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Hello Jammu News at 4:05:00 PM 0


Washington, June 10 :  The photo of Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron planting an oak tree in the garden of the White House symbolized the friendship shown by the two leaders.

But relations between them have since frayed -- over issues ranging from Iran to trade -- and the tree, a diplomatic source said this week, did not survive.

The French president offered the young oak to Trump on the occasion of a state visit to Washington in 2018, and the two shoveled dirt around it under the watchful eyes of their wives -- and cameras from around the world.

It was a symbolic gesture: the tree came from a northern French forest where 2,000 US Marines died during the First World War.

But a few days later, the tree was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared into quarantine.

"It is a quarantine which is mandatory for any living organism imported into the US," Gerard Araud, then the French ambassador to America, wrote on Twitter, adding that it would be replanted later.

But it was never replanted: the tree died during its quarantine, the diplomatic source said.   [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 1:57:00 PM 0


Washington, Feb 26 :  US House lawmakers on Tuesday are expected to pass a Democratic measure annulling President Donald Trump's declared emergency on the southern border, an effort that appeared to earn growing support among Senate Republicans.

Trump's February 15 emergency declaration gives him access to billions of dollars to construct his wall on the Mexican border, beyond the nearly 1.4 billion that Congress allocated for construction of border barriers.

But the House of Representatives, run since January by Democrats, has the support necessary to terminate the emergency, dealing a stern rebuke to a president controversially seeking to expand his executive powers.

Should the measure clear Congress and reach his desk, Trump would be cornered into issuing the first veto of his presidency, an embarrassing development because the measure seeks to directly rein in the president's authority.

The House vote, expected Tuesday afternoon, will serve to "defend our democracy," Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Monday.

Trump's top Democratic rival in Congress warned that his emergency order was tantamount to an unconstitutional attempt to seize executive authority by taking lawmaker's power to control how federal funds are spent.

"The president's power grab usurps that responsibility and fundamentally violates the balance of power envisioned by our founders," said Pelosi, who has noted that the measure already has 226 supporters in the 435-member body.

After clearing the House, the measure would receive a vote in the US Senate. Republicans control the chamber, 53-47, but several senators in Trump's party returned to Washington after a one-week break to express deep reservations about Trump's end run around Congress to obtain wall funding.

Trump sought to head them off early Monday, saying he hoped Republicans "don't get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security." "Be strong and smart," Trump tweeted. 

Trump and the White House have pressed on with plans to repurpose more than USD 6 billion from other sources, mostly already-allocated funds in the Defense Department budget.

He has repeatedly declared that rampant illegal immigration is fuelling a border crisis, leading to higher crime and strains on public services.

Two key groups -- dozens of Republican former lawmakers, and a bipartisan group of former national security officers including secretaries of defense and CIA directors -- spoke out strongly against the emergency declaration.                   [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 4:29:00 PM 0



Washington, Jan 11 : US President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to be inching closer to imposing a national emergency that could allow him to bypass Congress to fund a controversial wall along the US-Mexico border that has led to a bitter political impasse and a 21-day government shutdown. 

Trump has asked for USD 5.6 billion from Congress to construct the border wall, which he said is crucial to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and smuggling of drugs into the country.

The Democrats have repeatedly refused to approve any legislation to fund the wall. The standoff led to the partial government shutdown. 

During his visit to the southern border state Texas on Thursday to push for the wall plan, Trump was asked if he is closer to declaring an emergency -- an action that would likely face legal challenges.

"We are. I would like to look it broader. I think we could do this quickly, because this is common sense and it's not expensive. We will save the cost of the wall every year but much more than that," the president said.

Trump had on Wednesday said that imposing a national emergency is the last option and threatened to use it if the Democrats did not allocate USD 5.7 billion funding for the wall. 

The president's inclination towards declaring a national emergency has gained momentum after he walked out of a meeting with top Democratic leaders -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer -- on Wednesday following their refusal to allocate funding.

During an interaction with media personnel in Texas on Thursday, Trump said, "I would like to do a much broader form of immigration, and we can do immigration reform. It'll take longer. It's been complex. It's been going on for 30-35 years, they've been talking about immigration reform. But before we do that, we have to create a barrier. That we could do very quickly." 

Contending strongly for construction of a barrier, concrete or steel, along the southern border with Mexico, the president has been claiming that illegal immigrants cause USD 250 billion drain on the American economy.

Republican leaders insist the party stands behind the president, although some Republican lawmakers have spoken out in favour of ending the shutdown.

The opposition Democrats, who are now in majority in the House of Representatives have refused to support such a move arguing that building the wall is a waste of taxpayers' money.

Referring to his meeting with Reggie Singh, the brother of Indian-origin policeman Ronil Singh killed in California recently allegedly by an illegal immigrant during a border patro, Trump said, "Reggie, I got to know him today a little bit. This shouldn't be happening in our country." 

"This shouldn't be happening. And what you see of the border, that's not as much of a problem as they (illegal immigrants) come through the border and they go out throughout our nation," Trump said.

"As hard as we work, and as well as we're doing nationwide on crime, a lot of it is caused by people that come in through the southern border. So, and you know, if we had the barrier, it wouldn't happen," he told reporters.

But the Democrats appeared to be unconvinced by Trump's argument of national emergency.

"If and when the President does that, you'll find out how we will react, but I'm not going to that place now. But I think the president will have problems on his own side of the aisle for exploiting the situation in a way that enhances his power. But not to go there. Let's see what he does," Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol Hill.

Democratic Congresswoman Grace Meng from New York on Thursday announced that a legislation would be introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday to prevent Trump from declaring a national emergency.

Some others said that they will file a lawsuit against national emergency.

Trump said he is ready for the lawsuit and asserted that he will win it. 

"I am prepared for anything. The lawyers tell me, like, 100 per cent," he told reporters. 

As the government shutdown neared the end of its third week, the president left Washington with no additional negotiations scheduled with congressional leaders over a possible compromise that could both provide border security and open the government.             PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:47:00 PM 0

Washington, Sep 22: India is among the only 14 countries to have made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in 2017, an official US report said Saturday.

