War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of &quot;sleepwalking&quot; into conflict.

Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions.

But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson&#39;s offer of direct contacts with North Korea was &quot;a very good signal&quot;, while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences.

North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions.

The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action.

While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this.

Meeting in Beijing&#39;s Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said.

&quot;The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation,&quot; Xi was cited as saying.

China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said.

South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea.

The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries.

&#39;Dramatic circumstances&#39;

China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea.

China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges.

Xi reiterated China&#39;s position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to &quot;appropriately handle&quot; the issue.

Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries.

&quot;Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial,&quot; Guterres said.

He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue.

&quot;The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war.&quot;

Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes.

China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Russia does not accept North Korea&#39;s nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea.

&quot;We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation,&quot; Putin said.

North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.

The North&#39;s state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take &quot;merciless self-defence&quot; measures if the United States tried to impose one.

North Korea would regard a naval blockade as &quot;an act of war&quot; and a &quot;wanton violation&quot; of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday of the danger of 'sleepwalking' into conflict

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of "sleepwalking" into conflict. Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions. But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson's offer of direct contacts with North Korea was "a very good signal", while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences. North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions. The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action. While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this. Meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said. "The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation," Xi was cited as saying. China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea. The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries. 'Dramatic circumstances' China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea. China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges. Xi reiterated China's position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to "appropriately handle" the issue. Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries. "Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial," Guterres said. He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue. "The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war." Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes. China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Russia does not accept North Korea's nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea. "We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation," Putin said. North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention. The North's state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take "merciless self-defence" measures if the United States tried to impose one. North Korea would regard a naval blockade as "an act of war" and a "wanton violation" of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power. White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

China's Xi says war must not be allowed to break out on Korean peninsula

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014.

Akayed Ullah, 27, who migrated to the United States in 2011 and lived in Brooklyn, was hit with a five-count indictment, which includes providing material support to IS and use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the complaint.

He is expected to appear before a judge, most likely by video link from his hospital bed, either Tuesday or Wednesday.&nbsp;

Ullah wounded himself and three other people in the blast, which took place in the subway tunnels below the Port Authority bus terminal, not far from iconic Times Square, on Monday.

The explosion, which sowed panic and disrupted the morning commute during the busy Christmas tourism season, came six weeks after another immigrant, also reportedly inspired by the IS group, killed eight people on a bike path.

President Donald Trump has leapt on both attacks to reiterate calls for tighter US immigration, demanding an end to the visa programs that admitted Ullah and the Uzbek bike path attacker, although both appear to have only radicalised after emigrating.

&quot;We will end them fast. Congress must get involved immediately,&quot; Trump said Tuesday. &quot;These attacks underscore the dangers we face from around the globe.&quot;

Chilling notes

Ullah allegedly built the pipe bomb in his Brooklyn apartment a week before the attack, packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, and allegedly admitted planning the would-be suicide bombing for several weeks.

He strapped the pipe bomb to his chest, selected the time and location to &quot;maximize human casualties,&quot; admitted to being inspired by IS and wanted to avenge US policies in the Middle East, Manhattan&#39;s acting US Attorney Joon Kim told reporters.

En route to carrying out the attempted attack, he allegedly posted on Facebook, &quot;Trump you failed to protect your nation,&quot; according to court documents.

The chilling handwritten note: &quot;O America die in your rage,&quot; was found in a passport in Ullah&#39;s name, along with metal pipes, wires and screws in his Brooklyn home, Kim told reporters.

Under radar&nbsp;

But his bomb failed to detonate as planned, leaving him with burns to his torso and hands, officials said. The three victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches.

Ullah began to radicalise in 2014, three years after moving to the United States, by watching IS propaganda online before starting to research how to make bombs a year ago, officials said.

But he operated under the radar, his name never appearing on any watch lists, and he was not previously known to law enforcement in either the United States or his Muslim-majority homeland, officials said.

In Bangladesh, counter-terrorism officers questioned his 25-year-old wife, whom he married in 2016 and visited in September after the birth of their son, officials said.

Police raided the family home in Dhaka, but neither Ullah&#39;s wife, Jannatul Ferdous Piya, nor her father are under any suspicion, officer Saiful Islam told AFP.

Mofazzal Hossain, a caretaker of the family apartment in Dhaka, described him as &quot;pious and a gentleman.&quot;

&quot;He used to pray in the local mosque five times a day. He would urge us to pray and do good work,&quot; Hossain told AFP.

Dhaka police were investigating whether he could have been radicalised in Bangladesh, which is waging its own war against extremism and where IS claimed an assault in July 2016 that killed 22 hostages, 18 of them foreigners.

The FBI on Tuesday urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant during the busy holiday season in a city that has considered itself a perennial target since the Al-Qaeda hijackings brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

The New York Times reported that Ullah appears to have prayed regularly at the Masjid Nur Al Islam mosque, and from 2012 to 2015, held a license to drive for-hire vehicles.

His family issued a statement through the Council on American-Islamic Relations saying they were &quot;heartbroken&quot; by the attack and the allegations against Ullah.

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014. Akayed Ullah, 27, who migrated to the United States in 2011 and lived in Brooklyn, was hit with a five-count indictment, which includes providing material support to IS and use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the complaint. He is expected to appear before a judge, most likely by video link from his hospital bed, either Tuesday or Wednesday. Ullah wounded himself and three other people in the blast, which took place in the subway tunnels below the Port Authority bus terminal, not far from iconic Times Square, on Monday. The explosion, which sowed panic and disrupted the morning commute during the busy Christmas tourism season, came six weeks after another immigrant, also reportedly inspired by the IS group, killed eight people on a bike path. President Donald Trump has leapt on both attacks to reiterate calls for tighter US immigration, demanding an end to the visa programs that admitted Ullah and the Uzbek bike path attacker, although both appear to have only radicalised after emigrating. "We will end them fast. Congress must get involved immediately," Trump said Tuesday. "These attacks underscore the dangers we face from around the globe." Chilling notes Ullah allegedly built the pipe bomb in his Brooklyn apartment a week before the attack, packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, and allegedly admitted planning the would-be suicide bombing for several weeks. He strapped the pipe bomb to his chest, selected the time and location to "maximize human casualties," admitted to being inspired by IS and wanted to avenge US policies in the Middle East, Manhattan's acting US Attorney Joon Kim told reporters. En route to carrying out the attempted attack, he allegedly posted on Facebook, "Trump you failed to protect your nation," according to court documents. The chilling handwritten note: "O America die in your rage," was found in a passport in Ullah's name, along with metal pipes, wires and screws in his Brooklyn home, Kim told reporters. Under radar But his bomb failed to detonate as planned, leaving him with burns to his torso and hands, officials said. The three victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches. Ullah began to radicalise in 2014, three years after moving to the United States, by watching IS propaganda online before starting to research how to make bombs a year ago, officials said. But he operated under the radar, his name never appearing on any watch lists, and he was not previously known to law enforcement in either the United States or his Muslim-majority homeland, officials said. In Bangladesh, counter-terrorism officers questioned his 25-year-old wife, whom he married in 2016 and visited in September after the birth of their son, officials said. Police raided the family home in Dhaka, but neither Ullah's wife, Jannatul Ferdous Piya, nor her father are under any suspicion, officer Saiful Islam told AFP. Mofazzal Hossain, a caretaker of the family apartment in Dhaka, described him as "pious and a gentleman." "He used to pray in the local mosque five times a day. He would urge us to pray and do good work," Hossain told AFP. Dhaka police were investigating whether he could have been radicalised in Bangladesh, which is waging its own war against extremism and where IS claimed an assault in July 2016 that killed 22 hostages, 18 of them foreigners. The FBI on Tuesday urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant during the busy holiday season in a city that has considered itself a perennial target since the Al-Qaeda hijackings brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The New York Times reported that Ullah appears to have prayed regularly at the Masjid Nur Al Islam mosque, and from 2012 to 2015, held a license to drive for-hire vehicles. His family issued a statement through the Council on American-Islamic Relations saying they were "heartbroken" by the attack and the allegations against Ullah.

US files terror charges against New York 'subway bomber'

When it comes to diplomatic ambiguity, India has taken the cake on Jerusalem. Consider the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs -&nbsp;

&quot;India&#39;s position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country&quot;

What does it tell you about India&#39;s position on Jerusalem? That the position remains what the last official submission said? Or that we have a position but we won&#39;t share it? Or that we&#39;ve spoken because we had to, but we&#39;d rather pretend what&#39;s happening isn&#39;t happening. To put it mildly, it&#39;s unbecoming for a country that hopes to secure a seat at the global high table. Jerusalem is the biggest point of debate in geopolitics today. To dither on it is to squander diplomatic capital.

The crisis should, instead, be made the most of. It&#39;s an opportunity for New Delhi. While Washington has undermined its role as a fair mediator, other players are jumping in. Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin, after having played a decisive role in Syria and touring Turkey and Egypt, is being seen as a strong contender willing to get his hands dirty. He is emerging as the strongest outsider in this region with a finger in every pie.

China, earlier this year, sought to play a more prominent role in the region by issuing a four-point proposal on the Palestine conflict. President Xi Jinping offered to invest in industrial parks and solar power plants in Palestine. China already has substantial investments in Israel and would have been a defence partner too, had it not been for American roadblocks. Beijing also came up with a strongly worded response to Trump&#39;s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, saying it will potentially flare up regional tensions. It is taking a stand.

France&#39;s Macron has been showing increasing interest in West Asia. He visited Saudi Arabia and invited Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri to his country. He told Israeli PM Netanyahu that Trump&#39;s moves are a threat to regional stability. Even Singapore has spoken out against unilateral decisions that might impede the peace process.

India, in contrast, remains conspicuous by its vague response. It&#39;s a pity because India is also the best poised to play a more substantial role. The Palestinians trust India, the first non-Arab country to have recognised the PLO&#39;s authority as &quot;the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.&quot; Isreal calls India a strategic partner and a lot of other things that made headlines this summer when Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Tel Aviv.

The bilateral defence cooperation is worth billions&nbsp;and growing. India has no political stakes in the region and can leverage its good offices with both sides. It is seen favourably by the Arab players and has ties with Iran. In short, it is a neutral player with an international stature and a reputation for being a responsible state.

The current regime in New Delhi made a lot of fuss and lofty pronouncements on doing away with hypocrisy on the Israel-Palestine issue. The Prime Minister then walked the talk by skipping a visit to Ramallah when he went to Israel. It&#39;s time to demonstrate the same position of strength by offering to resuscitate the peace process.

Fears of such a move opening the Pandora&#39;s box on Kashmir are unfounded. Kashmir is not Jerusalem. The conflict is different. The dynamics are different. India has stood firm on the contention that this is a bilateral issue and rightly refused all offers of international mediation. The West Asian players have taken no such position.

