During a television interview, former United States President Donald Trump revealed how he would deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.&nbsp;

Pointing out the nuclear threats that Russia has made quite a few times, Trump said it was unacceptable that Putin was using the "N-word" so often. 'N-word' means the 'nuclear' word.&nbsp;

During a TalkTV interview with popular British television host Piers Morgan, Trump as quoted by The Sun said that he would approach Putin differently, with a completely different strategy.&nbsp;

Trump said he believes that Putin is using nuclear threats to frighten other nations. The threats are apparently making the Russian leader think "no one will attack him." Trump said that Putin thinks that everyone is "stupid and afraid to talk about it".&nbsp;

ALSO READ&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-childrens-evil-abuse-us-judge-sends-28-year-old-man-to-jail-for-life-473443">For children’s 'evil' abuse, US judge sends 28-year-old man to jail for life &nbsp;</a>

During the interview, Trump said: "Putin uses the ‘N word’. I call it the 'N word'. He uses the ‘N word’, the nuclear word all the time. That's a no-no, you're not supposed to do that. He uses it on a daily basis. And everybody's so afraid, so afraid, so afraid."&nbsp;

As quoted, Trump also said, "And as they're afraid, he uses it more and more. That's why he's doing the kind of things he's doing right now. He's doing them because he thinks 'nobody's gonna ever attack us, because they're all stupid, and they're afraid to talk."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sounds-fishy-in-24-hours-2-russian-oligarchs-families-found-dead-cops-probe-suicide-angle-reports-473422">Sounds fishy? In 24 hours, 2 Russian oligarchs, families found dead, cops probe suicide angle: Reports</a>

On being asked about what he would do if he was the President instead of Joe Biden."We [the US] have better weapons, we have the greatest submarine power in history," Trump said. &nbsp;

Trump added, "I would say, we have far more than you do. Far, far more powerful than you."&nbsp;

The interview is scheduled to air on April 25.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict: German Chancellor faces criticism for Ukraine stance

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During a television interview, former United States President Donald Trump revealed how he would deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

During a television interview, former United States President Donald Trump revealed how he would deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Pointing out the nuclear threats that Russia has made quite a few times, Trump said it was unacceptable that Putin was using the "N-word" so often. 'N-word' means the 'nuclear' word. During a TalkTV interview with popular British television host Piers Morgan, Trump as quoted by The Sun said that he would approach Putin differently, with a completely different strategy. Trump said he believes that Putin is using nuclear threats to frighten other nations. The threats are apparently making the Russian leader think "no one will attack him." Trump said that Putin thinks that everyone is "stupid and afraid to talk about it". ALSO READ | For children’s 'evil' abuse, US judge sends 28-year-old man to jail for life During the interview, Trump said: "Putin uses the ‘N word’. I call it the 'N word'. He uses the ‘N word’, the nuclear word all the time. That's a no-no, you're not supposed to do that. He uses it on a daily basis. And everybody's so afraid, so afraid, so afraid." As quoted, Trump also said, "And as they're afraid, he uses it more and more. That's why he's doing the kind of things he's doing right now. He's doing them because he thinks 'nobody's gonna ever attack us, because they're all stupid, and they're afraid to talk." ALSO READ | Sounds fishy? In 24 hours, 2 Russian oligarchs, families found dead, cops probe suicide angle: Reports On being asked about what he would do if he was the President instead of Joe Biden."We [the US] have better weapons, we have the greatest submarine power in history," Trump said. Trump added, "I would say, we have far more than you do. Far, far more powerful than you." The interview is scheduled to air on April 25. WATCH | Russia-Ukraine conflict: German Chancellor faces criticism for Ukraine stance ×

'I would say...': Here's how Donald Trump would deal with Vladimir Putin during Russia-Ukraine war

As the investigation into US Capitol Riots continues, Kevin McCarthy's explosive audio clip recorded in the aftermath of US Capitol Riots has come to light and put him in a tough spot. McCarthy can be heard discussing efforts to make Donald Trump resign

US Capitol Riots: Kevin McCarthy's audio clip in aftermath of riots puts him in a tough spot

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, told GOP lawmakers in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US&nbsp;Capitol that former President Donald Trump acknowledged he bore “some responsibility” for what happened that day, new audio revealed Friday.

The audio, obtained by The New York Times, is part of a series of revelations about Republican leaders’ private condemnations of Trump in the days after his supporters stormed the Capitol.

McCarthy’s assertion would be the clearest indication yet that Trump may have admitted some measure of culpability for the deadly mob. The revelation comes as congressional investigators scour for evidence of Trump’s involvement in his supporters’ failed attempt to block the official certification of his loss in the 2020 election.

“Let me be very clear to all of you, and I have been very clear to the president: He bears responsibilities for his words and actions,” McCarthy told House Republicans on a Jan. 11, 2021, conference call. “No if, ands or buts.

“I asked him personally today: Does he hold responsibility for what happened?” McCarthy said. “Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he’d need to acknowledge that.”

Trump did not respond to a request for comment, but in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday he said McCarthy’s claim that he had accepted some responsibility for the attack was “false.”

The recording of the meeting was obtained in reporting for the upcoming book “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future.” The book, which details several private conversations among Republicans talking derisively about Trump, has quickly become an embarrassment and a potential political problem for McCarthy.

On Thursday, the Times reported that McCarthy told his leadership team that he would call Trump and urge him to quit. McCarthy said he would tell Trump of the impending impeachment resolution: “I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign.”

McCarthy on Thursday called the report “totally false and wrong,” but the claim was swiftly disproved when the Times published a recording of the call hours later. On Friday, he repeated the falsehood, telling reporters in Ridgecrest, California, “I never thought that he should resign.”

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, told GOP lawmakers in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol that former President Donald Trump acknowledged he bore “some responsibility” for what happened that day, new audio revealed Friday.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, told GOP lawmakers in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol that former President Donald Trump acknowledged he bore “some responsibility” for what happened that day, new audio revealed Friday. The audio, obtained by The New York Times, is part of a series of revelations about Republican leaders’ private condemnations of Trump in the days after his supporters stormed the Capitol. McCarthy’s assertion would be the clearest indication yet that Trump may have admitted some measure of culpability for the deadly mob. The revelation comes as congressional investigators scour for evidence of Trump’s involvement in his supporters’ failed attempt to block the official certification of his loss in the 2020 election. “Let me be very clear to all of you, and I have been very clear to the president: He bears responsibilities for his words and actions,” McCarthy told House Republicans on a Jan. 11, 2021, conference call. “No if, ands or buts. “I asked him personally today: Does he hold responsibility for what happened?” McCarthy said. “Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he’d need to acknowledge that.” Trump did not respond to a request for comment, but in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday he said McCarthy’s claim that he had accepted some responsibility for the attack was “false.” The recording of the meeting was obtained in reporting for the upcoming book “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future.” The book, which details several private conversations among Republicans talking derisively about Trump, has quickly become an embarrassment and a potential political problem for McCarthy. On Thursday, the Times reported that McCarthy told his leadership team that he would call Trump and urge him to quit. McCarthy said he would tell Trump of the impending impeachment resolution: “I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign.” McCarthy on Thursday called the report “totally false and wrong,” but the claim was swiftly disproved when the Times published a recording of the call hours later. On Friday, he repeated the falsehood, telling reporters in Ridgecrest, California, “I never thought that he should resign.”

McCarthy said Trump acknowledged ‘some responsibility’ for attack on January 6, 2021

Truth Social is slow and clunky. Its audience participation remains low. Two top executives have left. And the merger that could bring $1.3 billion in desperately needed cash to former President Donald Trump’s social media project seems far from completion.

And now Truth Social’s very reason for being appears under threat.

Elon Musk’s plan for a potential hostile takeover of Twitter is the latest challenge for Trump Media &amp; Technology Group’s flagship Truth Social app, which Trump has positioned as Twitter’s freewheeling conservative counterpart.

Musk said Thursday he had obtained $46.5 billion in financing for his takeover bid and has suggested he would loosen Twitter moderation policies that he has chafed under — and that famously led the service to ban Trump for inciting violence over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Although Musk has not said if he would allow Trump to return to the platform if his bid succeeds, his ideas for easing Twitter’s rules would further sap the appeal of Trump’s beleaguered startup as it faces a regulatory investigation that could decide its future.

Karen Freberg, a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville, said Truth Social might have missed its chance.

“Had Truth Social had everything up and running, it could have brought people in and had potential time to grow the platform,” she said. “What’s happening with Twitter is that it’s gotten the media attention and spotlight, and Elon Musk is now utilizing his influence.”

Trump Media declined to comment on Musk’s Twitter bid. Liz Harrington, a spokesperson for Trump, pointed to a recent interview with Americano Media in which Trump said he “probably wouldn’t rejoin Twitter if he could.”

Trump Media and Truth Social were facing significant challenges even without a competitor that could become more alluring to its prospective user base.

The clock is ticking on Trump Media’s planned merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a cash-rich blank-check company that raised nearly $300 million in an initial public offering. If the companies do not complete their merger by Sept. 8 or agree to extend the deadline, Trump Media is in danger of losing out on that money. More significantly, investors in a $1 billion private placement to support the merger can pull out if the deal is not completed by Sept. 20.

Five months is precious little time to complete the merger while also dealing with an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the regulator that must sign off on the deal.

Digital World disclosed the investigation just a few weeks after announcing the merger plans in October. The regulator is looking into unusual trading activity in the company’s shares before the announcement and seeking information about potential communications between representatives of the two companies before Digital World, a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, went public in September.

The SEC has requested numerous emails and text messages from individuals involved in the merger talks, said two people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

The investigation has fueled growing skepticism about the deal’s prospects. Kerrisdale Capital, a prominent short-selling hedge fund — a firm that specializes in betting on a stock’s decline — on Wednesday issued a 27-page report that predicted the SEC would never sign off on the deal.

Investor enthusiasm has also dampened: Shares of Digital World fell sharply this week and were trading around $40 on Friday, less than half their $97.54 peak on March 4.

Digital World CEO Patrick Orlando did not respond to requests for comment. Digital World’s annual report, filed last week, did not mention the SEC investigation and provided little information on the status of the merger.

Some investors in the private placement — which mainly included hedge funds and wealthy individuals — are increasingly frustrated at the lack of information about when the deal could close, said three people briefed on the matter who did not want to speak publicly because the deal was still pending. Seeking more information, some investors have reached out to representatives for the two companies and bankers involved in the deal, but none was provided, the people said.

The merger has moved slowly since it was announced six months ago. That’s about the average length of time that SPACs such as Digital World are taking to go from an announcement to a completed merger this year, according to Dealogic, a deal tracking service.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Digital World has yet to file a critical registration document, called an S-4, which is an important milestone in any merger or acquisition. An S-4 would typically be filed within two months of a deal announcement, said Mike Stegemoller, a finance professor at Baylor University who studies SPACs, a kind of shell company that goes public with the intention of merging with a private company. Digital World’s annual report promised the S-4 would be filed “as promptly as practicable.”

Regulators are scrutinizing the deal because a SPAC is not supposed to go public with a potential deal in its sights. The New York Times previously reported that another SPAC that Orlando leads, Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp., was the initial intended merger partner for Trump Media, but those negotiations broke down when some board members balked at doing a deal with a company led by Trump. In a recent filing, Benessere said negotiations with an unnamed “media and technology company” ended in August, not long before Digital World went public.

Digital World said in its annual report that it would “continue to pursue a business combination” with another company if the Trump Media deal falls through.

Trump Media would face a murkier future. After a flurry of downloads when Truth Social first launched, interest has dropped sharply. Sensor Tower, an app insights company, said the app was downloaded an estimated 41,000 times in the last full week of March, down 95% from the same period the previous month.

Truth Social, which is only available on Apple devices, has about 1.3 million installs, Sensor Tower estimated. By comparison, Twitter has more than 200 million active users.

The sagging engagement extends to Trump, who only recently hit the 1 million follower mark, a sliver of the 89 million he once had on Twitter. He has published just one post on Truth Social, a February message telling his followers to “Get Ready!”

The platform got off to a glitchy start with error messages and a long waiting list. Three people familiar with Truth Social said there was a scramble to prepare it for launch amid frustrations with the performance of some of the back-end technology to support the app.

Two top tech executives working on Truth Social, Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, left the company last month, Reuters first reported. Both were said to be dissatisfied with elements of the technology behind the platform, according to five people briefed on the matter. Neither responded to repeated request for comment.

Their departures add to the mystery of the company’s internal operations.

In a November presentation for investors, Trump Media provided the full names for only a handful of employees. Adams, the chief technology officer, and Boozer, the chief product officer, were described by their titles and as “Josh A.” and “Billy B.” The company’s chief financial officer, Phillip Juhan, was not identified at all.

Juhan and Devin Nunes, a former California Republican congressman hired by Trump in December to serve as Trump Media’s CEO, are listed as directors on a filing in Georgia, where Trump Media incorporated itself last month. Trump Media is also incorporated in Delaware but has listed Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club as its corporate headquarters.

Nunes has refused numerous interview requests. In an appearance this month on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” he told host Maria Bartiromo that Twitter was a “ghost town.”

Twitter, he said, “desperately” needed Musk. 
&nbsp;

Truth Social is slow and clunky. Its audience participation remains low. Two top executives have left. And the merger that could bring $1.3 billion in desperately needed cash to former President Donald Trump’s social media project seems far from completion.