"In 2017, India made a significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour," the US Department of Labor said in its annual 'Child Labour and Forced Labour' report.

It said the Findings on the 'Worst Forms of Child Labour', mandated by the Trade and Development Act of 2000, is the most comprehensive research product on the state of child labour worldwide.

This year, the report uses more stringent criteria to assess the efforts of 132 countries and territories to address child labour, the report added.

"Only 14 countries including Colombia, Paraguay, and India met the new criteria for "Significant Advancement", which this year requires specific legal and policy labour standards to be met," it said.

The Department of Labor said the Indian government ratified both ILO Convention 182 and Convention 138 and amended the Child Labor Act to prohibit children under the age of 18 years from working in hazardous occupations and processes.

The government also launched the 'Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour' to more effectively enforce child labour laws and implement the 'National Child Labour Programme'.

In addition, the government released a new 'National Plan of Action for Children' that implements the 'National Policy for Children', which includes a focus on child labourers, trafficked children, and other vulnerable children, the report said.

"However, children in India engage in the worst forms of child labour, including in forced labour producing garments and quarrying stones," the report rued, adding that children also perform dangerous tasks of producing bricks.

The Child Labour Act's hazardous work prohibitions do not include all occupations in which children work in unsafe and unhealthy environments for long periods of time. Penalties for employing children are insufficient to deter violations, and the recruitment of children by non-state armed groups is not criminally prohibited, it said.

The report urges the Indian government to collect and publish national-level data on labour law enforcement, including funding, number of labour inspectors, number of violations found and the penalties imposed and collected for child labour law violations.

"Ensure that the types of hazardous work prohibited for children under age 18 are comprehensive, especially in the sectors in which children work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions for long periods of time such as in spinning mills, garment production, carpet making and domestic work," it said.

"These reports represent one of the Department of Labor's key contributions to the global effort to protect workers in the United States and around the world by defending the rights of all people to live free of child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery," said US Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta.

Recent International Labor Organization estimates show there are still over 152 million child labourers one in every ten children and 25 million forced labourers worldwide, he said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:36:00 PM 0

ABDERDEEN (US), Sep 21: An employee at a Rite Aid warehouse opened fire at work, killing three people before taking her own life, authorities said. Several other people were wounded.

The suspect was a 26-year-old temporary employee at the Rite Aid distribution center in northeastern Maryland, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a news conference.

She had been taken into custody in critical condition that morning. Her name was not immediately released.

It appears only one weapon, a handgun, was used and no shots were fired by responding law enforcement officers, Gahler said. The shooter used a 9 mm Glock that was registered in her name, he said. He said authorities don't know her motive.

Krystal Watson, 33, said her husband, Eric, works at the facility and told her told her that the suspect had been arguing with somebody else near a time clock after a "Town Hall meeting." "And she went off," she said.

Watson said her husband told her the shooting started in a break room. "She didn't have a particular target. She was just shooting," Watson said as she drove away from a fire station where relatives tried to reunite with loved ones.

"She didn't aim. She just shot," Watson said.

Area hospitals reported receiving five patients from the incident. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore said it was treating four patients with gunshot wounds. Two were in stable condition and two who were seriously injured.

A spokesman for a health system that includes Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, said one patient was being treated there. Christiana Care Health System spokesman Hiran Ratnayake said the person was in serious condition.

Gahler said the call about shots fired came in at about 9:06 a.m. and deputies and other officers were on the scene in just over five minutes. Mike Carre, an employee of a furniture logistics operation next to the distribution center, said he helped tend to a wounded man.

Carre locked the doors of his workplace after the injured man came hobbling in, bleeding from his leg. He called 911 from a bathroom before helping colleagues wrap the man's blood-soaked jeans above his injury to cut off blood flow.

Carre said the man told him the shooter "just came in in a bad mood this morning. He said she's usually nice. But today, I guess it wasn't her day. She just came in to pick a fight with someone." "She pulled out a gun and she just started shooting at her co-workers." At a nearby fire station, family members were waiting to be reunited with loved ones. Police blocked off the road outside but were waving in cars driven by people who said they were there to meet up with people who were at the distribution center.

Reggie Rodgriguez's mother works at the distribution center. His wife had tried calling her numerous times but got no answer.

"I was calling her all morning. It went to voicemail because they keep their phones in lockers," said Kelly Rodriguez, 40.

When they finally reached his mother Thursday afternoon, Reggie Rodriguez said, "That's all I wanted to do: Hear her voice." His mother was uninjured. He said she sounded relieved the crisis was over.

A law enforcement official said authorities were working their way through the distribution center to clear the facility.

"We obviously need to methodically go through the entire complex, ensure there are no other victims inside, ensure that there is no one that was hiding from violence and ensure that there were no other suspects," said Christie Hopkins is communications director for the sheriff's office.

"At this time, we are confident that the suspect acted alone. And that person is in custody. We do not believe there is any further threat to the community now, but we still have to completely clear that building." The attack came nearly three months after a man armed with a shotgun attacked a newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland, killing five staff members. Authorities accused Jarrod W. Ramos of attacking The Capital Gazette because of a longstanding grudge against the paper.

Susan Henderson, spokesman for the drugstore chain Rite Aid, described the warehouse as a support facility adjacent to a larger building. Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said that unfortunately, incidents like this are "becoming a too-often occurrence not only in Harford County but in the country." (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:44:00 PM 0

Wilmington (US) Sept 15: A woman and her baby were killed when a tree fell on their house and at least two other storm-related deaths were reported Friday as Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolinas, dousing the eastern US states with torrential rain and causing rivers to burst their banks.

Hundreds of people needed to be rescued after becoming trapped in their homes by a storm surge of up to three meters in New Bern, a town of 30,000 in North Carolina at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers.

At 2100 GMT, Florence was downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) but authorities warned the danger was far from over.

"We are expecting several more days of rain," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said, describing the amount of rainfall from the hurricane as a "1,000-year event."

