Washington, May 6 (PTI) China is considering to cancel the high-level trade talks with the US, multiple media reports have said, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to impose more punishing tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese products.

President Trump's remarks came on Sunday as the two countries locked in a longstanding trade war seemed near to striking a trade deal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump raised pressure on China with a threat to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in a tweet that sent global financial markets swooning on Monday.

Trump’s comments on Twitter came as a Chinese delegation was scheduled to resume talks in Washington on Wednesday aimed at resolving a trade war that has shaken investors and cast gloom over the world economy.

Chinese government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, media attack dog and all-around fixer for President Donald Trump, is scheduled to begin serving a three-year prison sentence Monday for crimes including campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made on Trump’s behalf.

Cohen faces a 2 p.m. deadline to report to the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, a federal prison in the countryside 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of New York City. A minimum-security prison camp there has become a haven for white-collar criminals.

BRUSSELS, May 6 (Xinhua): The recent discord over intensified sanctions against Cuba is putting relations between the United States and its allies including the European Union (EU) and Canada under strain.

Washington made the decision to activate the full weight of the Helms-Burton Act against Cuba last week, which authorizes U.S. nationals to file lawsuits over properties nationalized or confiscated by Cuba's government.

LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua): Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, the Duke of Sussex announced here on Monday.

Prince Harry said the baby was delivered at 05:26 BST and both the mother and baby were doing "incredibly well."

He added that they were "absolutely thrilled" and they were still thinking about names for the infant.

"This little thing is absolutely to die for, so I'm just over the moon," the new father said.

The Buckingham Palace said the baby weighed about 3.2 kg and the royal family have been informed.

6 May 2019; DW: China told two US warships to turn back after they were sailing near disputed islands without permission. The busy waterway is the latest flashpoint as relations between the world's biggest economies continue to strain.

China said on Monday that it has warned two US ships sailing near disputed islands in the South China Sea to leave the area.

The move comes amid heightened tension between Beijing and Washington over trade tariffs, sanctions and Taiwan.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s turnabout on whether the special counsel should appear before Congress — “Bob Mueller should not testify,” he tweeted — has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers eager to question the author of the report on Russia’s election interference.

Trump had previously said he would leave the question of Robert Mueller testifying to Attorney General William Barr. The attorney general has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Many Muslims around the world began fasting Monday to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

This means waking up before dawn to eat, hydrate and pray. Once the sun rises, Muslims abstain from food and drink, including water, until sunset. They repeat the grueling routine every day for a month.

Here are some questions and answers about Islam’s holiest month and how it’s observed.

WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST?

6 May 2019; AFP: Talks between the Taliban and the US have become bogged down over the key issue of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman told AFP on Sunday.

The Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have met repeatedly in the Qatari capital Doha in recent months in a bid to finally end Afghanistan's gruelling war.

MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/: Maksim Moiseev, a flight attendant on the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane that burst into flames at Sheremetyevo airport, died trying to open a door in the tail of the plane that was ravaged by fire to save the passengers, a source in the aviation circles told TASS.

ROVANIEMI /Finland/, May 6. /TASS/: US officials understand that there can be no military solution to the Venezuela issue because the consequences of such a scenario would be devastating, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following a meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Monday.

6 May 2019; AFP: The pilot of a Russian passenger plane that erupted in a ball of fire on the runway of Moscow's busiest airport, killing 41 people, said lightning led to the emergency landing.

Investigators were on Monday working to understand the causes of the blaze after the Sukhoi Superjet-100 had to return to Sheremetyevo airport shortly after take-off Sunday evening.