Truth Social is slow and clunky. Its audience participation remains low. Two top executives have left. And the merger that could bring $1.3 billion in desperately needed cash to former President Donald Trump’s social media project seems far from completion. And now Truth Social’s very reason for being appears under threat. Elon Musk’s plan for a potential hostile takeover of Twitter is the latest challenge for Trump Media & Technology Group’s flagship Truth Social app, which Trump has positioned as Twitter’s freewheeling conservative counterpart. Musk said Thursday he had obtained $46.5 billion in financing for his takeover bid and has suggested he would loosen Twitter moderation policies that he has chafed under — and that famously led the service to ban Trump for inciting violence over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Although Musk has not said if he would allow Trump to return to the platform if his bid succeeds, his ideas for easing Twitter’s rules would further sap the appeal of Trump’s beleaguered startup as it faces a regulatory investigation that could decide its future. Karen Freberg, a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville, said Truth Social might have missed its chance. “Had Truth Social had everything up and running, it could have brought people in and had potential time to grow the platform,” she said. “What’s happening with Twitter is that it’s gotten the media attention and spotlight, and Elon Musk is now utilizing his influence.” Trump Media declined to comment on Musk’s Twitter bid. Liz Harrington, a spokesperson for Trump, pointed to a recent interview with Americano Media in which Trump said he “probably wouldn’t rejoin Twitter if he could.” Trump Media and Truth Social were facing significant challenges even without a competitor that could become more alluring to its prospective user base. The clock is ticking on Trump Media’s planned merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a cash-rich blank-check company that raised nearly $300 million in an initial public offering. If the companies do not complete their merger by Sept. 8 or agree to extend the deadline, Trump Media is in danger of losing out on that money. More significantly, investors in a $1 billion private placement to support the merger can pull out if the deal is not completed by Sept. 20. Five months is precious little time to complete the merger while also dealing with an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the regulator that must sign off on the deal. Digital World disclosed the investigation just a few weeks after announcing the merger plans in October. The regulator is looking into unusual trading activity in the company’s shares before the announcement and seeking information about potential communications between representatives of the two companies before Digital World, a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, went public in September. The SEC has requested numerous emails and text messages from individuals involved in the merger talks, said two people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly. The investigation has fueled growing skepticism about the deal’s prospects. Kerrisdale Capital, a prominent short-selling hedge fund — a firm that specializes in betting on a stock’s decline — on Wednesday issued a 27-page report that predicted the SEC would never sign off on the deal. Investor enthusiasm has also dampened: Shares of Digital World fell sharply this week and were trading around $40 on Friday, less than half their $97.54 peak on March 4. Digital World CEO Patrick Orlando did not respond to requests for comment. Digital World’s annual report, filed last week, did not mention the SEC investigation and provided little information on the status of the merger. Some investors in the private placement — which mainly included hedge funds and wealthy individuals — are increasingly frustrated at the lack of information about when the deal could close, said three people briefed on the matter who did not want to speak publicly because the deal was still pending. Seeking more information, some investors have reached out to representatives for the two companies and bankers involved in the deal, but none was provided, the people said. The merger has moved slowly since it was announced six months ago. That’s about the average length of time that SPACs such as Digital World are taking to go from an announcement to a completed merger this year, according to Dealogic, a deal tracking service. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Digital World has yet to file a critical registration document, called an S-4, which is an important milestone in any merger or acquisition. An S-4 would typically be filed within two months of a deal announcement, said Mike Stegemoller, a finance professor at Baylor University who studies SPACs, a kind of shell company that goes public with the intention of merging with a private company. Digital World’s annual report promised the S-4 would be filed “as promptly as practicable.” Regulators are scrutinizing the deal because a SPAC is not supposed to go public with a potential deal in its sights. The New York Times previously reported that another SPAC that Orlando leads, Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp., was the initial intended merger partner for Trump Media, but those negotiations broke down when some board members balked at doing a deal with a company led by Trump. In a recent filing, Benessere said negotiations with an unnamed “media and technology company” ended in August, not long before Digital World went public. Digital World said in its annual report that it would “continue to pursue a business combination” with another company if the Trump Media deal falls through. Trump Media would face a murkier future. After a flurry of downloads when Truth Social first launched, interest has dropped sharply. Sensor Tower, an app insights company, said the app was downloaded an estimated 41,000 times in the last full week of March, down 95% from the same period the previous month. Truth Social, which is only available on Apple devices, has about 1.3 million installs, Sensor Tower estimated. By comparison, Twitter has more than 200 million active users. The sagging engagement extends to Trump, who only recently hit the 1 million follower mark, a sliver of the 89 million he once had on Twitter. He has published just one post on Truth Social, a February message telling his followers to “Get Ready!” The platform got off to a glitchy start with error messages and a long waiting list. Three people familiar with Truth Social said there was a scramble to prepare it for launch amid frustrations with the performance of some of the back-end technology to support the app. Two top tech executives working on Truth Social, Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, left the company last month, Reuters first reported. Both were said to be dissatisfied with elements of the technology behind the platform, according to five people briefed on the matter. Neither responded to repeated request for comment. Their departures add to the mystery of the company’s internal operations. In a November presentation for investors, Trump Media provided the full names for only a handful of employees. Adams, the chief technology officer, and Boozer, the chief product officer, were described by their titles and as “Josh A.” and “Billy B.” The company’s chief financial officer, Phillip Juhan, was not identified at all. Juhan and Devin Nunes, a former California Republican congressman hired by Trump in December to serve as Trump Media’s CEO, are listed as directors on a filing in Georgia, where Trump Media incorporated itself last month. Trump Media is also incorporated in Delaware but has listed Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club as its corporate headquarters. Nunes has refused numerous interview requests. In an appearance this month on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” he told host Maria Bartiromo that Twitter was a “ghost town.” Twitter, he said, “desperately” needed Musk.

The newest problem for Trump’s Truth Social is Elon Musk

Former United States President Donald Trump appears to have walked out of an interview with a popular British television host Piers Morgan and labelled him "very dishonest".&nbsp;

A small clip, the preview or teaser of the main interview, is circulating on social media. In the video, Trump can be seen getting out of his seat and ordering production to "turn the camera off."&nbsp;

Media reports have stated that Trump was frustrated when Morgan asked him several questions related to his presidency, Covid, etc. According to the viral clip, he even called him a "fool".&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-spinning-charkha-at-sabarmati-ashram-to-jbc-plant-visit-uk-pm-boris-johnsons-india-tour-in-pics-472705">From spinning 'Charkha' at Gandhi's Ashram to bulldozer plant visit: UK PM Boris Johnson's India trip in pics</a>

Trump said, "I think I'm a very honest man … much more honest than you, actually." &nbsp;To which Morgan replied, "Really?" After that, Trump responded, "Yeah."&nbsp;

Morgan also said that the US Presidential vote in 2020 "was a free and fair election. You lost."&nbsp;

Trump said: "Only a fool would think that."&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Morgan said: "You think I'm a fool?" Trump replied, "I do now, yeah."

Multiple times, Trump alleged elections fraud. However, he failed to provide evidence to support his claims. Talking about the same claims, Morgan said, "With respect, you haven't produced the hard evidence." Trump responded: "I don't think you’re real."&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/queen-elizabeth-ii-turns-96-how-queens-birthday-is-marked-and-why-does-she-have-two-birthdays-472674">Queen Elizabeth II turns 96! How Queen's birthday is marked and why does she have two birthdays?</a>

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

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This is the most dramatic interview trailer I've seen in my life but I suppose the intensity is justified by Trump denying the existence of Piers Morgan to his face <a href="https://t.co/DPs4JiMalP">pic.twitter.com/DPs4JiMalP</a>
— Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopulismUpdates/status/1516889220761092096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Morgan also said that first Trump tried to end the interview by saying "That’s it!" However, he remained there to discuss other topics.&nbsp;

Refuting the claims of the walkout, Trump released audio of fag end of the interview. As claimed by media outlets, the two can be heard thanking each other. Trump and Morgan can also be heard laughing.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As per the audio clip, Morgan said: "That was a great interview." Trump replied, "Yeah."&nbsp;

"Thank you very much. I really appreciate it," Morgan said.&nbsp;

In the end, Trump said, "Turn the camera off."&nbsp;

Former United States President Donald Trump appears to have walked out of an interview with a popular British television host Piers Morgan and labelled him "very dishonest".

Former United States President Donald Trump appears to have walked out of an interview with a popular British television host Piers Morgan and labelled him "very dishonest". A small clip, the preview or teaser of the main interview, is circulating on social media. In the video, Trump can be seen getting out of his seat and ordering production to "turn the camera off." Media reports have stated that Trump was frustrated when Morgan asked him several questions related to his presidency, Covid, etc. According to the viral clip, he even called him a "fool". IN PICS | From spinning 'Charkha' at Gandhi's Ashram to bulldozer plant visit: UK PM Boris Johnson's India trip in pics Trump said, "I think I'm a very honest man … much more honest than you, actually." To which Morgan replied, "Really?" After that, Trump responded, "Yeah." Morgan also said that the US Presidential vote in 2020 "was a free and fair election. You lost." Trump said: "Only a fool would think that." Morgan said: "You think I'm a fool?" Trump replied, "I do now, yeah." Multiple times, Trump alleged elections fraud. However, he failed to provide evidence to support his claims. Talking about the same claims, Morgan said, "With respect, you haven't produced the hard evidence." Trump responded: "I don't think you’re real." IN PICS | Queen Elizabeth II turns 96! How Queen's birthday is marked and why does she have two birthdays? Watch the video here: This is the most dramatic interview trailer I've seen in my life but I suppose the intensity is justified by Trump denying the existence of Piers Morgan to his face pic.twitter.com/DPs4JiMalP — Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) April 20, 2022 × Morgan also said that first Trump tried to end the interview by saying "That’s it!" However, he remained there to discuss other topics. Refuting the claims of the walkout, Trump released audio of fag end of the interview. As claimed by media outlets, the two can be heard thanking each other. Trump and Morgan can also be heard laughing. As per the audio clip, Morgan said: "That was a great interview." Trump replied, "Yeah." "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it," Morgan said. In the end, Trump said, "Turn the camera off."

Watch: Did Donald Trump really walk out of explosive interview with Piers Morgan? Here's the truth

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is restoring parts of a bedrock environmental law, once again requiring that climate impacts be considered and local communities have input before federal agencies approve highways, pipelines and other major projects.

The administration has resurrected requirements of the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act that had been removed by President Donald Trump, who complained that they slowed down the development of mines, road expansions and similar projects.

The final rule announced Tuesday would require federal agencies to conduct an analysis of the greenhouse gases that could be emitted over the lifetime of a proposed project, as well as how climate change might affect new highways, bridges and other infrastructure, according to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The rule, which takes effect in 30 days, would also ensure agencies give communities directly affected by projects a greater role in the approval process.

Brenda Mallory, chairwoman of the council, described the regulation as restoring “basic community safeguards” that the Trump administration had eliminated.

“Patching these holes in the environmental review process will help projects get built faster, be more resilient, and provide greater benefits to people who live nearby,” she said in a statement.

Administration officials said the new rule would not have major immediate impacts since the Biden administration had already been weighing the climate change impacts of proposed projects. But it would force future administrations to abide by the process or undertake a lengthy regulatory process and possibly legal challenges to again undo it.

The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, after several environmental disasters.

Under the changes announced Tuesday, agencies would have to consider the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of a decision — including the effect a new project would have on neighborhoods already burdened by pollution.

The administration’s changes also encourage agencies to study alternatives to projects that are opposed by local communities, and it says the law’s requirements are “a floor, rather than a ceiling” when it comes to environmental reviews.

Republicans and some business groups are hostile to the changes, arguing that additional reviews would delay the development of badly needed infrastructure.

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is restoring parts of a bedrock environmental law, once again requiring that climate impacts be considered and local communities have input before federal agencies approve highways, pipelines and other major projects.

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is restoring parts of a bedrock environmental law, once again requiring that climate impacts be considered and local communities have input before federal agencies approve highways, pipelines and other major projects. The administration has resurrected requirements of the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act that had been removed by President Donald Trump, who complained that they slowed down the development of mines, road expansions and similar projects. The final rule announced Tuesday would require federal agencies to conduct an analysis of the greenhouse gases that could be emitted over the lifetime of a proposed project, as well as how climate change might affect new highways, bridges and other infrastructure, according to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The rule, which takes effect in 30 days, would also ensure agencies give communities directly affected by projects a greater role in the approval process. Brenda Mallory, chairwoman of the council, described the regulation as restoring “basic community safeguards” that the Trump administration had eliminated. “Patching these holes in the environmental review process will help projects get built faster, be more resilient, and provide greater benefits to people who live nearby,” she said in a statement. Administration officials said the new rule would not have major immediate impacts since the Biden administration had already been weighing the climate change impacts of proposed projects. But it would force future administrations to abide by the process or undertake a lengthy regulatory process and possibly legal challenges to again undo it. The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, after several environmental disasters. Under the changes announced Tuesday, agencies would have to consider the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of a decision — including the effect a new project would have on neighborhoods already burdened by pollution. The administration’s changes also encourage agencies to study alternatives to projects that are opposed by local communities, and it says the law’s requirements are “a floor, rather than a ceiling” when it comes to environmental reviews. Republicans and some business groups are hostile to the changes, arguing that additional reviews would delay the development of badly needed infrastructure.

Biden restores climate to landmark environmental law, reversing Trump

President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday (April 18) warned Israel about making the ''slightest move'' against Iran.

During a speech to mark the National Army Day, Raisi said, "The Zionist regime (Israel), you should know that ... if you take the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Zionist regime."

He added that "Our strategy is defence and not offence.”&nbsp;

"Iran's army used the opportunity of sanctions very well to empower itself, and our military industries are now in the best shape."&nbsp;

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His statements come amid stalled talks between Tehran and the world powers to revive Iran's nuclear capabilities.

They were suspended after a dispute between the United States and Tehran after Washington refused to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its list of terrorist organisations.

Iran has blamed Israel for destroying its several nuclear sites in airstrikes. In return, anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah had launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip last year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-sees-iran-nuclear-deal-shortly-warns-it-may-be-weaker-naftali-bennett-454791">Also read |&nbsp;Israel sees Iran nuclear deal 'shortly,' warns it may be 'weaker': Naftali Bennett</a>

Opposing the nuclear deal, Israel said it does it do enough to curtail Iran's military activities. It has refused to accept the Islamic Republic as "a nuclear threshold state".

Defending its nuclear programme, Iran insisted that was aimed at generating power and for medical purposes.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, his country will act in its best interest and counter all possible threats.

The 2015 nuclear pact collapsed after former US President Donald Trump's withdrawal and imposition of harsh sanctions on Iran. Indirect talks have been going on since 2018 to revive it.

An Islamic Revolution in 1979 ousted the pro-West monarchy in Iran. It brought Islamists to power and ever since then Iran has not recognised Israel. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday (April 18) warned Israel about making the ''slightest move'' against Iran. During a speech to mark the National Army Day, Raisi said, "The Zionist regime (Israel), you should know that .

President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday (April 18) warned Israel about making the ''slightest move'' against Iran. During a speech to mark the National Army Day, Raisi said, "The Zionist regime (Israel), you should know that ... if you take the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Zionist regime." He added that "Our strategy is defence and not offence.” "Iran's army used the opportunity of sanctions very well to empower itself, and our military industries are now in the best shape." His statements come amid stalled talks between Tehran and the world powers to revive Iran's nuclear capabilities. They were suspended after a dispute between the United States and Tehran after Washington refused to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its list of terrorist organisations. Iran has blamed Israel for destroying its several nuclear sites in airstrikes. In return, anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah had launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip last year. Also read | Israel sees Iran nuclear deal 'shortly,' warns it may be 'weaker': Naftali Bennett Opposing the nuclear deal, Israel said it does it do enough to curtail Iran's military activities. It has refused to accept the Islamic Republic as "a nuclear threshold state". Defending its nuclear programme, Iran insisted that was aimed at generating power and for medical purposes. According to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, his country will act in its best interest and counter all possible threats. The 2015 nuclear pact collapsed after former US President Donald Trump's withdrawal and imposition of harsh sanctions on Iran. Indirect talks have been going on since 2018 to revive it. An Islamic Revolution in 1979 ousted the pro-West monarchy in Iran. It brought Islamists to power and ever since then Iran has not recognised Israel. (With inputs from agencies)

President Ebrahim Raisi warns Israel about making 'slightest move' against Iran

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy on Friday (April 15) denied that she is stepping down from her position.

''Reports that I have resigned from my position as President Biden's National Climate Advisor are simply inaccurate,'' she said on Twitter.

''We’ve made great progress these past 14 months, but we have much more work to do,&nbsp;and I remain excited about the opportunities ahead,'' she added.

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Reports that I have resigned from my position as President Biden's National Climate Advisor are simply inaccurate. We’ve made great progress these past 14 months, but we have much more work to do — and I remain excited about the opportunities ahead.
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“Gina and her entire team continue to be laser-focused on delivering on President Biden’s clean energy agenda,” said White House spokesman Vedant Patel.

A report published in the New York Times stated that McCarthy had expressed frustration regarding the slow pace of climate progress.

In December, Politico had conducted an opinion poll on climate change, in which 80 per cent of Americans said the Biden administration is not taking enough initiatives to tackle the problem.

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In response, McCarthy said “We understand people’s frustration. Would we all like to be running faster and faster? Yes, we would.”

This had triggered speculation that the 67-year-old was unhappy with the way the Biden administration was tackling the issue.

According to McCarthy, "We must redouble our efforts to cut the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change while, at the same time, help our coastal communities become more resilient in the face of rising seas."

“I think we will have a bill that will move this fall,” she told the New York Times.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-climate-change-will-impact-the-worlds-regions-differently-457772">Also see |&nbsp;How climate change will impact the world's regions differently</a>

McCarthy currently leads inter-agency efforts to coordinate domestic climate change policy. She is the domestic counterpart of Biden's special international envoy on climate change, John Kerry.

She was previously the Environmental Protection Agency administrator during the administration of former US President Barack Obama.

Biden chose her as the national climate adviser after he promised&nbsp;solid action against climate change during the US election in 2020.

As the head of the Natural Resources Defence Council, she sued former US President Donald Trump's administration over 100 times for countermanding Obama's policies.

(With inputs from agencies)

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy on Friday (April 15) denied that she is stepping down from her position. ''Reports that I have resigned from my position as President Biden's National Climate Advisor are simply inaccurate,'' she said on Twitter.