"Into next week our rivers are going to continue to rise and there will be more significant flooding," Cooper said.

He said there had been three confirmed deaths from the storm and several others were being investigated to determine if they were storm-related.

The mother and her baby were killed in New Hanover County when a tree fell on their house, the governor said, and one person died in Lenoir County while plugging in a generator.

Local authorities reported another death, in Pender County, when downed trees prevented emergency units from reaching a woman with a medical condition.

Local media said she had suffered a heart attack.

US media said a fifth death may have occurred when a man tried to connect two extension cords in the rain.

"This storm is going to continue its violent grind across our state for days," Cooper said.

"The storm is wreaking havoc on our state." More than 680,000 customers in North Carolina were without power and 21,000 people were being housed in 157 shelters across the state.

The White House said President Donald Trump was to visit hurricane-hit areas next week "once it is determined his travel will not disrupt any rescue or recovery efforts."

As of 2100 GMT, maximum sustained winds had weakened to 110 kilometers per hour but the NHC warned Carolina residents to be alert for life-threatening storm surges and "catastrophic freshwater flooding."

"Flash flooding will be extreme and flood waters will come up quickly and seemingly out of nowhere," the governor said.

"We're deeply concerned for whole communities which could be wiped away." Some of the worst flooding was in New Bern, where authorities were enforcing a curfew.

Both the Trent and Neuse rivers overflowed their banks, flooding homes, stores and streets and trapping many people in their houses.

"WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU. You may need to move up to the second story, or to your attic, but WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU," the authorities in New Bern said on Twitter.

Governor Cooper said there have been "several hundred" rescue operations and "there are still some people they need to get to."

Besides federal and state emergency crews, rescuers were being helped by volunteers from the so-called "Cajun Navy" who also turned up in Houston during Hurricane Harvey to carry out water rescues.

Hurricane Florence made landfall as a Category 1 storm at 1115 GMT in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, after stalking the Carolina coast for days.

The NHC described Florence as a "slow mover" and said it had the potential to dump historic amounts of rain on North and South Carolina, as much as one meter in some places.

"This is not the end of it," said Jeff Byard, associate administrator for response and recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

He said "24 to 36 hours remain for significant threats" from heavy rain, storm surge and flooding.

A tornado watch was issued for eastern North Carolina.

In Wilmington, near where the eye of the hurricane touched down, trees and power lines were felled and many windows had been broken. The streets were mostly deserted and some were blocked by fallen trees.

The city awoke Friday to the sound of exploding electrical transformers with strong gusts of wind throwing street signs and other debris as well as water in all directions.

In Wilmington, Mason Tarr said he spent the night at a friend's house but didn't sleep well.

"And it's just a Category 1 hurricane," Tarr said. "I wonder how it would have been with a Category 4 or 5.

"Our house is on high ground so we're not worried about the flooding," he said. "But there are a lot of big trees around so we preferred to spend the night at a friends to be sure.

"We're out of power so we spent the first few hours of the day playing board games with candles," he said.

About 1.7 million people in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders, and millions of others live in areas likely to be affected by the storm.

A state of emergency was declared in five coastal states -- North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia.  (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 11:46:00 AM 0

Cupertino (US), Sep 13: Apple on Wednesday unveiled updated versions of its priciest iPhones along with a new smartwatch that allows users to take their own electrocardiograms, as the US tech giant looks to boost its momentum in a sputtering market.

The California tech giant revealed its iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, updating the top-of-the line handsets released a year earlier. The new devices are aimed at maintaining Apple's share in the premium segment.

"We are going to take iPhone X to the next level," chief executive Tim Cook said at a media event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The new phones have displays of 5.8 and 6.5 inches, boosting screen size while keeping a small-format handset, Apple vice president Phil Schiller said.

The September event allows the company to unveil its latest offerings before the key holiday shopping season.

While the iPhone has made Apple the world's most valuable company, worth more than USD 1 trillion, it has slipped to third place among smartphone makers as Chinese-based Huawei has grabbed the number two spot.

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said Apple had done enough "to keep its smartphone growth going until the competition responds." - New smartwatch features -

Apple also introduced a fourth generation of Apple Watch with a major redesign -- and a series of features designed to improve its performance as a medical and health device.

The watch, sold in the United States from USD 399 and up, will be available in stores on September 21.

"Apple Watch has become an intelligent guardian for your health," chief operating officer Jeff Williams said.

He highlighted a major innovation -- the watch's ability to perform an electrocardiogram.

"This is the first ECG product offered over the counter directly to consumers," he said.

"Now you can take an ECG any time, anywhere, right from the wrist."

The device also detects when a person suffers a fall, seen as an important feature for elderly or disabled users.

"Identifying a fall may sound like a straightforward problem, but it requires a lot of data analysis," Williams said.

If a person falls, and then is motionless, the watch will call emergency services, he added.

Research firm CB Insights said Apple is at a "crossroads" a decade after introducing the iPhone.

"Looking for the next wave, Apple is clearly expanding into augmented reality and wearables with the Apple Watch and AirPods wireless headphones," the firm said.

"But the next 'big one' -- a success and growth driver on the scale of the iPhone -- has not yet been determined. Will it be augmented reality, auto, wearables? Or something else entirely?" Apple's event comes with the global smartphone market largely saturated, without a major catalyst for sales ahead of a likely rollout of 5G, or fifth generation, wireless networks, expected in 2019.

Research firm IDC expects worldwide smartphone shipments to decline 0.7 per cent in 2018 to 1.455 billion units, with growth likely to resume as 5G devices become available.

Cook said Apple was nearing its two billionth device for its mobile operating system known as iOS.

"We are about to hit a major milestone. We are about to ship our two billionth iOS device," he said.

"This is astonishing -- iOS has changed the way we live." (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:38:00 PM 0

Washington, Aug 24: President Donald Trump has warned the US economy would collapse if he were impeached, as legal chaos roiling the White House had experts saying his presidency is under threat.

Speaking on the eve of a closely watched meeting of central bank chiefs Friday, Trump also took aim again at his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, prompting a rare retort from the embattled justice department chief.

