candidate Donald Trump&rsquo;s &quot;repugnant&quot; boast about groping of women and making unwanted sexual advances, saying those actions would constitute sexual assault.

&quot;The president found the tape as repugnant as most Americans did,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, adding that most people would consider the actions described by Trump as &quot;sexual assault&quot;, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, Trump continued to attack House speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday by calling him a weak and ineffective leader.

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Despite winning the second debate in a landslide (every poll), it is hard to do well when Paul Ryan and others give zero support!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/785816454042124288">October 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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A CNN poll showed 57 per cent of respondents thought Clinton won, while 34 per cent thought Trump won. Another poll YouGuv was less dramatic, but showed a Clinton win, at 47 to 42 per cent.

The real estate magnate also said that his campaign &ldquo;shackles&rdquo; were off now that Ryan and other senior Republicans have abandoned him.

&quot;Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty,&quot; Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday.

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Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/785828772423561216">October 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

He said in another tweet that it was hard to do well with &quot;zero support&quot; from Ryan and others, but added in a later Twitter post, &quot;It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to&quot;.

This comes a day after Ryan, the top Republican in congress,told party lawmakers that he was distancing himself from the presidential nominee and won&rsquo;t campaign for him.&nbsp;

The Republican party is in turmoil after a 2005 tape of Trump making lewd comments, wherein he boasted about committing sexual assault,&nbsp;surfaced on Friday, following which a number of senior Republicans chose to defect from his campaign.

Trump&#39;s campaign has slipped further behind Clinton in opinion polls, Reuters reported.

Republicans are worried his chaotic campaign could hurt their chances of holding majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in next month&rsquo;s election,something that was also voiced by Paul Ryan on Monday.

In an extraordinary party revolt, nearly half of all 331 incumbent Republican senators, House members and governors have condemned Trump&rsquo;s lewd remarks on the video, and roughly one in 10 have called for him to drop out of the race, a Reuters review of official statements and local news coverage indicates.

But unlike Ryan, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told RNC members on Monday that the committee, the party&rsquo;s leadership and fundraising arm, still backed Trump, two RNC members told Reuters.&nbsp;

Trump&rsquo;s vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, showed his support in television interviews on Monday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

He's attacking anyone withdrawing support since the release of a lewd audio tape last weekend, which even the White House called 'repugnant'

The White House on Tuesday condemned US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s "repugnant" boast about groping of women and making unwanted sexual advances, saying those actions would constitute sexual assault. "The president found the tape as repugnant as most Americans did," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, adding that most people would consider the actions described by Trump as "sexual assault", AFP reported. Meanwhile, Trump continued to attack House speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday by calling him a weak and ineffective leader. Despite winning the second debate in a landslide (every poll), it is hard to do well when Paul Ryan and others give zero support! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016 × A CNN poll showed 57 per cent of respondents thought Clinton won, while 34 per cent thought Trump won. Another poll YouGuv was less dramatic, but showed a Clinton win, at 47 to 42 per cent. The real estate magnate also said that his campaign “shackles” were off now that Ryan and other senior Republicans have abandoned him. "Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty," Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday. Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016 × He said in another tweet that it was hard to do well with "zero support" from Ryan and others, but added in a later Twitter post, "It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to". This comes a day after Ryan, the top Republican in congress,told party lawmakers that he was distancing himself from the presidential nominee and won’t campaign for him. The Republican party is in turmoil after a 2005 tape of Trump making lewd comments, wherein he boasted about committing sexual assault, surfaced on Friday, following which a number of senior Republicans chose to defect from his campaign. Trump's campaign has slipped further behind Clinton in opinion polls, Reuters reported. Republicans are worried his chaotic campaign could hurt their chances of holding majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in next month’s election,something that was also voiced by Paul Ryan on Monday. In an extraordinary party revolt, nearly half of all 331 incumbent Republican senators, House members and governors have condemned Trump’s lewd remarks on the video, and roughly one in 10 have called for him to drop out of the race, a Reuters review of official statements and local news coverage indicates. But unlike Ryan, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told RNC members on Monday that the committee, the party’s leadership and fundraising arm, still backed Trump, two RNC members told Reuters. Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, showed his support in television interviews on Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump blasts top Republican leader, calls him 'weak'

The White House said on Monday that US &nbsp;President Barack Obama would veto the bill allowing victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families to sue the Saudi government for damages.&nbsp; 
 
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed that the President does intend to veto the legislation. 
 
The bill will allow Americans to file lawsuits against any foreign governments suspected of backing terrorism against America.&nbsp; 
 
The legislation is strongly opposed by Saudi Arabia which is home to 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 terror attacks. 
 
He said the bill could be used as an excuse to haul US diplomats or US service members or even US companies into courts all around the world. 
 
&quot;You could have judges at different levels in different courtrooms, reaching different conclusions about the same country. That is not an effective, forceful way for us to respond to terrorism,&quot; Earnest said. 
 
Earnest added that the bill endangers the concept of sovereign immunity that protects the United States as much as any other country in the world.&nbsp; 
 
Earnest anticipated a wider international reaction to the bill. He said, &quot;So the President feels quite strongly about this. Our concern is not limited to the impact it could have on a relationship with one country, but rather it could have an impact on our relationship with every country around the world in a way that has negative consequences for the US, for our national security, and for our men and women in uniform.&quot; 
 
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was passed in the House of Representatives by a voice vote on Friday,&nbsp; 
 
It had earlier found unanimous approval in the Senate in May. The Senate sent the bill for President&#39;s approval on Monday night, giving him a 10-day window to veto the decision.&nbsp; 
 
But even if Obama vetos the bill, Congressional aides said the measure appeared to have enough support to override his decision.&nbsp; 
 
A two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House is required for lawmakers to override an Obama veto for the first time since he took office in January 2009. 
 