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy on Friday (April 15) denied that she is stepping down from her position. ''Reports that I have resigned from my position as President Biden's National Climate Advisor are simply inaccurate,'' she said on Twitter. ''We’ve made great progress these past 14 months, but we have much more work to do, and I remain excited about the opportunities ahead,'' she added. Reports that I have resigned from my position as President Biden's National Climate Advisor are simply inaccurate. We’ve made great progress these past 14 months, but we have much more work to do — and I remain excited about the opportunities ahead. — Gina McCarthy (@ginamccarthy46) April 15, 2022 × “Gina and her entire team continue to be laser-focused on delivering on President Biden’s clean energy agenda,” said White House spokesman Vedant Patel. A report published in the New York Times stated that McCarthy had expressed frustration regarding the slow pace of climate progress. In December, Politico had conducted an opinion poll on climate change, in which 80 per cent of Americans said the Biden administration is not taking enough initiatives to tackle the problem. In response, McCarthy said “We understand people’s frustration. Would we all like to be running faster and faster? Yes, we would.” This had triggered speculation that the 67-year-old was unhappy with the way the Biden administration was tackling the issue. According to McCarthy, "We must redouble our efforts to cut the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change while, at the same time, help our coastal communities become more resilient in the face of rising seas." “I think we will have a bill that will move this fall,” she told the New York Times. Also see | How climate change will impact the world's regions differently McCarthy currently leads inter-agency efforts to coordinate domestic climate change policy. She is the domestic counterpart of Biden's special international envoy on climate change, John Kerry. She was previously the Environmental Protection Agency administrator during the administration of former US President Barack Obama. Biden chose her as the national climate adviser after he promised solid action against climate change during the US election in 2020. As the head of the Natural Resources Defence Council, she sued former US President Donald Trump's administration over 100 times for countermanding Obama's policies. (With inputs from agencies)

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy denies that she is stepping down

Former United States President Donald Trump is the "most honest human being God has ever created", he himself said it when he spoke at a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday evening (April 9).&nbsp;

A burst of laughter followed after Trump's "the most honest&nbsp;human being" remarks at a rally. He quoted one of his friends as saying, "'You know, you've been investigated years and years, millions and millions of pages of documents, they found nothing. You are the cleanest on Earth when you think about it.'"&nbsp;

Trump then said, "I've got to be the cleanest sheriff. I think I'm the most honest&nbsp;human being, perhaps, that God ever created."&nbsp;

Amid multiple investigations, including his alleged involvement in the US Capitol attacks, Trump's remarks went viral on social media.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-boris-johnsons-visit-us-says-joe-biden-doesnt-currently-have-any-plans-to-travel-to-ukraine-470275">After Boris Johnson's visit, US says Joe Biden 'doesn't currently have any plans' to travel to Ukraine</a>

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— Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1512944767692259328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Recently, Trump defended his conduct during the US Capitol assault in an incendiary interview published last week, saying he did not regret summoning his rioting supporters to Washington.&nbsp;

He told The Washington Post he would have accompanied his ultra-loyal followers as they marched on the complex on January 6 last year, but was stopped by his security detail.&nbsp;

He offered no contrition for whipping up the crowd with bogus claims that victory was stolen from him through widespread fraud -- although he was clear in his condemnation of the violence that ensued.&nbsp;

"Secret Service said I couldn't go. I would have gone there in a minute," he said, in the wide-ranging interview, adding that it was the largest crowd he had ever spoken to.&nbsp;

On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last year in an effort to halt the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden won a decisive victory in 2020, described by the government as one of the most secure elections in US history.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Blood The dark side of Electric Vehicles

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Former United States President Donald Trump is the "most honest human being God has ever created", he himself said it when he spoke at a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday evening (April 9).

Former United States President Donald Trump is the "most honest human being God has ever created", he himself said it when he spoke at a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday evening (April 9). A burst of laughter followed after Trump's "the most honest human being" remarks at a rally. He quoted one of his friends as saying, "'You know, you've been investigated years and years, millions and millions of pages of documents, they found nothing. You are the cleanest on Earth when you think about it.'" Trump then said, "I've got to be the cleanest sheriff. I think I'm the most honest human being, perhaps, that God ever created." Amid multiple investigations, including his alleged involvement in the US Capitol attacks, Trump's remarks went viral on social media. ALSO READ | After Boris Johnson's visit, US says Joe Biden 'doesn't currently have any plans' to travel to Ukraine Trump: I’ve gotta be the cleanest— I think I’m the most honest human being perhaps that god ever created pic.twitter.com/D98itzA6vi — Acyn (@Acyn) April 10, 2022 × Recently, Trump defended his conduct during the US Capitol assault in an incendiary interview published last week, saying he did not regret summoning his rioting supporters to Washington. He told The Washington Post he would have accompanied his ultra-loyal followers as they marched on the complex on January 6 last year, but was stopped by his security detail. He offered no contrition for whipping up the crowd with bogus claims that victory was stolen from him through widespread fraud -- although he was clear in his condemnation of the violence that ensued. "Secret Service said I couldn't go. I would have gone there in a minute," he said, in the wide-ranging interview, adding that it was the largest crowd he had ever spoken to. On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last year in an effort to halt the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden won a decisive victory in 2020, described by the government as one of the most secure elections in US history. WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Blood The dark side of Electric Vehicles × (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Donald Trump is the 'most honest human being perhaps God has ever created'. Guess who said it

The Trump administration left office without providing the State Department with an accounting of the gifts former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials received from foreign governments in 2020, the department disclosed late Friday.

The department said that as a result, it could not fully account for the gifts officials received, the latest example to emerge in recent months of how the Trump administration’s flouting of laws and norms about the day-to-day operations of government now makes it harder to determine whether anything improper took place.

“It’s flagrant and it looks terrible,” said Richard W. Painter, the former top ethics lawyer for George W. Bush’s administration. “Either it was really stupid or really corrupt.”

Under federal law, each government department and agency is legally required to submit a list to the State Department of gifts over $415 its officials received from foreign governments. The measure is intended to ensure that foreign governments do not gain undue influence over American officials.

Departing White Houses typically provide the State Department with a list of the gifts officials receive before, or shortly after, they leave office to ensure they have followed the law.

But in the list of gifts for 2020 that the State Department released Friday, there are no gifts for any White House officials. Although the pandemic curtailed some of Trump’s travel, Trump went to Switzerland and India — where he received gifts, including a bust of Gandhi, a sculpture of Gandhi’s famous “three monkeys” metaphor and a spinning wheel. Top foreign leaders for at least a dozen countries visited the White House.

In a highly unusual disclosure, the department said that its Office of the Chief of Protocol, which was run by a Trump appointee until Jan. 20, 2021, had failed before Trump left office to ask the White House for a list of the gifts it received, and that Trump’s White House left office without providing one.

The department said it had tried to collect the information about the gifts Trump White House officials had received but had failed to come up with an accounting.

“As a result, the data required to fully compile a complete listing for 2020 is unavailable,” the State Department said in a footnote to its list of gifts government officials received that year.

A spokesman for Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment.

In February, it was revealed that classified documents and gifts from the White House had been improperly taken to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, a matter federal authorities are now in the preliminary stages of investigating. Around that time, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol learned that significant chunks of time were missing from White House call records from the day of the attack.

The ethics expert, Painter, said that by failing to disclose the gifts, the Trump White House violated the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution, which makes it illegal to take gifts from foreigners without permission from Congress. But Painter said that because the emoluments clause is toothless and has no criminal or civil penalties, it is extremely difficult to hold a former official accountable.

Even before the latest disclosure, the Trump administration had a history of sloppy record keeping and poor oversight of gifts given to and received by administration officials from foreign leaders.

The State Department’s inspector general reported in November that tens of thousands of dollars in gifts given to Trump administration officials were missing. They included a 30-year-old Suntory Hibiki bottle of Japanese whisky given to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, worth $5,800, and a 22-karat gold commemorative coin valued at $560 given to another State Department official.

The inspector general also found that monogrammed commemorative pewter trays, marble trinket boxes and leather portfolios made with department funds to give to foreign leaders at the Group of 7 summit in 2020 that was canceled because of the pandemic were missing.

The New York Times reported in October that Trump administration officials had held onto white tiger and cheetah furs the Saudi government had given to the White House on a 2017 trip to the kingdom, even though the Endangered Species Act made possession of them illegal. When the furs were ultimately handed over to Interior Department, tests revealed that they were fake.

The Times also reported that government officials had questions about whether Pence’s wife, Karen Pence, wrongly took two gold-toned place card holders from the prime minister of Singapore without paying for them. The Trump administration, the Times reported, also failed to disclose that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, had been given two swords and a dagger from the Saudis. A month after Trump left office, Kushner paid $47,920 for them along with three other gifts. 
&nbsp;

The Trump administration left office without providing the State Department with an accounting of the gifts former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials received from foreign governments in 2020, the department disclosed late Friday.

The Trump administration left office without providing the State Department with an accounting of the gifts former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials received from foreign governments in 2020, the department disclosed late Friday. The department said that as a result, it could not fully account for the gifts officials received, the latest example to emerge in recent months of how the Trump administration’s flouting of laws and norms about the day-to-day operations of government now makes it harder to determine whether anything improper took place. “It’s flagrant and it looks terrible,” said Richard W. Painter, the former top ethics lawyer for George W. Bush’s administration. “Either it was really stupid or really corrupt.” Under federal law, each government department and agency is legally required to submit a list to the State Department of gifts over $415 its officials received from foreign governments. The measure is intended to ensure that foreign governments do not gain undue influence over American officials. Departing White Houses typically provide the State Department with a list of the gifts officials receive before, or shortly after, they leave office to ensure they have followed the law. But in the list of gifts for 2020 that the State Department released Friday, there are no gifts for any White House officials. Although the pandemic curtailed some of Trump’s travel, Trump went to Switzerland and India — where he received gifts, including a bust of Gandhi, a sculpture of Gandhi’s famous “three monkeys” metaphor and a spinning wheel. Top foreign leaders for at least a dozen countries visited the White House. In a highly unusual disclosure, the department said that its Office of the Chief of Protocol, which was run by a Trump appointee until Jan. 20, 2021, had failed before Trump left office to ask the White House for a list of the gifts it received, and that Trump’s White House left office without providing one. The department said it had tried to collect the information about the gifts Trump White House officials had received but had failed to come up with an accounting. “As a result, the data required to fully compile a complete listing for 2020 is unavailable,” the State Department said in a footnote to its list of gifts government officials received that year. A spokesman for Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment. In February, it was revealed that classified documents and gifts from the White House had been improperly taken to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, a matter federal authorities are now in the preliminary stages of investigating. Around that time, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol learned that significant chunks of time were missing from White House call records from the day of the attack. The ethics expert, Painter, said that by failing to disclose the gifts, the Trump White House violated the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution, which makes it illegal to take gifts from foreigners without permission from Congress. But Painter said that because the emoluments clause is toothless and has no criminal or civil penalties, it is extremely difficult to hold a former official accountable. Even before the latest disclosure, the Trump administration had a history of sloppy record keeping and poor oversight of gifts given to and received by administration officials from foreign leaders. The State Department’s inspector general reported in November that tens of thousands of dollars in gifts given to Trump administration officials were missing. They included a 30-year-old Suntory Hibiki bottle of Japanese whisky given to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, worth $5,800, and a 22-karat gold commemorative coin valued at $560 given to another State Department official. The inspector general also found that monogrammed commemorative pewter trays, marble trinket boxes and leather portfolios made with department funds to give to foreign leaders at the Group of 7 summit in 2020 that was canceled because of the pandemic were missing. The New York Times reported in October that Trump administration officials had held onto white tiger and cheetah furs the Saudi government had given to the White House on a 2017 trip to the kingdom, even though the Endangered Species Act made possession of them illegal. When the furs were ultimately handed over to Interior Department, tests revealed that they were fake. The Times also reported that government officials had questions about whether Pence’s wife, Karen Pence, wrongly took two gold-toned place card holders from the prime minister of Singapore without paying for them. The Trump administration, the Times reported, also failed to disclose that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, had been given two swords and a dagger from the Saudis. A month after Trump left office, Kushner paid $47,920 for them along with three other gifts.

Trump officials failed to provide accounting of foreign gifts

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-says-russia-hiding-thousands-killed-in-mariupol-468954">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252916-volodymyr-zelensky-4.jpg" />Reports have mentioned that residents in Mariupol waited in long queues on Tuesday (April 5) to receive deliveries of humanitarian aid.&nbsp;But Zelensky said Russia is not revealing evidence of thousands of people killed, however, he expressed confidence that Russia would not succeed in concealing all the proof.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-us-ready-to-become-indias-reliable-supplier-to-counter-russia-dependence-468962">White House says US ready to become India's 'reliable supplier' to counter Russia dependence</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252924-india-us.jpg" />The White House on Wednesday (April 6) reiterated that the United States is ready to support India as another option for energy imports to counter ties with Russia.&nbsp;Just like other countries, India has also been hit hard by rising crude values due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-threatens-beijing-with-sanctions-if-it-provides-material-support-to-moscow-468963">Russia-Ukraine war: US threatens Beijing with sanctions if it provides ‘material support’ to Moscow</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252928-march.jpg" />In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China patterns with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Watch |&nbsp;UK, EU impose new sanctions on Russia in response to reports of Bucha killings

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Watch | Pakistan joint opposition calls for protests, to observe 'day of protection for constitution'</div>

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol Reports have mentioned that residents in Mariupol waited in long queues on Tuesday (April 5) to receive deliveries of humanitarian aid. But Zelensky said Russia is not revealing evidence of thousands of people killed, however, he expressed confidence that Russia would not succeed in concealing all the proof. White House says US ready to become India's 'reliable supplier' to counter Russia dependence The White House on Wednesday (April 6) reiterated that the United States is ready to support India as another option for energy imports to counter ties with Russia. Just like other countries, India has also been hit hard by rising crude values due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war Russia-Ukraine war: US threatens Beijing with sanctions if it provides ‘material support’ to Moscow In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China patterns with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Watch | UK, EU impose new sanctions on Russia in response to reports of Bucha killings Watch | Pakistan joint opposition calls for protests, to observe 'day of protection for constitution'

Morning news brief: Mass killings in Ukraine's Mariupol, US offers help to India and more

Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, who served as one of his senior advisers, plans to testify Tuesday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Ivanka Trump was one of several aides who tried to persuade the president to call off the violence that ultimately injured more than 150 police officers and sent lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence fleeing for safety, according to evidence gathered by the committee.

The schedule for her testimony, which was reported earlier by NBC, comes days after her husband, Jared Kushner, who was also a top adviser to Donald Trump, sat for an interview and provided what one member of the panel described as “valuable” and “helpful” information.

“There were some things revealed, but we’ll just share that a little later,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, said of Kushner’s testimony.

Ivanka Trump and Kushner are among the highest-ranking Trump White House officials to testify before the committee. The interviews have been closed to the public as the panel conducts its work in secret.

Ivanka Trump’s lawyers have been in talks with the committee since January, when it sent her a letter requesting voluntary testimony. In the letter, dated Jan. 20, the committee said it had heard from Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who was Pence’s national security adviser. Kellogg had described Donald Trump’s refusal to condemn the violence as the mob engulfed the Capitol, despite White House officials — including Ivanka Trump, at least twice — urging him to do so, the letter said.

Kellogg testified that the president had rejected entreaties from him as well as from Mark Meadows, his chief of staff, and Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary. Kellogg then appealed to Ivanka Trump to intervene.

“She went back in, because Ivanka can be pretty tenacious,” Kellogg testified.

Kellogg also testified that he and Ivanka Trump had witnessed a telephone call in the Oval Office on the morning of Jan. 6 in which Donald Trump pressured Pence to go along with a plan to throw out electoral votes for Joe Biden when Congress met to certify the Electoral College results. The call to Pence was part of an effort to invalidate the 2020 election and give Trump a chance to stay in office.