Days after Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen told a federal judge he made illegal campaign contributions at the president's request -- to silence women alleging affairs with Trump -- the Republican leader told Fox News that an impeachment would only cause more turmoil.

"I will tell you what, if I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash. I think everybody would be very poor," Trump said on "Fox and Friends."

"You would see -- you would see numbers that you wouldn't believe in reverse."

The US president then launched into a rambling statement on job creation and other economic progress he said had been made during his presidency.

"I don't know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job," Trump said.

Trump was dealt severe back-to-back blows on Tuesday when Cohen pled guilty to illegal campaign finance violations and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of tax and bank fraud within minutes of each other.

The Manafort conviction was the first case sent to trial by the special prosecutor probing Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

But an unchastened Trump appears intent on riding out the storm as Washington grapples with the latest upheaval in his tumultuous presidency.

The president has insisted he did nothing wrong after Cohen, his longtime private lawyer and fixer, implicated him in the illicit hush payments made before the 2016 election to two women who claimed to have had affairs with the Republican presidential candidate.

Although Cohen did not name them, the women were believed to be porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Because the hush payments were intended to influence the outcome of the elections, they violated US laws governing campaign contributions.

In entering a guilty plea, Cohen said the payments were made "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," in clear reference to Trump.

Trump was evasive when asked in the Fox News interview if he had instructed Cohen to make the payments, saying that his former lawyer "made the deals," and insisted that Cohen's actions were "not a crime."

"Campaign violations are considered not a big deal, frankly," he said.

Trump then said the hush payments were financed with his own money -- to which Cohen had access -- and that while he had no knowledge of them at the time, he had since been fully transparent.

Despite Trump's defiant tone, Washington-based campaign finance expert Kate Belinski, of the Nossaman law firm, said to expect legal consequences for both Trump and his campaign -- most likely in the form of a civil complaint before the Federal Election Commission.

Trump praised Manafort for going to trial, in which the president's former campaign chief was found guilty of eight counts of financial fraud.

The president lauded the 69-year-old Manafort for leaving his fate to a jury rather than striking a plea deal -- a move that has sparked speculation Manafort hopes for a pardon.

Asked if he was considering such a move, Trump said only that he has "great respect for what he has done, in terms of what he has gone through." (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:09:00 PM 0

New York, Aug 23: A man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a Sikh man who was found stabbed to death at his store in the US state of New Jersey last week.

Terlok Singh, 55, was found dead by his cousin on August 16 in his store with an apparent stab wound in the chest. It was the third incident targeting the minority Sikh community in the country in three weeks.

Roberto Ubiera, 55, of Newark has been arrested and charged with the murder of Singh, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino said.

Ubiera did odd jobs at the store and a detention hearing is schedule for him later today.

The Essex County Prosecutor's office had called the incident a homicide.

The motive behind the killing was not immediately known.

Singh, described as a very kind person, is survived by his wife and children who live in India. He owned the store to support his family.

Singh ran his store for at least six years and a neighbour said he should not have had to worry about being attacked in his work place.

Civil rights organisation the Sikh Coalition, in a Facebook post, had expressed condolences to Singh's family, friends and local community.

Simran Jeet Singh, a visiting scholar at New York University's Center for Religion and Media and a Senior Religion Fellow for the Sikh Coalition, tweeted about Singh's tragic death, saying "this is the third attack on a Sikh in the last three weeks. So tired of all this sadness."

On August 6 in Manteca, California, 71-year-old Sahib Singh was brutally attacked by Tyrone McAllister and a juvenile when the elderly man went on a morning walk.

McAllister, who is this son of a local police chief, and the juvenile were charged with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

On July 31, 50-year-old Surjit Malhi was attacked while putting up campaign signs in support of incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Denham and other local Republican candidates.

While beating Malhi, the attackers yelled "Go back to your country!" and spray painted the same message, along with hate symbols, on his truck.

Following the two incidents, the Sikh Coalition had urged members of the community to know their rights, remain vigilant and report cases of bias, bigotry and backlash in the wake of the attacks.

"We are deeply troubled by these two recent attacks and strongly encourage increased vigilance nationwide as we work to support the Central Valley, California community during this difficult time," Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur had said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 10:53:00 AM 0

Orlando (US), Aug 13: In what could be a major boost for basketball in India, the country may host a pre-season NBA game in Mumbai next year, said the league's Commissioner Adam Silver.

To promote the game in India, NBA in May 2017 had launched The NBA Academy, an elite basketball training center at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Greater Noida.

NBA's initiative has been yielding desired results as 20 odd boys and girls from New Delhi and Bengaluru have represented India in the just-concluded Jr NBA World Championships that concluded here last night.

"We had India represented here. We have an academy on the ground now. We are potentially looking to play a game in Mumbai, may be next year. It would be a pre-season game," Silver told on the sidelines of the Jr NBA World Championships.

"If we do a pre-season game, we can build time and our players and their families can spend time, learn about the country's culture, he said.

The NBA chief said the organisation is determined to break the barriers in India by collaborating with the Reliance Foundation.

"We are very focused on the Indian market. We have a great relationship with Reliance and Mukesh Ambani and he and his wife's foundation. There is enormous amount of grass root basketball being played in India, Silver said.

Silver was full of praise for the talent in show at the World Championships and said the event is their endeavour to create future basketball stars.

"It's hard to define. I would say it's a fantastic first tour. We had 10000 participants from 70 countries which went through the process to be a part here. Just seeing the enthusiasm you can feel what it means to them. They have been here for a week, participated in community projects.

"They were taught life skills, how to deal with stress. I think this is just the beginning of what will turn out to be a great program, he said.

"We see this as an opportunity at a global level to putting in infrastructure. For young players just the dream of coming to the United States, that too at Disney is incredible. We believe we really can do something special with this program.

The NBA Commissioner termed the Jr NBA World Chamionships as a future investment for the organization.