Under the Constitution, Obama could also opt for a &quot;pocket veto,&quot; in which the president can defeat a bill just by holding onto it until Congress is out of session. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The White House said the bill is a forceful way to respond to terrorism and could have a far-reaching impact

The White House said on Monday that US President Barack Obama would veto the bill allowing victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families to sue the Saudi government for damages. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed that the President does intend to veto the legislation. The bill will allow Americans to file lawsuits against any foreign governments suspected of backing terrorism against America. The legislation is strongly opposed by Saudi Arabia which is home to 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 terror attacks. He said the bill could be used as an excuse to haul US diplomats or US service members or even US companies into courts all around the world. "You could have judges at different levels in different courtrooms, reaching different conclusions about the same country. That is not an effective, forceful way for us to respond to terrorism," Earnest said. Earnest added that the bill endangers the concept of sovereign immunity that protects the United States as much as any other country in the world. Earnest anticipated a wider international reaction to the bill. He said, "So the President feels quite strongly about this. Our concern is not limited to the impact it could have on a relationship with one country, but rather it could have an impact on our relationship with every country around the world in a way that has negative consequences for the US, for our national security, and for our men and women in uniform." The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was passed in the House of Representatives by a voice vote on Friday, It had earlier found unanimous approval in the Senate in May. The Senate sent the bill for President's approval on Monday night, giving him a 10-day window to veto the decision. But even if Obama vetos the bill, Congressional aides said the measure appeared to have enough support to override his decision. A two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House is required for lawmakers to override an Obama veto for the first time since he took office in January 2009. Under the Constitution, Obama could also opt for a "pocket veto," in which the president can defeat a bill just by holding onto it until Congress is out of session. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Obama will veto bill allowing 9/11 families to sue Saudi Arabia: White House

US President Barack Obama recieved a &#39;diplomatic snub&#39; as he touched down in Hangzhou city of China on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
Red carpet was rolled out for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil&#39;s newly elected President Michel Temer, among other heads of states, The Guardian reported today. However, the US President was denied a red carpet welcome.&nbsp; 
 
Following the cold reception, an argument broke out between White House aides and Chinese security officials, a Reuters footage shows.&nbsp; 
 
However, Obama today said the significance of the row between US and Chinese officials at the airport upon his arrival shouldn&#39;t be &#39;overblown&#39;, Reuters said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I wouldn&#39;t overcrank the significance&quot; of tensions at the airport,&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;told a news conference in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, where global leaders are convening for a G20 summit. 
 
Unfolding of the argument&nbsp; 
 
Shortly after Obama disembarked from the plane on Saturday, a Chinese official shouted at a White House press official as the US official instructed foreign reporters on where to stand as they recorded Obama.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is our country. This is our airport,&quot; the official said in English, pointing and speaking angrily with the aide, footage shows. 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Government official was not happy that reporters were under the wing of AF1. WH press aide would not back down. <a href="https://t.co/C3JRVIe37K">pic.twitter.com/C3JRVIe37K</a>
&mdash; Roberta Rampton (@robertarampton) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertarampton/status/771978164776136705">September 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
 
 
Obama&#39;s national security adviser Susan Rice was also confronted by the same official on the tarmac prompting the Secret Service to intervene. The official attempted to prevent Rice from walking to the motorcade as she crossed a media rope line, speaking angrily to her before a Secret Service agent stepped between the two. 
 
However, it was not clear if the official, whose name was not immediately clear, knew that Rice was a senior official and not a reporter. 
 
The altercation seemingly occurred out of sight of Obama, who greeted ambassadors and other officials before the presidential motorcade pulled away with Rice. 
 
Meanwhile, Jorge Guajardo, Mexico&rsquo;s former ambassador to China, told the Guardian he was convinced Obama&rsquo;s treatment was part of a calculated snub.&nbsp;&ldquo;These things do not happen by mistake. Not with the Chinese,&rdquo; he has been quoted as saying.&nbsp; 
 
Refererring to the entire episode, the New York Times said it&nbsp;was reminiscent of the rough treatment he received on his first trip to China&nbsp;in 2009.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

While the US president was denied a red carpet, an argument ensued between White House aides and Chinese security officials on Saturday

US President Barack Obama recieved a 'diplomatic snub' as he touched down in Hangzhou city of China on Saturday. Red carpet was rolled out for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil's newly elected President Michel Temer, among other heads of states, The Guardian reported today. However, the US President was denied a red carpet welcome. Following the cold reception, an argument broke out between White House aides and Chinese security officials, a Reuters footage shows. However, Obama today said the significance of the row between US and Chinese officials at the airport upon his arrival shouldn't be 'overblown', Reuters said. "I wouldn't overcrank the significance" of tensions at the airport, Obama told a news conference in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, where global leaders are convening for a G20 summit. Unfolding of the argument Shortly after Obama disembarked from the plane on Saturday, a Chinese official shouted at a White House press official as the US official instructed foreign reporters on where to stand as they recorded Obama. "This is our country. This is our airport," the official said in English, pointing and speaking angrily with the aide, footage shows. Government official was not happy that reporters were under the wing of AF1. WH press aide would not back down. pic.twitter.com/C3JRVIe37K — Roberta Rampton (@robertarampton) September 3, 2016 Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice was also confronted by the same official on the tarmac prompting the Secret Service to intervene. The official attempted to prevent Rice from walking to the motorcade as she crossed a media rope line, speaking angrily to her before a Secret Service agent stepped between the two. However, it was not clear if the official, whose name was not immediately clear, knew that Rice was a senior official and not a reporter. The altercation seemingly occurred out of sight of Obama, who greeted ambassadors and other officials before the presidential motorcade pulled away with Rice. Meanwhile, Jorge Guajardo, Mexico’s former ambassador to China, told the Guardian he was convinced Obama’s treatment was part of a calculated snub. “These things do not happen by mistake. Not with the Chinese,” he has been quoted as saying. Refererring to the entire episode, the New York Times said it was reminiscent of the rough treatment he received on his first trip to China in 2009. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Obama receives 'diplomatic snub' in China

The FBI on Friday poured fresh fuel on the fire sparked by Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server as secretary of state, releasing heavily redacted notes on its probe, which White House rival Donald Trump seized on to attack her fitness for office. 
 