India has successfully played a constructive role in the Afghan situation. It is seen as a reliable force in rebuilding the country. It is training the military and police force. It whittled away the chance it had in Myanmar by again taking a myopic view of the Rohingya crisis. Delhi shouldn&#39;t repeat the mistake in Jerusalem. To be recognised as a global leader, it has to demonstrate leadership and the willingness to deal with sticky affairs.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

The current regime in New Delhi made a lot of fuss and lofty pronouncements on doing away with hypocrisy on the Israel-Palestine issue

When it comes to diplomatic ambiguity, India has taken the cake on Jerusalem. Consider the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs - "India's position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country" What does it tell you about India's position on Jerusalem? That the position remains what the last official submission said? Or that we have a position but we won't share it? Or that we've spoken because we had to, but we'd rather pretend what's happening isn't happening. To put it mildly, it's unbecoming for a country that hopes to secure a seat at the global high table. Jerusalem is the biggest point of debate in geopolitics today. To dither on it is to squander diplomatic capital. The crisis should, instead, be made the most of. It's an opportunity for New Delhi. While Washington has undermined its role as a fair mediator, other players are jumping in. Russia's Vladimir Putin, after having played a decisive role in Syria and touring Turkey and Egypt, is being seen as a strong contender willing to get his hands dirty. He is emerging as the strongest outsider in this region with a finger in every pie. China, earlier this year, sought to play a more prominent role in the region by issuing a four-point proposal on the Palestine conflict. President Xi Jinping offered to invest in industrial parks and solar power plants in Palestine. China already has substantial investments in Israel and would have been a defence partner too, had it not been for American roadblocks. Beijing also came up with a strongly worded response to Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, saying it will potentially flare up regional tensions. It is taking a stand. France's Macron has been showing increasing interest in West Asia. He visited Saudi Arabia and invited Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri to his country. He told Israeli PM Netanyahu that Trump's moves are a threat to regional stability. Even Singapore has spoken out against unilateral decisions that might impede the peace process. India, in contrast, remains conspicuous by its vague response. It's a pity because India is also the best poised to play a more substantial role. The Palestinians trust India, the first non-Arab country to have recognised the PLO's authority as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Isreal calls India a strategic partner and a lot of other things that made headlines this summer when Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Tel Aviv. The bilateral defence cooperation is worth billions and growing. India has no political stakes in the region and can leverage its good offices with both sides. It is seen favourably by the Arab players and has ties with Iran. In short, it is a neutral player with an international stature and a reputation for being a responsible state. The current regime in New Delhi made a lot of fuss and lofty pronouncements on doing away with hypocrisy on the Israel-Palestine issue. The Prime Minister then walked the talk by skipping a visit to Ramallah when he went to Israel. It's time to demonstrate the same position of strength by offering to resuscitate the peace process. Fears of such a move opening the Pandora's box on Kashmir are unfounded. Kashmir is not Jerusalem. The conflict is different. The dynamics are different. India has stood firm on the contention that this is a bilateral issue and rightly refused all offers of international mediation. The West Asian players have taken no such position. India has successfully played a constructive role in the Afghan situation. It is seen as a reliable force in rebuilding the country. It is training the military and police force. It whittled away the chance it had in Myanmar by again taking a myopic view of the Rohingya crisis. Delhi shouldn't repeat the mistake in Jerusalem. To be recognised as a global leader, it has to demonstrate leadership and the willingness to deal with sticky affairs. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: India and the Jerusalem crisis, silence isn't always gold

Over a dozen women who had accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was elected president of the United States have detailed their ordeals publicly at a press conference.

The women gave accounts of having allegedly been forcibly groped and kissed by the businessman-turned-politician. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The women, who first came forward during the 2016 presidential campaign demanding Trump&#39;s suspension&nbsp;from the elections, made headlines again after appearing on Megyn Kelly`s NBC show on Monday and a subsequent news conference in Manhattan.

Both times, the women called on Congress to investigate their claims.

Samantha Holvey, former Miss North Carolina 2006, who accused Trump of inspecting beauty pageant contestants, and Jessica Leeds, who accused him of grabbing her chest and attempting to move his hand up her skirt on a flight, were part of Monday&#39;s conference.

The accusers came forward with a wide range of accusations -- ranging from sexual harassment to lewd behaviour around women -- in, they said, the hope that they would be taken more seriously after a torrent of similar accusations have toppled the careers of powerful men in Hollywood and the news media. 
&nbsp;

The women called on Congress to investigate their claims

Over a dozen women who had accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was elected president of the United States have detailed their ordeals publicly at a press conference. The women gave accounts of having allegedly been forcibly groped and kissed by the businessman-turned-politician. The women, who first came forward during the 2016 presidential campaign demanding Trump's suspension from the elections, made headlines again after appearing on Megyn Kelly`s NBC show on Monday and a subsequent news conference in Manhattan. Both times, the women called on Congress to investigate their claims. Samantha Holvey, former Miss North Carolina 2006, who accused Trump of inspecting beauty pageant contestants, and Jessica Leeds, who accused him of grabbing her chest and attempting to move his hand up her skirt on a flight, were part of Monday's conference. The accusers came forward with a wide range of accusations -- ranging from sexual harassment to lewd behaviour around women -- in, they said, the hope that they would be taken more seriously after a torrent of similar accusations have toppled the careers of powerful men in Hollywood and the news media.

Over a dozen women detail sexual allegations against Donald Trump

At a time when China is working on an ambitious lunar programme, President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States will remain the leader in space exploration as he began a process to return Americans to the moon.&nbsp;

&quot;We are the leader and we&#39;re going to stay the leader, and we&#39;re going to increase it manifold&quot;, Trump said in signing &quot;Space Policy Directive 1&quot; that establishes a foundation for a mission to the moon with an eye on going to Mars.&nbsp;

&quot;This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars,&quot; Trump said. &quot;And perhaps, someday, to many worlds beyond&quot;.&nbsp;

Back in June, China&#39;s space official said the country was making &ldquo;preliminary&rdquo; preparations to send a man to the moon, the latest goal in China&#39;s ambitious lunar exploration programme.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s signing ceremony for the directive included former lunar astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Harrison Schmitt and current astronaut Peggy Whitson, whose 665 days in orbit is more time in space than any other American and any other woman worldwide.

The ceremony also featured a moon rock 3.8 billion years old collected by Schmitt&#39;s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.&nbsp;Trump said he was taking a giant step toward &quot;reclaiming America&#39;s proud destiny in space&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;And space has so much to do with so many other applications, including a military application&quot;, he said without elaboration.&nbsp;In approving the new policy, Trump abandoned what had been a goal of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, who in 2010 backed a plan to send humans to a near-earth asteroid.&nbsp;

NASA said initial funding for the new policy would be included in its budget request for the fiscal year 2019.&nbsp;

&ldquo;NASA looks forward to supporting the president&#39;s directive strategically aligning our work to return humans to the moon, travel to Mars and opening the deeper solar system beyond&rdquo;, said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot in a statement.

Trump signs "Space Policy Directive 1" which he claims will ascertain that the United States remains the leader of the space exploration

At a time when China is working on an ambitious lunar programme, President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States will remain the leader in space exploration as he began a process to return Americans to the moon. "We are the leader and we're going to stay the leader, and we're going to increase it manifold", Trump said in signing "Space Policy Directive 1" that establishes a foundation for a mission to the moon with an eye on going to Mars. "This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars," Trump said. "And perhaps, someday, to many worlds beyond". Back in June, China's space official said the country was making “preliminary” preparations to send a man to the moon, the latest goal in China's ambitious lunar exploration programme. Trump's signing ceremony for the directive included former lunar astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Harrison Schmitt and current astronaut Peggy Whitson, whose 665 days in orbit is more time in space than any other American and any other woman worldwide. The ceremony also featured a moon rock 3.8 billion years old collected by Schmitt's Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Trump said he was taking a giant step toward "reclaiming America's proud destiny in space". "And space has so much to do with so many other applications, including a military application", he said without elaboration. In approving the new policy, Trump abandoned what had been a goal of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, who in 2010 backed a plan to send humans to a near-earth asteroid. NASA said initial funding for the new policy would be included in its budget request for the fiscal year 2019. “NASA looks forward to supporting the president's directive strategically aligning our work to return humans to the moon, travel to Mars and opening the deeper solar system beyond”, said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot in a statement.

Want flag and footprint on Moon, eventual mission to Mars: Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he did not know the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct and alleged their claims were a political attack pushed by Democrats, rejecting renewed calls to look into his behavior.

His comments come one day after the White House said it had eyewitnesses who would clear him of any suspicion of wrongdoing amid the allegations, which surfaced during the 2016 presidential campaign.

On Monday, three women who had previously accused Trump of misconduct called on the U.S. Congress to investigate the president`s behavior. Trump has denied the allegations and the White House has said the women were lying.

Some 50 female Democratic lawmakers also called for an investigation.

More than a dozen women have accused the real estate developer and former reality television star of making unwanted sexual advances against them years before he entered politics. Reuters has not independently verified the accusations against Trump.&nbsp;

&quot;Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia - so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don&rsquo;t know and/or have never met. FAKE NEWS!&quot; Trump said on Twitter, citing an ongoing probe into alleged Russia meddling during the 2016 election and possible collusion by his campaign.

He also attacked Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who on Monday said Trump should resign due to the allegations, following similar calls by four other male Democratic Senators in recent days.&nbsp;

&quot;You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office,&quot; Gillibrand wrote on Twitter.

Their call comes after fellow Democrat Senator Al Franken, under pressure from his party, announced his resignation following allegations of improper conduct.&nbsp;

Two other lawmakers in the House of Representatives, one Democrat and one Republican, have also stepped down amid sexual harassment accusations. Reuters had not independently verified the claims against them.

The White House on Monday said the women`s accusations were false and &quot;totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts.&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later told reporters she could provide a list of the eyewitness accounts.

Representatives for the White House did not respond to a request for comment and a copy of the list on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Many of Trump`s accusers came forward after a tape surfaced one month before the November 2016 election in which Trump was heard bragging in 2005 about groping and forcibly kissing women.

Trump later publicly apologized for the remarks but called them private &quot;locker-room talk&quot; and said that he had not done the things that he had described.

His comments come one day after the White House said it had eyewitnesses who would clear him of any suspicion of wrongdoing amid the allegations

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he did not know the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct and alleged their claims were a political attack pushed by Democrats, rejecting renewed calls to look into his behavior. His comments come one day after the White House said it had eyewitnesses who would clear him of any suspicion of wrongdoing amid the allegations, which surfaced during the 2016 presidential campaign. On Monday, three women who had previously accused Trump of misconduct called on the U.S. Congress to investigate the president`s behavior. Trump has denied the allegations and the White House has said the women were lying. Some 50 female Democratic lawmakers also called for an investigation. More than a dozen women have accused the real estate developer and former reality television star of making unwanted sexual advances against them years before he entered politics. Reuters has not independently verified the accusations against Trump. "Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia - so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met. FAKE NEWS!" Trump said on Twitter, citing an ongoing probe into alleged Russia meddling during the 2016 election and possible collusion by his campaign. He also attacked Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who on Monday said Trump should resign due to the allegations, following similar calls by four other male Democratic Senators in recent days. "You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office," Gillibrand wrote on Twitter. Their call comes after fellow Democrat Senator Al Franken, under pressure from his party, announced his resignation following allegations of improper conduct. Two other lawmakers in the House of Representatives, one Democrat and one Republican, have also stepped down amid sexual harassment accusations. Reuters had not independently verified the claims against them. The White House on Monday said the women`s accusations were false and "totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later told reporters she could provide a list of the eyewitness accounts. Representatives for the White House did not respond to a request for comment and a copy of the list on Tuesday. Many of Trump`s accusers came forward after a tape surfaced one month before the November 2016 election in which Trump was heard bragging in 2005 about groping and forcibly kissing women. Trump later publicly apologized for the remarks but called them private "locker-room talk" and said that he had not done the things that he had described.

Trump denies accusations of sexual misconduct, attacks Democrats

The Bangladeshi ISIS sympathiser who detonated a homemade pipe bomb in New York City&rsquo;s subway had no criminal record back home, a police official said today, even as Dhaka vowed &ldquo;zero tolerance&rdquo; against terrorism.

Akayed Ullah, 27, set off a crude bomb strapped to his body in the crowded subway passage between New York&rsquo;s Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour yesterday but the device failed to detonate properly, leaving him and three others injured.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-explosion-suspect-identified-as-bangladesh-had-no-criminal-record-26498" target="_blank">New York explosion suspect identified as Bangladeshi, had no criminal record</a>

&ldquo;Passports to one is issued after verifying his or her past records and the suspect named for the New York attack had no criminal record,&rdquo; the official told PTI.

Ullah, who moved to the US seven years ago, has an address in Brooklyn, an area with most residents from Bangladesh.

He had entered the US through &ldquo;extended-family chain migration,&rdquo; a system President Donald Trump is seeking to end that allows families to sponsor relatives to come to the US.

He last visited Bangladesh in September, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The Bangladesh embassy in Washington condemned the attack in New York reiterating its &ldquo;zero tolerance&rdquo; stance against terrorism.

&ldquo;Government of Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of &lsquo;zero tolerance&rsquo; against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including yesterday&rsquo;s incident in New York City,&rdquo; the embassy said in a statement shortly it became known that the attacker was of Bangladeshi-origin.

&ldquo;A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice,&rdquo; it added. Bangladesh has been waging a war against homegrown extremism in the wake of numerous attacks by radical groups in recent years.

On July 1, militants stormed a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed. An Indian girl was among those killed in Bangladesh&rsquo;s worst terror attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to root out extremism but says international radical groups do not operate inside Bangladesh.