"This is certainly not a business. I think for us it's an investment in the game and in future league players. It's an investment in teaching young people life skills and appreciation for what the NBA and WNBA stand for, Silver concluded.

Meanwhile, USA continued its domination in the sport with the US Central girls team and US Central boys team winning the inaugural Junior World Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Central girls defeated Europe girls team 68-38, while the Central boys beat Africa & Middle East boys 60-50.

Four awards, representing the Jr NBA's four core values Determination, Respect, Teamwork and Community were each presented to the boy and girl players who best represented the characteristics throughout the tournament.

India did not return empty handed from the event as Sunishka Kartik bagged the Community Award among the girls. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:03:00 PM 0

Orlando (US), Aug 9: Indian girls produced a stellar show to beat a combined South American team 40-37 in their final pool match to register their maiden victory at the Under-14 Jr NBA World Championships here.

After losing their first two pool matches of the international bracket against Asia-Pacific and Europe respectively, the Indian girls came up with a spirited effort to eke out a close win at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex situated inside the Walt Disney World Resort.

The Indians girls led their South American rivals in the first three periods 12-9 14-13 7-6 before losing the last period 7-9.

For India, Sunishka Kartik scored 17 points as against 13 of South America's Josefina Balatti.

However, it turned out to be another disappointing outing for the Indian boys as they lost 49-56 to South America.

As per the rules of the tournament, there are eight teams in the international bracket which have been divided into two pools of four each.

All the eight teams qualified for the knock-out stages irrespective of the results and the pool outcomes are taken into consideration only to decide the placings.

So, both the Indian boys and girls teams have automatically progressed to Friday's knock-out round.

The US bracket too has eight teams and all of them will play the knock-out round irrespective of pool results.

The winner of the US bracket and the international bracket will play in the World Championship match to be held on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in tomorrow's skill and three-point challenge contests, India will be represented by three boys and two girls.

While Bhavik Garg and Dinesh Pal will be the boys representative in the skill challenge, Moumita Mishra will be the lone participant among the girls.

In the three point contest, Jeevanshu Khatri will be the boys challenger while Sunishka will represent the girls. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 11:42:00 AM 0

Simi Valley (US), Jul 23: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today called the religious leaders of Iran "hypocritical holy men" who amassed vast sums of wealth while allowing their people to suffer, part of a highly critical broadside issued as the republic approached the 40th anniversary of its Islamic revolution and America prepared to reimpose economic sanctions.

"Sometimes it seems the world has become desensitised to the regime's authoritarianism at home and its campaigns of violence abroad, but the proud Iranian people are not staying silent about their government's many abuses," Pompeo said in prepared remarks for a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

"And the United States under President Trump will not stay silent either. In light of these protests and 40 years of regime tyranny, I have a message for the people of Iran: The United States hears you. The United States supports you. The United States is with you," he said.

Pompeo castigated Iran's political, judicial and military leaders, too, accusing several by name of participating in widespread corruption.

He also said the government has "heartlessly repressed its own people's human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms."

America's top diplomat was particularly barbed in his remarks about "the Ayatollahs," saying they "are in on the act, too."

He said Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has generated more than USD 100 million for himself in the illicit trade of sugar; that Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani is worth millions after the government transferred several lucrative mines to his foundation; and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has an off-the-books hedge fund, Setad, worth USD 95 billion.

"The level of corruption and wealth among regime leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government," he said.

Pompeo's remarks were aimed in part at Iranian-Americans and Iranians living in the US.

He assured them that the Trump administration shared their dreams for the people of Iran. He also expressed support for those Iranians who have protested their government's actions and called its response "brutal."

"The specific grievances differ. But all those voicing dissatisfaction share one thing: they have been ill-treated by a Revolutionary regime. Iranians want to be governed with dignity, accountability and respect," he said.

Pompeo said the US is undertaking a diplomatic and financial pressure campaign to cut off funds, focusing on reimposing sanctions on its banking and energy sectors. President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May and the first sanctions to be reimposed were expected to hit on August 4.

"We are asking every nation, every nation who is sick and tired of the Islamic Republic's destructive behavior to join our pressure campaign. This especially goes for our allies in the Middle East and Europe, people who have themselves been terrorised by the violent regime's activity for decades," he said. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:15:00 PM 0

Salem (US), Jul 18: Twenty-one-year-old Gurkripa Singh (not his real name) might be among the lucky few to have entered the US illegally, stayed in jail for less than a month and still have landed a job!

For the Ambala resident, it took about 60 days and USD 60,000 (over Rs 40 lakhs) to land in the US as an illegal immigrant, get political asylum and a job of USD 10 per hour in a local grocery store in Oregon state.

Gurkripa's parents, who own over five acres of agricultural land, took loans on the farmland and their property to pay Rs 17 lakh to an agent in Haryana in May this year to help him enter the US illegally through the southern Mexican border.

We flew (from India) to Mexico, Gurkripa, who prefers to be called by his pet name Bobby, told PTI in this sleepy town of Oregon inside a small rural grocery store on the eighth day of his job this week.

Not in the best of his health and having lost several kilos of weight in the journey that he has taken from Haryana to Oregon this summer, Gurkripa said his group comprised of seven other Indians of his age group from Haryana and Punjab.

From Mexico, the group was transported through multiple modes of transportation to the southern US border in Texas, where they were left by the local agent. They threw away their passports and cellphones and jumped over a nearly five-foot wall to enter what he described as the "dreamland".

Soon they were arrested by US border patrol officials. Neither Gurkripa nor any of his group members can speak English.

We were arrested immediately, he said, adding that the border patrol sleuths greeted them with Namaste and talked about Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan, indicating that the federal law enforcement agencies capture illegal Indian aliens frequently on the Texas border.

The group was taken to a Texas jail. Gurkripa does not remember the name of the Texas jail, except that there were some 400 Indians already in that overcrowded detention centre. A few days later, he was transported to a detention centre in Seattle run by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In all I stayed in the jail for 22 days, he said.

The only son of his parents, Gurkripa, speaking a mix of Punjabi and Hindi, said he told the judge that he flew out of India because he feared "political persecution" by Indian authorities.