The 58 pages -- 14 of which were entirely blacked out -- showed that the FBI found no evidence her email system was compromised but decided it could not be ruled out because some of her mobile devices were not recovered. 
 
&quot;The FBI did find that hostile foreign actors successfully gained access to the personal email accounts of individuals with whom Clinton was in regular contact and, in doing so, obtained emails sent to or received by Clinton on her personal account,&quot; the notes said. 
 
Clinton&#39;s use of a private server has been the subject of simmering controversy as she runs for president against Trump, the Republican candidate. 
 
The documents&#39; release follows the FBI&#39;s recommendation in July not to prosecute Clinton for sending unsecured emails with classified material through the server, though it found her to have been &quot;extremely careless.&quot; 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign said it was &quot;pleased&quot; with the report&#39;s release. 
 
&quot;While her use of a single email account was clearly a mistake and she has taken responsibility for it, these materials make clear why the Justice Department believed there was no basis to move forward with this case,&quot; it said in a statement. 
 
But Trump&#39;s campaign pounced, charging that the notes &quot;reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty. 
 
&quot;Clinton&#39;s secret email server was an end run around government transparency laws that wound up jeopardizing our national security and sensitive diplomatic efforts,&quot; Trump spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement. 
 
Trump said Clinton&#39;s answers to the FBI &quot;defy belief.&quot; 
 
&quot;I was absolutely shocked to see that her answers to the FBI stood in direct contradiction to what she told the American people. After reading these documents, I really don&rsquo;t understand how she was able to get away from prosecution,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
- Revelations - 
Embarrassing revelations include a passage in the report in which the 68-year-old Clinton told investigators she was unaware that confidential material was marked with a &quot;C.&quot; 
 
&quot;Clinton stated she did not know what the &#39;(C)&#39; meant at the beginning of the paragraphs and speculated it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order,&quot; the report said. 
 
&quot;When asked of her knowledge regarding TOP SECRET, SECRET, and CONFIDENTIAL classification levels... Clinton responded that she did not pay attention to the &#39;level&#39; of classification and took all classified information seriously,&quot; it added. 
 
The report also revealed that Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, warned Clinton to &quot;be very careful&quot; regarding emails. 
 
&quot;Powell warned Clinton that if it became &#39;public&#39; that Clinton had a BlackBerry, and she used it to &#39;do business,&#39; her emails could become &#39;official record(s) and subject to the law,&#39;&quot; the report said, noting Clinton had emailed Powell after taking office in 2009 to ask about his use of a BlackBerry. 
 
&quot;Powell further advised Clinton, &#39;Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data.&#39;&quot;&nbsp; 
 
- Concussion - 
The FBI notes said investigators identified 13 mobile devices that &quot;potentially were used to send emails using Clinton&#39;s Clintonemail.com email address.&quot; 
 
It said eight of the devices were BlackBerries that she used while secretary of state, and the other five were devices, including BlackBerries, that she used after leaving office. 
 
In its summary of the interview with Clinton, the agency said she had received no direction on preserving or producing State Department records while transitioning out of her post. 
 
However, Clinton noted that she had suffered a concussion in December 2012, less than two months before leaving office, and then had a blood clot. 
 
&quot;Based on her doctor&#39;s advice, she could only work at State for a few hours a day and could not recall every briefing she received,&quot; the summary said. 
 
The apparent suggestion that Clinton&#39;s blood clot led to memory loss could be potent fodder for the Trump camp -- as it seeks to portray the Democrat as lacking the stamina for the job. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign spokesman Brian Fallon sought to cut short any such notion, tweeting: &quot;Asked abt briefings in late &#39;12, Clinton said 2 things: (1) she couldn&#39;t recall each briefing (2) she missed part of that time due to health.&quot; 
 
Of some 30,000 emails Clinton subsequently turned over to the FBI, the agency&#39;s director James Comey has said 110 contained classified information. Clinton had said none was classified at the time they were sent. 
 
Meanwhile, the State Department has been ordered to review for possible release nearly 15,000 additional emails and documents uncovered during the FBI investigation that had not been disclosed by her lawyers. 
 
(AFP)

The FBI found no evidence that her email system was compromised but decided it could not be completely ruled out