'Passports to one is issued after verifying his or her past records and the suspect named for the New York attack had no criminal record,' a police official said

The Bangladeshi ISIS sympathiser who detonated a homemade pipe bomb in New York City’s subway had no criminal record back home, a police official said today, even as Dhaka vowed “zero tolerance” against terrorism. Akayed Ullah, 27, set off a crude bomb strapped to his body in the crowded subway passage between New York’s Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour yesterday but the device failed to detonate properly, leaving him and three others injured. Also read: New York explosion suspect identified as Bangladeshi, had no criminal record “Passports to one is issued after verifying his or her past records and the suspect named for the New York attack had no criminal record,” the official told PTI. Ullah, who moved to the US seven years ago, has an address in Brooklyn, an area with most residents from Bangladesh. He had entered the US through “extended-family chain migration,” a system President Donald Trump is seeking to end that allows families to sponsor relatives to come to the US. He last visited Bangladesh in September, Dhaka Tribune reported. The Bangladesh embassy in Washington condemned the attack in New York reiterating its “zero tolerance” stance against terrorism. “Government of Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of ‘zero tolerance’ against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including yesterday’s incident in New York City,” the embassy said in a statement shortly it became known that the attacker was of Bangladeshi-origin. “A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice,” it added. Bangladesh has been waging a war against homegrown extremism in the wake of numerous attacks by radical groups in recent years. On July 1, militants stormed a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed. An Indian girl was among those killed in Bangladesh’s worst terror attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to root out extremism but says international radical groups do not operate inside Bangladesh.

New York bomber had no criminal record in Bangladesh: Police

President Donald Trump on Monday denied a New York Times story on his daily White House life that says he watches up to eight hours of cable TV news a day.

&quot;Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong!&quot; the US president wrote on Twitter.

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Another false story, this time in the Failing <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a>, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the &ldquo;dumbest man on television!&rdquo; Bad Reporting.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/940223974985871360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News,&quot; he added.

Trump then described CNN news anchor Don Lemon as a person &quot;I once called the &#39;dumbest man on television!&#39;&quot;

A lengthy New York Times story over the weekend, citing sources close to the president, says that Trump gets up early in the morning and immediately tunes into the cable TV news and commentary shows.

The former New York real estate magnate often fires off early morning tweets that react to cable TV news stories, often those on Fox News.

Trump, 71, is sensitive to criticism on the subject.

&quot;I do not watch much television,&quot; Trump told reporters on his recent trip to Vietnam.

&quot;I know they like to say -- people that don&#39;t know me -- they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources -- you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don&#39;t get to watch much television, primarily because of documents. I&#39;m reading documents a lot.&quot;

Later in the trip he complained that the only US cable TV news available to watch in the Philippines was CNN.

The allegation had been made by the New York Times

President Donald Trump on Monday denied a New York Times story on his daily White House life that says he watches up to eight hours of cable TV news a day. "Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong!" the US president wrote on Twitter. Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the “dumbest man on television!” Bad Reporting. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2017 × "Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News," he added. Trump then described CNN news anchor Don Lemon as a person "I once called the 'dumbest man on television!'" A lengthy New York Times story over the weekend, citing sources close to the president, says that Trump gets up early in the morning and immediately tunes into the cable TV news and commentary shows. The former New York real estate magnate often fires off early morning tweets that react to cable TV news stories, often those on Fox News. Trump, 71, is sensitive to criticism on the subject. "I do not watch much television," Trump told reporters on his recent trip to Vietnam. "I know they like to say -- people that don't know me -- they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources -- you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don't get to watch much television, primarily because of documents. I'm reading documents a lot." Later in the trip he complained that the only US cable TV news available to watch in the Philippines was CNN.

Trump says he does not watch 4-8 hours of TV every day

UN&nbsp;Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Sunday she believes any woman who has felt violated or mistreated by a man has every right to speak up, even if it is President Donald Trump they are accusing.

Accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior or misconduct have led to the resignations of three members of Congress this month. The growing wave of women reporting abuse or misconduct has brought down powerful men from Hollywood to Washington, from movie producer Harvey Weinstein to popular television personality Matt Lauer.

More than 10 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was president, and Trump, while filming a segment of the television program &quot;Access Hollywood,&quot; said he has kissed and groped women. The tape emerged during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Haley, discussing a cultural shift of women coming forward on the CBS &quot;Face the Nation&quot; program, applauded women who have come forward: &quot;I&#39;m proud of their strength. I&#39;m proud of their courage.&quot;

Asked how people should assess the accusers of the president, Haley said, it was &quot;the same thing.&quot;

&quot;Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with, and I think we heard them prior to the election,&quot; she said. &quot;I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way - they have every right to speak up.&quot;

Whether Trump&#39;s election settled the matter was &quot;for the people to decide,&quot; Haley said.

&quot;I know that he was elected but women should always feel comfortable coming forward and we should all be willing to listen to them.&quot;

'Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with, and I think we heard them prior to the election,' the US ambassador to the UN said

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Sunday she believes any woman who has felt violated or mistreated by a man has every right to speak up, even if it is President Donald Trump they are accusing. Accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior or misconduct have led to the resignations of three members of Congress this month. The growing wave of women reporting abuse or misconduct has brought down powerful men from Hollywood to Washington, from movie producer Harvey Weinstein to popular television personality Matt Lauer. More than 10 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was president, and Trump, while filming a segment of the television program "Access Hollywood," said he has kissed and groped women. The tape emerged during the 2016 presidential campaign. Haley, discussing a cultural shift of women coming forward on the CBS "Face the Nation" program, applauded women who have come forward: "I'm proud of their strength. I'm proud of their courage." Asked how people should assess the accusers of the president, Haley said, it was "the same thing." "Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with, and I think we heard them prior to the election," she said. "I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way - they have every right to speak up." Whether Trump's election settled the matter was "for the people to decide," Haley said. "I know that he was elected but women should always feel comfortable coming forward and we should all be willing to listen to them."

Nikki Haley: Women accusers should be heard, even if Trump is target

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard at Jerusalem&#39;s main bus station on Sunday, police said, and violence flared near the US&nbsp;Embassy in Beirut over US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

Four days of street protests in the Palestinian territories over Trump&#39;s announcement on Wednesday have largely died down, but his overturning of long-standing US&nbsp;policy on Jerusalem -- a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians -- drew more Arab warnings of potential damage to prospects for Middle East peace.

&quot;Our hope is that everything is calming down and that we are returning to a path of normal life without riots and without violence,&quot; Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Army Radio.

But in Jerusalem, a security guard was in critical condition after a 24-year-old Palestinian man from the occupied West Bank stabbed him after approaching a metal detector at an entrance to the city&#39;s central bus station, police said. The alleged assailant was taken into custody after a passer-by tackled him.

In Beirut, meanwhile, Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters, some of them waving Palestinian flags, near the US Embassy.

Demonstrators set fires in the street, torched US&nbsp;and Israeli flags and threw projectiles towards security forces that had barricaded the main road to the complex.

Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo on Saturday urged the United States to abandon its decision on Jerusalem and said the move would spur violence throughout the region.

Echoing that view, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates, said the US&nbsp;move &quot;could throw a lifebuoy to terrorist and armed groups, which have begun to lose ground&quot; in the Middle East.

Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory and say the status of the city should be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Israel says that all of Jerusalem is its capital, while Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

Gaza tunnel

Along Israel&#39;s tense frontier with the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military on Sunday destroyed what it described as a &quot;significant&quot; cross-border attack tunnel dug by the enclave&#39;s dominant Islamist group, Hamas.

There was no immediate comment on the demolition, which came as Palestinian factions tried to meet Sunday&#39;s deadline for an Egyptian-mediated handover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas after a decade&#39;s schism.

Pre-dawn Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed two Palestinian gunmen after militants fired rockets from the area into Israel on Friday.

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Sunday, thousands protested outside the US&nbsp;embassy, many waving banners saying &quot;Palestine is in our hearts&quot;.

Leaders in Indonesia, home to the world&#39;s largest Muslim population, have joined a global chorus of condemnation of Trump&#39;s announcement, including from Western allies.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, said that an approaching meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will complicate Trump&#39;s plans.

&quot;With the roadmap, we will create during the OIC meeting, we will show that the decision will not be easy to implement,&quot; he said on Sunday, adding that Turkey considers Trump&#39;s Jerusalem announcement as void.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to critics in a statement before talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, to be followed by a meeting with European foreign ministers in Brussels.

&quot;I hear (from Europe) voices of condemnation over President Trump&#39;s historic announcement, but I have not heard any condemnation for the rocket firing against Israel that has come (after the announcement) and the awful incitement against us,&quot; Netanyahu said.

The Trump administration has said it is still committed to reviving Palestinian-Israeli talks that collapsed in 2014.

It said Israel&#39;s capital would be in Jerusalem under any serious peace plan, adding that it has not taken a position with regard to the city&#39;s borders.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has said the Palestinians will be looking for a new peace talks broker instead of the United States and would seek a United Nations Security Council resolution over Trump&#39;s decision.

The man stabbed was a security guard. His attacker was a 24-year-old man from the occupied West Bank

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard at Jerusalem's main bus station on Sunday, police said, and violence flared near the US Embassy in Beirut over US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Four days of street protests in the Palestinian territories over Trump's announcement on Wednesday have largely died down, but his overturning of long-standing US policy on Jerusalem -- a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians -- drew more Arab warnings of potential damage to prospects for Middle East peace. "Our hope is that everything is calming down and that we are returning to a path of normal life without riots and without violence," Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Army Radio. But in Jerusalem, a security guard was in critical condition after a 24-year-old Palestinian man from the occupied West Bank stabbed him after approaching a metal detector at an entrance to the city's central bus station, police said. The alleged assailant was taken into custody after a passer-by tackled him. In Beirut, meanwhile, Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters, some of them waving Palestinian flags, near the US Embassy. Demonstrators set fires in the street, torched US and Israeli flags and threw projectiles towards security forces that had barricaded the main road to the complex. Arab foreign ministers who met in Cairo on Saturday urged the United States to abandon its decision on Jerusalem and said the move would spur violence throughout the region. Echoing that view, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates, said the US move "could throw a lifebuoy to terrorist and armed groups, which have begun to lose ground" in the Middle East. Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory and say the status of the city should be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks. Israel says that all of Jerusalem is its capital, while Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. Gaza tunnel Along Israel's tense frontier with the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military on Sunday destroyed what it described as a "significant" cross-border attack tunnel dug by the enclave's dominant Islamist group, Hamas. There was no immediate comment on the demolition, which came as Palestinian factions tried to meet Sunday's deadline for an Egyptian-mediated handover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas after a decade's schism. Pre-dawn Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed two Palestinian gunmen after militants fired rockets from the area into Israel on Friday. In the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Sunday, thousands protested outside the US embassy, many waving banners saying "Palestine is in our hearts". Leaders in Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, have joined a global chorus of condemnation of Trump's announcement, including from Western allies. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, said that an approaching meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will complicate Trump's plans. "With the roadmap, we will create during the OIC meeting, we will show that the decision will not be easy to implement," he said on Sunday, adding that Turkey considers Trump's Jerusalem announcement as void. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to critics in a statement before talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, to be followed by a meeting with European foreign ministers in Brussels. "I hear (from Europe) voices of condemnation over President Trump's historic announcement, but I have not heard any condemnation for the rocket firing against Israel that has come (after the announcement) and the awful incitement against us," Netanyahu said. The Trump administration has said it is still committed to reviving Palestinian-Israeli talks that collapsed in 2014. It said Israel's capital would be in Jerusalem under any serious peace plan, adding that it has not taken a position with regard to the city's borders. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has said the Palestinians will be looking for a new peace talks broker instead of the United States and would seek a United Nations Security Council resolution over Trump's decision.

Palestinian stabs Israeli in Jerusalem, anti-Trump protest flares in Beirut

&nbsp;A Washington Post reporter today had to tender an apology after US President Donald Trump asked him to do so for posting an erroneous tweet about his rally in Florida.

Dave Weigel, who covers politics for the newspaper, had posted a picture on his Twitter account which showed an empty arena when Trump was addressing a public meeting.

Trump, in a tweet, said, &quot;Weigel put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before he arrived at the venue, with thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology &amp; retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!&quot; said the US President as he posted pictures of the event.

Weigel apologised within minutes, and tweeted, &quot;Sure thing: I apologise. I deleted the photo after David Martosko of Daily Mail told me I&#39;d gotten it wrong. Was confused by the image of you walking in the bottom right corner.&quot;

Despite Weigel&#39;s apology, Trump in a follow-up tweet demanded that he be fired.

