Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has delayed a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian goods for three days, saying the two neighbours were close to an agreement that could also reduce duties on steel and aluminium. “We delayed it for three days because I think we have a deal with the Prime Minister and a good deal for everybody,” Trump said at the White House.The President said the tariff had been scheduled to take effect on Wednesday morning but was postponed at Canada’s reques…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could face “very Draconian sanctions” even as he played down the Strait of Hormuz’s future importance, arguing that increased American energy production and new supply routes had reduced the world’s dependence on the strategic waterway. “We have things that we could sanction. We have very Draconian sanctions, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said at the White House when asked about possible new measures against Tehran.The…

Jerusalem, Aug 20 (IANS) Israel’s Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a phone call last week with Syrian foreign affairs chief Asaad Hassan al-Shibani about Turkey’s military presence in Syria, the first such contact since Gofman assumed leadership of Israel’s intelligence agency in June, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV reported. The reported call comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s alleged growing military role in Syria.While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s…

United Nations, Aug 20 (IANS) United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will be visiting India this month to discuss cooperation and sustainable development, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said. During the visit from August 26 to 28, she will meet “senior government officials to discuss UN-Indian cooperation and India’s engagement in advancing sustainable development goals” in New Delhi, Dujarric said on Wednesday (local time).The UN Spokesperson mentioned that a meeting with…

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said the United States is leading China “by a lot” in artificial intelligence, signalling that the emerging technology will be among the issues discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits in September. “We’re leading in every single one, and I will tell you, the AI, the artificial intelligence, we’re way ahead of number two,” Trump said at the White House, where he hosted leaders from the technology, cryptocurrency and financial sect…

Los Angeles, Aug 20 (IANS) About 17,000 customers on Hawaii Island remain without power, while residents in parts of the southern Kau district are still struggling with roads covered by mud, boulders and fallen trees days after Hurricane Lala battered the island state of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaiian Electric said in an update that its crews made strong overnight progress repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring power to 99 per cent of affected customers on Oahu, 98 per …

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has criticised South Korea for declining to help Washington in the Strait of Hormuz while questioning large military exercises directed at North Korea, exposing tensions over how Seoul shares regional and global security responsibilities.Trump said he was displeased by South Korea’s response when the United States sought assistance in securing the vital energy passage.“I was not happy when South Korea said, no, they’re not interested in h…

Islamabad, Aug 19 (IANS) Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad and lodged a demarche over remarks made by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor during his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan delivered the demarche over what it described as the US Ambassador’s “factually incorrect” remarks on the status of Jammu and Kashmir.Islamabad condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of …

London, Aug 19 (IANS) A 28-year-old content creator with more than 1.3 million followers was shot dead by two men in Taxila, near Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, highlighting yet again the growing violence against women and social media influencers in the country. Shamso Bibi, also known online as Ayesha Gilamana, was killed on August 14, allegedly over a financial dispute, her brother Niamatullah said as he appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to intervene in the case and ensure …

Ramallah, Aug 19 (IANS) In a major milestone in India-Palestine development partnership, the groundbreaking ceremony for the 200-bed Indian Super Speciality Hospital was held in Jenin and Ramallah on Wednesday. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary Sripriya Ranganathan, currently on an official visit to Palestine, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony along with Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, and other dignitaries.The two sides also signed the bilateral …