This is the story I was told to tell the judge, he said. His agent helped him hire an attorney who he said charged him Rs 2.5 lakh.

The judge was convinced and set his release at a bond of Rs 15 lakh. Then he needed a guarantor, which was arranged by his agent. We paid Rs 5 lakh to the guarantor. I was released from the Seattle jail on June 28, he said.

His petition to get political asylum has not been approved yet. The process might take years. In the meantime, he will get an employment authorisation card, to be renewed annually, so that he can work. Soon Gurkripa plans to apply for a worker's permit.

After wandering around for less than two weeks in and around the city of Seattle, he came over to nearby Oregon, where last week he got a job where he will be paid in cash, since he does not have a worker's permit.

The owner of the grocery store pays him the federal wage of more than USD 10 per hour (Rs 650). He is looking forward to getting his first salary to send some money to his parents, so that they start repaying the huge loan that they have taken and also for the wedding of his two sisters.

Gurkripa does not know the fate of the other members of his group who jumped the wall in Texas to enter the US.

We were together in Texas then we all got separated. I do not know where they are, he said, adding that in both Texas and Seattle, he came across young Indians who have been in prisons for more than six months to one year.

Better life and jobs, he said when asked why did he come to the US like this. There are no jobs (in India), he said, little realising that he might not be able to visit India at least for the next several years till his asylum petition is approved.

If his asylum petition is denied, he faces the risk of being deported back to India. Even if he gets asylum, the current Indian government policy not to give visas to those who have taken political asylum would make it nearly impossible for him to visit the country where he was born.

But Gurkripa is also lucky for not having to walk through the tough terrain of Columbia and Panama before making it to the US. Some of the WhatsApp videos sent to PTI by these young Indians are heartrending.

While the authenticity of these short videos could not be verified, some of these youth are seen saying that they have been surviving on leaves in the jungles of Colombia for three to four days. Some of them are seen crying and regretting that they have taken this path. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:53:00 PM 0

Washington, Jul 18: India remains a "huge priority" for the US and it is a "force for good" in the world, a senior American diplomat has said, as the ties between the two countries are witnessing some strain.

Tom Vajda, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia said as India plays a larger role in the world, there is a sense in the Trump administration that this benefits the US.

"I think I can confirm here with really no shadow of a doubt that India remains a huge priority for the US, Vajda said in his key note address to the Indiaspora's Philanthropy Summit here yesterday.

Vajda was responding to questions on recent developments in the Indo-US ties, including the prospects of slapping sanctions on India, postponement of '2+2' dialogue and trade tariff issues between the two countries.

"In fact, if you look at some of the public strategies that have emanated from this administration, whether it's the national security strategy, national defence and the Indo Pacific strategy, each of them has a common thread. And that thread is the important role that the US perceives for India in the region and the world, and the US commitment to partner even more closely with India and more than that actually to help propel India's rise, Vajda said.

"So, whether it's through defence cooperation and other means, basically there's a recognition that India is a force for good in the world. India has deep and shared values with the US, he said.

As India plays a larger role in the world, there is a sense in the Trump administration that this benefits the US, he said.

"That is the fundamental premise in the US-India relationship or at least in how Washington views India and views our relationship with India, he said.

Noting that there is no doubt that the bilateral relationship is "extraordinarily complex and multi-faceted he said what matters and what is important is the fact that there is a process, there is a structure, there is a commitment on both sides to talk through and work through those issues.

"We have had a number of high level (meetings). We have other ones that will be planned in the coming months and years and they will be dedicated to the purpose of identifying and finding common ground where we can, he said.

Observing that a strong US-India relationship rests on a foundation of shared values, a deep respect for individual liberties and the rule of law, democracy and the rights and worth of all individuals, he said it is these shared values that have given rise to the vibrant philanthropic relationships that exist between the American and Indian peoples.

"Our shared drive to better the lives of our fellow citizens and to support and inspire each other in our respective past to developments and prosperity has a long history, he said, adding that people-to-people ties is the secret weapon of Indo-US relationship.

The top American diplomat's remarks came when the ties between the two countries are witnessing some strain.

The '2+2 dialogue' between the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries was scheduled for July 6 in Washington but it was postponed by the US as Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo had to travel to North Korea to discuss the country's denuclearisation plan.

The dialogue is now expected to take place in September.

At present, India has been pressing the Trump administration for a waiver from US sanctions on New Delhi's military procurement from Russia.

There has been mounting concerns in India over the US sanctions against Russian defence majors including Rosoboronexport as billions of dollars of military purchases may be impacted because of the punitive measure.

India is also likely to seek a waiver from US sanctions on import of oil from Iran.

The Trump administration has been pushing for deeper strategic cooperation with India, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where China was expanding its influence. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:52:00 PM 0

Washington, Jul 3: A 32-year-old Indian software engineer has died after jumping from the rocks of the popular Elk River Falls in the US state of North Carolina, authorities said, marking the second drowning in the river in six weeks.

Gogineni Nagarjuna, jumped off a rock close to the bottom of the falls and was pulled under by the strong pool currents. He never resurfaced, Assistant Fire Marshall Paul Buchanan was quoted as saying by the the Avery Journal.

Nagarjuna of Charlotte, was swimming with friends at the base of the falls after jumping in from the side on Sunday, according to a statement from Avery County Sheriff Kevin Frye.

Nagarjuna, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, struggled, went under and did not resurface. His body was recovered two hours later and taken to the medical examiner's office in Lenoir, the statement said.

The death was the second at the Elk River Falls in six weeks.

On May 20, 26-year-old Thomas McCardle of Ohio, slid off a rock, was caught and dragged under by strong currents driven by heavy rains.

The falls also have a history of being dangerous. Multiple serious injuries and deaths have occurred at the site through the years.

Signage around the falls discourages thrill seekers from jumping from or swimming near the falls, as rocks and strong currents are potentially fatal hazards, the journal said.

