A visibly angry Trump had called reporter Jim Acosta a “rude, terrible person,” after the CNN White House correspondent refused the president’s orders to sit down and give up the microphone during the conference one day after the US midterm vote.

“The White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders hours later, referring to Acosta, who then tweeted that he had been denied White House entry.

The heated exchange began after the prominent journalist clung to the microphone and persisted with questions about the president’s views on a caravan of Central American migrants making its way to the US border.

Trump said “that’s enough!” and a White House intern unsuccessfully tried to take the microphone from the CNN journalist.

“President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration,” Sanders said in her statement.

“We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable,” she said.

Acosta shot back at the accusation of misconduct, tweeting “this is a lie” — as his network and a number of Washington journalists who had been at the press conference voiced support for him.

“Secretary Sanders lied,” CNN said in a statement, saying the press pass suspension was “done in retaliation for challenging questions.”

Sanders “provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened,” the US cable network said.

“This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”

‘Ongoing attacks’

It was the latest in a long history of fiery run-ins between the pair.

At the conference Trump, when asked if he had “demonized immigrants” during the midterms campaign, replied: “No, I want them to come into the country. But they have to come in legally.”

Acosta persisted, saying: “They are hundreds of miles away. That is not an invasion.”

At that point, the president snapped.

“Honestly, I think you should let me run the country. You run CNN, and if you did it well, your ratings would be higher,” Trump said.

As the reporter continued, Trump declared: “That’s enough, put down the mic” and walked away from his own podium, as if leaving.

The intern attempted to grab the microphone from Acosta, who nevertheless tried to shout out one last question.

Waving his finger, Trump berated him.

“I’ll tell you what, CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN,” he said.

When NBC reporter Peter Alexander took the mic for the next question, he defended Acosta as a “diligent reporter” — earning Trump’s ire.

“I’m not a fan of yours either. To be honest. You aren’t the best,” he said.

Looking back at Acosta, who again rose up in his own defense, Trump added: “When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people.”

In response, CNN said “this president’s ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far,” in a statement.

“They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American.”

Sessions became the first casualty of a cabinet shakeup that had been expected from Trump following the midterm elections on Tuesday.

“At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions said in the first line of a letter released by the Department of Justice.

The departure of Sessions, who was the first US senator to back Trump’s presidential run in 2016, was long expected, and came one day after Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives but boosted their Senate majority.

Trump had repeatedly assailed him publicly for not taking a tougher approach to illegal immigrants, and accused him of protecting Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians — an investigation that is also examining whether the president himself obstructed justice.

Trump announced via Twitter that Sessions’ chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will be acting attorney general.

“We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.”

Sessions’ firing immediately threw into question whether the 18 month old Mueller probe will be able to continue unimpeded.

To Trump’s great anger, on March 2, 2017 Sessions recused himself from involvement in and oversight of the nascent Russia collusion investigation because of his own Russian contacts during the 2016 campaign.

Instead, he gave Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein the authority to oversee the probe independently.

‘Could fire everybody’

A replacement for Mueller though would have no such constraints, potentially allowing Trump to hamstring the investigators.

Earlier Wednesday Trump denied he would shut down Mueller’s team, but still labelled the investigation an illegal “witch hunt” that had spent “millions” of dollars.

“I could fire everybody right now, but I don’t want to stop it because politically I don’t like stopping it,” Trump told a White House news conference.

“I am not concerned about anything with the Russian investigation, because it is a hoax,” he said. “There’s no collusion.”

With the midterms over, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is believed to be preparing fresh indictments against Trump campaign figures, possibly including his son Donald Trump Jr. and a former campaign consultant Roger Stone, and could press for the president himself to answer questions.

But there has also been speculation Trump could try to kill or suppress the 18 month-old probe, pressing his view that Mueller leads a team staffed by Democrats operating under an illegal mandate.

Heralded by Trump as a “tremendous success,” Tuesday’s Republican Senate victories will all but end any immediate talk of impeachment, even as the Democratic-led House will enjoy investigative powers to put new checks on his roller-coaster presidency.

Trump took to Twitter to hail his party’s performance and declare victory.

“Received so many Congratulations from so many on our Big Victory last night, including from foreign nations (friends) that were waiting me out, and hoping, on Trade Deals,” Trump wrote early Wednesday. “Now we can all get back to work and get things done!”

    He was set to give his first post-election press conference at 11:30 am (1630 GMT) in the White House East Room, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Network projections said Democrats would take control of the House for the first time in eight years, upending the balance of power in Washington, where Trump enjoyed an easy ride following his shock 2016 election with Republican dominance of both chambers.

Democrats were on course to flip at least 27 seats from Republican hands, with strong performances among suburban white women who had narrowly turned to Trump two years ago and in key battleground states such as Pennsylvania.