The FBI on Friday poured fresh fuel on the fire sparked by Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state, releasing heavily redacted notes on its probe, which White House rival Donald Trump seized on to attack her fitness for office. The 58 pages -- 14 of which were entirely blacked out -- showed that the FBI found no evidence her email system was compromised but decided it could not be ruled out because some of her mobile devices were not recovered. "The FBI did find that hostile foreign actors successfully gained access to the personal email accounts of individuals with whom Clinton was in regular contact and, in doing so, obtained emails sent to or received by Clinton on her personal account," the notes said. Clinton's use of a private server has been the subject of simmering controversy as she runs for president against Trump, the Republican candidate. The documents' release follows the FBI's recommendation in July not to prosecute Clinton for sending unsecured emails with classified material through the server, though it found her to have been "extremely careless." Clinton's campaign said it was "pleased" with the report's release. "While her use of a single email account was clearly a mistake and she has taken responsibility for it, these materials make clear why the Justice Department believed there was no basis to move forward with this case," it said in a statement. But Trump's campaign pounced, charging that the notes "reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty. "Clinton's secret email server was an end run around government transparency laws that wound up jeopardizing our national security and sensitive diplomatic efforts," Trump spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement. Trump said Clinton's answers to the FBI "defy belief." "I was absolutely shocked to see that her answers to the FBI stood in direct contradiction to what she told the American people. After reading these documents, I really don’t understand how she was able to get away from prosecution," he said in a statement. - Revelations - Embarrassing revelations include a passage in the report in which the 68-year-old Clinton told investigators she was unaware that confidential material was marked with a "C." "Clinton stated she did not know what the '(C)' meant at the beginning of the paragraphs and speculated it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order," the report said. "When asked of her knowledge regarding TOP SECRET, SECRET, and CONFIDENTIAL classification levels... Clinton responded that she did not pay attention to the 'level' of classification and took all classified information seriously," it added. The report also revealed that Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, warned Clinton to "be very careful" regarding emails. "Powell warned Clinton that if it became 'public' that Clinton had a BlackBerry, and she used it to 'do business,' her emails could become 'official record(s) and subject to the law,'" the report said, noting Clinton had emailed Powell after taking office in 2009 to ask about his use of a BlackBerry. "Powell further advised Clinton, 'Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data.'" - Concussion - The FBI notes said investigators identified 13 mobile devices that "potentially were used to send emails using Clinton's Clintonemail.com email address." It said eight of the devices were BlackBerries that she used while secretary of state, and the other five were devices, including BlackBerries, that she used after leaving office. In its summary of the interview with Clinton, the agency said she had received no direction on preserving or producing State Department records while transitioning out of her post. However, Clinton noted that she had suffered a concussion in December 2012, less than two months before leaving office, and then had a blood clot. "Based on her doctor's advice, she could only work at State for a few hours a day and could not recall every briefing she received," the summary said. The apparent suggestion that Clinton's blood clot led to memory loss could be potent fodder for the Trump camp -- as it seeks to portray the Democrat as lacking the stamina for the job. Clinton's campaign spokesman Brian Fallon sought to cut short any such notion, tweeting: "Asked abt briefings in late '12, Clinton said 2 things: (1) she couldn't recall each briefing (2) she missed part of that time due to health." Of some 30,000 emails Clinton subsequently turned over to the FBI, the agency's director James Comey has said 110 contained classified information. Clinton had said none was classified at the time they were sent. Meanwhile, the State Department has been ordered to review for possible release nearly 15,000 additional emails and documents uncovered during the FBI investigation that had not been disclosed by her lawyers. (AFP)

FBI releases Clinton email probe files

Two Indian-American women have been selected for the prestigious White House Fellow programme that offers first hand experience of working at the highest levels of the US federal government. 
 
Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows appointed from across the nation for the year 2016-17, officials said. 
 
Shah is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician-scientist focused on transforming healthcare delivery for patients with chronic diseases. 
 
She recently completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Chicago (UC), where she redesigned the care cycle for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), dramatically reducing hospital readmissions. 
 
As the recipient of the inaugural UC Innovations Grant, Shah also led an inter-professional research team to evaluate this value-based care delivery programme. 
 
Shah was a trustee for the Chicago Medical Society and has held leadership positions in other medical societies to advocate for her patients and for a sustainable medical workforce. She received a BS and an MD from the Pennsylvania State University/Jefferson Medical College accelerated six- year medical program and MPH from Harvard. 
 
Tripathi, an astrophysicist recently at Harvard University, focuses on the formation and evolution of planets. She has pioneered the characterisation of planet-forming environments and developed the first 3D simulations of planets evaporating due to extreme atmospheric heating. 
 
Tripathi has also been involved in modelling the Milky Way and the search for dark matter. Previously, she has conducted particle physics, seismology and engineering research at Fermilab, Caltech, MIT, and NASA JPL, as part of the mission operations team for the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. 
 
Her commitment to improving her community has been recognised by Harvard, MIT, and the American Red Cross. 
 
Tripathi will receive her Ph.D. In Astronomy from Harvard, where she earned an AM in Astronomy as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. 
 
She received M.Phil in Astronomy from Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar and SB in Physics, with a minor in Applied International Studies, from MIT. 
 
The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by president Lyndon B Johnson to give promising American leaders &quot;first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs&quot;. 
 
Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows

Two Indian-American women have been selected for the prestigious White House Fellow programme that offers first hand experience of working at the highest levels of the US federal government. Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from California and physician Tina R Shah from Chicago are among the 16 White House Fellows appointed from across the nation for the year 2016-17, officials said. Shah is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician-scientist focused on transforming healthcare delivery for patients with chronic diseases. She recently completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Chicago (UC), where she redesigned the care cycle for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), dramatically reducing hospital readmissions. As the recipient of the inaugural UC Innovations Grant, Shah also led an inter-professional research team to evaluate this value-based care delivery programme. Shah was a trustee for the Chicago Medical Society and has held leadership positions in other medical societies to advocate for her patients and for a sustainable medical workforce. She received a BS and an MD from the Pennsylvania State University/Jefferson Medical College accelerated six- year medical program and MPH from Harvard. Tripathi, an astrophysicist recently at Harvard University, focuses on the formation and evolution of planets. She has pioneered the characterisation of planet-forming environments and developed the first 3D simulations of planets evaporating due to extreme atmospheric heating. Tripathi has also been involved in modelling the Milky Way and the search for dark matter. Previously, she has conducted particle physics, seismology and engineering research at Fermilab, Caltech, MIT, and NASA JPL, as part of the mission operations team for the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Her commitment to improving her community has been recognised by Harvard, MIT, and the American Red Cross. Tripathi will receive her Ph.D. In Astronomy from Harvard, where she earned an AM in Astronomy as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She received M.Phil in Astronomy from Cambridge University as a Marshall Scholar and SB in Physics, with a minor in Applied International Studies, from MIT. The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 by president Lyndon B Johnson to give promising American leaders "first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs". Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government. (PTI)

2 Indian-American women named White House fellows

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday he would not get involved in a slanging match with Donald Trump after the US presidential candidate suggested withdrawing from the WTO. 
 
Trump, having earlier threatened to renegotiate or rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, told NBC on Sunday that if he takes the White House he might &quot;renegotiate or pull out&quot; of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies. 
 
Republican Trump added that &quot;These trade deals are a disaster ... (the) World Trade Organization is a disaster,&quot; insisting he would not let the WTO override his plans to impose punitive taxes on firms which shift production offshore. 
 
But the WTO&#39;s director general Roberto Azevedo said he would not rise to the bait. 
 