&quot;Weigel of the Washington Post just admitted that his picture was a FAKE (fraud?) showing an almost empty arena last night for my speech in Pensacola when, in fact, he knew the arena was packed (as shown also on TV). FAKE NEWS, he should be fired,&quot; he said.

Early in the morning, Trump targeted CNN for its alleged inaccurate reporting.

&quot;Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday. They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his &quot;mistake&quot;). Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence?&quot; he asked.

CNN, in another tweet, he said, is the &quot;least trusted name in news&quot;.

&quot;CNN&#39;s slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS. Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS!&quot; said the US President.

Trump has over 44 million followers on Twitter.&nbsp;

Dave Weigel, who covers politics for the newspaper, had posted a picture on his Twitter account which showed an empty arena when Trump was addressing a public meeting.

A Washington Post reporter today had to tender an apology after US President Donald Trump asked him to do so for posting an erroneous tweet about his rally in Florida. Dave Weigel, who covers politics for the newspaper, had posted a picture on his Twitter account which showed an empty arena when Trump was addressing a public meeting. Trump, in a tweet, said, "Weigel put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before he arrived at the venue, with thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!" said the US President as he posted pictures of the event. Weigel apologised within minutes, and tweeted, "Sure thing: I apologise. I deleted the photo after David Martosko of Daily Mail told me I'd gotten it wrong. Was confused by the image of you walking in the bottom right corner." Despite Weigel's apology, Trump in a follow-up tweet demanded that he be fired. "Weigel of the Washington Post just admitted that his picture was a FAKE (fraud?) showing an almost empty arena last night for my speech in Pensacola when, in fact, he knew the arena was packed (as shown also on TV). FAKE NEWS, he should be fired," he said. Early in the morning, Trump targeted CNN for its alleged inaccurate reporting. "Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday. They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his "mistake"). Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence?" he asked. CNN, in another tweet, he said, is the "least trusted name in news". "CNN's slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS. Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS!" said the US President. Trump has over 44 million followers on Twitter.

Trump attacks Washington Post reporter for 'fake news', he apologises

&nbsp;Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump&#39;s acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump&#39;s announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of U.S. policy towards the Middle East.

Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem has infuriated the Arab world and upset Western allies, who say it is a blow to peace efforts and risks sparking more violence in the region.

Israel maintains that all of Jerusalem is its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory, and say the status of the city should be left to be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Snub Pence

Meanwhile, it&#39;s learnt that&nbsp;Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region and there will be no communication between U.S. and Palestinian officials, Palestinian&nbsp;Foreign&nbsp;Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said on Saturday (December 9).

Maliki&#39;s comments were made before an&nbsp;Arab&nbsp;League meeting in Cairo to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and after Abbas said Washington could no longer be a peace broker.

Maliki added that the Palestinians will seek a U.N. Security Council resolution over Trump&#39;s decision.

Trump's recognition of Jerusalem has infuriated the Arab world and upset Western allies, who say it is a blow to peace efforts and risks sparking more violence in the region.

Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump's acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump's announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of U.S. policy towards the Middle East. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem has infuriated the Arab world and upset Western allies, who say it is a blow to peace efforts and risks sparking more violence in the region. Israel maintains that all of Jerusalem is its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. Most countries consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory, and say the status of the city should be left to be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks. Snub Pence Meanwhile, it's learnt that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region and there will be no communication between U.S. and Palestinian officials, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said on Saturday (December 9). Maliki's comments were made before an Arab League meeting in Cairo to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and after Abbas said Washington could no longer be a peace broker. Maliki added that the Palestinians will seek a U.N. Security Council resolution over Trump's decision.

Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a 'free' Jerusalem

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region and there will be no communication between US&nbsp;and Palestinian officials, Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said on Saturday.

Maliki comments were made before an Arab League meeting in Cairo to discuss President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and after Abbas said Washington could no longer be a peace broker.

&quot;We will seek a new mediator from our Arab brothers and the international community, a mediator who can help with reaching a two-state solution,&quot; Maliki told reporters in Cairo.

Riyad Al-Maliki's comments were made before an Arab League meeting in Cairo to discuss President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet US Vice President Mike Pence during his visit to the region and there will be no communication between US and Palestinian officials, Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said on Saturday. Maliki comments were made before an Arab League meeting in Cairo to discuss President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and after Abbas said Washington could no longer be a peace broker. "We will seek a new mediator from our Arab brothers and the international community, a mediator who can help with reaching a two-state solution," Maliki told reporters in Cairo.

Palestinian President Abbas won't meet US VP Pence: Foreign minister

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, renewing its description of him as a &quot;dotard&quot; in a statement released Saturday on state media.

Trump and North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North&#39;s missile and nuclear threats.

Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president&#39;s decision on Jerusalem, calling it a &quot;reckless, wicked act&quot;.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.

&quot;But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community&quot;, he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North.

Trump&#39;s declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies.

Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of &quot;fire and fury&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

Trump dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech, Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

According to the latest KCNA statement, the North &quot;strongly condemns&quot; the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed &quot;firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights&quot;.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act&quot;, it added.

Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, renewing its description of him as a "dotard" in a statement released Saturday on state media. Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North's missile and nuclear threats. Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president's decision on Jerusalem, calling it a "reckless, wicked act". "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency. "But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community", he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North. Trump's declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies. Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. Trump dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech, Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. According to the latest KCNA statement, the North "strongly condemns" the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed "firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights". "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act", it added.

North Korea condemns 'dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

President Trump&rsquo;s announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 6 that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel received widespread criticism. Observers quickly recognised the decision as related not so much to national security concerns as to domestic US politics and promises candidate Trump made to his evangelical supporters, who welcomed the announcement.

Historian Diana Butler Bass posted on Twitter:

<blockquote>
&ldquo;Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God&rsquo;s will to these Last Days.&rdquo;
</blockquote>

It is true that evangelicals have often noted that their support for Trump is based on their conviction that God can use the unlikeliest of men to enact his will. But how did conservative American Christians become invested in such a fine point of Middle East policy as to whether the US Embassy is in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?

For many of President Trump&rsquo;s evangelical supporters, this is a key step in the progression of events leading to the second coming of Jesus. There&rsquo;s an interesting story as to how that came to be.

Ushering in the kingdom of God

The nation of Israel and the role of the city of Jerusalem are central in the &ldquo;end-times&rdquo; theology &ndash; a form of what is known as &ldquo;pre-millennialism&rdquo; &ndash; embraced by many American conservative Protestants.

While this theology is often thought of as a &ldquo;literal&rdquo; reading of the Bible, it&rsquo;s actually a reasonably new interpretation that dates to the 19th century and relates to the work of Bible teacher John Nelson Darby.

According to Darby, for this to happen the Jewish people must have control of Jerusalem and build a third Jewish temple on the site where the first and second temples &ndash; destroyed centuries ago by the Babylonians and Romans &ndash; once were. In Darby&rsquo;s view, this was a necessary precursor to the rapture, when believers would be &ldquo;taken up&rdquo; by Christ to escape the worst of the seven-year-period of suffering and turmoil on Earth: The Great Tribulation. This is to be followed by the cosmic battle between good and evil called Armageddon at which Satan will be defeated and Christ will establish his earthly kingdom. All of this became eminently more possible when the modern state of Israel was established in the 1940s.

But to understand the power of this way of looking at the world, it is necessary to do more than point to theological tenets. It is their dissemination through the culture that determines which thought systems take hold and which ones are lost to history.

As an author of &ldquo;Building God&rsquo;s Kingdom,&rdquo; I focus on various aspects of conservative American Protestantism in American culture and politics. In my research, I have seen how some thought systems get lost in history and others take hold.

Here is what happened with the end-time narrative that made it a core undercurrent to how these Christians look at the world and history.

The origins of this narrative

The end-times framework was popularised in the 1970s with an inexpensive and widely available paperback by evangelist and Christian writer Hal Lindsey called &ldquo;The Late Great Planet Earth.&rdquo; Lindsey argued that the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s set up a chain of events that would lead to Jesus&rsquo;s return.

He calculated a date for that return in the 1980s. Lindsey, like many end-times prognosticators before him, argued that he lived in the &ldquo;first time in history&rdquo; when the biblical prophecies could possibly be fulfilled. This, he thought, was due in large part to the reestablishment of Israel.

Despite his claim to be reading the Bible literally, Lindsey&rsquo;s interpretation was far from literal. He said, for example, that the locusts predicted in one of the plagues in the book of Revelation were &ldquo;really&rdquo; helicopters.

As adults were reading Lindsey&rsquo;s book, a generation of young people watched an &ldquo;evangelistic&rdquo; film, &ldquo;A Thief in the Night,&rdquo; in church services and youth group meetings.

Beginning with an ominous ticking clock, the film begins at the rapture. It shows how all the faithful Christians suddenly disappeared. For those who remained, there was one more chance to accept the Gospel but that chance required living through extreme persecution. 
The film scared young people into conversion by depicting the experiences of these young Christians who were suffering because they had arrogantly dismissed warnings from their friends, families and churches to repent and had missed the rapture.

According to scholar Amy Frykholm, an estimated 50 million to 300 million people viewed &ldquo;A Thief in the Night.&rdquo;

The end-times and the culture wars

The use of popular media to spread a terrifying vision of the end of history to draw young people into repentance continued in the 1980s with the apocalyptic novels of Frank Peretti. The Peretti novels depicted a vibrant and active spiritual world in which cosmic forces of good and evil were vying for supremacy all around us.

As the book presented it, every person is obliged to play a part for one side or the other in very literal ways. This applies to all people: &ldquo;True Christians&rdquo; were meant to fight on God&rsquo;s side, and the rest on the side of Satan. The first of these was called &ldquo;This Present Darkness.&rdquo;

Though clearly recognised as fictional, these books were also perceived as &ldquo;real.&rdquo; For example, while the seat of the diabolical scheming was the fictional local college and the chief antagonist was a fictional professor, it wasn&rsquo;t lost on readers that they were to perceive colleges and professors as likely enemies.

The depiction of literal &ldquo;good guys&rdquo; and &ldquo;bad guys&rdquo; as regular people aligned with God and Satan, respectively, played into the increasingly divisive culture war battles of the time. These books were powerful and effective until a decade later when they were replaced in a popular Christian culture by the &ldquo;Left Behind&rdquo; series, co-authored by culture warrior Tim LaHaye.

These 16 books and four films, released over the course of a decade, also trace the lives of the late-coming believers who had missed the rapture and were now part of the &ldquo;Tribulation Force,&rdquo; as they endured the post-rapture world and sought to remain faithful despite persecution. The series&rsquo; successes included a New York Times best-seller, while seven others set sales records. The entire series sold more than 65 million copies.

It&rsquo;s impossible to overemphasise the effects of this framework on those within the circles of evangelicalism where it is popular. A growing number of young people who have left evangelicalism point to end-times theology as a key component of the subculture they left. They call themselves &ldquo;exvangelicals&rdquo; and label teachings like this as abusive.

It&rsquo;s hard to get away from the invocation of mythic narratives in American politics. They get used often and are invented and reinvented to be deployed at different times in history. While supporters and opponents of the Trump announcement agree that the results might be cataclysmic, some of the supporters are happy. That is because they are reading it through a lens that promises the return of Jesus and the establishment of God&rsquo;s kingdom.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-evangelical-supporters-welcome-his-move-on-jerusalem-88775" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Many American evangelicals believe that the establishment and protection of Israel set up a chain of the event for the return of Jesus.