In the 100-member Senate, with final, complete results not yet tallied, news reports said the Republicans had won at least 51 seats.

Representative Nancy Pelosi, who is likely to return as speaker of the House despite opposition from some centrist Democrats, promised that the party will serve as a counterweight — but also work with Trump.

“Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans. It’s about restoring the constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration,” Pelosi told a news conference.

But she added: “A Democratic Congress will work for solutions that bring us together, because we have all had enough of division.”

Democrats will now be able to block legislation and light a fire under Trump’s feet with investigations of his opaque finances and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

    – No ‘blue wave’ –

Tuesday’s contest saw several historic firsts in the Democratic camp: Sharice Davids in Kansas and Deb Haaland in New Mexico became the first Native American women elected to the US Congress.

And in the Midwest, onetime Somali refugee Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, shared the historic distinction of becoming the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.

But the rosiest expectations of some Democrats — that they could create a “blue wave” even when playing defense on the Senate map — proved unfounded.

Republicans were forecast to have defeated several Democratic senators in states won by Trump — Florida, Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota.

Trump boasted a growing economy but campaigned aggressively in the closing days on a hardline anti-immigration message.

He seized on scenes of a caravan of Central American migrants heading through Mexico for the US, mused ending the constitutional guarantee of citizenship to all people born in the United States and ran a television advertisement, deemed too provocative to air by mainstream networks, linking Democrats to a criminal who was an undocumented immigrant.

Trump also has sent soldiers to the Mexican border and threatened to have illegal immigrants shot if they throw stones.

“It’s a consequential election,” Yorgo Koutsogiogasi, a 64-year-old immigrant from Greece and CEO of a hospitality company, said as he voted in Chicago.

“Divisiveness is really tearing the country apart,” Koutsogiogasi, a Democrat, said as he voted with his wife. “I’m voting for candidates that I believe have the capacity to unite people rather than divide.”

But Republican voter James Gerlock, 27, said he wanted to see more of the soaring economic growth that Trump says is the fruit of his business-friendly policies.

“I am extremely happy with the economy,” Gerlock said as he cast his ballot in Chicago. “I just want to keep everything moving, because I’m loving it.”

​​​​​​​    – Beto falls short –

Democrats claimed some high-profile victories, with former professional hockey player Colin Allred defeating Pete Sessions, the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee and leading opponent of legalized marijuana, in suburban Dallas.

But in Texas, Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke, a charismatic congressman and former punk rock singer who had raised an unprecedented $60 million in his mission to win in the Republican stronghold, fell short to arch-conservative former presidential contender Ted Cruz.

O’Rourke had told voters that Trump was wrong and described Texas as built from “immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.”

Districts around the country reported unusually high turnout: according to Michael McDonald of the US Elections Project, 38.4 million Americans cast their ballots early ahead of this election, compared with 27.4 million in the 2014 midterm.

Trump had noted the energy as he wrapped up a punishing schedule of rallies around the country that were intended to boost Republican candidates — and his own brand heading toward reelection in 2020.

“The midterm elections used to be, like, boring,” Trump told a crowd in Cleveland on Monday. “Now it’s like the hottest thing.”

THAI EXPERTS expect US President Donald Trump to tone down his stance on trade disputes with China, which could have a positive impact on Thai and global economies, after the US midterm elections saw the Democratic Party regain control of the House of Representatives, while the Republicans managed to hold on to the Senate.

The US poll results, however, did not come as a surprise to the market.

It is now widely believed that the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, would reach a trade agreement when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Argentina later this month, said Prinn Panitchpakdi, managing director at CLSA Securities (Thailand) Limited.

“Should the two sides reach a trade agreement, it would have a positive impact on the Thai and global economies,” Prinn told The Nation.

He, however, was concerned about the next round of interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve in December. If the Fed raises its policy rate again, it would be their fourth this year and that could spark capital outflows from emerging markets, including Thailand.

This could have a big impact on the local stock market, he warned.

“Some countries such as Indonesia and India, which have large current account deficits, would be hit hard by capital outflows while Thailand may be less adversely affected due to its large current account surplus and international reserves,” he added.

Anusorn Tamajai, the dean of Rangsit University’s Economics Faculty, did not think the outcome of the US midterm elections would have a significant positive impact on Thai economy, although it was possible that trade disputes may not escalate and |the US may not further increase tariffs on imports.

He believed the global economy would see a slowdown in growth next year as a result of US moves to slap higher tariffs on goods imported from trade partners.

The International Monetary Fund in October cut its global growth forecast to 3.7 per cent this year and next year, down 0.2 percentage points from an earlier forecast, citing the impact of the trade tension among major economies. Anusorn said the Thai economy would grow by about 4.4 to 4.5 per cent this year and would slow down a bit next year.