Kellogg told the committee that the president had accused Pence of not being “tough enough” to overturn the election. Ivanka Trump then said to Kellogg, “Mike Pence is a good man,” Kellogg testified.

The committee has interviewed more than 800 witnesses and plans to interview dozens more. Thompson told reporters on Monday that he had authorized five additional subpoenas that day.

Thompson said the committee had ruled out a subpoena for Pence, citing “significant information” it had received from two of his aides, Marc Short and Greg Jacob.

“There won’t be a subpoena,” Thompson said, adding, “We’ve been able to validate a lot of the statements attributed to President Trump and the vice president without his specific testimony.”

“There’s no effort on the part of the committee to get him to come in,” he said of Pence, adding: “We initially thought it would be important, but at this point we know that people broke in here and wanted to hang him. We know that his security detail had to protect him in an undisclosed location in the Capitol. We know the people who tried to get him to change his mind, about the count and all of that. So what is it we need?” 
&nbsp;

Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, who served as one of his senior advisers, plans to testify Tuesday before the House committee investigating the Jan.

Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, who served as one of his senior advisers, plans to testify Tuesday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ivanka Trump was one of several aides who tried to persuade the president to call off the violence that ultimately injured more than 150 police officers and sent lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence fleeing for safety, according to evidence gathered by the committee. The schedule for her testimony, which was reported earlier by NBC, comes days after her husband, Jared Kushner, who was also a top adviser to Donald Trump, sat for an interview and provided what one member of the panel described as “valuable” and “helpful” information. “There were some things revealed, but we’ll just share that a little later,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, said of Kushner’s testimony. Ivanka Trump and Kushner are among the highest-ranking Trump White House officials to testify before the committee. The interviews have been closed to the public as the panel conducts its work in secret. Ivanka Trump’s lawyers have been in talks with the committee since January, when it sent her a letter requesting voluntary testimony. In the letter, dated Jan. 20, the committee said it had heard from Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who was Pence’s national security adviser. Kellogg had described Donald Trump’s refusal to condemn the violence as the mob engulfed the Capitol, despite White House officials — including Ivanka Trump, at least twice — urging him to do so, the letter said. Kellogg testified that the president had rejected entreaties from him as well as from Mark Meadows, his chief of staff, and Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary. Kellogg then appealed to Ivanka Trump to intervene. “She went back in, because Ivanka can be pretty tenacious,” Kellogg testified. Kellogg also testified that he and Ivanka Trump had witnessed a telephone call in the Oval Office on the morning of Jan. 6 in which Donald Trump pressured Pence to go along with a plan to throw out electoral votes for Joe Biden when Congress met to certify the Electoral College results. The call to Pence was part of an effort to invalidate the 2020 election and give Trump a chance to stay in office. Kellogg told the committee that the president had accused Pence of not being “tough enough” to overturn the election. Ivanka Trump then said to Kellogg, “Mike Pence is a good man,” Kellogg testified. The committee has interviewed more than 800 witnesses and plans to interview dozens more. Thompson told reporters on Monday that he had authorized five additional subpoenas that day. Thompson said the committee had ruled out a subpoena for Pence, citing “significant information” it had received from two of his aides, Marc Short and Greg Jacob. “There won’t be a subpoena,” Thompson said, adding, “We’ve been able to validate a lot of the statements attributed to President Trump and the vice president without his specific testimony.” “There’s no effort on the part of the committee to get him to come in,” he said of Pence, adding: “We initially thought it would be important, but at this point we know that people broke in here and wanted to hang him. We know that his security detail had to protect him in an undisclosed location in the Capitol. We know the people who tried to get him to change his mind, about the count and all of that. So what is it we need?”

Ivanka Trump to testify to House panel investigating January 6 attack

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-may-send-longer-range-anti-aircraft-systems-artillery-to-ukraine-468423">US may send longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery to Ukraine</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252415-uk11.jpg" />US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US is working on new sanctions measures to cripple the ruble in order to halt Putin's war machine with further sanctions announcements this week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-sc-notes-violations-in-no-trust-proceedings-says-dy-speaker-has-no-authority-to-pass-ruling-468425">Pak SC notes violations in no-trust proceedings, says Dy Speaker has no authority to pass ruling</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252417-supreme-court.jpg" />Pakistan Supreme Court expressed doubts on the jurisdiction of the deputy speaker who called the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition members “unconstitutional” and rejected their plea.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shanghais-covid-mission-impossible-38k-health-workers-deployed-sampling-of-25-million-residents-completed-468430">Shanghai's COVID 'mission impossible': 38k health workers deployed, sampling of 25 million residents completed</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252423-testing1.jpg" />As Shanghai battles the Omicron wave amid the&nbsp;lockdown, China's state-run Global Times said authorities had deployed 38,000 health workers during testing which is the largest number of medical aid since the virus broke out in Wuhan over two years ago.

Imran Khan calls for protests, PTI supporters rally at Islamabad

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine. US may send longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery to Ukraine US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US is working on new sanctions measures to cripple the ruble in order to halt Putin's war machine with further sanctions announcements this week. Pak SC notes violations in no-trust proceedings, says Dy Speaker has no authority to pass ruling Pakistan Supreme Court expressed doubts on the jurisdiction of the deputy speaker who called the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition members “unconstitutional” and rejected their plea. Shanghai's COVID 'mission impossible': 38k health workers deployed, sampling of 25 million residents completed As Shanghai battles the Omicron wave amid the lockdown, China's state-run Global Times said authorities had deployed 38,000 health workers during testing which is the largest number of medical aid since the virus broke out in Wuhan over two years ago. Imran Khan calls for protests, PTI supporters rally at Islamabad French Presidential Elections | Emmanuel Macron vs Marine Le Pen: The battle over pension reforms

Morning news brief: Pakistan SC finds discrepancies in no-trust ruling and more

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday. In other news, a Hindu woman was assaulted by an alleged cop in Bangladesh for sporting bindi.

Click on headlines to read the full report:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankas-cabinet-resigns-as-protesters-defy-curfew-468104">Sri Lanka's cabinet resigns as protesters defy curfew</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252141-la1.JPG" />There have been widespread protests in the past few days against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amid shortage of fuel, rising inflation and large scale power cuts which has crippled the country's economy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-is-officially-no-longer-pakistans-prime-minister-468047">Imran Khan to continue as Pakistan prime minister until caretaker PM is appointed</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/03/252109-khan.jpg" />Imran Khan will continue to dispose of his duties as the prime minister, Pakistan President Arif Alvi said hours after the cricketer-turned-politician was de-notified as PM by the cabinet secretary. Under Article 224 A of the Pakistan Constitution, Khan will dispose of his duties as the PM until an interim/caretaker premiere is appointed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-new-law-1-million-reward-for-russian-soldier-who-surrenders-jet-warship-468132">Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252157-kyiv11.JPG" />According to reports, Ukraine's parliament has passed a new law to offer rewards of upto $1 million for defecting Russian soldiers who can hand over a warship or a combat aircraft to the country's Army.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-surprise-debut-ukraine-president-zelensky-makes-virtual-appearance-at-grammys-2022-468115">Surprise debut! Ukraine President Zelensky makes virtual appearance at Grammys 2022</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252147-new-8.jpg" />While we did know that The Recording Academy was donating for the cause of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis with their neighbour country Russia, it was a surprise when the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky made his debut at the Grammys stage. He appeared via video call as those present looked on and listened to what he had to say.&nbsp;

&nbsp;France presidential elections: Will Macron win re-election bid?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/france-presidential-elections-will-macron-win-re-election-bid-468123/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday. In other news, a Hindu woman was assaulted by an alleged cop in Bangladesh for sporting bindi. Click on headlines to read the full report: Sri Lanka's cabinet resigns as protesters defy curfew There have been widespread protests in the past few days against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amid shortage of fuel, rising inflation and large scale power cuts which has crippled the country's economy. Imran Khan to continue as Pakistan prime minister until caretaker PM is appointed Imran Khan will continue to dispose of his duties as the prime minister, Pakistan President Arif Alvi said hours after the cricketer-turned-politician was de-notified as PM by the cabinet secretary. Under Article 224 A of the Pakistan Constitution, Khan will dispose of his duties as the PM until an interim/caretaker premiere is appointed. Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship According to reports, Ukraine's parliament has passed a new law to offer rewards of upto $1 million for defecting Russian soldiers who can hand over a warship or a combat aircraft to the country's Army. Surprise debut! Ukraine President Zelensky makes virtual appearance at Grammys 2022 While we did know that The Recording Academy was donating for the cause of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis with their neighbour country Russia, it was a surprise when the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky made his debut at the Grammys stage. He appeared via video call as those present looked on and listened to what he had to say. France presidential elections: Will Macron win re-election bid?

Morning news brief: Sri Lankan cabinet ministers resign en masse and more

Reggae singer Eddy Grant may have succeeded in forcing former US President Donald Trump to answer questions in court, reports&nbsp;say.

In 2020, Grant had sued Trump and his campaign for using the song Electric Avenue in an advertisement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tried-to-take-profits-from-book-of-photos-published-by-white-house-photographer-467334">Trump tried to take profits from book of photos published by White House photographer</a>

As per Grant’s lawsuit: “As of 1 September 2020, the video had been viewed more than 13.7m times; the tweet containing the video had been ‘liked’ more than 350,000 times, re-tweeted more than 139,000 times, and had received nearly 50,000 comments.”

The singer has claimed&nbsp;copyright infringement and sought&nbsp;$300,000 in damages. Trump’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit was unsuccessful.

The former president’s lawyers have claimed fair use, saying the ad was satire and exempted from copyright laws, and that footage was reposted without knowing its actual origin. They also claimed that Trump has presidential immunity and cannot be sued.

Judge John Koeltl said the defendants did&nbsp;not offer&nbsp;any justification for their "extensive borrowing".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/if-i-was-the-us-president-id-threaten-to-drop-a-nuclear-bomb-on-russia-trump-465947">If I was the US President, I’d threaten to drop a nuclear bomb on Russia: Trump</a>

Electric Avenue was a hit in the year 1983 and reached No 2 in US and UK.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Meet France's Donald Trump who is running for President

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-meet-frances-donald-trump-who-is-running-for-president-467557/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Reggae singer Eddy Grant may have succeeded in forcing former US President Donald Trump to answer questions in court, reports say. In 2020, Grant had sued Trump and his campaign for using the song Electric Avenue in an advertisement.

Reggae singer Eddy Grant may have succeeded in forcing former US President Donald Trump to answer questions in court, reports say. In 2020, Grant had sued Trump and his campaign for using the song Electric Avenue in an advertisement. Also read | Trump tried to take profits from book of photos published by White House photographer As per Grant’s lawsuit: “As of 1 September 2020, the video had been viewed more than 13.7m times; the tweet containing the video had been ‘liked’ more than 350,000 times, re-tweeted more than 139,000 times, and had received nearly 50,000 comments.” The singer has claimed copyright infringement and sought $300,000 in damages. Trump’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit was unsuccessful. The former president’s lawyers have claimed fair use, saying the ad was satire and exempted from copyright laws, and that footage was reposted without knowing its actual origin. They also claimed that Trump has presidential immunity and cannot be sued. Judge John Koeltl said the defendants did not offer any justification for their "extensive borrowing". Also read | If I was the US President, I’d threaten to drop a nuclear bomb on Russia: Trump Electric Avenue was a hit in the year 1983 and reached No 2 in US and UK. Watch | Gravitas: Meet France's Donald Trump who is running for President

Reggae singer Eddy Grant stumps Trump, former US president may face court

According to the New York Times, former US President Donald Trump hijacked White House staff photographer Shealah Craighead's book agreement by taking her photos and releasing them in his own book.

"Our Journey Together," which was published in December, makes Trump the first former president to try to benefit from a planned book by a White House photographer.

The official White House photographer has published a book of their most significant photos of the president under whom they served since Ronald Reagan.

According to the story, Craighead had already secured a publishing contract – including a six-figure advance – when she informed the White House about the book.

As is customary for presidents, Trump agreed to write the foreword.&nbsp;

However, her strategy began to unravel when Trump's advisors demanded a cut of the revenues for the forward and assistance in promoting the book.

Later, his team requested her to postpone the book's release so that Trump could publish his own book based on Craighead's and other White House photographers' work, for which he received a multimillion-dollar advance.

The book, which costs up to $230 a copy, sold out in its first 300,000 copies, generating a $20 million profit.

It's for sale on the Winning Team Publishing website, which Donald Trump Jr. and Republican campaign operative Sergio Gor co-founded.

"President Trump has always had an eye for beautiful and engaging curation, which came alive through the pages of his book," said Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich in a statement to the Times.

Insiders told the New York Times that Trump frequently disparaged Craighead and her photographic talents in front of visitors and other photographers.

None of the photographers featured in the 317-page book are given credit, including Craighead, whose work accounts for a significant percentage.

The acknowledgements on the last page include their names.

Trump's acts have been labelled as "shameful" and a "slap in the face" by White House insiders and photographers, but they aren't illegal.

Photographs shot by White House staff photographers during a president's tenure are in the public domain and not subject to copyright, according to federal law.&nbsp;

Craighead, who worked as a White House photographer during George W. Bush's presidency, told the New York Times that her own book had been put on hold indefinitely.

"As a neutral historical documentarian, I try to stay as apolitical as possible," she told the New York Times.

"I am able to maintain a keen observer by being impartial."

Trump came out to Craighead after his crew was interviewed for the Times report and promised to collaborate on another book in the future.

He assured her that he would be willing to write the forward this time.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to the New York Times, former US President Donald Trump hijacked White House staff photographer Shealah Craighead's book agreement by taking her photos and releasing them in his own book.

According to the New York Times, former US President Donald Trump hijacked White House staff photographer Shealah Craighead's book agreement by taking her photos and releasing them in his own book. "Our Journey Together," which was published in December, makes Trump the first former president to try to benefit from a planned book by a White House photographer. The official White House photographer has published a book of their most significant photos of the president under whom they served since Ronald Reagan. According to the story, Craighead had already secured a publishing contract – including a six-figure advance – when she informed the White House about the book. As is customary for presidents, Trump agreed to write the foreword. However, her strategy began to unravel when Trump's advisors demanded a cut of the revenues for the forward and assistance in promoting the book. Later, his team requested her to postpone the book's release so that Trump could publish his own book based on Craighead's and other White House photographers' work, for which he received a multimillion-dollar advance. The book, which costs up to $230 a copy, sold out in its first 300,000 copies, generating a $20 million profit. It's for sale on the Winning Team Publishing website, which Donald Trump Jr. and Republican campaign operative Sergio Gor co-founded. "President Trump has always had an eye for beautiful and engaging curation, which came alive through the pages of his book," said Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich in a statement to the Times. Insiders told the New York Times that Trump frequently disparaged Craighead and her photographic talents in front of visitors and other photographers. None of the photographers featured in the 317-page book are given credit, including Craighead, whose work accounts for a significant percentage. The acknowledgements on the last page include their names. Trump's acts have been labelled as "shameful" and a "slap in the face" by White House insiders and photographers, but they aren't illegal. Photographs shot by White House staff photographers during a president's tenure are in the public domain and not subject to copyright, according to federal law. Craighead, who worked as a White House photographer during George W. Bush's presidency, told the New York Times that her own book had been put on hold indefinitely. "As a neutral historical documentarian, I try to stay as apolitical as possible," she told the New York Times. "I am able to maintain a keen observer by being impartial." Trump came out to Craighead after his crew was interviewed for the Times report and promised to collaborate on another book in the future. He assured her that he would be willing to write the forward this time. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump tried to take profits from book of photos published by White House photographer

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol released a report Sunday laying out reasons to charge two allies of former President Donald Trump's with criminal contempt of Congress for their participation in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and their subsequent refusal to comply with the panel’s subpoenas.