President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 6 that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel received widespread criticism. Observers quickly recognised the decision as related not so much to national security concerns as to domestic US politics and promises candidate Trump made to his evangelical supporters, who welcomed the announcement. Historian Diana Butler Bass posted on Twitter: “Of all the possible theological dog-whistles to his evangelical base, this is the biggest. Trump is reminding them that he is carrying out God’s will to these Last Days.” It is true that evangelicals have often noted that their support for Trump is based on their conviction that God can use the unlikeliest of men to enact his will. But how did conservative American Christians become invested in such a fine point of Middle East policy as to whether the US Embassy is in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? For many of President Trump’s evangelical supporters, this is a key step in the progression of events leading to the second coming of Jesus. There’s an interesting story as to how that came to be. Ushering in the kingdom of God The nation of Israel and the role of the city of Jerusalem are central in the “end-times” theology – a form of what is known as “pre-millennialism” – embraced by many American conservative Protestants. While this theology is often thought of as a “literal” reading of the Bible, it’s actually a reasonably new interpretation that dates to the 19th century and relates to the work of Bible teacher John Nelson Darby. According to Darby, for this to happen the Jewish people must have control of Jerusalem and build a third Jewish temple on the site where the first and second temples – destroyed centuries ago by the Babylonians and Romans – once were. In Darby’s view, this was a necessary precursor to the rapture, when believers would be “taken up” by Christ to escape the worst of the seven-year-period of suffering and turmoil on Earth: The Great Tribulation. This is to be followed by the cosmic battle between good and evil called Armageddon at which Satan will be defeated and Christ will establish his earthly kingdom. All of this became eminently more possible when the modern state of Israel was established in the 1940s. But to understand the power of this way of looking at the world, it is necessary to do more than point to theological tenets. It is their dissemination through the culture that determines which thought systems take hold and which ones are lost to history. As an author of “Building God’s Kingdom,” I focus on various aspects of conservative American Protestantism in American culture and politics. In my research, I have seen how some thought systems get lost in history and others take hold. Here is what happened with the end-time narrative that made it a core undercurrent to how these Christians look at the world and history. The origins of this narrative The end-times framework was popularised in the 1970s with an inexpensive and widely available paperback by evangelist and Christian writer Hal Lindsey called “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Lindsey argued that the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s set up a chain of events that would lead to Jesus’s return. He calculated a date for that return in the 1980s. Lindsey, like many end-times prognosticators before him, argued that he lived in the “first time in history” when the biblical prophecies could possibly be fulfilled. This, he thought, was due in large part to the reestablishment of Israel. Despite his claim to be reading the Bible literally, Lindsey’s interpretation was far from literal. He said, for example, that the locusts predicted in one of the plagues in the book of Revelation were “really” helicopters. As adults were reading Lindsey’s book, a generation of young people watched an “evangelistic” film, “A Thief in the Night,” in church services and youth group meetings. Beginning with an ominous ticking clock, the film begins at the rapture. It shows how all the faithful Christians suddenly disappeared. For those who remained, there was one more chance to accept the Gospel but that chance required living through extreme persecution. The film scared young people into conversion by depicting the experiences of these young Christians who were suffering because they had arrogantly dismissed warnings from their friends, families and churches to repent and had missed the rapture. According to scholar Amy Frykholm, an estimated 50 million to 300 million people viewed “A Thief in the Night.” The end-times and the culture wars The use of popular media to spread a terrifying vision of the end of history to draw young people into repentance continued in the 1980s with the apocalyptic novels of Frank Peretti. The Peretti novels depicted a vibrant and active spiritual world in which cosmic forces of good and evil were vying for supremacy all around us. As the book presented it, every person is obliged to play a part for one side or the other in very literal ways. This applies to all people: “True Christians” were meant to fight on God’s side, and the rest on the side of Satan. The first of these was called “This Present Darkness.” Though clearly recognised as fictional, these books were also perceived as “real.” For example, while the seat of the diabolical scheming was the fictional local college and the chief antagonist was a fictional professor, it wasn’t lost on readers that they were to perceive colleges and professors as likely enemies. The depiction of literal “good guys” and “bad guys” as regular people aligned with God and Satan, respectively, played into the increasingly divisive culture war battles of the time. These books were powerful and effective until a decade later when they were replaced in a popular Christian culture by the “Left Behind” series, co-authored by culture warrior Tim LaHaye. These 16 books and four films, released over the course of a decade, also trace the lives of the late-coming believers who had missed the rapture and were now part of the “Tribulation Force,” as they endured the post-rapture world and sought to remain faithful despite persecution. The series’ successes included a New York Times best-seller, while seven others set sales records. The entire series sold more than 65 million copies. It’s impossible to overemphasise the effects of this framework on those within the circles of evangelicalism where it is popular. A growing number of young people who have left evangelicalism point to end-times theology as a key component of the subculture they left. They call themselves “exvangelicals” and label teachings like this as abusive. It’s hard to get away from the invocation of mythic narratives in American politics. They get used often and are invented and reinvented to be deployed at different times in history. While supporters and opponents of the Trump announcement agree that the results might be cataclysmic, some of the supporters are happy. That is because they are reading it through a lens that promises the return of Jesus and the establishment of God’s kingdom. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why Trump's supporters welcome his move on Jerusalem

I never thought I&#39;d be saying this, but Donald Trump, for once, is making sense. &quot;We cannot solve problems by making the same failed assumptions. Old problems need new solutions&quot;, he said.&nbsp; It was a pleasant change to see him sticking to the script. (It&#39;s time the world recognised the virtues of the teleprompter too!) Low on his trademark garbled rhetoric, more coherent. He declared his commitment to achieving peace, announcing the shift of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognised the latter as the capital of Israel.

Bad in law, unjust to the Palestinians, unfair on the part of a mediator, a blow to decades of US foreign policy, diplomatic arson, the kiss of death for peace - the naysayers have spared no effort in crafting the choicest expressions of criticism. And yet, the move makes sense.

Did anyone have illusions about where the American loyalties lay in this conflict? Others pretended to be fair, Trump wore his bias on his sleeve.

Did the so-called peace process make any tangible progress when America stuck to the previous strategy of maintaining a precarious balance? Previous Presidents failed. There&#39;s nothing to suggest that Trump&#39;s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner&#39;s efforts and visits had made any headway.

Will the Arab world and America&#39;s European allies do anything beyond the token protests? The EU is mulling pushing for the Palestinian capital in Jerusalem. Only, Jerusalem is under Israeli control and under the current circumstances, the idea is impractical.

The Arab League is meeting&nbsp;on Saturday, but it&#39;s going through the motions. The Sunni states, led by Saudi Arabia see Israel as a potential partner, no more a pariah, as they prepare to deal with the perceived threat from Iran. There are elements who care about the &quot;Palestinian cause&quot; but no Arab ally of Ramallah has offered more than lip service for a while now.

Protests have begun, there&#39;s a call for another intifada or uprising by Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. But can the decision of one sovereign nation to recognise the right of another sovereign nation to determine its capital be held hostage to threats of protests?

To Trump&#39;s credit, he has made good on an election promise that most of his predecessors broke. Yes, he undermines America&#39;s stature as a peace broker. Yes, it&#39;s a gamble. But it&#39;s a better bet than seven decades of a bloody status quo which, by the way, is also a misnomer. The American President promised an unconventional approach to policymaking and governance. He&#39;s doing it. Shifting the orbit. Jolting a system. If the gambit doesn&#39;t pay off, you cannot accuse him of not having tried.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Donald Trump is shifting the orbit. Jolting a system. If the gambit doesn't pay off, you cannot accuse him of not having tried.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but Donald Trump, for once, is making sense. "We cannot solve problems by making the same failed assumptions. Old problems need new solutions", he said. It was a pleasant change to see him sticking to the script. (It's time the world recognised the virtues of the teleprompter too!) Low on his trademark garbled rhetoric, more coherent. He declared his commitment to achieving peace, announcing the shift of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognised the latter as the capital of Israel. Bad in law, unjust to the Palestinians, unfair on the part of a mediator, a blow to decades of US foreign policy, diplomatic arson, the kiss of death for peace - the naysayers have spared no effort in crafting the choicest expressions of criticism. And yet, the move makes sense. Did anyone have illusions about where the American loyalties lay in this conflict? Others pretended to be fair, Trump wore his bias on his sleeve. Did the so-called peace process make any tangible progress when America stuck to the previous strategy of maintaining a precarious balance? Previous Presidents failed. There's nothing to suggest that Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner's efforts and visits had made any headway. Will the Arab world and America's European allies do anything beyond the token protests? The EU is mulling pushing for the Palestinian capital in Jerusalem. Only, Jerusalem is under Israeli control and under the current circumstances, the idea is impractical. The Arab League is meeting on Saturday, but it's going through the motions. The Sunni states, led by Saudi Arabia see Israel as a potential partner, no more a pariah, as they prepare to deal with the perceived threat from Iran. There are elements who care about the "Palestinian cause" but no Arab ally of Ramallah has offered more than lip service for a while now. Protests have begun, there's a call for another intifada or uprising by Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. But can the decision of one sovereign nation to recognise the right of another sovereign nation to determine its capital be held hostage to threats of protests? To Trump's credit, he has made good on an election promise that most of his predecessors broke. Yes, he undermines America's stature as a peace broker. Yes, it's a gamble. But it's a better bet than seven decades of a bloody status quo which, by the way, is also a misnomer. The American President promised an unconventional approach to policymaking and governance. He's doing it. Shifting the orbit. Jolting a system. If the gambit doesn't pay off, you cannot accuse him of not having tried. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump's orbit shift, this year in Jerusalem

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US&nbsp;recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator.

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US&nbsp;Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Major US&nbsp;allies came out against Trump&#39;s reversal of decades of US&nbsp;and broad international policy on Jerusalem.

France rejected the &quot;unilateral&quot; decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem&#39;s status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution.

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump&#39;s move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was &quot;an important step towards peace&quot; and it was &quot;our goal from Israel&#39;s first day&quot;.

He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump&#39;s example.

Trump upended decades of US&nbsp;policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East.

The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek.

Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the &quot;eternal capital of the State of Palestine&quot; and that Trump&#39;s move was &quot;tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator.&quot;

The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a &quot;flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people&quot;. Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to &quot;undermine US&nbsp;interests in the region&quot; and to &quot;shun Israel&quot;.

Protests broke out in parts of Jordan&#39;s capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman&#39;s outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. &quot;Down with America...America is the mother of terror,&quot; they chanted.

Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus&#39; traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem&#39;s Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness.

All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday.

Legally null decision

The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed &quot;with deep sorrow&quot; Trump&#39;s decision and warned of &quot;dangerous consequences of moving the US&nbsp;Embassy to Jerusalem&quot;.

The statement described the move as &quot;a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process&quot;, and urged the US&nbsp;administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will.

Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump&#39;s decision and said it did not change Jerusalem&#39;s disputed legal status.

Jordan said Trump&#39;s action was &quot;legally null&quot; because it consolidated Israel&#39;s occupation of East Jerusalem.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump&#39;s Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability.

Qatar&#39;s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump&#39;s undertaking was a &quot;death sentence for all who seek peace&quot; and called it &quot;a dangerous escalation&quot;.

Turkey said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

&quot;We call upon the US&nbsp;Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem,&quot; the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US&nbsp;consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate.

Iran &quot;seriously condemns&quot; Trump&#39;s move as it violates UN&nbsp;resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel&#39;s security.

In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump&#39;s action.

&quot;This can rock global security and stability,&quot; Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision.

British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump&#39;s embrace of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said.

However, May&#39;s spokesman welcomed Trump&#39;s stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump&#39;s &quot;unilateral&quot; move.

&quot;The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,&quot; Macron told reporters in Algiers.

&quot;France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states,&quot; he said.

&quot;For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue,&quot; he said.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks.

&quot;I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians,&quot; Guterres said. &quot;I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations.&quot;

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was 'an important step towards peace' and it was 'our goal from Israel's first day'.

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator. The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Major US allies came out against Trump's reversal of decades of US and broad international policy on Jerusalem. France rejected the "unilateral" decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem's status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution. Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was "an important step towards peace" and it was "our goal from Israel's first day". He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump's example. Trump upended decades of US policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East. The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek. Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine" and that Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator." The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people". Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine US interests in the region" and to "shun Israel". Protests broke out in parts of Jordan's capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman's outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. "Down with America...America is the mother of terror," they chanted. Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus' traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness. All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday. Legally null decision The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed "with deep sorrow" Trump's decision and warned of "dangerous consequences of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem". The statement described the move as "a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process", and urged the US administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will. Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump's decision and said it did not change Jerusalem's disputed legal status. Jordan said Trump's action was "legally null" because it consolidated Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump's Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability. Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump's undertaking was a "death sentence for all who seek peace" and called it "a dangerous escalation". Turkey said Trump's move was "irresponsible". "We call upon the US Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate. Iran "seriously condemns" Trump's move as it violates UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel's security. In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump's action. "This can rock global security and stability," Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision. British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump's embrace of Jerusalem as Israel's capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said. However, May's spokesman welcomed Trump's stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump's "unilateral" move. "The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations," Macron told reporters in Algiers. "France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states," he said. "For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks. "I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations."