The sheriff's release noted that jumping from the rocks above the falls has been the primary cause of death or serious injury at the falls in the past, but the two most-recent deaths have been a result of swimming incidents. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:03:00 PM 0

Annapolis (US) Jun 29: A man armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades burst into a newspaper office in the US city of Annapolis today, killing five people in what police described as a "targeted attack."

Officials said the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper was carried out by a white adult male resident of Maryland state who was being questioned in custody.

A reporter for the historic daily, which predates the United States, tweeted a chilling account of how the "gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees."

"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," crime reporter Phil Davis said.

There were five fatalities and two superficial injuries, the acting police chief of Anne Arundel county, Bill Krampf, told a news conference in Maryland's capital.

"This was a targeted attack on the Capital Gazette," Krampf said.

He said that police did not yet know the shooter's motive, but "we know that there were threats sent to the Gazette through social media." "We're trying to confirm what account that was and we're trying to confirm who actually sent them," Krampf added.

Capital Gazette editor Jimmy DeButts tweeted that he was "devastated & heartbroken. Numb." "I'm in no position to speak, just know @capgaznews reporters & editors give all they have every day. There are no 40 hour weeks, no big paydays - just a passion for telling stories from our community," DeButts wrote.

Chase Cook, a reporter at the newspaper, said the shooting would not stop The Capital -- the local print edition -- from going to press.

"I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow," he tweeted.

Gracie Rustin, a dental assistant who was in the middle of a procedure on the second floor of the building when the attack took place, heard "loud noises" but did not immediately realise it was a shooting.

Then police rushed in and "were like, 'Leave, leave, leave!'" Rustin told AFP.

The shooting revived memories of a 2015 incident in Roanoke, Virginia in which two journalists were shot dead during a live broadcast on local television.

"Every shooting like this is horrific but one that occurs in a place of journalism is particularly disturbing and brings back the flood of memories of that tragic day for me," said Andy Parker, whose daughter Alison was one of the Roanoke victims.

President Donald Trump, who has been at loggerheads with much of the media since taking office, tweeted a message of support.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene," he wrote.

"A violent attack on innocent journalists doing their job is an attack on every American," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders tweeted.

Several lawmakers also weighed in.

"My heart is with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims as we learn more about this terrible situation," Chris Van Hollen, the state's junior senator said. "We must unite to end the violence." "The senseless attack on a Maryland newspaper today is sickening. God bless these journalists," House Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:49:00 PM 0

Beijing, Jun 28 :  President Xi Jinping has told US Defence Secretary James Mattis that China will not concede "even an inch" of its territory passed down from ancestors, in an apparent reference to the disputed South China Sea. 

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS). Beijing claims almost all of the SCS. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the vital transit route for world trade. 

The US views China's militarisation of the SCS a reason of tension in the Sino-US ties. The US has been sending periodic air and naval expeditions to assert its right of the freedom of the navigation in the area most of which is claimed by China. 

During his meeting with Mattis here yesterday, Xi said China and the US should promote the development of bilateral ties based on the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

"When we see common interests between China and the US, we do not shy away from differences. Our stance is steadfast and clear-cut when it comes to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said, adding that "any inch of territory passed down from ancestors cannot be lost, while we want nothing from others." 

As an important part of bilateral relations, Xi said, the US and China military relations have maintained a sound development momentum in the recent years. 

"It has long been known that the real experts on military affairs do not want to employ military means to solve issues," Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Asserting that Sino-US relation is one of the most important bilateral ties in the world, the Chinese President said, "The history and reality since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in nearly 40 years have proved that the sound development of China-US ties can benefit people of both the countries and the world, and is also conducive to world and regional peace, stability and prosperity." 

China and the US share common interests in extensive areas and common ground far outweighs differences, he said.

"The Pacific Ocean is vast enough to accommodate China and the US, as well as other countries," he said.

Xi's comments to Mattis was significant as the US Defence Secretary is a strong advocate of proactive US policy in the South China Sea to contain China's efforts to consolidate its hold by installing military bases on the reclaimed islands.

Mattis' meeting with Xi also took place amid the spiralling tariff spat between US and China over President Donald Trump's demand to rapidly reduce the USD 375 billion trade deficit between the two countries. 

China has also stepped up its military drills in Taiwan straits to pressure Taiwan, which it claims is part of the mainland China.

"There are some issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity which have become increasingly tense because of the US moves," such as the SCS issues and the Taiwan question, Chinese experts said referring to Xi-Mattis meeting.

"So, through the meeting, China is sending a warning to the US by reaffirming its bottom line," Diao Daming, an American studies expert and associate professor at the Renmin University of China, told the state-run Global Times.

"Mattis has heard the most authoritative voice from China on these issues and questions, and this might indicate that China's legitimate activities in regions like the SCS and the Taiwan Straits won't be affected by military actions from the US," Xu Guangyu, a retired PLA major general and senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association told the daily.     PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 5:43:00 PM 0
Washington, Jun 27 : The Congress must reverse Donald Trump's "atrocious" travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries, a top Indian-American attorney has demanded, after the US Supreme Court narrowly upheld the President's immigration policy.

Neal Katyal, one of the principal litigators against Trump's controversial travel ban, said the policy was "unconstitutional, unprecedented, unnecessary and un-American".

Katyal, former deputy solicitor general in the Obama administration and the primary architect of arguments against President Trump's travel ban, called for hope and congressional action in the face of the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling along party lines, yesterday.

Trump had announced his first travel ban aimed at seven countries, just a week after he took office in January 2017, triggering a global uproar.

The travel ban had restricted the entry of people from Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Venezuela. Chad was originally on the list but it was recently removed after having met baseline security requirements.

President Trump today lauded the ruling "a tremendous victory for the American People and the Constitution" and said he felt vindicated.

But Katyal said: "In this case, it was not the decision but the process that defines America and that gives me hope."

"Though I am disappointed in the outcome, I am heartened that our system of government worked as the founders have intended," Katyal, who represented the state of Hawaii and other challengers in the Supreme Court case involving Trump's travel ban, said.