In a 34-page report, the panel argued that the allies — Peter Navarro, a former White House adviser, and Dan Scavino Jr., a former deputy chief of staff — were closely involved in efforts to keep Trump in power even after he lost decisively at the polls.

The committee is set to hold a public vote on whether to recommend the charges Monday. A contempt of Congress charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. A recommendation from the panel would send the matter to the full House, which would then have to vote to refer the charge to the Justice Department.

Navarro and Scavino are among a handful of Trump’s closest allies who have refused to sit for interviews or turn over documents even as more than 750 witnesses — including other top White House officials — have complied with the committee’s requests.

The committee said Navarro had worked with Steve Bannon, another Trump ally, to carry out a plan to delay Congress’ certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021, and ultimately change the election’s outcome. Navarro said more than 100 members of Congress had signed on to the plan.

Navarro also wrote a report alleging a stolen election, which was widely shared with others working to overturn the election. Navarro claimed Trump “himself had distributed Volume 1 of the report to every member of the House and Senate” before Jan. 6, 2021.

The committee issued a subpoena in February to Navarro, but he said he would not comply, citing Trump’s invocation of executive privilege over White House materials from his time in office.

When committee staff members emailed him seeking his lawyer’s name, he replied: “No counsel. Executive privilege.”

The committee argues that Navarro’s work trying to overturn the election was not a part of his official duties and not covered by executive privilege.

As for Scavino, the committee said he had worked with Trump to spread false information via social media regarding election fraud and had recruited a crowd to Washington on that Jan. 6.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol released a report Sunday laying out reasons to charge two allies of former President Donald Trump's with criminal contempt of Congress for their participation in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and their subsequent refusal to comply with the panel’s subpoenas.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol released a report Sunday laying out reasons to charge two allies of former President Donald Trump's with criminal contempt of Congress for their participation in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and their subsequent refusal to comply with the panel’s subpoenas. In a 34-page report, the panel argued that the allies — Peter Navarro, a former White House adviser, and Dan Scavino Jr., a former deputy chief of staff — were closely involved in efforts to keep Trump in power even after he lost decisively at the polls. The committee is set to hold a public vote on whether to recommend the charges Monday. A contempt of Congress charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. A recommendation from the panel would send the matter to the full House, which would then have to vote to refer the charge to the Justice Department. Navarro and Scavino are among a handful of Trump’s closest allies who have refused to sit for interviews or turn over documents even as more than 750 witnesses — including other top White House officials — have complied with the committee’s requests. The committee said Navarro had worked with Steve Bannon, another Trump ally, to carry out a plan to delay Congress’ certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021, and ultimately change the election’s outcome. Navarro said more than 100 members of Congress had signed on to the plan. Navarro also wrote a report alleging a stolen election, which was widely shared with others working to overturn the election. Navarro claimed Trump “himself had distributed Volume 1 of the report to every member of the House and Senate” before Jan. 6, 2021. The committee issued a subpoena in February to Navarro, but he said he would not comply, citing Trump’s invocation of executive privilege over White House materials from his time in office. When committee staff members emailed him seeking his lawyer’s name, he replied: “No counsel. Executive privilege.” The committee argues that Navarro’s work trying to overturn the election was not a part of his official duties and not covered by executive privilege. As for Scavino, the committee said he had worked with Trump to spread false information via social media regarding election fraud and had recruited a crowd to Washington on that Jan. 6.

Jan. 6 panel makes case for contempt charges for 2 former Trump aides

On the second floor of an upscale golf resort near Jacksonville, Florida, this past week, House Republicans gathered for drinks as they kicked off a three-day retreat to plot their path to winning the majority in this year’s midterm elections.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, dressed down in a fleece vest, stood in one corner while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia hustled in and out of the reception area. But it was Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 Republican and an architect of the party’s message, who was running the show, working the room with her 7-month-old son on her hip.

A year ago, the same House Republican retreat was fraught with drama as Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who then held the third-ranking leadership post, publicly denounced former President Donald Trump’s election lies. That prompted a backlash from other Republican leaders, who swiftly moved to oust her and install Stefanik in her place.

This year, with Stefanik acting as the event’s organizer and emcee, there was little dissent on display. Inflation, immigration and President Joe Biden’s failures were played up, while Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election and his denial of any responsibility for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol did not even merit a mention — a mark of how thoroughly the party has rallied around the former president.

That Stefanik, 37, would be hosting this particular party seemed fitting. A once-moderate Republican who worked in President George W. Bush’s White House and was a protégé of former Speaker Paul Ryan, she is the embodiment of the rapid shift in the Republican Party. In just a few short years, she has morphed from the conservative mainstream into an unlikely star of the MAGA universe and a die-hard Trump loyalist.

In an interview on the sidelines of the party retreat, her reinvention was on vivid display. Stefanik repeated Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen and refused to acknowledge Biden as the legitimately elected president.

“Joe Biden is in the White House right now — the American people understand that — but they do have questions,” she said in between a lunch with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a dinner with the author of a book called “Woke, Inc.”

“In my district, I still get questions about it,” Stefanik said, adding, “I think there are constitutional questions on the unconstitutional overreach of unelected individuals in states like Pennsylvania.”

And as her party veers toward extremism, Stefanik has refused to condemn the Republicans who speak most loudly to the fringe. Asked about Greene, who recently spoke at a white nationalist event, and Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, who has called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine a “thug,” she said the two were merely reflecting the views of the voters in their districts.

“They represent their constituents, and they are held accountable for the statements they make,” Stefanik said, noting the House Republican conference as a whole did not share their views.

It has been a rapid transformation. Stefanik, who graduated from Harvard, was once seen by Democrats as a bright spot in the Republican Party, someone who was going to dig into policy issues on the House Intelligence Committee, which she joined in 2017.

In private conversations, Stefanik sometimes conceded to former colleagues and confidants that Trump was a disaster for the party, although she said she did not see an upside to publicly criticizing him. She vented to confidants that the administration made “dumb” decisions that left Republicans in Congress shouldering the blame — frustrated, for example, at Trump’s on-again, off-again backing of sweeping immigration legislation to grant legal status to unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers.

(A senior adviser to Stefanik, Alex deGrasse, said she never made those comments about Trump and his administration.)

But these days, Stefanik is a loud and unapologetic Trump acolyte, even defending his praise of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. (“I think that President Trump was saying that Vladimir Putin assessed the weakness of Joe Biden, and unfortunately took advantage of it,” she said, noting that Putin was a war criminal.)

While some Republicans have tried to walk a careful tightrope, supporting Trump’s policies while distancing themselves from his false claims about the stolen election, Stefanik makes no such qualifications.

“I speak to President Trump frequently,” she said. “He’s an incredibly important voice in terms of growing the party among the working class.” Asked whether Trump’s influence on the GOP was on the wane, she flatly rejected the notion.

“No, it’s on the rise,” she said. “Especially now that voters have regrets about voting for Joe Biden.”

Stefanik, who previously said she would serve only one term in leadership, is also on the rise within her party’s ranks. She could lead a powerful House committee or throw her hat in the ring in what is expected to be a competitive race for whip. Part of her success in leadership, aides said, is based on her effort to help elect more Republican women to Congress through her political action committee, which has also helped her build a network of support in her conference.

She has worked hard to win over detractors who question her conservative bona fides and is now broadly popular among Republicans, including right-wing members who were once suspicious of her mainstream background. The biggest help in that effort has been the support of Trump, who does not care about her more centrist past when she has shown him total fealty.

Trump, people close to him said, would be more than happy to see Stefanik make history as the Republicans’ first female speaker, although he does not plan to get involved in the race for the post and would be unlikely to stand in the way of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, if Republicans succeed in winning back the House majority. But his constant praise of Stefanik serves as a reminder that she has passed a loyalty test with Trump that McCarthy has not.

Trump speaks with Stefanik multiple times a week and describes her as “one of my killers,” thanks to her key role as his chief defender on the House Intelligence Committee during his first impeachment trial.

Her opportunism is criticized by her detractors, but celebrated by some on the hard right, who think she has revealed herself as someone willing to go to any length to rise.

At a recent fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump even floated her name as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.

“I’m not going to even engage in that,” she said when asked about her future in House leadership. “I’m supporting Kevin McCarthy for speaker. I don’t measure the drapes. It’s a long time between now and the November election.”

(Seeking to downplay any hint of rivalry, Stefanik’s aides noted that McCarthy not only attended her wedding in 2017, but also campaigned for her at a biker bar in upstate New York during her first race.)

Her political metamorphosis has come with heady rewards for an ambitious politician: a prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in 2020 and a jet-fueled rise in the ranks of her party.

“Congress has gotten tougher and rougher,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. “She didn’t start that. She’s proven she knows how to mix it up, and that’s one of the qualities we look for in a conference.”

But Stefanik’s political calculation stunned the networks she had spent her life cultivating. She lost many of her college friends from Harvard and was asked to step aside from her role on the senior advisory committee of the university’s Institute of Politics because of her false assertions of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Her onetime mentor Ryan declined to comment about her for this article, although aides to both said they are still in touch regularly.

Many friends and former colleagues think she made a cynical, short-term political gamble in her full-bore turn to Trumpism. Some have tried to warn her at various points along the road, but received a stony response.

Melissa DeRosa, a childhood friend of Stefanik’s who served as a secretary to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, said she had reached out in 2019 after seeing Stefanik’s performance during the impeachment hearings.

“I’m really concerned you’re doing these things that will damage your credibility in the long term,” she recalled texting Stefanik.

DeRosa said the reply was polite but curt. “She wrote back saying, basically: ‘You should always feel like you can tell me what you think. I appreciate your input.’” It was the end of the conversation.

Other former friends and mentors said they found her shape-shifting depressing. Bill Kristol, a prominent Never Trump conservative, said he once viewed her as a rising star in the party.

“I introduced her to donors and contributed to her campaign in 2014,” Kristol said, noting that at a meeting in her office in 2018 she privately agreed with him that Trump was a liability. “She seemed like a responsible elected official. Wrong.”

To explain her transformation, Stefanik points to the rightward lurch of her onetime swing district, which voted for Barack Obama and was represented by a Democrat before she flipped the seat in 2014 and the district became Trump country.

“I believe that my record and my time in Congress is reflective of my constituents,” she said.

Privately, she has told people she was “radicalized by Adam Schiff,” the Democratic chair of the Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment effort against Trump.

Other members of the panel say that as Stefanik grew more partisan about the impeachment, her attendance at committee events and briefings dropped to almost zero.

Back home, in a district that has become redder in the redistricting process, Stefanik has only grown safer politically. “When you live in an area like this, it’s a little bit of a quiet area,” said Jeff Graham, a conservative radio host and the former mayor of Watertown. “If you see your member of Congress on the news, you feel good about it.”

Still, there are awkward moments.

Last fall, when Stefanik was at an apple orchard in Saratoga County with her husband and her newborn son, a woman who grew up in the North Country region approached her and told her bluntly how she thought the congresswoman had compromised her values for power.

Stefanik bristled, telling the constituent that she was considered one of the most bipartisan congresswomen in the country, a record that she was proud of. (A report by the Lugar Center, which seeks to enhance bipartisanship, ranked her as one of the most bipartisan members of the previous Congress, according to its index.)

In an interview, Stefanik said she recalled the incident but refused to believe the woman was from her district.

“Not a voter,” she said firmly. “Not a constituent.”

On the second floor of an upscale golf resort near Jacksonville, Florida, this past week, House Republicans gathered for drinks as they kicked off a three-day retreat to plot their path to winning the majority in this year’s midterm elections.

On the second floor of an upscale golf resort near Jacksonville, Florida, this past week, House Republicans gathered for drinks as they kicked off a three-day retreat to plot their path to winning the majority in this year’s midterm elections. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, dressed down in a fleece vest, stood in one corner while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia hustled in and out of the reception area. But it was Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 Republican and an architect of the party’s message, who was running the show, working the room with her 7-month-old son on her hip. A year ago, the same House Republican retreat was fraught with drama as Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who then held the third-ranking leadership post, publicly denounced former President Donald Trump’s election lies. That prompted a backlash from other Republican leaders, who swiftly moved to oust her and install Stefanik in her place. This year, with Stefanik acting as the event’s organizer and emcee, there was little dissent on display. Inflation, immigration and President Joe Biden’s failures were played up, while Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election and his denial of any responsibility for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol did not even merit a mention — a mark of how thoroughly the party has rallied around the former president. That Stefanik, 37, would be hosting this particular party seemed fitting. A once-moderate Republican who worked in President George W. Bush’s White House and was a protégé of former Speaker Paul Ryan, she is the embodiment of the rapid shift in the Republican Party. In just a few short years, she has morphed from the conservative mainstream into an unlikely star of the MAGA universe and a die-hard Trump loyalist. In an interview on the sidelines of the party retreat, her reinvention was on vivid display. Stefanik repeated Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen and refused to acknowledge Biden as the legitimately elected president. “Joe Biden is in the White House right now — the American people understand that — but they do have questions,” she said in between a lunch with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a dinner with the author of a book called “Woke, Inc.” “In my district, I still get questions about it,” Stefanik said, adding, “I think there are constitutional questions on the unconstitutional overreach of unelected individuals in states like Pennsylvania.” And as her party veers toward extremism, Stefanik has refused to condemn the Republicans who speak most loudly to the fringe. Asked about Greene, who recently spoke at a white nationalist event, and Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, who has called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine a “thug,” she said the two were merely reflecting the views of the voters in their districts. “They represent their constituents, and they are held accountable for the statements they make,” Stefanik said, noting the House Republican conference as a whole did not share their views. It has been a rapid transformation. Stefanik, who graduated from Harvard, was once seen by Democrats as a bright spot in the Republican Party, someone who was going to dig into policy issues on the House Intelligence Committee, which she joined in 2017. In private conversations, Stefanik sometimes conceded to former colleagues and confidants that Trump was a disaster for the party, although she said she did not see an upside to publicly criticizing him. She vented to confidants that the administration made “dumb” decisions that left Republicans in Congress shouldering the blame — frustrated, for example, at Trump’s on-again, off-again backing of sweeping immigration legislation to grant legal status to unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers. (A senior adviser to Stefanik, Alex deGrasse, said she never made those comments about Trump and his administration.) But these days, Stefanik is a loud and unapologetic Trump acolyte, even defending his praise of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. (“I think that President Trump was saying that Vladimir Putin assessed the weakness of Joe Biden, and unfortunately took advantage of it,” she said, noting that Putin was a war criminal.) While some Republicans have tried to walk a careful tightrope, supporting Trump’s policies while distancing themselves from his false claims about the stolen election, Stefanik makes no such qualifications. “I speak to President Trump frequently,” she said. “He’s an incredibly important voice in terms of growing the party among the working class.” Asked whether Trump’s influence on the GOP was on the wane, she flatly rejected the notion. “No, it’s on the rise,” she said. “Especially now that voters have regrets about voting for Joe Biden.” Stefanik, who previously said she would serve only one term in leadership, is also on the rise within her party’s ranks. She could lead a powerful House committee or throw her hat in the ring in what is expected to be a competitive race for whip. Part of her success in leadership, aides said, is based on her effort to help elect more Republican women to Congress through her political action committee, which has also helped her build a network of support in her conference. She has worked hard to win over detractors who question her conservative bona fides and is now broadly popular among Republicans, including right-wing members who were once suspicious of her mainstream background. The biggest help in that effort has been the support of Trump, who does not care about her more centrist past when she has shown him total fealty. Trump, people close to him said, would be more than happy to see Stefanik make history as the Republicans’ first female speaker, although he does not plan to get involved in the race for the post and would be unlikely to stand in the way of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, if Republicans succeed in winning back the House majority. But his constant praise of Stefanik serves as a reminder that she has passed a loyalty test with Trump that McCarthy has not. Trump speaks with Stefanik multiple times a week and describes her as “one of my killers,” thanks to her key role as his chief defender on the House Intelligence Committee during his first impeachment trial. Her opportunism is criticized by her detractors, but celebrated by some on the hard right, who think she has revealed herself as someone willing to go to any length to rise. At a recent fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump even floated her name as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. “I’m not going to even engage in that,” she said when asked about her future in House leadership. “I’m supporting Kevin McCarthy for speaker. I don’t measure the drapes. It’s a long time between now and the November election.” (Seeking to downplay any hint of rivalry, Stefanik’s aides noted that McCarthy not only attended her wedding in 2017, but also campaigned for her at a biker bar in upstate New York during her first race.) Her political metamorphosis has come with heady rewards for an ambitious politician: a prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in 2020 and a jet-fueled rise in the ranks of her party. “Congress has gotten tougher and rougher,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. “She didn’t start that. She’s proven she knows how to mix it up, and that’s one of the qualities we look for in a conference.” But Stefanik’s political calculation stunned the networks she had spent her life cultivating. She lost many of her college friends from Harvard and was asked to step aside from her role on the senior advisory committee of the university’s Institute of Politics because of her false assertions of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Her onetime mentor Ryan declined to comment about her for this article, although aides to both said they are still in touch regularly. Many friends and former colleagues think she made a cynical, short-term political gamble in her full-bore turn to Trumpism. Some have tried to warn her at various points along the road, but received a stony response. Melissa DeRosa, a childhood friend of Stefanik’s who served as a secretary to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, said she had reached out in 2019 after seeing Stefanik’s performance during the impeachment hearings. “I’m really concerned you’re doing these things that will damage your credibility in the long term,” she recalled texting Stefanik. DeRosa said the reply was polite but curt. “She wrote back saying, basically: ‘You should always feel like you can tell me what you think. I appreciate your input.’” It was the end of the conversation. Other former friends and mentors said they found her shape-shifting depressing. Bill Kristol, a prominent Never Trump conservative, said he once viewed her as a rising star in the party. “I introduced her to donors and contributed to her campaign in 2014,” Kristol said, noting that at a meeting in her office in 2018 she privately agreed with him that Trump was a liability. “She seemed like a responsible elected official. Wrong.” To explain her transformation, Stefanik points to the rightward lurch of her onetime swing district, which voted for Barack Obama and was represented by a Democrat before she flipped the seat in 2014 and the district became Trump country. “I believe that my record and my time in Congress is reflective of my constituents,” she said. Privately, she has told people she was “radicalized by Adam Schiff,” the Democratic chair of the Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment effort against Trump. Other members of the panel say that as Stefanik grew more partisan about the impeachment, her attendance at committee events and briefings dropped to almost zero. Back home, in a district that has become redder in the redistricting process, Stefanik has only grown safer politically. “When you live in an area like this, it’s a little bit of a quiet area,” said Jeff Graham, a conservative radio host and the former mayor of Watertown. “If you see your member of Congress on the news, you feel good about it.” Still, there are awkward moments. Last fall, when Stefanik was at an apple orchard in Saratoga County with her husband and her newborn son, a woman who grew up in the North Country region approached her and told her bluntly how she thought the congresswoman had compromised her values for power. Stefanik bristled, telling the constituent that she was considered one of the most bipartisan congresswomen in the country, a record that she was proud of. (A report by the Lugar Center, which seeks to enhance bipartisanship, ranked her as one of the most bipartisan members of the previous Congress, according to its index.) In an interview, Stefanik said she recalled the incident but refused to believe the woman was from her district. “Not a voter,” she said firmly. “Not a constituent.”