Arabs, Europe, UN?reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

After a Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, a senior Palestine official said that United States Vice President Mike Pence was not welcome in Palestine.

&quot;The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine,&quot; Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas&#39;s Fatah party, AFP reported.

During Pence&#39;s visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president

Pence is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories&nbsp;before Christmas.

On Thursday, The White House warned that canceling a planned meeting between Abbas Pence in the wake of US policy shift on Jerusalem would be &quot;counterproductive.&quot;

United States President Donald trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital on Wednesday in a move that outraged Palestinian leaders, but which was hailed as historic by Israel.

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East have condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also said that Trump has disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict.

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

(With inputs from news agency)

During Pence's visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president

After a Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a senior Palestine official said that United States Vice President Mike Pence was not welcome in Palestine. "The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine," Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, AFP reported. During Pence's visit, Rajoub has also hinted that he would not meet with the vice president Pence is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before Christmas. On Thursday, The White House warned that canceling a planned meeting between Abbas Pence in the wake of US policy shift on Jerusalem would be "counterproductive." United States President Donald trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday in a move that outraged Palestinian leaders, but which was hailed as historic by Israel. Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East have condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also said that Trump has disqualified the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict. The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. (With inputs from news agency)

Palestinian official says US vice president 'not welcome'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dangles-middle-east-peace-plan-to-limit-jerusalem-outcry-26170">Trump dangles Middle East peace plan to limit Jerusalem outcry</a>

When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mattis-meeting-with-pakistan-leaders-was-to-find-common-ground-in-fight-against-terror-pentagon-chief-spokesperson-dana-white-26164">Mattis meeting with Pakistan leaders was to find common ground in fight against terror: Pentagon</a>

The meeting of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with the leaders of Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad early this week was to find common ground in the fight against terrorism, the Pentagon said today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168">Ronaldo pips Messi to win Ballon </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168">d&#39;&#39;Or</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168"> for joint-record fifth time</a>

Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democratic-us-senator-franken-says-he-will-resign-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations-26174">The Democratic US Senator Franken says he will resign over sexual misconduct allegations</a>

Democratic US Senator Al Franken announced his resignation from office on Thursday, bowing to pressure from party colleagues after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/banks-failed-to-evaluate-credit-worthiness-of-kingfisher-airlines-mallyas-team-26172">Banks failed to evaluate credit-worthiness of Kingfisher Airlines: Mallya&#39;s team</a>

An expert witness called by Vijay Mallya&#39;s defence team on Thursday described as &quot;superficial&quot; the processes employed by banks to grant loans totalling more than Rs 2,000 crore to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2009.

 
&nbsp;

Washington's major Western and Arab allies have warned that Trump's decision on Jerusalem could doom attempts to achieve what the U.S. president has called the ?ultimate deal? of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Trump dangles Middle East peace plan to limit Jerusalem outcry When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy. Mattis meeting with Pakistan leaders was to find common ground in fight against terror: Pentagon The meeting of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with the leaders of Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad early this week was to find common ground in the fight against terrorism, the Pentagon said today. Ronaldo pips Messi to win Ballon d''Or for joint-record fifth time Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times. The Democratic US Senator Franken says he will resign over sexual misconduct allegations Democratic US Senator Al Franken announced his resignation from office on Thursday, bowing to pressure from party colleagues after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him. Banks failed to evaluate credit-worthiness of Kingfisher Airlines: Mallya's team An expert witness called by Vijay Mallya's defence team on Thursday described as "superficial" the processes employed by banks to grant loans totalling more than Rs 2,000 crore to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2009.

WION Morning News Brief, December 8, 2017

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned regional powers against meddling in Lebanon at an international meeting aimed at fending off pressure on the fragile country from rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attended the talks in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose shock resignation last month - which he has since rescinded - sparked fears of a new crisis in the Middle East.

Opening the meeting, Macron said it was &quot;essential that all of the parties in Lebanon and regional actors respect the cardinal principle of non-interference&quot; in the affairs of other countries.

Representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt, were present for the show of support for Lebanon, which took place against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East.

Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

&quot;It complicates the peace process even more (between Israel and the Palestinians) and creates a new challenge to regional security,&quot; Hariri said in opening remarks at the meeting.

Macron added: &quot;None of the region&#39;s problems will be resolved by unilateral decisions or the strongest imposing their will.&quot;&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country, is suspected of having pressured Hariri, a longtime ally, to resign as part of its attempts to counter the growing influence of Iran, a Shia Muslim power.

The Saudi kingdom and other Arab states accuse Iran of using armed proxies such as Lebanon&#39;s powerful Hezbollah movement to advance its interests, from Lebanon to Yemen to Syria and Iraq.

In a televised resignation statement from Riyadh on November 4, Hariri accused Tehran and Hezbollah - which has ministers in Hariri&#39;s government - of destabilising his country and the region.&nbsp;

A Lebanese source close to Hariri told AFP that the premier travelled to Riyadh believing he was going to discuss economic projects but instead &quot;found himself faced with a list of economic sanctions brandished by the Saudis against Lebanon.&quot;

Hariri remained in Riyadh for two weeks afterwards, fuelling speculation that he was being held hostage.

Macron then intervened, inviting Hariri to Paris for talks, after which he returned home to a hero&#39;s welcome. Two weeks later, he withdrew his resignation.

The meeting ended with plans for three follow-up conferences: one in Paris in early 2018 on boosting investment in Lebanon; another in Rome on building up Lebanon`s regular army; and a third in Brussels on helping the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees that have fled there.

&quot;Lebanon&#39;s stability is not only crucial for its inhabitants but for the entire region,&quot; Macron said Friday, demanding that the sovereignty of the small multifaith country, long a proxy battleground between its bigger neighbours, be respected.

Hariri said the fragile stability enjoyed by his country, which neighbours Syria, &quot;appeared like a small miracle&quot; in a region torn by the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni conflicts.

&quot;The desire of all in Lebanon is to save our democracy,&quot; he said.

Riyadh&#39;s power play in Lebanon backfired, with the various Lebanese factions coming together in order to avoid a political breakdown.

Hariri announced Tuesday that he would stay on as premier after cabinet members - including from Hezbollah - issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to stay out of regional conflicts.

&quot;Lebanon will respect this principle of keeping its distance (from trouble beyond its borders). You will see,&quot; he vowed Friday, insisting there was &quot;no crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia&quot;.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the principle &quot;applied to all, both inside and outside (Lebanon).&quot;

The International Support Group for Lebanon was launched in September 2013 partly in response to the huge influx of refugees from Syria.

Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned regional powers against meddling in Lebanon at an international meeting aimed at fending off pressure on the fragile country from rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attended the talks in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose shock resignation last month - which he has since rescinded - sparked fears of a new crisis in the Middle East. Opening the meeting, Macron said it was "essential that all of the parties in Lebanon and regional actors respect the cardinal principle of non-interference" in the affairs of other countries. Representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt, were present for the show of support for Lebanon, which took place against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East. Hariri and Macron both emphasised their opposition to US President Donald Trump's announcement Wednesday that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. "It complicates the peace process even more (between Israel and the Palestinians) and creates a new challenge to regional security," Hariri said in opening remarks at the meeting. Macron added: "None of the region's problems will be resolved by unilateral decisions or the strongest imposing their will." Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country, is suspected of having pressured Hariri, a longtime ally, to resign as part of its attempts to counter the growing influence of Iran, a Shia Muslim power. The Saudi kingdom and other Arab states accuse Iran of using armed proxies such as Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement to advance its interests, from Lebanon to Yemen to Syria and Iraq. In a televised resignation statement from Riyadh on November 4, Hariri accused Tehran and Hezbollah - which has ministers in Hariri's government - of destabilising his country and the region. A Lebanese source close to Hariri told AFP that the premier travelled to Riyadh believing he was going to discuss economic projects but instead "found himself faced with a list of economic sanctions brandished by the Saudis against Lebanon." Hariri remained in Riyadh for two weeks afterwards, fuelling speculation that he was being held hostage. Macron then intervened, inviting Hariri to Paris for talks, after which he returned home to a hero's welcome. Two weeks later, he withdrew his resignation. The meeting ended with plans for three follow-up conferences: one in Paris in early 2018 on boosting investment in Lebanon; another in Rome on building up Lebanon`s regular army; and a third in Brussels on helping the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees that have fled there. "Lebanon's stability is not only crucial for its inhabitants but for the entire region," Macron said Friday, demanding that the sovereignty of the small multifaith country, long a proxy battleground between its bigger neighbours, be respected. Hariri said the fragile stability enjoyed by his country, which neighbours Syria, "appeared like a small miracle" in a region torn by the Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni conflicts. "The desire of all in Lebanon is to save our democracy," he said. Riyadh's power play in Lebanon backfired, with the various Lebanese factions coming together in order to avoid a political breakdown. Hariri announced Tuesday that he would stay on as premier after cabinet members - including from Hezbollah - issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to stay out of regional conflicts. "Lebanon will respect this principle of keeping its distance (from trouble beyond its borders). You will see," he vowed Friday, insisting there was "no crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia". French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the principle "applied to all, both inside and outside (Lebanon)." The International Support Group for Lebanon was launched in September 2013 partly in response to the huge influx of refugees from Syria.

President Macron warns against Middle East meddling at Lebanon conference

When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy.

Trump&rsquo;s phone call to Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, the day before he made his bombshell announcement on Jerusalem, appeared to shed new light on behind-the-scenes efforts by White House advisers to craft a peace blueprint expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2018 but which has now been thrown into doubt because of an angry outcry across the Middle East.

With Palestinians declaring it will be difficult for the United States to act as an honest broker after essentially siding with Israel on one of the central disputes in the conflict, administration officials said they expected a &ldquo;cooling-off period.&rdquo;

Trump&rsquo;s team, led by his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, will press on with the development of a plan to serve as the foundation for renewed Israeli&ndash;Palestinian negotiations, hoping the furore will blow over and that any pause in diplomatic contacts with the Palestinians will not last long, U.S. officials said.

But amid protests in the Palestinian territories and uncertainty about whether the Palestinians will stay engaged in the peace effort, one U.S. official said the process could still be disrupted.

&ldquo;If they are still saying they&rsquo;re not going to talk, we&rsquo;re not going to do it then,&rdquo; the official said.

Washington&#39;s major Western and Arab allies have warned that Trump&#39;s decision on Jerusalem could doom attempts to achieve what the U.S. president has called the &ldquo;ultimate deal&rdquo; of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Details of the negotiating framework have yet to be finalised and there is little indication of tangible progress.

But officials said it would deal with all the major issues, including Jerusalem, borders, security, the future of Jewish settlements on occupied land and the fate of Palestinian refugees, and would also call for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to provide significant financial support to the Palestinians.

In his call to Abbas on Tuesday, Trump sought to temper the blow from his Jerusalem announcement by stressing that the Palestinians stood to gain from the peace plan that Kushner and U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt were crafting, according to two U.S. and two Palestinian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 
Important settlement&nbsp;

Trump told Abbas, a Western-backed moderate, that the final peace blueprint would offer the Palestinians an important settlement that they would be pleased with, but did not provide specifics, the sources said.

Abbas told Trump in response that any peace process must result in the Palestinians having their capital in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally.

A senior U.S. official said Trump told Abbas he wanted to discuss the issues in person and invited him to visit the White House, although the timing was unclear.

Palestinians have grown increasingly concerned that any plan Trump unveils will shortchange them, a fear that deepened with Trump&rsquo;s formal endorsement of Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital, upending decades of U.S. policy that the ancient city&rsquo;s status must be decided in negotiations.

Jerusalem is home to sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Kushner, who had no government or diplomatic experience before joining his father-in-law&rsquo;s White House, has mostly kept his discussions under wraps.

U.S. officials say Kushner backed Trump&rsquo;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital and order the eventual relocation of the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv, although he was aware of the potential for complicating his peace efforts.

But one White House official said that because the peace effort had not yet led to negotiations between the two sides, Kushner&rsquo;s team believed the initial outcry over the Jerusalem decision could eventually be overcome.