“However, our general election next year would have a significant impact on the economy,” he said. “If the election scheduled for next year is free and fair and people accept the outcome of the election, then it would boost confidence in the economy,” he said.

“However, there is a high chance that the election may not be free and fair and that could lead to another round of political confrontations, which could have a severe negative impact on the Thai economy and the country’s future in the long run,” he warned.

Kobsidthi Silpachai, head of capital markets research at Kasikornbank, said that the concerns of investors had been eased to some extent, resulting in the rise of Asian currencies against the US dollar yesterday.

“In the short-term, the outcome of the US election would be positive for the global economy, due to an expectation of an end to trade disputes,” he said, adding investors thought the two leaders might reach a trade agreement. The baht rose by about 13-14 satang to Bt32.82 per dollar in yesterday’s trade.

Kobsidthi said the Democratic control of the House may check Trump on the trade war and economic reform fronts. “Trump may also face impeachment [for alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 election] launched by the Democrats, then he would not have much time to concentrate on economic matters,” he told The Nation.

Inflation fears ease

“Trump may not be able to cut taxes any further or spend too much money, so investors now are less worried about rising inflation in the US from Trump’s policies,” said Kobsidthi.

“Due to less concern over inflation, the Fed may not aggressively raise interest rates next year and this will provide some room for the Bank of Thailand to maintain the current low interest rate for a while,” he added.

Kasikorn Research Centre Co predicted that Trump would continue to impose tough trade measures on China, which could have a huge negative impact on global trade next year. Thailand would suffer export losses of US$3.1 billion to $4.5 billion next year. However, the global trade tensions are expected to ease in 2020, the research centre added.

An official from Xieng Khuang province, Mr Phonkeo Houngaloun, spoke to Vientiane Times recently in Khoun district, where the large Buddha image and temple are located.

Journalists accompanied the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdara, on his visit to the province to discuss progress in listing the Plain of Jars at the UNESCO meeting in Azerbaijan next year.

The minister visited Phiavat temple and That Foun (stupa) in Khoun district, also stopping to dine on some tasty local food before continuing to the provincial capital of Phonsavanh in Paek district.

As we walk in front of this huge Buddha, officials tell the minister that local villagers want to repair the Buddha’s right arm which was broken during wartime bombing.

However, the conversation is cut short as clouds from the mountains unload a deluge on the Vientiane visitors.

“This matter is being considered by the ministry in response to requests by local people,” Mr Phonkeo said as everyone rushed back to their cars.

Khoun district is also home to That Foun which is only about 5 minutes away by car. Most of the province’s 75,000 international visitors usually base themselves in Phonsavanh with many venturing out to see the large Buddha.

A large bomb crater once existed in the temple grounds near the Buddha but this is now no longer visible as village folk filled it in with soil.

In days gone by, eight main pillars supported the roof of Phiavat temple and lotus buds decorated their tops. Other patterns featured intertwining scrolls of foliage such as blooming flowers and diamond-shaped leaves.

The Buddha statue sits on a lotus bud in the classical position calling on the Earth to witness his attainment of enlightenment. Tight coils of hair, long and slightly curved earlobes, eyes in a downward gaze, and a serene smile are traits of the Buddha.

This large Buddha image, Pha Ongteu, and remnants of the pillars are traces of Vat Phiavat’s former grandeur.

The temple was built in the 14th century and it is believed that the same craftsmen also built Vat Si Phom located a few blocks away. In the 19th century, looting bandits and invading armies damaged Vat Phiavat as they searched for riches.

Fighting during the first Indochina War damaged the temple and its large Buddha image in 1953. The community rebuilt both a year later. But the intense bombing of the second Indochina War damaged most of the structure, leaving the Buddha image, some pillars, and part of a wall seen today.

For That Foun (stupa) is named after ashes. Why would ashes be so important? A legend describes this monument housing relics or ashes from the cremation of the Buddha. Peering inside large holes, it is evident that That Foun was built over a smaller stupa.

The mount to the east of the monument was once a religious hall. Only pillars and the raised floor survived the turbulent times of the 19th century. The bombings of the second Indochina War damaged these remnants.

Xieng Khuang province is about six hours by road from the Vientiane. Many people coming from the south take the road through Borikhamxay as it is much shorter than travelling via the winding and mountainous Road No. 13 North through Phoukhoun.

A 29-km section of the road in Borikhamxay province that links to the north is currently being rebuilt. At Thasy village, vehicles can turn left on to Road No. 1D towards Xieng Khuang.

The talks between President Donald Trump’s top diplomat and the North Korean delegation, which had been due on Thursday, “will now take place at a later date,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

“We will reconvene when our respective schedules permit,” she added in a statement.