Elise Stefanik, reinvented in Trump’s image, embodies a changed GOP

Former US President Doald Trump said in an interview with Stuart Varney of Fox Business on March 21 that if he were president right now, he would threaten Vladimir Putin with nuclear war.&nbsp;

"I listened to him constantly using the N-word. That’s the N-word, and he’s constantly using it: the nuclear word," Trump said.

"We say, ’Oh, he’s a nuclear power.’ But we’re a greater nuclear power. We have the greatest submarines in the world, the most powerful machines ever built…. You should say, ‘Look, if you mention that word one more time, we’re going to send them over and we’ll be coasting back and forth, up and down your coast. You can’t let this tragedy continue. You can’t let these, these thousands of people die, "he added.

The US reaction has been dictated by Russia's standing as a nuclear-armed power, particularly in Biden's reluctance to adopt steps, such as a Nato-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine, that may lead to direct physical confrontation with Russia.

Trump was defeated in the 2020 presidential election by Joe Biden, who is now dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | The U.S. warns against conflict on NATO soil amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-warns-against-conflict-on-nato-soil-amid-the-ongoing-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-465890/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

Former US President Doald Trump said in an interview with Stuart Varney of Fox Business on March 21 that if he were president right now, he would threaten Vladimir Putin with nuclear war.

Former US President Doald Trump said in an interview with Stuart Varney of Fox Business on March 21 that if he were president right now, he would threaten Vladimir Putin with nuclear war. "I listened to him constantly using the N-word. That’s the N-word, and he’s constantly using it: the nuclear word," Trump said. "We say, ’Oh, he’s a nuclear power.’ But we’re a greater nuclear power. We have the greatest submarines in the world, the most powerful machines ever built…. You should say, ‘Look, if you mention that word one more time, we’re going to send them over and we’ll be coasting back and forth, up and down your coast. You can’t let this tragedy continue. You can’t let these, these thousands of people die, "he added. The US reaction has been dictated by Russia's standing as a nuclear-armed power, particularly in Biden's reluctance to adopt steps, such as a Nato-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine, that may lead to direct physical confrontation with Russia. Trump was defeated in the 2020 presidential election by Joe Biden, who is now dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Watch | The U.S. warns against conflict on NATO soil amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine (With inputs from agencies)

If I was the US President, I’d threaten to drop a nuclear bomb on Russia: Trump

US&nbsp;Special Envoy for&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;Robert Malley said on Sunday that he was not confident that a&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;deal&nbsp;between world powers and&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;was imminent after 11 months of talks in Vienna that have stalled.

"I can't be confident it is imminent.. a few months ago we thought we were pretty close as well," Malley said at the Doha Forum international conference.

"The sooner we get back into the&nbsp;deal, which is in our interest, and presumably&nbsp;Iran's interest, the more faithfully we implement it."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-10-world-news-eu-says-nuclear-agreement-with-iran-very-close-and-more-465755">Top 10 world news: EU says nuclear agreement with Iran very close and more</a>

His assessment of negotiations in Vienna to revive a 2015&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;accord seemed to contradict Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to&nbsp;Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Yes, it's imminent. It depends on the political will of the United States," Kharrazi told the conference.

Then-US&nbsp;President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018, prompting Tehran to start violating its&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;limits about a year later, and months of on-and-off talks to revive it paused in Vienna earlier this month after Russia presented a new obstacle.

Russia later said it had received written guarantees that it would be able to carry out its work as a party to the&nbsp;deal, suggesting Moscow could allow it to be resuscitated.

The failure of efforts to restore the pact could carry the risk of a regional war, or lead to more harsh Western sanctions on&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and continued upward pressure on world oil prices that are already high due to the Ukraine conflict, analysts say.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-agreement-with-iran-very-close-says-eu-465690">Nuclear agreement with Iran very close, says EU</a>

Kharrazi said it was vital for Washington to remove the foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) designation against&nbsp;Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"IRGC is a national army and a national army being listed as a terrorist group certainly is not acceptable," he said.

Tehran has also been pushing for guarantees that any future US&nbsp;president would not withdraw from the&nbsp;deal, which would curb Tehran's&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;programme in exchange for lifting tough sanctions which have hammered&nbsp;Iran's economy.

The extent to which sanctions would be rolled back is another sensitive subject.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Will Russia scuttle Iran nuclear deal?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-russia-scuttle-iran-nuclear-deal-462985/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said on Sunday that he was not confident that a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran was imminent after 11 months of talks in Vienna that have stalled.

US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said on Sunday that he was not confident that a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran was imminent after 11 months of talks in Vienna that have stalled. "I can't be confident it is imminent.. a few months ago we thought we were pretty close as well," Malley said at the Doha Forum international conference. "The sooner we get back into the deal, which is in our interest, and presumably Iran's interest, the more faithfully we implement it." Also read | Top 10 world news: EU says nuclear agreement with Iran very close and more His assessment of negotiations in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear accord seemed to contradict Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Yes, it's imminent. It depends on the political will of the United States," Kharrazi told the conference. Then-US President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018, prompting Tehran to start violating its nuclear limits about a year later, and months of on-and-off talks to revive it paused in Vienna earlier this month after Russia presented a new obstacle. Russia later said it had received written guarantees that it would be able to carry out its work as a party to the deal, suggesting Moscow could allow it to be resuscitated. The failure of efforts to restore the pact could carry the risk of a regional war, or lead to more harsh Western sanctions on Iran and continued upward pressure on world oil prices that are already high due to the Ukraine conflict, analysts say. Also read | Nuclear agreement with Iran very close, says EU Kharrazi said it was vital for Washington to remove the foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) designation against Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "IRGC is a national army and a national army being listed as a terrorist group certainly is not acceptable," he said. Tehran has also been pushing for guarantees that any future US president would not withdraw from the deal, which would curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting tough sanctions which have hammered Iran's economy. The extent to which sanctions would be rolled back is another sensitive subject. Watch | Gravitas: Will Russia scuttle Iran nuclear deal?

US envoy not confident Iran nuclear deal is imminent

Former US President Donald Trump has sued Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and other people and entities tied to the investigation of Russian election interference in 2016.

Former US President Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over Russia collusion claims

The United States on Tuesday announced an agreement with Britain to end tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by former President Donald Trump.

"By allowing for a flow of duty-free&nbsp;steel&nbsp;and&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;from the&nbsp;UK, we further ease the gap between supply and demand for these products in the United States," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

"And by removing the&nbsp;UK's retaliatory&nbsp;tariffs, we reopen the British market to beloved American products."

The&nbsp;deal&nbsp;was the latest in a series of efforts by President Joe Biden to settle trade spats with US allies, some of which were long-running and others started under the Trump administration.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cheered the announcement of the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;"with our American friends."

"This is fantastic news and a very welcome boost to our&nbsp;steel&nbsp;and&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;industries," he said on Twitter.

Washington and London in January announced the start of negotiations to&nbsp;end&nbsp;the dispute, which began in 2018 when Trump imposed levies of 25 percent on&nbsp;steel&nbsp;and 10 percent on&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;imports from Britain and other nations to protect US industry.

US companies for years have struggled to compete with the glut of supply coming out of China, but Trump penalized close trade partners citing national security concerns, which worsened relations with major US allies.

The Biden administration in October reached a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to&nbsp;end&nbsp;the&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;on the European Union, and in early February did the same with Japan.

Ending retaliation&nbsp;

Under the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;announced Tuesday, Britain will lift retaliatory&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;it imposed on $500 million in American imports, including alcohol and consumer goods, the statement said.

It also stipulates that any British&nbsp;steel&nbsp;company "owned by a Chinese entity must undertake an audit of their financial records to assess influence from the People's Republic of China government," the results of which will be shared with the United States, the Commerce Department said.

Britain's International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who met with Raimondo in Washington to finalize the agreement, said the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;was "good news for our&nbsp;steel&nbsp;and&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;industries who have been unfairly hit by these&nbsp;tariffs, and the 80,000 people employed across the sector."

US industry was more cautious in its praise, noting the benefits the&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;provided to&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;and&nbsp;steel&nbsp;manufacturers.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine should remind us all just how critical the domestic&nbsp;steel&nbsp;industry is to our national and economic security,"&nbsp;said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.&nbsp;

"Section 232 quotas and&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;have permitted the American&nbsp;steel&nbsp;industry to recover, invest, hire, and contribute robustly to our national defense," he said, calling for a pause in more such deals to allow the industry to adjust.

The announcement followed two days of talks between US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Trevelyan in the port city of Baltimore on the broader trade relationship.

In a statement, Tai said the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to remove the metal&nbsp;tariffs&nbsp;"delivers on President Biden's vision to repair relationships with our allies while also helping to ensure the long-term viability of our&nbsp;steel&nbsp;and&nbsp;aluminum&nbsp;industries."

Free trade&nbsp;deal?

Trevalyan and Tai said they would continue their talks next month in Scotland.

"Hopefully we can now move forward and focus on deepening our thriving trading relationship with the US," the British official said.

However, there was no indication of progress towards a free trade agreement between the two countries -- a priority of Britain following its departure from the European Union.

Marjorie Chorlins, senior vice president for&nbsp;European Affairs&nbsp;at the US Chamber of Commerce, who took part in discussions in Baltimore on Monday, said a trade pact is not likely "at least not anytime soon."

Trump officials seemed ready to make a new bilateral arrangement with London and had even opened negotiations, but the Biden administration has shown little indication of wanting to continue them.

&nbsp;

The United States on Tuesday announced an agreement with Britain to end tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by former President Donald Trump. "By allowing for a flow of duty-free steel and aluminum from the UK, we further ease the gap between supply and demand for these products in the United States," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

The United States on Tuesday announced an agreement with Britain to end tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by former President Donald Trump. "By allowing for a flow of duty-free steel and aluminum from the UK, we further ease the gap between supply and demand for these products in the United States," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. "And by removing the UK's retaliatory tariffs, we reopen the British market to beloved American products." The deal was the latest in a series of efforts by President Joe Biden to settle trade spats with US allies, some of which were long-running and others started under the Trump administration. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cheered the announcement of the deal "with our American friends." "This is fantastic news and a very welcome boost to our steel and aluminum industries," he said on Twitter. Washington and London in January announced the start of negotiations to end the dispute, which began in 2018 when Trump imposed levies of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports from Britain and other nations to protect US industry. US companies for years have struggled to compete with the glut of supply coming out of China, but Trump penalized close trade partners citing national security concerns, which worsened relations with major US allies. The Biden administration in October reached a deal to end the tariffs on the European Union, and in early February did the same with Japan. Ending retaliation Under the deal announced Tuesday, Britain will lift retaliatory tariffs it imposed on $500 million in American imports, including alcohol and consumer goods, the statement said. It also stipulates that any British steel company "owned by a Chinese entity must undertake an audit of their financial records to assess influence from the People's Republic of China government," the results of which will be shared with the United States, the Commerce Department said. Britain's International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who met with Raimondo in Washington to finalize the agreement, said the deal was "good news for our steel and aluminum industries who have been unfairly hit by these tariffs, and the 80,000 people employed across the sector." US industry was more cautious in its praise, noting the benefits the tariffs provided to aluminum and steel manufacturers. "The Russian invasion of Ukraine should remind us all just how critical the domestic steel industry is to our national and economic security," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. "Section 232 quotas and tariffs have permitted the American steel industry to recover, invest, hire, and contribute robustly to our national defense," he said, calling for a pause in more such deals to allow the industry to adjust. The announcement followed two days of talks between US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Trevelyan in the port city of Baltimore on the broader trade relationship. In a statement, Tai said the deal to remove the metal tariffs "delivers on President Biden's vision to repair relationships with our allies while also helping to ensure the long-term viability of our steel and aluminum industries." Free trade deal? Trevalyan and Tai said they would continue their talks next month in Scotland. "Hopefully we can now move forward and focus on deepening our thriving trading relationship with the US," the British official said. However, there was no indication of progress towards a free trade agreement between the two countries -- a priority of Britain following its departure from the European Union. Marjorie Chorlins, senior vice president for European Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce, who took part in discussions in Baltimore on Monday, said a trade pact is not likely "at least not anytime soon." Trump officials seemed ready to make a new bilateral arrangement with London and had even opened negotiations, but the Biden administration has shown little indication of wanting to continue them.