The official said the plan, which he described as comprehensive and going beyond frameworks put forth by previous U.S. administrations, would likely be unveiled before the middle of next year.

A key test of keeping the peace efforts on track will be whether Abbas goes ahead with a scheduled meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region in mid-December. A senior Palestinian official said on Thursday that Pence was &ldquo;unwelcome in Palestine.&rdquo;

Trump, the officials said, had insisted that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital was not meant to prejudge the outcome of future negotiations on that issue or others between the two sides.

U.S. officials acknowledged that Trump&rsquo;s Jerusalem moves could also put a damper on cooperation from Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, which the administration is trying to enlist in the peace process.

They contended, however, that the broader Arab world was also concerned about keeping Trump involved in confronting Iran and fighting Islamic State militants and was therefore unlikely to remain disengaged for long from efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

One U.S. official said the Palestinians were in such a weak position that they would ultimately have no choice but to stay involved in U.S.-led peace efforts.

Another argument that Trump&rsquo;s aides will likely make to Palestinians is that having granted Israel recognition of its claim to Jerusalem, the U.S. leader might now have more leverage for seeking concessions later on from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. official said.

With Palestinians declaring it will be difficult for the United States to act as an honest broker after essentially siding with Israel on one of the central disputes in the conflict, administration officials said they expected a ?cooling-off period.?

When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy. Trump’s phone call to Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, the day before he made his bombshell announcement on Jerusalem, appeared to shed new light on behind-the-scenes efforts by White House advisers to craft a peace blueprint expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2018 but which has now been thrown into doubt because of an angry outcry across the Middle East. With Palestinians declaring it will be difficult for the United States to act as an honest broker after essentially siding with Israel on one of the central disputes in the conflict, administration officials said they expected a “cooling-off period.” Trump’s team, led by his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, will press on with the development of a plan to serve as the foundation for renewed Israeli–Palestinian negotiations, hoping the furore will blow over and that any pause in diplomatic contacts with the Palestinians will not last long, U.S. officials said. But amid protests in the Palestinian territories and uncertainty about whether the Palestinians will stay engaged in the peace effort, one U.S. official said the process could still be disrupted. “If they are still saying they’re not going to talk, we’re not going to do it then,” the official said. Washington's major Western and Arab allies have warned that Trump's decision on Jerusalem could doom attempts to achieve what the U.S. president has called the “ultimate deal” of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Details of the negotiating framework have yet to be finalised and there is little indication of tangible progress. But officials said it would deal with all the major issues, including Jerusalem, borders, security, the future of Jewish settlements on occupied land and the fate of Palestinian refugees, and would also call for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to provide significant financial support to the Palestinians. In his call to Abbas on Tuesday, Trump sought to temper the blow from his Jerusalem announcement by stressing that the Palestinians stood to gain from the peace plan that Kushner and U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt were crafting, according to two U.S. and two Palestinian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Important settlement Trump told Abbas, a Western-backed moderate, that the final peace blueprint would offer the Palestinians an important settlement that they would be pleased with, but did not provide specifics, the sources said. Abbas told Trump in response that any peace process must result in the Palestinians having their capital in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. A senior U.S. official said Trump told Abbas he wanted to discuss the issues in person and invited him to visit the White House, although the timing was unclear. Palestinians have grown increasingly concerned that any plan Trump unveils will shortchange them, a fear that deepened with Trump’s formal endorsement of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, upending decades of U.S. policy that the ancient city’s status must be decided in negotiations. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians. Kushner, who had no government or diplomatic experience before joining his father-in-law’s White House, has mostly kept his discussions under wraps. U.S. officials say Kushner backed Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and order the eventual relocation of the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv, although he was aware of the potential for complicating his peace efforts. But one White House official said that because the peace effort had not yet led to negotiations between the two sides, Kushner’s team believed the initial outcry over the Jerusalem decision could eventually be overcome. The official said the plan, which he described as comprehensive and going beyond frameworks put forth by previous U.S. administrations, would likely be unveiled before the middle of next year. A key test of keeping the peace efforts on track will be whether Abbas goes ahead with a scheduled meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region in mid-December. A senior Palestinian official said on Thursday that Pence was “unwelcome in Palestine.” Trump, the officials said, had insisted that U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was not meant to prejudge the outcome of future negotiations on that issue or others between the two sides. U.S. officials acknowledged that Trump’s Jerusalem moves could also put a damper on cooperation from Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, which the administration is trying to enlist in the peace process. They contended, however, that the broader Arab world was also concerned about keeping Trump involved in confronting Iran and fighting Islamic State militants and was therefore unlikely to remain disengaged for long from efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One U.S. official said the Palestinians were in such a weak position that they would ultimately have no choice but to stay involved in U.S.-led peace efforts. Another argument that Trump’s aides will likely make to Palestinians is that having granted Israel recognition of its claim to Jerusalem, the U.S. leader might now have more leverage for seeking concessions later on from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. official said.

Trump dangles Middle East peace plan to limit Jerusalem outcry

Germany&#39;s Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stated that the German government does not support President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

&quot;The German Government does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution,&quot; Merkel`s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a statement on Twitter.

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<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
More fallout from European allies: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says via government spokesman Steffen Seibert that Germany &#39;does not support&#39; position of the Trump administration on Jerusalem, whose &#39;status is to be settled as part of negotiations on a 2-state solution.&#39;
&mdash; Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) <a href="https://twitter.com/AymanM/status/938519021212794887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072" target="_blank">recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital</a> earlier on Wednesday. The United States of America became the first country in the world to identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Official announcements were made with respect to shifting the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here again, America becomes the first country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state.

(With inputs from Reuters)

US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier on Wednesday

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stated that the German government does not support President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "The German Government does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved in the framework of a two-state solution," Merkel`s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a statement on Twitter. More fallout from European allies: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says via government spokesman Steffen Seibert that Germany 'does not support' position of the Trump administration on Jerusalem, whose 'status is to be settled as part of negotiations on a 2-state solution.' — Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) December 6, 2017 × US President Donald Trump fulfilled one of its campaign promises and reversed decades-long US policy after recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier on Wednesday. The United States of America became the first country in the world to identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Official announcements were made with respect to shifting the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here again, America becomes the first country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state. (With inputs from Reuters)

Germany doesn't support Trump on Jerusalem, says Angela Merkel

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072">Trump </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072">recognises</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-recognises-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-sparks-firestorm-26072"> Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, sparks firestorm</a>

President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital Wednesday, prompting an almost universal diplomatic backlash and fears of new bloodshed in the Middle East.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indian-drone-invaded-airspace-crashed-china-state-agency-26078">Indian drone &#39;invaded&#39; airspace, crashed: China state agency</a>

China today said an Indian drone had &quot;invaded&quot; its airspace and crashed, its state-run news agency Xinhua reported. China&#39;s deputy director of the army&#39;s western theatre combat bureau was quoted as saying by Xinhua that the move &quot;violated China&#39;s territorial sovereignty.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hails-trumps-historic-declaration-palestinians-condemn-26079">Israel hails Trump&#39;s &#39;historic&#39; declaration, Palestinians condemn</a>

Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington&#39;s role as a peace mediator.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/military-must-be-kept-out-of-politics-says-army-chief-26076">Military must be kept out of politics, says army chief</a>

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday stressed that the military must be kept out of politics and said that unlike in the &quot;good old days&quot;, the army establishment was moving towards discussing politics which should be avoided.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/entertainment-priyanka-chopra-voted-sexiest-asian-in-uk-poll-tv-actress-nia-sharma-is-a-close-second-26075">Priyanka Chopra voted sexiest Asian in UK poll; TV actress Nia Sharma is a close second</a>

Priyanka Chopra has been voted the &quot;Sexiest Asian Woman&quot; in the world in an annual UK poll released here on Wednesday.

Trump's defiant move, making good on a core campaign pledge, ended seven decades of US ambiguity on the status of the Holy City, which is vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians.

Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparks firestorm President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, prompting an almost universal diplomatic backlash and fears of new bloodshed in the Middle East. Indian drone 'invaded' airspace, crashed: China state agency China today said an Indian drone had "invaded" its airspace and crashed, its state-run news agency Xinhua reported. China's deputy director of the army's western theatre combat bureau was quoted as saying by Xinhua that the move "violated China's territorial sovereignty." Israel hails Trump's 'historic' declaration, Palestinians condemn Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington's role as a peace mediator. Military must be kept out of politics, says army chief Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday stressed that the military must be kept out of politics and said that unlike in the "good old days", the army establishment was moving towards discussing politics which should be avoided. Priyanka Chopra voted sexiest Asian in UK poll; TV actress Nia Sharma is a close second Priyanka Chopra has been voted the "Sexiest Asian Woman" in the world in an annual UK poll released here on Wednesday.

WION News Brief, December 7, 2017

Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington&#39;s role as a peace mediator.

In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East.

Past US&nbsp;presidents have insisted that the status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions - must be decided in negotiations between the two sides.

Palestinian factions called a general strike on Thursday throughout the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas of Jerusalem and for rallies to be held at midday (1000 GMT) in protest at Trump&#39;s move, raising the chances of violent clashes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that Trump&#39;s decision had made for a &quot;historic day&quot; and was &quot;an important step towards peace&quot;.

He added that any peace deal with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and he urged other countries to follow the U.S. lead by also moving their embassies to the city.

He said there would be no change to access to Jerusalem&#39;s holy sites. &quot;Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.&quot;

But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator&quot; and declared Jerusalem as the &quot;eternal capital of the State of Palestine&quot;.

Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as its capital, a move not recognised internationally.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state which they want to establish in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

&quot;With this announcement, the American administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral agreements and resolutions and it has chosen to violate international consensus,&quot; Abbas said.

The move, he said, would serve &quot;the extremist groups which try to turn the conflict in our region into a religious war that will drag the region ... into international conflicts and endless wars.&quot;

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen since 2014. Trump&#39;s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading Trump&#39;s efforts to restart them but those efforts have shown little progress. Israel&#39;s West Bank settlement building has been one of the main obstacles.

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people&quot; and urged Arabs and Muslims to &quot;undermine the U.S.&#39;s interests in the region&quot; and to &quot;shun Israel.&quot;

In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East.

Israel hailed U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital on Wednesday, but the Palestinians condemned the move and said it diminished Washington's role as a peace mediator. In a landmark speech in Washington, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risked creating further unrest in the Middle East. Past US presidents have insisted that the status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions - must be decided in negotiations between the two sides. Palestinian factions called a general strike on Thursday throughout the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas of Jerusalem and for rallies to be held at midday (1000 GMT) in protest at Trump's move, raising the chances of violent clashes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that Trump's decision had made for a "historic day" and was "an important step towards peace". He added that any peace deal with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow the U.S. lead by also moving their embassies to the city. He said there would be no change to access to Jerusalem's holy sites. "Israel will always ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike." But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator" and declared Jerusalem as the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine". Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as its capital, a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state which they want to establish in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "With this announcement, the American administration has chosen to violate all international and bilateral agreements and resolutions and it has chosen to violate international consensus," Abbas said. The move, he said, would serve "the extremist groups which try to turn the conflict in our region into a religious war that will drag the region ... into international conflicts and endless wars." Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen since 2014. Trump's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading Trump's efforts to restart them but those efforts have shown little progress. Israel's West Bank settlement building has been one of the main obstacles. Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, said Trump's move was "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people" and urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine the U.S.'s interests in the region" and to "shun Israel."

Israel hails Trump's 'historic' declaration, Palestinians condemn

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of eight states on the 15-member body over U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, diplomats said on Wednesday.

The request for UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats.

Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday, generating outrage from Palestinians and defying warnings of Middle East unrest. Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city&#39;s eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally.

&quot;The UN&nbsp;has given Jerusalem a special legal and political status, which the Security Council has called upon the international community to respect. That is why we believe the Council needs to address this issue with urgency,&quot; Deputy Swedish U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau said on Wednesday.

A UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution adopted in December last year &quot;underlines that it will not recognise any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.&quot;

That resolution was approved with 14 votes in favour and an abstention by former U.S. President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, which defied heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and Trump for Washington to wield its veto.

After Trump spoke on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: &quot;I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.&quot;

&quot;In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,&quot; he said. &quot;I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations.&quot;

US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised Trump&#39;s decision as &quot;the just and right thing to do.&quot;

The request for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats.