&quot;I do not intend to open a discussion on this subject -- as I am not a (presidential) candidate,&quot; Azevedo told a news conference in Geneva. 
 
&quot;Everybody knows what I think of the WTO and its importance for international trade and job creation,&quot; the Brazilian added, saying he would put himself forward for a second term at the head of the body after his first ends in September next year. 
 
In May, Trump raised eyebrows when he slammed China on trade, blaming the Asian behemoth for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that&#39;s what we&#39;re doing, Trump told a campaign rally, insisting that the United States had &quot;a lot of power with China.&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Trump told NBC that if he takes the White House he might "renegotiate or pull out" of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday he would not get involved in a slanging match with Donald Trump after the US presidential candidate suggested withdrawing from the WTO. Trump, having earlier threatened to renegotiate or rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, told NBC on Sunday that if he takes the White House he might "renegotiate or pull out" of trade deals if the WTO challenges his policies. Republican Trump added that "These trade deals are a disaster ... (the) World Trade Organization is a disaster," insisting he would not let the WTO override his plans to impose punitive taxes on firms which shift production offshore. But the WTO's director general Roberto Azevedo said he would not rise to the bait. "I do not intend to open a discussion on this subject -- as I am not a (presidential) candidate," Azevedo told a news conference in Geneva. "Everybody knows what I think of the WTO and its importance for international trade and job creation," the Brazilian added, saying he would put himself forward for a second term at the head of the body after his first ends in September next year. In May, Trump raised eyebrows when he slammed China on trade, blaming the Asian behemoth for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what we're doing, Trump told a campaign rally, insisting that the United States had "a lot of power with China." (AFP)

WTO says won't take Trump pullout bait

The Democratic convention opened to chaotic scenes Monday, as rival supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded boos and jeers in a very public show of party disunity. 
 
As polls showed Republican Donald Trump leading the race for the White House, Democrats meeting in Philadelphia to make Clinton the first woman presidential nominee from a major party were in disarray. 
 
Sanders&#39; supporters booed as a pastor leading the invocation prayer mentioned Clinton&#39;s name, setting the stage for a raucous chorus of cheers and jeers as successive speakers took to the podium. 
 
The party is reeling from leaked Democratic National Committee emails which show nominally neutral party staff trying to undermine Sanders&#39; insurgent campaign and questioning his Jewish faith. 
 
Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks at the weekend released nearly 20,000 emails from between January 2015 and May 2016, gleaned by hackers who apparently raided the accounts of seven DNC leaders. 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the &quot;cyber intrusion,&quot; which the Clinton campaign blamed on Russian hackers bent on helping Trump. 
 
The leftist Sanders lost to Clinton in the primary handily, but the scandal has angered his already embittered supporters, who believe the race was fixed. 
 
The scandal led to the ouster of party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and an apology from party leaders. 
 
&quot;We want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email,&quot; the Democratic National Committee said in a statement. 
 
Trump the &#39;demagogue&#39; 
 
Twice on Monday, before his official evening address to the convention, Sanders appealed to supporters to help build party unity. 
 
&quot;We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and (running mate) Tim Kaine,&quot; Sanders told a gathering of his supporters hours before the opening of the four-day convention. 
 
&quot;Trump is a bully and a demagogue,&quot; he said. His call to support Clinton was nevertheless met with loud jeers. 
 
He later sent a text message to supporters asking them not to protest on the floor of the convention as a &quot;personal courtesy&quot; to him.&nbsp;But that appeared to have little impact. 
 
As the boos and chants of &quot;Bernie! Bernie!&quot; continued inside the convention hall, Sanders protesters outside tried to breach security barriers, leading to a handful of arrests. 
 
&quot;Clinton can&#39;t beat Trump. Period,&quot; said Michigan delegate Melissa Arab, a Sanders supporter. 
 
&quot;A ham sandwich could beat Trump and she&#39;s not going to beat him. If she&#39;s nominated, people are going to end up with somebody bad for president.&quot; 
 
Many in the Sanders camp have voiced disappointment with Clinton&#39;s choice of centre-left running mate Kaine, a senator from Virginia, instead of a more liberal firebrand like senator Elizabeth Warren, who was also to speak yesterday. 
 
Prime time 
 
Much now rides on Sanders&#39; prime-time address later Monday, and those of Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama. 
 
This was meant to be a valedictory event for Clinton. 
 
Later this week, she will make history when she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination - the first woman to lead a major party&#39;s White House ticket. 
 
But new polls showed Trump surging since his confirmation last week as the Republican presidential nominee, with a CNN poll putting him three points ahead of Clinton - a six-point post-convention bump. 
 
Democratic delegates said it was time to come together. 
 
&quot;The stakes are too high. In the end it&#39;s going to be either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump and it&#39;s not even a close call,&quot; said Paul Czisny, a 57-year-old delegate from Wisconsin who had supported Sanders. 
 
The party is seeking to project a more unified message than the Republicans did at their convention last week in Cleveland, where fissures over Trump&#39;s candidacy were laid bare. 
 
&quot;The Democrats are in a total meltdown,&quot; Trump taunted on Twitter. &quot;E-mails say the rigged system is alive &amp; well!&quot; 
 
He later told supporters Clinton &quot;worked very, very hard to rig the system. Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us.&quot; 
 
Trump has long sought to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders - a self-described democratic socialist - was denied a fair shot at the nomination. 
 
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook on Monday sought to deflect questions about the row. 
 
&quot;Our party is coming together here to unify to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump, and that&#39;s what you&#39;re going to see today,&quot; he said. 
 
Former president Bill Clinton is the star speaker at the convention Tuesday, while President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take the stage Wednesday. 
 
Clinton got a modest boost Monday when former vice president Al Gore offered his endorsement. 
 