US announces deal with UK to end steel, aluminum tariffs

A new store called ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ which sells different kinds of merchandise in support of Donald Trump opened in New Jersey. Co-owner Vinny Scuzzese told the New York Post that although the shop has a number of negative comments online, it is experiencing a huge surge in customers. <o:p></o:p>

On the back of the store in New Jersey, there is an illustration of Donald Trump in an American flag bomber jacket and gripping the Constitution.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reports-first-covid-19-deaths-in-more-than-a-year-463705">China reports first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year</a>

“It’s a beautiful picture. We park the bus outside the store, and people pull over, start taking pictures and come into the store. The other shops in the plaza have gotten more business too. It’s been a nice reaction,” Scuzzese said.<o:p></o:p>

Scuzzese opened a pop-up shop in downtown Toms River where he sold Trump merchandise and he also had a roadside concession stand selling MAGA flags and novelties.<o:p></o:p>

“We saw how good it was selling. I’m with people every day, and I know how they feel and what they are looking for. I’m a small owner, and Trump lowered our taxes by 15 percent. He said it like it is and I love his attitude. I wish he was back in the presidency so maybe we wouldn’t be in this predicament now,” he said in reference to the ongoing Ukraine -Russia crisis.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-dead-as-us-military-aircraft-crashes-in-northern-norway-during-nato-exercises-463719" hreflang="en">Four dead as US military aircraft crashes in northern Norway</a>

The “Let’s go Brandon” chant became a taunt at Biden as it went viral after a NASCAR race in October last year. However, Facebook has already flagged a post from the store on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>

According to a news report in the Washington Examiner, the flagged post in Facebook included a link redirecting users to vaccination information. Should someone attempt to share posts about the store online, the platform asks users to make sure they're sharing "reliable information".

<o:p>Watch |&nbsp;</o:p>US Fed lifts policy rate by 0.25%

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-fed-lifts-policy-rate-by-025-463042/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<o:p></o:p>

A new store called ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ which sells different kinds of merchandise in support of Donald Trump opened in New Jersey. Co-owner Vinny Scuzzese told the New York Post that although the shop has a number of negative comments online, it is experiencing a huge surge in customers.

A new store called ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ which sells different kinds of merchandise in support of Donald Trump opened in New Jersey. Co-owner Vinny Scuzzese told the New York Post that although the shop has a number of negative comments online, it is experiencing a huge surge in customers. On the back of the store in New Jersey, there is an illustration of Donald Trump in an American flag bomber jacket and gripping the Constitution. Also read | China reports first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year “It’s a beautiful picture. We park the bus outside the store, and people pull over, start taking pictures and come into the store. The other shops in the plaza have gotten more business too. It’s been a nice reaction,” Scuzzese said. Scuzzese opened a pop-up shop in downtown Toms River where he sold Trump merchandise and he also had a roadside concession stand selling MAGA flags and novelties. “We saw how good it was selling. I’m with people every day, and I know how they feel and what they are looking for. I’m a small owner, and Trump lowered our taxes by 15 percent. He said it like it is and I love his attitude. I wish he was back in the presidency so maybe we wouldn’t be in this predicament now,” he said in reference to the ongoing Ukraine -Russia crisis. Also read | Four dead as US military aircraft crashes in northern Norway The “Let’s go Brandon” chant became a taunt at Biden as it went viral after a NASCAR race in October last year. However, Facebook has already flagged a post from the store on Wednesday. According to a news report in the Washington Examiner, the flagged post in Facebook included a link redirecting users to vaccination information. Should someone attempt to share posts about the store online, the platform asks users to make sure they're sharing "reliable information". Watch | US Fed lifts policy rate by 0.25%

‘Let’s Go Brandon’ store opens in New Jersey, gets flagged by Facebook

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;The Pentagon reiterated its commitment to NATO, despite Russia's continued destabilisation of eastern Europe. While US forces will not be fighting in Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby stated that the US will remain committed to its NATO allies.

Click on headlines to read the full report:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-says-armed-attack-on-one-attack-on-all-if-russian-forces-strike-in-poland-462007">Pentagon says 'armed attack on one, attack on all' if Russian forces strike in Poland</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/08/13/206480-untitled-design-27.jpg" />The remarks come after Russian soldiers stormed a military post in western Ukraine near the Polish border on Sunday, killing at least 35 people and destroying the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in Yavoriv.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-seeking-military-assistance-from-china-for-ukraine-invasion-report-462010">Russia seeking military assistance from China for Ukraine invasion: Report</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/14/247498-puton.jpeg" />According to New York Times, the US official has however not disclosed what type of weapon has been requested.The US newspaper, quoting the official, also claimed that Kremlin has asked China for economic assistance in the wake of sanctions imposed by the West.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scratchy-throat-former-us-president-barack-obama-tests-positive-for-covid-19-462008">'Scratchy throat': Former US President Barack Obama tests positive for COVID-19</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/10/26/218404-barack-obama-2.jpg" />Former US President Barack Obama tested positive for mild coronavirus while tweeting that he suffered from "scratchy throat for a couple of days".&nbsp;The daily coronavirus cases in the US has dropped dramatically with 35,000 COVID-19 cases per day recorded in mid-March compared to 810,000 cases per day in January.

Watch |&nbsp;Bright Tulip &amp; Roses in a warzone: Most people have fled from Mykolaiv in Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bright-tulip-roses-in-a-warzone-most-people-have-fled-from-mykolaiv-in-ukraine-462011/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Watch | The US threatens China over sanctions ahead of crucial talks in Rome</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-threatens-china-over-sanctions-ahead-of-crucial-talks-in-rome-462015/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: The Pentagon reiterated its commitment to NATO, despite Russia's continued destabilisation of eastern Europe.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: The Pentagon reiterated its commitment to NATO, despite Russia's continued destabilisation of eastern Europe. While US forces will not be fighting in Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby stated that the US will remain committed to its NATO allies. Click on headlines to read the full report: Pentagon says 'armed attack on one, attack on all' if Russian forces strike in Poland The remarks come after Russian soldiers stormed a military post in western Ukraine near the Polish border on Sunday, killing at least 35 people and destroying the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in Yavoriv. Russia seeking military assistance from China for Ukraine invasion: Report According to New York Times, the US official has however not disclosed what type of weapon has been requested.The US newspaper, quoting the official, also claimed that Kremlin has asked China for economic assistance in the wake of sanctions imposed by the West. 'Scratchy throat': Former US President Barack Obama tests positive for COVID-19 Former US President Barack Obama tested positive for mild coronavirus while tweeting that he suffered from "scratchy throat for a couple of days". The daily coronavirus cases in the US has dropped dramatically with 35,000 COVID-19 cases per day recorded in mid-March compared to 810,000 cases per day in January. Watch | Bright Tulip & Roses in a warzone: Most people have fled from Mykolaiv in Ukraine Watch | The US threatens China over sanctions ahead of crucial talks in Rome

Morning news brief: US warns Russia, Kremlin buying weapons from China and more

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;As the allegations of US-backed Ukrainian biowarfare labs grow, the United States has accused Russia of using a UN Security Council meeting on Friday for "lying and spreading disinformation". The Russian accusations seem to have been a part of a potential false-flag operation. In other news,&nbsp;Russian soldiers kidnapped the mayor of southern Ukraine's Melitopol.

Click on headlines to read the full report:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-biowarfare-labs-claim-russia-using-unsc-for-spreading-disinformation-says-us-461467">Russia using UNSC for 'spreading disinformation', says US</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/12/247102-labs.jpg" />Russia asked for the meeting to address its allegations of "biological activities" carried out by the US in Ukraine. The charge seems to have been made without any evidence and has been denied by both Washington and Kyiv.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-briefs-tiktokers-on-ukraine-as-information-war-against-russia-heats-up-461466">White House briefs TikTokers on Ukraine as information war against Russia heats up</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/12/247103-war.jpg" />United States President Joe Biden is banking on top TikTok influencers to help battle the Russian propaganda on the Ukraine war, the Washington Post reported.TikTok users in Russia and Ukraine have been at the forefront of disseminating information since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine began February 24.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-ivan-fedorov-mayor-of-ukrainian-city-abducted-by-russian-troops-461462">Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Ukrainian city abducted by Russian troops</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/12/247100-ukrainian-forces.jpg" />The abduction of Ivan Fedorov, who is the mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol, was captured in CCTV cameras as he was seen being led away by armed men from a government building on Friday.&nbsp;

Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: How China is benefitting

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-invasion-how-china-is-benefitting-461456/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Chile's first gay couple weds

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As the allegations of US-backed Ukrainian biowarfare labs grow, the United States has accused Russia of using a UN Security Council meeting on Friday for "lying and spreading disinformation".

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As the allegations of US-backed Ukrainian biowarfare labs grow, the United States has accused Russia of using a UN Security Council meeting on Friday for "lying and spreading disinformation". The Russian accusations seem to have been a part of a potential false-flag operation. In other news, Russian soldiers kidnapped the mayor of southern Ukraine's Melitopol. Click on headlines to read the full report: Russia using UNSC for 'spreading disinformation', says US Russia asked for the meeting to address its allegations of "biological activities" carried out by the US in Ukraine. The charge seems to have been made without any evidence and has been denied by both Washington and Kyiv. White House briefs TikTokers on Ukraine as information war against Russia heats up United States President Joe Biden is banking on top TikTok influencers to help battle the Russian propaganda on the Ukraine war, the Washington Post reported.TikTok users in Russia and Ukraine have been at the forefront of disseminating information since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine began February 24. Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Ukrainian city abducted by Russian troops The abduction of Ivan Fedorov, who is the mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol, was captured in CCTV cameras as he was seen being led away by armed men from a government building on Friday. Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: How China is benefitting Watch | Chile's first gay couple weds

Morning news brief: Russia's Ukrainian biowarfare labs claim, Ukraine mayor kidnapped and more

A plane carrying former United States President Donald Trump had made an emergency landing in New Orleans on March 5, Reuters reported on March 9 citing a source familiar with the matter.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Trump&nbsp;has urged his supporters to fund a new plane for him after the emergency landing incident, Independent reported quoting an e-mail.&nbsp;

The snap of the mail went viral on social media as it was written, "Do you remember Trump Force One?"

"Before becoming the greatest President of all time, I traveled the Country in my plane, known as Trump Force One. I have a very important update on my plane, but I need to trust that you won’t share it with anyone: my team is building a BRAND NEW Trump Force One."&nbsp;

It was then added that the construction of this plane has been "under wraps-not even the fake news media knows about it-and I can't wait to unveil it for everyone else."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-helping-russia-to-counter-wests-information-war-on-ukraine-report-460899">China helping Russia to counter West’s information war on Ukraine: Report</a>

Regarding emergency landing, Trump was returning to his home in Palm Beach, Florida, after his speech at a Republican National Committee-hosted donor retreat in New Orleans.&nbsp;

The report added that the emergency landing of the private plane was made when it experienced engine failure over the Gulf of Mexico.&nbsp;

The aircraft was in the air for between 20 and 30 minutes but as soon as the issue was identified, the pilot decided to turn around and return to the New Orleans airport.&nbsp;

In terms of distance, the plane, a Dassault Falcon 900, had gone about 75 miles before turning back to the city, the person said, adding that other passengers included Secret Service agents, support staff and some of Trump's advisers.

The plane belonged to a donor who loaned it to the former president for the evening, the source said, and Trump advisers secured another donor's plane to take him back to Florida.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Decoding US President Joe Biden's oil embargo on Russia: Will it cripple Putin's war machine?

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(With inputs from agencies)

A plane carrying former United States President Donald Trump had made an emergency landing in New Orleans on March 5, Reuters reported on March 9 citing a source familiar with the matter.

A plane carrying former United States President Donald Trump had made an emergency landing in New Orleans on March 5, Reuters reported on March 9 citing a source familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Trump has urged his supporters to fund a new plane for him after the emergency landing incident, Independent reported quoting an e-mail. The snap of the mail went viral on social media as it was written, "Do you remember Trump Force One?" "Before becoming the greatest President of all time, I traveled the Country in my plane, known as Trump Force One. I have a very important update on my plane, but I need to trust that you won’t share it with anyone: my team is building a BRAND NEW Trump Force One." It was then added that the construction of this plane has been "under wraps-not even the fake news media knows about it-and I can't wait to unveil it for everyone else." ALSO READ | China helping Russia to counter West’s information war on Ukraine: Report Regarding emergency landing, Trump was returning to his home in Palm Beach, Florida, after his speech at a Republican National Committee-hosted donor retreat in New Orleans. The report added that the emergency landing of the private plane was made when it experienced engine failure over the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft was in the air for between 20 and 30 minutes but as soon as the issue was identified, the pilot decided to turn around and return to the New Orleans airport. In terms of distance, the plane, a Dassault Falcon 900, had gone about 75 miles before turning back to the city, the person said, adding that other passengers included Secret Service agents, support staff and some of Trump's advisers. The plane belonged to a donor who loaned it to the former president for the evening, the source said, and Trump advisers secured another donor's plane to take him back to Florida. WATCH | Decoding US President Joe Biden's oil embargo on Russia: Will it cripple Putin's war machine? × (With inputs from agencies)

Plane of former US President Donald Trump made emergency landing over weekend

To get your day started, here are some stories.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict reaches its 14th day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country has given up on NATO membership as the alliance&nbsp;is not prepared to accept Ukraine and is afraid to confront Russia.

In other news, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree providing free menstrual products to women from low-income groups.

Click on the headline to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-under-attack-heres-why-us-rejected-polands-plan-to-offer-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-ukraine-460416">Ukraine under attack: Here's why US rejected Poland's plan to offer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/09/246342-polish-air-force-mig-29-aircraft.jpg" />

The United States has rejected Poland's offer to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase, saying it was "not tenable" as the proposal raised "serious concerns" for the entire NATO alliance.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-gives-up-on-joining-nato-says-he-does-not-want-to-lead-a-nation-begging-something-on-its-knees-460394">Zelensky gives up on joining NATO, says he does not want to lead a nation 'begging something on its knees'</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/09/246329-stories-2.jpg" />

Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine will no longer be seeking NATO membership.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-nuclear-watchdog-no-longer-receiving-data-from-chernobyl-expresses-worry-about-the-130-trapped-workers-460404">UN nuclear watchdog no longer receiving data from Chernobyl, expresses worry about the 130 trapped workers</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/09/246332-stories-4.jpg" />

In a statement Tuesday, the UN watchdog said that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer sending data to them. The agency also expressed concern for staff operating under Russian guard at the Ukrainian facility.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/you-are-beyond-essential-on-womens-day-brazils-sexist-president-backtracks-from-menstrual-poverty-row-460412">'You are beyond essential': On women's day, Brazil's sexist President backtracks from 'menstrual poverty' row</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/09/246340-stories-5.jpg" />

Five months after vetoing a similar measure, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree Tuesday ensuring that low-income women and girls can get free menstrual supplies.

The far-right leader signed the executive order on International Women's Day, two days before Congress was scheduled to vote to override his veto.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine crisis: Will West's arms supply to Ukraine make any difference?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-crisis-will-wests-arms-supply-to-ukraine-make-any-difference-460408/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

To get your day started, here are some stories. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict reaches its 14th day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country has given up on NATO membership as the alliance is not prepared to accept Ukraine and is afraid to confront Russia.

To get your day started, here are some stories. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict reaches its 14th day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country has given up on NATO membership as the alliance is not prepared to accept Ukraine and is afraid to confront Russia. In other news, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree providing free menstrual products to women from low-income groups. Click on the headline to read more: Ukraine under attack: Here's why US rejected Poland's plan to offer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine The United States has rejected Poland's offer to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase, saying it was "not tenable" as the proposal raised "serious concerns" for the entire NATO alliance. Zelensky gives up on joining NATO, says he does not want to lead a nation 'begging something on its knees' Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine will no longer be seeking NATO membership. "I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview. UN nuclear watchdog no longer receiving data from Chernobyl, expresses worry about the 130 trapped workers In a statement Tuesday, the UN watchdog said that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer sending data to them. The agency also expressed concern for staff operating under Russian guard at the Ukrainian facility. 'You are beyond essential': On women's day, Brazil's sexist President backtracks from 'menstrual poverty' row Five months after vetoing a similar measure, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree Tuesday ensuring that low-income women and girls can get free menstrual supplies. The far-right leader signed the executive order on International Women's Day, two days before Congress was scheduled to vote to override his veto. Watch | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Will West's arms supply to Ukraine make any difference?