Over the past year, a suit brought by ordinary Americans made its way through the federal courts and the judiciary forced the White House to amend the travel bans to bring them more in line with the US Constitution, he noted.

"We continue to believe, as do four dissenting justices, that the travel ban is unconstitutional, unprecedented, unnecessary and un-American," the 48-year-old lawyer said.

He said the travel ban is an "atrocious policy, and makes us less safe and undermines our American ideals. Now that the Court has upheld it, it is up to Congress to do its job and reverse [the] travel ban."

He said he was proud to have played a part in this case and look forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of the rule of law.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International said the ban, and the anti-Muslim sentiment in which it originated, has "no place in a country that claims to value human rights."

Ryan Mace, Grassroots Advocacy & Refugee Specialist at Amnesty International USA, called it a "hateful policy", CNN reported.

The American Civil Liberties Union also condemned the court's ruling, saying that "this is not the first time the Court has been wrong, or has allowed official racism and xenophobia to continue rather than standing up to it."

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said in a statement that the court's "ruling will go down in history as one of the Supreme Court's great failures."

Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said, "Discrimination is not a national security strategy, and prejudice is not patriotism. Let's call this ban for what it is: an outright attack on the Muslim community that violates our nation's commitment to liberty and justice for all."

But congressional Republicans applauded the Supreme Court's decision, arguing that it was a win for national security and dismissing the accusations that it is a ban on Muslims entering the US.      PTI

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Hello Jammu News at 2:34:00 PM 0
Washington, Jun 27 : The US has told all countries, including India and China, to stop their oil imports from Iran by November 4 or face sanctions for carrying out any transaction with Tehran as there would be "zero" waivers to any country.

Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier behind Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil during April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of 2017-18 fiscal).

President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May to pursue a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran's atomic programme. At the time, his administration gave foreign companies either 90 or 180 days to wind down their business with Iranian counterparts, depending on the type of commercial activity.

"On China and India, yes, certainly," a state department official told reporters when asked if the US has told all countries, including India and China, to stop all their imports of Iranian oil by November 4.

The US official said Indian and Chinese companies would be subject to the same sanctions as those in other countries.

Given the huge energy needs, India and China are major importers of Iranian oil.

"Their (India and China) companies will be subject to the same sanctions that everybody else's are if they engage in those sectors of the economy that are sanctionable, where there were sanctions imposed prior to 2015. And yes, we will certainly be requesting that their oil imports go to zero, the state department official said on condition of anonymity.

Responding to questions, the official said these countries should start reducing the import of oil from Iran now and bring it to zero by November 4.

The official said this is part of the Trump administration's effort to isolate streams of Iranian funding and are looking to highlight the totality of Iran's malign behaviour across the region.

"We remain engaged with the EU-3 throughout this process, and we are going to continue to branch out in new countries and reach new partners as the weeks go forward," the official said.

The EU three refers France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Iran's oil import could emerge as a major topic of discussion between India and the US during the first 2+2 dialogue next week. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be in the US next week for talks with their American counterparts Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.

The State Department asserted that there would be no waivers under the new sanctions regime.

"I would be hesitant to say 'zero waivers ever'. I think the predisposition would be, 'No, we're not granting waivers'," the official said.

Noting that America's allies are aware of its concern, the official claimed these countries want to work with the US.

"I don't want to get into the substance of each discussion I've had, but, for a vast majority of countries, they are willing to adhere and support our approach to this because they also view it as a threat. And it's gotten worse since 2015, not better, on their regional activity side, the official said.

In a recent report, the bipartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) said as international sanctions on Iran increased in 2010-2013, India sought to preserve its longstanding ties with Iran while cooperating with the sanctions regime.

In 2010, the Reserve Bank of India ceased using a Tehran-based regional body, the Asian Clearing Union, to handle transactions with Iran. In January 2012, Iran agreed to accept India's local currency, the rupee, to settle nearly half of its sales to India.

"During 2011-2015, India reduced its purchases of Iranian oil - at some cost to its own development - in order to receive from the US administration exemptions from sanctions. India has increased oil purchases from Iran to nearly pre-2012 levels after sanctions were lifted, and in May 2016 India agreed to transfer to Iran about USD 6.5 billion that it owed for Iranian oil shipments but which was held up for payment due to sanctions," the report said.

"India's position has generally been that it will only enforce sanctions authorised by UN Security Council resolutions, rendering it likely that India will resist US efforts to compel it to comply with reimposed US sanctions such as those that mandate cuts in oil purchases from Iran," said the CRS report.   PTI

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Hello Jammu News at 2:16:00 PM 0
Seoul, Jun 27 : North Korea is carrying out rapid improvements to its nuclear research facility, a monitor said today, despite declaring a commitment to denuclearisation of the peninsula at the Singapore summit.

The nuclear-armed North's leader Kim Jong Un promised to "work toward" the goal at a landmark summit in the city-state earlier this month with US President Donald Trump.

But the Singapore meeting failed to clearly define denuclearisation or produce a specific timeline towards dismantling the North's atomic weapons arsenal.

Trump claimed the process would start quickly, saying last week that "It will be a total denuclearisation, which is already taking place." But recent satellite imagery showed that not only were operations continuing at present at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear site, it was also carrying out infrastructure works, said the respected 38 North website.

"Commercial satellite imagery from June 21 indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at... Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center are continuing at a rapid pace," it said.

It noted "continued operations" at the North's uranium enrichment plant and several new installations at the site -- including an engineering office and a driveway to a building housing a nuclear reactor.

But continued operations at the site "should not be seen as having any relationship with North Korea's pledge to denuclearise", it added.

Nuclear officials could be "expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang", it said.

The North last month blew up its aged but only nuclear test site at Punggye-ri -- where it had staged six atomic tests -- in a show of goodwill before the summit.

But Pyongyang has kept its counsel on the denuclearisation issue since the meeting, although state media have dialled down propaganda against the US, long dubbed the "imperialist enemy." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been pushing for more follow-up talks to flesh out details over denuclearisation but no date has been set for when they would take place.    AFP
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