(AFP)

Sanders' call to support Clinton was met with jeers and boos. 'Clinton can't beat Trump. Period,' a Sanders supporter said

The Democratic convention opened to chaotic scenes Monday, as rival supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders traded boos and jeers in a very public show of party disunity. As polls showed Republican Donald Trump leading the race for the White House, Democrats meeting in Philadelphia to make Clinton the first woman presidential nominee from a major party were in disarray. Sanders' supporters booed as a pastor leading the invocation prayer mentioned Clinton's name, setting the stage for a raucous chorus of cheers and jeers as successive speakers took to the podium. The party is reeling from leaked Democratic National Committee emails which show nominally neutral party staff trying to undermine Sanders' insurgent campaign and questioning his Jewish faith. Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks at the weekend released nearly 20,000 emails from between January 2015 and May 2016, gleaned by hackers who apparently raided the accounts of seven DNC leaders. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the "cyber intrusion," which the Clinton campaign blamed on Russian hackers bent on helping Trump. The leftist Sanders lost to Clinton in the primary handily, but the scandal has angered his already embittered supporters, who believe the race was fixed. The scandal led to the ouster of party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and an apology from party leaders. "We want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email," the Democratic National Committee said in a statement. Trump the 'demagogue' Twice on Monday, before his official evening address to the convention, Sanders appealed to supporters to help build party unity. "We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and (running mate) Tim Kaine," Sanders told a gathering of his supporters hours before the opening of the four-day convention. "Trump is a bully and a demagogue," he said. His call to support Clinton was nevertheless met with loud jeers. He later sent a text message to supporters asking them not to protest on the floor of the convention as a "personal courtesy" to him. But that appeared to have little impact. As the boos and chants of "Bernie! Bernie!" continued inside the convention hall, Sanders protesters outside tried to breach security barriers, leading to a handful of arrests. "Clinton can't beat Trump. Period," said Michigan delegate Melissa Arab, a Sanders supporter. "A ham sandwich could beat Trump and she's not going to beat him. If she's nominated, people are going to end up with somebody bad for president." Many in the Sanders camp have voiced disappointment with Clinton's choice of centre-left running mate Kaine, a senator from Virginia, instead of a more liberal firebrand like senator Elizabeth Warren, who was also to speak yesterday. Prime time Much now rides on Sanders' prime-time address later Monday, and those of Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama. This was meant to be a valedictory event for Clinton. Later this week, she will make history when she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination - the first woman to lead a major party's White House ticket. But new polls showed Trump surging since his confirmation last week as the Republican presidential nominee, with a CNN poll putting him three points ahead of Clinton - a six-point post-convention bump. Democratic delegates said it was time to come together. "The stakes are too high. In the end it's going to be either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump and it's not even a close call," said Paul Czisny, a 57-year-old delegate from Wisconsin who had supported Sanders. The party is seeking to project a more unified message than the Republicans did at their convention last week in Cleveland, where fissures over Trump's candidacy were laid bare. "The Democrats are in a total meltdown," Trump taunted on Twitter. "E-mails say the rigged system is alive & well!" He later told supporters Clinton "worked very, very hard to rig the system. Little did she know that China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us." Trump has long sought to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders - a self-described democratic socialist - was denied a fair shot at the nomination. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook on Monday sought to deflect questions about the row. "Our party is coming together here to unify to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump, and that's what you're going to see today," he said. Former president Bill Clinton is the star speaker at the convention Tuesday, while President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take the stage Wednesday. Clinton got a modest boost Monday when former vice president Al Gore offered his endorsement. (AFP)

Disunity rules as Democratic convention gets underway

Freshly minted as his party&#39;s choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. 
 
Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party&#39;s social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump&#39;s commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. 
 
But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump&#39;s running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot;, was not smooth. 
 
For example, asked about Pence&#39;s support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, &quot;I don&#39;t care,&quot; saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, &quot;No&quot;. 
 
The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party&#39;s nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday&#39;s session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. 
 
Several convention delegates called Trump&#39;s choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party&#39;s establishment. Pence&#39;s performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. 
 
Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to &quot;Make America First Again&quot;. Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. 
 
On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. 
 
&quot;For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan,&quot; Pence said. &quot;My fellow conservatives, it&#39;s time for us to come together. Come together around this good man.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The two shared the stage only briefly on Saturday at the Republican Convention, but now Pence compares Trump to Ronald Reagan

Freshly minted as his party's choice for the White House, Republican Donald Trump today will make a display of solidarity with his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who is at odds with Trump on many issues. Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well-received by the Republican Party's social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump's commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker. But joint appearances between the two men have been awkward. Trump and Pence shared the stage only briefly on Saturday as Pence publicly agreed to be Trump's running mate, and their first televised interview together, on CBS's "60 Minutes", was not smooth. For example, asked about Pence's support in Congress for war in Iraq, Trump responded, "I don't care," saying Pence was allowed to make occasional mistakes. When the interviewer asked if Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton should get the same wiggle room on her own Iraq vote when she was a US senator, Trump said, "No". The choreography of the Cleveland convention, where Trump was formally named the party's nominee for the November 8 election, has been uneven. At times, anti-Trump delegates interrupted to shout their displeasure. Tuesday's session was intended to focus on the economy, but few speakers hewed to the theme. Several convention delegates called Trump's choice of running mate a step toward uniting a bitterly divided Republican Party and working to build bridges with the party's establishment. Pence's performance today and his interactions with Trump, could help to sell hesitant Republicans at home on the duo. Pence will speak in prime time today, a day dedicated to "Make America First Again". Earlier in the day, he will appear with his wife, Karen, Trump and his family at a welcome event. On Tuesday, Pence delivered a surprise address to the American Conservative Union, where he repeatedly compared Trump to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, a favourite among the party faithful. He said he had gotten to know Trump and knew he cared about helping Americans. "For all the world he reminds me of Ronald Reagan," Pence said. "My fellow conservatives, it's time for us to come together. Come together around this good man." (Reuters)

After awkward start, Trump, Pence put relationship on display

Britain&#39;s new foreign minister Boris Johnson has given up his lucrative newspaper column, which he had used for years to mock world leaders, his spokesman said today. 
 