Morning brief: US rejects Poland plan to offer Ukraine fighter jets, Ukraine gives up on joining NATO, & more

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin has allegedly likened the sanctions announced by the West on Russia over attack on Ukraine equivalent to a “declaration of war”.&nbsp;The number of Ukrainian refugees was expected to reach 1.5 million on Sunday.

Click on headlines to read the full report:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-putin-likens-sanctions-on-russia-to-declaration-of-war-459428">Ukraine war: Putin likens sanctions on Russia to declaration of war</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/06/245607-putin.jpg" />Putin sought to justify the war in Ukraine by repeating his assertion that he was seeking to defend Russian speaking communities there through the “demilitarisation and de-Nazification” of the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indian-african-students-allege-racism-at-ukrainian-border-459437">Indian, African students allege racism at Ukrainian border</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/06/245618-refu3.jpg" />Several videos have gone viral on social media purportedly showing people of African and Indian origin being blocked from boarding trains or being left stranded at Ukrainian stations. Both BBC and CNN have also confirmed that foreign students are being subjected to racial segregation at border checkpoints.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-confirms-missile-launch-says-conducted-another-spy-satellite-test-459426">North Korea confirms missile launch, says conducted another spy satellite test</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/06/245603-korea.jpg" />After reports of a ballistic missile's launch, North Korea has said that it conducted "another important" test for reconnaissance satellite systems, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday. &nbsp;This was the second such launch in a week to test satellite equipment. It was also the ninth missile launch this year.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-ukrainian-refugees-near-15-million-as-russian-assault-enters-11th-day-459425">Russia-Ukraine crisis: Ukrainian refugees near 1.5 million as Russian assault enters 11th day</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/06/245611-ukrainian-refugees.jpg" />Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over a failed ceasefire plan that would have let civilians flee Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southern cities besieged by Russian forces. Another round of talks was tentatively planned for Monday as Ukrainians who could escape spilled into neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere.

&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Ukrainians abandon their homes: Unmitigated humanitarian crisis unfolds

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ukrainians-abandon-their-homes-unmitigated-humanitarian-crisis-unfolds-459435/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Russian President Vladimir Putin has allegedly likened the sanctions announced by the West on Russia over attack on Ukraine equivalent to a “declaration of war”.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Russian President Vladimir Putin has allegedly likened the sanctions announced by the West on Russia over attack on Ukraine equivalent to a “declaration of war”. The number of Ukrainian refugees was expected to reach 1.5 million on Sunday. Click on headlines to read the full report: Ukraine war: Putin likens sanctions on Russia to declaration of war Putin sought to justify the war in Ukraine by repeating his assertion that he was seeking to defend Russian speaking communities there through the “demilitarisation and de-Nazification” of the country. Indian, African students allege racism at Ukrainian border Several videos have gone viral on social media purportedly showing people of African and Indian origin being blocked from boarding trains or being left stranded at Ukrainian stations. Both BBC and CNN have also confirmed that foreign students are being subjected to racial segregation at border checkpoints. North Korea confirms missile launch, says conducted another spy satellite test After reports of a ballistic missile's launch, North Korea has said that it conducted "another important" test for reconnaissance satellite systems, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday. This was the second such launch in a week to test satellite equipment. It was also the ninth missile launch this year. Russia-Ukraine crisis: Ukrainian refugees near 1.5 million as Russian assault enters 11th day Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over a failed ceasefire plan that would have let civilians flee Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southern cities besieged by Russian forces. Another round of talks was tentatively planned for Monday as Ukrainians who could escape spilled into neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere. Watch | Ukrainians abandon their homes: Unmitigated humanitarian crisis unfolds

Morning news brief: Putin likens sanctions to war, foreign students allege racism at Ukraine border, and more

In a sharp rebuke to his former boss, former US Vice President Mike Pence said that Donald Trump was wrong for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said that “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin” as he further cemented his break from Trump.

“Where would Russian tanks be today if NATO had not expanded the borders of freedom? There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” Pence said.

“There is only room for champions of freedom,” he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-praises-putins-strategy-in-ukraine-calls-him-a-genius-455635">Also read |&nbsp;Donald Trump praises Putin’s strategy in Ukraine, calls him a ‘genius’ &nbsp;</a>

During an interview on a right-wing radio programme, The Clay Travis &amp; Buck Sexton Show, Trump had called Putin a "genius" to "declare a large portion of Ukraine as independent."

Pence said Trump was incorrect to think Pence could have taken action to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election that Trump has falsely claimed was stolen from him.

"President Trump is wrong," Pence said in a speech in Florida to the conservative Federalist Society. "I had no right to overturn the election."

"The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone. And frankly there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president," Pence added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jan-6-committee-lays-out-potential-criminal-charges-against-trump-458450">Also read |&nbsp;Jan 6 committee lays out potential criminal charges against Trump</a>

After losing his re-election bid Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020, the Republican Trump pressured Pence to block congressional certification of the results in an attempt to stay in power. Pence, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump's tumultuous presidency, opted not to block certification.

In the chilling events of January 6, after a fiery speech near the White House in which Trump repeated his false claim of election fraud and urged the assembled crowd to "fight like hell," the mob marched to the Capitol and overran it in stunning scenes of violence and mayhem.

Trump was impeached for a historic second time after the Capitol riot, he was charged with inciting an insurrection, but was acquitted by the Senate.

The former president still dominates the Republican Party and regularly makes comments flirting with the idea of seeking a second term.

A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to prevent Congress from formally certifying the election results. Pence was presiding over the proceedings and, along with US lawmakers at the Capitol, fled from the rioters.

"All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people," Trump told his supporters during the Jan. 6 speech.

Later some of the rioters at the Capitol chanted "Hang Mike Pence" during the rampage and some set up makeshift gallows.

Trump at a rally in Texas on Saturday said that if he were to run for president and win in 2024, he would pardon people charged with criminal offenses in connection with the January 6 riot.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a sharp rebuke to his former boss, former US Vice President Mike Pence said that Donald Trump was wrong for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin” as he further cemented his break from Trump.

In a sharp rebuke to his former boss, former US Vice President Mike Pence said that Donald Trump was wrong for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin” as he further cemented his break from Trump. “Where would Russian tanks be today if NATO had not expanded the borders of freedom? There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” Pence said. “There is only room for champions of freedom,” he added. Also read | Donald Trump praises Putin’s strategy in Ukraine, calls him a ‘genius’ During an interview on a right-wing radio programme, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, Trump had called Putin a "genius" to "declare a large portion of Ukraine as independent." Pence said Trump was incorrect to think Pence could have taken action to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election that Trump has falsely claimed was stolen from him. "President Trump is wrong," Pence said in a speech in Florida to the conservative Federalist Society. "I had no right to overturn the election." "The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone. And frankly there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president," Pence added. Also read | Jan 6 committee lays out potential criminal charges against Trump After losing his re-election bid Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020, the Republican Trump pressured Pence to block congressional certification of the results in an attempt to stay in power. Pence, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump's tumultuous presidency, opted not to block certification. In the chilling events of January 6, after a fiery speech near the White House in which Trump repeated his false claim of election fraud and urged the assembled crowd to "fight like hell," the mob marched to the Capitol and overran it in stunning scenes of violence and mayhem. Trump was impeached for a historic second time after the Capitol riot, he was charged with inciting an insurrection, but was acquitted by the Senate. The former president still dominates the Republican Party and regularly makes comments flirting with the idea of seeking a second term. A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to prevent Congress from formally certifying the election results. Pence was presiding over the proceedings and, along with US lawmakers at the Capitol, fled from the rioters. "All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people," Trump told his supporters during the Jan. 6 speech. Later some of the rioters at the Capitol chanted "Hang Mike Pence" during the rampage and some set up makeshift gallows. Trump at a rally in Texas on Saturday said that if he were to run for president and win in 2024, he would pardon people charged with criminal offenses in connection with the January 6 riot. (With inputs from agencies)

Former US Vice President Mike Pence slams Donald Trump for praising Vladimir Putin

To get your day started, here are some stories.

On the 9th day of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian shelling has set on fire Ukraine's&nbsp;Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which is also&nbsp;Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. Amid reports of increased shelling, Elon Musk has issued a word of caution to Ukrainians using his company Starlink's satellite broadband service, adding that the service can be targeted by Russian airstrikes.

Click on the headline to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-shelling-sets-largest-nuclear-power-plant-in-europe-on-fire-says-ukraines-minister-458728">Russian shelling sets largest nuclear power plant in Europe on fire, says Ukraine's minister</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/04/245092-plant-2.jpg" />

After continuous Russian shelling, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire, said&nbsp;Ukraine's foreign minister.&nbsp;The minister has also called for the creation of a security zone so that firefighters can tackle the incident. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/please-use-with-caution-elon-musk-warns-that-starlink-can-be-targeted-by-russia-advises-caution-458726">'Please use with caution': Elon Musk warns that starlink can be 'targeted' by Russia, advises caution</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/04/245090-stories-15.jpg" />

Elon Musk&nbsp;has warned that his company's Starlink satellite broadband service could be the next "target" of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/constructive-conversation-quad-leaders-discuss-ukraine-situation-458750">'Constructive conversation': Quad leaders discuss Ukraine situation</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/04/245111-quad.jpg" />

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifying, US President Joe Biden had a 'constructive conversation' with other Quad leaders, the White House said on Thursday. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/digital-weaponry-russia-using-deepfakes-to-spread-misinformation-against-ukraine-claims-report-458746">Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/03/04/245106-stories-16.jpg" />As per reports, in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a surge in 'Deepfake' videos are being used to spread misinformation against Ukraine.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;What is the road ahead for Ukraine? The Russian invasion of Ukraine enters day 9

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-is-the-road-ahead-for-ukraine-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-enters-day-9-458748/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

To get your day started, here are some stories. On the 9th day of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian shelling has set on fire Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which is also Europe's biggest nuclear power plant.

To get your day started, here are some stories. On the 9th day of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian shelling has set on fire Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which is also Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. Amid reports of increased shelling, Elon Musk has issued a word of caution to Ukrainians using his company Starlink's satellite broadband service, adding that the service can be targeted by Russian airstrikes. Click on the headline to read more: Russian shelling sets largest nuclear power plant in Europe on fire, says Ukraine's minister After continuous Russian shelling, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire, said Ukraine's foreign minister. The minister has also called for the creation of a security zone so that firefighters can tackle the incident. 'Please use with caution': Elon Musk warns that starlink can be 'targeted' by Russia, advises caution Elon Musk has warned that his company's Starlink satellite broadband service could be the next "target" of Russian aggression in Ukraine. 'Constructive conversation': Quad leaders discuss Ukraine situation With the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifying, US President Joe Biden had a 'constructive conversation' with other Quad leaders, the White House said on Thursday. Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report As per reports, in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a surge in 'Deepfake' videos are being used to spread misinformation against Ukraine. Watch | What is the road ahead for Ukraine? The Russian invasion of Ukraine enters day 9

Morning brief: Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ablaze, Elon Musk's warning, and more

In the first criminal trial since the assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, prosecutors charged a Texas man with leading the attack.

Guy Reffitt, 49, of Wylie, Texas, faces charges of bringing a gun to Washington, battling police officers, and impeding an official proceeding.

It is expected that Reffitt's children will testify against him at the trial, which is closely watched for its potential to affect future prosecutions of January 6 defendants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-capitol-hill-attack-first-trial-begins-likely-to-be-watched-closely-458311">US Capitol Hill attack: First trial begins, likely to be watched closely</a>

In his opening statement, Prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler described Reffitt as a leader of the "worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812," when British troops set fire to the Capitol.

Nestler said that mobs need leaders, and Reffitt, a member of a right-wing group called the Three Percenters, was "the tip of this mob's spear."

"He lit the match that started the fire," Nestler said.

William Welch, Reffitt's defence attorney, said that his client did not actually enter the Capitol building or assault anyone.

Over 750 people have been arrested for their roles in the failed effort to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election.

Reffitt is the first person to face criminal charges for their role in the violent storming of the Capitol. Nearly 220 people have already pleaded guilty.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-teases-presidential-run-says-would-pardon-capitol-hill-attack-accused-449001">Donald Trump teases presidential run, says would pardon Capitol Hill attack accused</a>

According to the affidavit supporting his arrest, Reffitt travelled from Texas to Washington with another member of the Three Percenters.

Police released photographs showing Reffitt holding a black helmet and bulletproof vest on the steps of the Capitol.&nbsp;One of these shows Reffitt washing out his eyes with water after being pepper-sprayed by Capitol police.

According to the affidavit, Reffitt's teenage son and daughter told the FBI that, upon his return to Texas, their father threatened them if they cooperated with police.

"If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors... traitors get shot," Reffitt was quoted as saying.

Watch |&nbsp;Capitol Hill riots: 'No sensitive documents would have been torn up,' says former Trump Adviser

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/capitol-hill-riots-no-sensitive-documents-would-have-been-torn-up-says-former-trump-adviser-450387/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

On January 19, 2021, FBI agents arrested Reffitt and recovered an AR-15 rifle and Smith &amp; Wesson pistol from his Wylie, Texas, home.

Since his arrest, Reffitt has been in jail in Washington. If convicted, he could spend up to 20 years in prison.&nbsp;

So far, the maximum sentence meted out to a riot participant is five years in prison.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the first criminal trial since the assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, prosecutors charged a Texas man with leading the attack. Guy Reffitt, 49, of Wylie, Texas, faces charges of bringing a gun to Washington, battling police officers, and impeding an official proceeding.

In the first criminal trial since the assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, prosecutors charged a Texas man with leading the attack. Guy Reffitt, 49, of Wylie, Texas, faces charges of bringing a gun to Washington, battling police officers, and impeding an official proceeding. It is expected that Reffitt's children will testify against him at the trial, which is closely watched for its potential to affect future prosecutions of January 6 defendants. Also read | US Capitol Hill attack: First trial begins, likely to be watched closely In his opening statement, Prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler described Reffitt as a leader of the "worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812," when British troops set fire to the Capitol. Nestler said that mobs need leaders, and Reffitt, a member of a right-wing group called the Three Percenters, was "the tip of this mob's spear." "He lit the match that started the fire," Nestler said. William Welch, Reffitt's defence attorney, said that his client did not actually enter the Capitol building or assault anyone. Over 750 people have been arrested for their roles in the failed effort to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election. Reffitt is the first person to face criminal charges for their role in the violent storming of the Capitol. Nearly 220 people have already pleaded guilty. Also read | Donald Trump teases presidential run, says would pardon Capitol Hill attack accused According to the affidavit supporting his arrest, Reffitt travelled from Texas to Washington with another member of the Three Percenters. Police released photographs showing Reffitt holding a black helmet and bulletproof vest on the steps of the Capitol. One of these shows Reffitt washing out his eyes with water after being pepper-sprayed by Capitol police. According to the affidavit, Reffitt's teenage son and daughter told the FBI that, upon his return to Texas, their father threatened them if they cooperated with police. "If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors... traitors get shot," Reffitt was quoted as saying. Watch | Capitol Hill riots: 'No sensitive documents would have been torn up,' says former Trump Adviser On January 19, 2021, FBI agents arrested Reffitt and recovered an AR-15 rifle and Smith & Wesson pistol from his Wylie, Texas, home. Since his arrest, Reffitt has been in jail in Washington. If convicted, he could spend up to 20 years in prison. So far, the maximum sentence meted out to a riot participant is five years in prison. (With inputs from agencies)

'Traitors get shot': Texas man who led Capitol riots threatened children against cooperating with police

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