State Department officials gave no further reasons for the delay to the meeting, although North Korea has stepped up its demands that the United States lift sanctions.

    The State Department had just one day earlier confirmed that Pompeo would meet in New York with Kim Yong Chol — one of the North Korean leader’s right-hand men — to discuss progress toward a denuclearization pact and to work to arrange a second summit following historic talks between Trump and Kim in June.

Despite warm words from Trump since meeting Kim in Singapore, his administration has insisted on maintaining pressure on Pyongyang until a final agreement is reached.

North Korea said last week that it would “seriously” consider returning to a state policy aimed at building nuclear weapons unless Washington lifts sanctions.

“The improvement of relations and sanctions are incompatible,” said a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

“What remains to be done is the US corresponding reply,” it added.

Pompeo, speaking Sunday on Fox News, said he was “not worried” about the North Korean demands and insisted there would be “no economic relief until we have achieved our ultimate objective.”

But Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that the postponement was a bad sign.

“This last-minute announcement of a delay is not a good signal as it indicates negotiations were not going well enough to go ahead with the planned meeting,” he said.

– Turbulent diplomacy –

Pompeo has traveled four times this year to North Korea, for decades a US pariah, in hopes of securing an accord.

The diplomacy comes a year after fears mounted of war, with Trump threatening “fire and fury” after Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests.

Trump has cast North Korea as a crowning diplomatic achievement and is eager for a fresh summit with Kim at which the two may formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea has long sought US recognition as a nuclear state and guarantees for the survival of the generational Kim regime, which human rights groups consider one of the most repressive in the world.

US critics say that North Korea has yet to make any concrete concessions and it has rejected demands for what it described as its “unilateral disarmament”.

Pompeo’s postponement of talks came amid emerging differences between Seoul and Washington, which stations 28,500 troops in the South to protect it from its nuclear-armed neighbour.

In contrast to Washington’s approach, the South’s dovish president Moon Jae-in, who brokered the Singapore summit, has dangled large investment and joint cross-border projects as incentives for steps towards denuclearization.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said the meeting delay was “regrettable” but insisted that “excessively pessimistic interpretation was unnecessary”.

“There have been cases in the past when US-North Korea talks were delayed, so there is no need to shift between hope and fear,” a senior ministry official told reporters.

Kim Yong Chol is a general and former top intelligence chief. He visited New York in May for talks with Pompeo in what was the highest-level trip by a North Korean to the United States in nearly two decades.

The diplomacy on North Korea has seen a series of fits and starts, with Trump at one point scrapping a trip by Pompeo just as he was set to fly to Pyongyang.

The latest New York meeting was set to come ahead of a busy season of diplomacy, with Pompeo meeting senior Chinese officials in Washington on Friday.

Trump heads over the next month to international gatherings in Paris and Buenos Aires, while Vice President Mike Pence will tour Asia.

Lee visited Jakarta on Nov. 3 as a part of his fan meetup tour, which included visits to Japan in August, and Taiwan and Thailand in September.

He was scheduled to board a plane for South Korea the next day, but Lee and his team weren’t granted departure.

The actor’s detainment in Jakarta was made public through his Instagram post Monday, which read, “All of (the) staff members and I are currently tied up in Jakarta. We’ve been detained since yesterday.” The post has since been deleted.

Lee’s agency A-man Project offered an update on the situation through an official statement issued early Tuesday morning.

“Lee Jong-suk’s scheduled return to South Korea has been delayed due to the inept business handling by the management and (the local branch of Korean event organizer) Yes 24. Fortunately, the actor is currently aboard the plane home with the help of the Indonesian Embassy,” read the statement.

The statement attributed the reason for the detainment to Yes 24’s illicit business activities, which included default on tax payment and failure to acquire an employment visa.

It also said the local contractor failed to provide a consistent explanation for the situation.

“We were first informed Yes 24 was detained by the local tax authorities for unpaid taxes, a process during which the passports of the actor and staff were confiscated,” it said. “However, it was reported in local news hours later that Yes 24 did not apply for a short-term employment visa.”

A-man Project announced that legal action would be taken through the law firm Yulchon based in Seoul’s southern district of Gangnam.

“The agency will take legal action through Yulchon and the lawyer in charge against the management and local promoter. All legal measures will be settled through (the law firm),” it said, apologizing for “causing concern.”

Lee was the youngest male model to walk the runway at Seoul Fashion Week in 2005. The model transitioned onscreen in 2010, landing major roles in the TV series “Prosecutor Princess” and in the horror film “Ghost.” As an actor, he saw his breakthrough with the hit series “Secret Garden,” which aired from end-2010 to early 2011.