The leading Brexit campaigner was paid &pound;250,000 ($330,000, 300,000 euros) a year for his weekly article in The Daily Telegraph broadsheet which he continued writing during his eight-year tenure as mayor of London. 
 
He used the column to showcase his sharp wit, but some of his barbs, including comparing White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a &quot;sadistic nurse&quot;, came back to haunt him when he was named foreign secretary last week. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office following the June-23 referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union, stunned observers by naming gaffe-prone Johnson as her top diplomat. 
 
His new job comes with a salary of &pound;135,527 a year, which includes &pound;74,962 for being a Member of Parliament. 
 
&quot;Whilst Mr Johnson has enjoyed a close working relationship with The Daily Telegraph for over 20 years, it would not be appropriate for him to continue writing his long-standing column for the newspaper given his new role as foreign secretary,&quot; his spokesman said. 
 
When asked if May had told Johnson to give up the column, the Prime Minister&#39;s spokeswoman said only that it was his decision. 
 
&quot;Boris has been an outstanding columnist for The Daily Telegraph for many years, with a legion of devoted readers,&quot; said Telegraph Media Group editor Chris Evans, adding that he wished him well in his new job. 
 
Johnson, who stepped down as London mayor in May, was in Brussels today for his first talks with EU counterparts. 
 
The fifty-two-year-old was also working on a book on Shakespeare that was due to be published in October, but has now been postponed &quot;for the forseeable future&quot;, publishers Hodder and Stoughton said. 
 
Johnson has received an advance payment of about &pound;90,000 for the book, but it is thought unlikely that he will have to repay it as the commission has not been withdrawn. 
 
&quot;Hodder and Stoughton confirm that they are postponing publication of Boris Johnson&#39;s &#39;Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius&#39;,&quot; the publishers said in a statement. 
 
Documents released earlier this year showed Johnson earned &pound;987,097 from his Telegraph column over the past four years, while book royalties brought in a further &pound;469,385. 
 
In 2009, Johnson described his Telegraph earnings as &quot;chicken feed&quot;. 
 
 
(AFP)

Johnson had compared White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a "sadistic nurse" in his column meant to showcase his 'sharp' wit

Britain's new foreign minister Boris Johnson has given up his lucrative newspaper column, which he had used for years to mock world leaders, his spokesman said today. The leading Brexit campaigner was paid £250,000 ($330,000, 300,000 euros) a year for his weekly article in The Daily Telegraph broadsheet which he continued writing during his eight-year tenure as mayor of London. He used the column to showcase his sharp wit, but some of his barbs, including comparing White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to a "sadistic nurse", came back to haunt him when he was named foreign secretary last week. Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office following the June-23 referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union, stunned observers by naming gaffe-prone Johnson as her top diplomat. His new job comes with a salary of £135,527 a year, which includes £74,962 for being a Member of Parliament. "Whilst Mr Johnson has enjoyed a close working relationship with The Daily Telegraph for over 20 years, it would not be appropriate for him to continue writing his long-standing column for the newspaper given his new role as foreign secretary," his spokesman said. When asked if May had told Johnson to give up the column, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman said only that it was his decision. "Boris has been an outstanding columnist for The Daily Telegraph for many years, with a legion of devoted readers," said Telegraph Media Group editor Chris Evans, adding that he wished him well in his new job. Johnson, who stepped down as London mayor in May, was in Brussels today for his first talks with EU counterparts. The fifty-two-year-old was also working on a book on Shakespeare that was due to be published in October, but has now been postponed "for the forseeable future", publishers Hodder and Stoughton said. Johnson has received an advance payment of about £90,000 for the book, but it is thought unlikely that he will have to repay it as the commission has not been withdrawn. "Hodder and Stoughton confirm that they are postponing publication of Boris Johnson's 'Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius'," the publishers said in a statement. Documents released earlier this year showed Johnson earned £987,097 from his Telegraph column over the past four years, while book royalties brought in a further £469,385. In 2009, Johnson described his Telegraph earnings as "chicken feed". (AFP)

Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson quits controversial newspaper column

Donald Trump offered a message of ethnic harmony yesterday at a Christian evangelical conference. He was trying to calm concern about his criticism of a Mexican-American judge. 
 
In a departure from his usual freewheeling style, Trump read a carefully scripted speech from a teleprompter as part of a new push by his campaign to tone down the outspoken New Yorker&#39;s harsh rhetoric. 
 
Trump&#39;s remarks included a wide-ranging attack on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. The 69-year-old said that money aimed at resettling Syrian refugees in the United States should instead be spent on tackling poverty in US cities. 
 
Speaking to the annual conference of the conservative Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition, Trump did not mention the controversy over his charge that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot treat him fairly because of his Mexican heritage. However, he did make a point of saying that he would represent all Americans if elected president on November 8. 
 
&quot;Freedom of any kind means no one should be judged by their race or their colour and the tone of his hue,&quot; Trump said. &quot;Right now, we have a very divided nation. We&#39;re going to bring our nation together.&quot; 
 
Paul Ryan, the top elected US Republican, had criticised Trump for what he called a &quot;textbook definition of a racist comment&quot; for his remarks about the judge. Other Republican leaders warned Trump to change his tone or risk losing their support. 
 
Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who led a movement to derail Trump&#39;s nomination, told CNN he would not consider running for the White House. 
 
Romney blasted Trump for comments that he said denigrated Mexicans, women and religion. 
 
&quot;Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation and trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry and trickle-down misogyny - all these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America,&quot; he said. 
 
Romney said he expects Trump to get the Republican nomination but added that he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. He left open the possibility of casting a ballot for the Libertarian Party candidate, former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson. 
 
As Trump sought to rally more Republicans behind him, Clinton met with US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to try and shore up support from the left wing of the Democratic Party. 
 
Clinton later addressed the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the non-partisan arm of the women&#39;s health group, and had Trump trained in her sights. 
 
&ldquo;This is a man who has called women pigs, dogs and disgusting animals, it&rsquo;s kind of hard to imagine counting on him to respect our fundamental rights,&rdquo; said Clinton, the first woman to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. 
 
Clinton leads Trump by 11 percentage points, nearly the same as a week ago, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday. 
 
The real estate mogul&#39;s struggle to unify Republicans behind his insurgent candidacy was apparent at the evangelical Faith &amp; Freedom conference where several speakers studiously avoided speaking his name. 
 
Former campaign rival Carly Fiorina steered clear of Trump, speaking instead of the need to prevent liberal policies taking hold. 
 
US Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, said a Republican president is needed, without mentioning Trump. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t want this contest this fall to just be a contest of personalities,&quot; she said. 
 
But conference organiser Ralph Reed was adamant in his support for Trump, saying the New Yorker has energised the evangelical vote in a way that past Republican presidential nominees failed to do. 
 
&quot;We understand that perfection is not the measure that should be applied,&quot; Reed told the crowd. 
 
 
SYRIAN REFUGEES 
 
Trump yesterday criticised Clinton&#39;s willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States and challenged her to &quot;replace her support for increased refugee admission&quot; in favour of a new jobs program for inner cities. 
 
He stopped short of repeating his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, a proposal that has drawn heavy fire from Republicans and Democrats. 
 
&quot;We have to temporarily stop this whole thing with what&rsquo;s going on with refugees where we don&rsquo;t know where they&rsquo;re coming from,&quot; Trump said. &quot;We have to use the money to take care of our poorest Americans so they can come out of this horrible situation that they&#39;re in.&quot; 
 
Yesterday at the funeral of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, a convert to Islam, one speaker, a rabbi, inveighed against politicians promoting intolerance of Muslims. 
 
&quot;We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people,&quot; said Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine, who said he attended the ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, as a representative of American Jews. 
 
Trump said Clinton&#39;s refusal to use the phrase &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot;, favoured by Republicans to describe violent Islamist militants, makes her unfit to be president.

The US Republican presidential candidate says freedom means nobody should be judged based on their race or skin colour

Donald Trump offered a message of ethnic harmony yesterday at a Christian evangelical conference. He was trying to calm concern about his criticism of a Mexican-American judge. In a departure from his usual freewheeling style, Trump read a carefully scripted speech from a teleprompter as part of a new push by his campaign to tone down the outspoken New Yorker's harsh rhetoric. Trump's remarks included a wide-ranging attack on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. The 69-year-old said that money aimed at resettling Syrian refugees in the United States should instead be spent on tackling poverty in US cities. Speaking to the annual conference of the conservative Faith & Freedom Coalition, Trump did not mention the controversy over his charge that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot treat him fairly because of his Mexican heritage. However, he did make a point of saying that he would represent all Americans if elected president on November 8. "Freedom of any kind means no one should be judged by their race or their colour and the tone of his hue," Trump said. "Right now, we have a very divided nation. We're going to bring our nation together." Paul Ryan, the top elected US Republican, had criticised Trump for what he called a "textbook definition of a racist comment" for his remarks about the judge. Other Republican leaders warned Trump to change his tone or risk losing their support. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who led a movement to derail Trump's nomination, told CNN he would not consider running for the White House. Romney blasted Trump for comments that he said denigrated Mexicans, women and religion. "Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation and trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry and trickle-down misogyny - all these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America," he said. Romney said he expects Trump to get the Republican nomination but added that he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. He left open the possibility of casting a ballot for the Libertarian Party candidate, former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson. As Trump sought to rally more Republicans behind him, Clinton met with US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to try and shore up support from the left wing of the Democratic Party. Clinton later addressed the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the non-partisan arm of the women's health group, and had Trump trained in her sights. “This is a man who has called women pigs, dogs and disgusting animals, it’s kind of hard to imagine counting on him to respect our fundamental rights,” said Clinton, the first woman to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. Clinton leads Trump by 11 percentage points, nearly the same as a week ago, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday. The real estate mogul's struggle to unify Republicans behind his insurgent candidacy was apparent at the evangelical Faith & Freedom conference where several speakers studiously avoided speaking his name. Former campaign rival Carly Fiorina steered clear of Trump, speaking instead of the need to prevent liberal policies taking hold. US Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, said a Republican president is needed, without mentioning Trump. "We don't want this contest this fall to just be a contest of personalities," she said. But conference organiser Ralph Reed was adamant in his support for Trump, saying the New Yorker has energised the evangelical vote in a way that past Republican presidential nominees failed to do. "We understand that perfection is not the measure that should be applied," Reed told the crowd. SYRIAN REFUGEES Trump yesterday criticised Clinton's willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States and challenged her to "replace her support for increased refugee admission" in favour of a new jobs program for inner cities. He stopped short of repeating his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, a proposal that has drawn heavy fire from Republicans and Democrats. "We have to temporarily stop this whole thing with what’s going on with refugees where we don’t know where they’re coming from," Trump said. "We have to use the money to take care of our poorest Americans so they can come out of this horrible situation that they're in." Yesterday at the funeral of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, a convert to Islam, one speaker, a rabbi, inveighed against politicians promoting intolerance of Muslims. "We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people," said Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine, who said he attended the ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, as a representative of American Jews. Trump said Clinton's refusal to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism", favoured by Republicans to describe violent Islamist militants, makes her unfit to be president.

Stung by criticism, Donald Trump vows to work for ethnic harmony

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. 
 
Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. 
 
&quot;Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment,&quot; said Modi. 
 
Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. 
 
Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. 
 
He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group&#39;s rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. 
 
He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis&#39; in September, with jokes about Congress&#39; bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India&#39;s neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. 
 
In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. 
 
Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. 
 
The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. 
 
After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Modi said that US and India should deepen their security cooperation and isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. "Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment," said Modi. Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group's rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis' in September, with jokes about Congress' bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India's neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Congressional Reception in Washington DC

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