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of eight states on the 15-member body over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, diplomats said on Wednesday. The request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats. Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday, generating outrage from Palestinians and defying warnings of Middle East unrest. Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally. "The UN has given Jerusalem a special legal and political status, which the Security Council has called upon the international community to respect. That is why we believe the Council needs to address this issue with urgency," Deputy Swedish U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau said on Wednesday. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in December last year "underlines that it will not recognise any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations." That resolution was approved with 14 votes in favour and an abstention by former U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which defied heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and Trump for Washington to wield its veto. After Trump spoke on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: "I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians." "In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B," he said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations." US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised Trump's decision as "the just and right thing to do."

UN Security Council to meet Friday on Jerusalem: Diplomats

President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., declined to discuss with lawmakers on Wednesday a conversation he had with his father about emails related to a June 2016 meeting he attended with Trump associates and Russians, a congressional panel member said.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee investigating allegations of Russian interference in last year&#39;s U.S. election, said Trump Jr. answered the &quot;overwhelming majority&quot; of questions from committee members in his hours of testimony.

But Trump Jr. claimed attorney-client privilege in declining to respond to queries about that discussion with his father because a lawyer was in the room when it took place. The discussion between then-Republican candidate Trump and his son took place after the emails became public, Schiff said. Trump Jr. released the emails in July.

&quot;In my view, there is no attorney-client privilege that protects a discussion between father and son,&quot; Schiff told reporters after the closed-door testimony had ended.

&quot;We will be following up with his counsel,&quot; Schiff said.

Representative Mike Conaway, the Republican leading the investigation, said Trump Jr. had answered all of his questions.

&quot;Mr. Trump was cooperative at all times,&quot; Conaway said.

Trump Jr. arrived and left without being seen by reporters.

Lawmakers said they want to question him about a meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York at which he had said he hoped to get information about the &quot;fitness, character and qualifications&quot; of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democrat who was his father&#39;s presidential election opponent.

It was at least the second time Trump Jr. has testified to a congressional committee investigating any Russian meddling in the election and possible collusion with Moscow by the Trump campaign.

He arrived shortly before 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) and was questioned for most of the next eight hours by members of the intelligence panel.

A person familiar with knowledge of Trump Jr&#39;s testimony said Trump had said repeatedly he did not remember things he was asked about, including some details about the information provided by Russians during the Trump Tower meeting.

Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating. He has announced the first charges of Trump associates, and Trump&#39;s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.

The House intelligence panel also released on Wednesday a transcript of testimony last week of Erik Prince, a Trump supporter and founder of the Blackwater military contractor. A focus of that testimony was a report that Prince tried to set up a &quot;back channel&quot; for communications between Trump associates and Russia. Prince denied such a plan.&nbsp;

Republicans criticise probes

Trump Jr.&#39;s appearance coincided with criticism of the Russia probes from some of his father&#39;s fellow Republicans, who control both houses of Congress and accuse investigators of bias against Trump. Other lawmakers, Republicans as well as Democrats, say the goal of the investigations is to guarantee the integrity of U.S. elections, not to target Trump and his associates.

Trump Jr., like his father, denies collusion with Russia. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 campaign to boost Trump&#39;s chances of defeating Clinton. Moscow denies any such effort.

Some Republicans criticized Mueller, the FBI and the Department of Justice at a news conference on Wednesday, ahead of congressional testimony on Thursday by the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray.

Republican House members accused the Justice Department and the FBI of bias against the president and having been too easy on Clinton during the investigation of her use of a private email server while leading the State Department.

However, Clinton has made no secret of her belief that then-FBI Director James Comey&#39;s announcement just before the election that the bureau was investigating potential new evidence in the lengthy email probe cost her the White House.

Also on Wednesday, Representative Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced a hearing next week with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, citing &quot;serious concerns&quot; about reports on the political motives of staff on Mueller&#39;s team.

It was at least the second time Trump Jr. has testified to a congressional committee investigating any Russian meddling in the election and possible collusion with Moscow by the Trump campaign

President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., declined to discuss with lawmakers on Wednesday a conversation he had with his father about emails related to a June 2016 meeting he attended with Trump associates and Russians, a congressional panel member said. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee investigating allegations of Russian interference in last year's U.S. election, said Trump Jr. answered the "overwhelming majority" of questions from committee members in his hours of testimony. But Trump Jr. claimed attorney-client privilege in declining to respond to queries about that discussion with his father because a lawyer was in the room when it took place. The discussion between then-Republican candidate Trump and his son took place after the emails became public, Schiff said. Trump Jr. released the emails in July. "In my view, there is no attorney-client privilege that protects a discussion between father and son," Schiff told reporters after the closed-door testimony had ended. "We will be following up with his counsel," Schiff said. Representative Mike Conaway, the Republican leading the investigation, said Trump Jr. had answered all of his questions. "Mr. Trump was cooperative at all times," Conaway said. Trump Jr. arrived and left without being seen by reporters. Lawmakers said they want to question him about a meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York at which he had said he hoped to get information about the "fitness, character and qualifications" of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democrat who was his father's presidential election opponent. It was at least the second time Trump Jr. has testified to a congressional committee investigating any Russian meddling in the election and possible collusion with Moscow by the Trump campaign. He arrived shortly before 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) and was questioned for most of the next eight hours by members of the intelligence panel. A person familiar with knowledge of Trump Jr's testimony said Trump had said repeatedly he did not remember things he was asked about, including some details about the information provided by Russians during the Trump Tower meeting. Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating. He has announced the first charges of Trump associates, and Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. The House intelligence panel also released on Wednesday a transcript of testimony last week of Erik Prince, a Trump supporter and founder of the Blackwater military contractor. A focus of that testimony was a report that Prince tried to set up a "back channel" for communications between Trump associates and Russia. Prince denied such a plan. Republicans criticise probes Trump Jr.'s appearance coincided with criticism of the Russia probes from some of his father's fellow Republicans, who control both houses of Congress and accuse investigators of bias against Trump. Other lawmakers, Republicans as well as Democrats, say the goal of the investigations is to guarantee the integrity of U.S. elections, not to target Trump and his associates. Trump Jr., like his father, denies collusion with Russia. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 campaign to boost Trump's chances of defeating Clinton. Moscow denies any such effort. Some Republicans criticized Mueller, the FBI and the Department of Justice at a news conference on Wednesday, ahead of congressional testimony on Thursday by the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray. Republican House members accused the Justice Department and the FBI of bias against the president and having been too easy on Clinton during the investigation of her use of a private email server while leading the State Department. However, Clinton has made no secret of her belief that then-FBI Director James Comey's announcement just before the election that the bureau was investigating potential new evidence in the lengthy email probe cost her the White House. Also on Wednesday, Representative Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced a hearing next week with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, citing "serious concerns" about reports on the political motives of staff on Mueller's team.

Trump's eldest son questioned in US Congress about Russia

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25983" target="_blank">Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital</a>

A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America&#39;s allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/plot-to-kill-british-pm-may-foiled-report-25987" target="_blank">Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report</a>

Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa&rsquo;imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/the-international-olympic-committee-bans-russia-from-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-25984" target="_blank">Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics</a>

The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/three-men-charged-with-maltese-journalists-murder-25986" target="_blank">Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing</a>

Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta&#39;s most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/special-counsel-robert-mueller-asks-for-trumps-deutsche-bank-records-25989" target="_blank">Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump&#39;s Deutsche Bank records</a>

German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America's allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham. Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta's most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption. Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump's Deutsche Bank records German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

WION morning news brief, December 6, 2017

President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East.

Senior U.S. officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move.

U.S. endorsement of Israel&#39;s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city&#39;s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region.

The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Netanyahu&#39;s office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trump&#39;s decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. &quot;The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point,&quot; she said, declining to provide details.

Trump notified Abbas &quot;of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,&quot; Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said.

Abbas, in response, &quot;warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world&quot; and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene.

The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have &quot;dangerous repercussions&quot; for the region and would obstruct U.S. efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement.

King Salman stressed to Trump that any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem would &quot;inflame Muslim feelings all over the world,&rdquo; the Saudi Press Agency said.

None of the leaders` statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close U.S. ally.

But U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said.

The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one U.S. official.

Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem.

Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally.

A big mistake 

Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with U.S. officials in Washington, told Israel`s Army Radio: &quot;My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel.&rdquo;

Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: &quot;We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake.&rdquo;

Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment.

Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: &quot;A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the president`s decision.&quot;

Senior U.S. officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region.&nbsp;

Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkey&#39;s threat and reiterate Israel`s position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians.

A U.S. official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against U.S. interests in the Middle East.

It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trump`s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the &quot;ultimate deal.&quot; The initiative has made little progress.

The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump &quot;reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks&quot; and &quot;underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner.&quot;&nbsp;

Arab criticism of Trump&#39;s plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washington`s traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obama&rsquo;s distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran.

The European Union&#39;s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that &quot;any action that would undermine&quot; peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians &quot;must absolutely be avoided.&quot;

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has &ldquo;consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution,&rdquo;

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

The decision breaks with decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East

President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East. Senior U.S. officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. U.S. endorsement of Israel's claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city's status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region. The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trump's decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. "The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point," she said, declining to provide details. Trump notified Abbas "of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Abbas, in response, "warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world" and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene. The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have "dangerous repercussions" for the region and would obstruct U.S. efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement. King Salman stressed to Trump that any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem would "inflame Muslim feelings all over the world,” the Saudi Press Agency said. None of the leaders` statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close U.S. ally. But U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said. The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one U.S. official. Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally. A big mistake Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with U.S. officials in Washington, told Israel`s Army Radio: "My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel.” Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: "We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake.” Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment. Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: "A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the president`s decision." Senior U.S. officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region. Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem. Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkey's threat and reiterate Israel`s position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. A U.S. official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against U.S. interests in the Middle East. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trump`s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the "ultimate deal." The initiative has made little progress. The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump "reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks" and "underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner." Arab criticism of Trump's plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washington`s traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obama’s distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran. The European Union's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that "any action that would undermine" peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians "must absolutely be avoided." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Trump tells Arab, Israeli leaders he plans to move embassy to Jerusalem

&nbsp;US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a &quot;key role&quot; despite doubts over his future.

Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc&#39;s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea&#39;s missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia.

But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington.

And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States.

&quot;Last week&#39;s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range,&quot; Stoltenberg said yesterday.

&quot;The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution.&quot;

He said the 29-member alliance had been &quot;clear and consistent&quot; in its condemnation of Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions.

The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far.

But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic&#39;s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic.

Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out.

European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement.

&quot;Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe,&quot; Mogherini said on Friday.

Tillerson&#39;s Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: &quot;I call the final shots.&quot;

Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson&#39;s efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was &quot;wasting his time&quot; pursuing contacts with Pyongyang.

&quot;Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution,&quot; Stoltenberg said.

Tillerson has dismissed as &quot;laughable&quot; reports that Trump&#39;s closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Rex Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a "key role" despite doubts over his future. Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia. But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington. And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States. "Last week's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range," Stoltenberg said yesterday. "The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution." He said the 29-member alliance had been "clear and consistent" in its condemnation of Pyongyang's weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions. The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far. But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic. Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out. European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement. "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe," Mogherini said on Friday. Tillerson's Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: "I call the final shots." Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson's efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was "wasting his time" pursuing contacts with Pyongyang. "Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution," Stoltenberg said. Tillerson has dismissed as "laughable" reports that Trump's closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Tillerson to meet EU, NATO leaders to discuss North Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-top-court-lets-trumps-latest-travel-ban-go-into-full-effect-25872">US Supreme Court lets Trump&#39;s latest travel ban go into full effect</a>

The US Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-commence-final-hearing-on-ayodhya-dispute-from-today-25881">Supreme Court to commence final hearing </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-commence-final-hearing-on-ayodhya-dispute-from-today-25881">in</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-commence-final-hearing-on-ayodhya-dispute-from-today-25881"> Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute today</a>

The Supreme Court is likely to commence its final hearing in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute from today, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.

<a href="http://Sharad Yadav, Anwar Ali disqualified from Rajya Sabha">Sharad Yadav, Anwar Ali disqualified from Rajya Sabha</a>

Rebel JD(U) Members of Parliament (MPs) Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on Monday night after the Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu agreed to the Janata Dal (United)&#39;s contention that the two senior leaders had &quot;voluntarily given up&quot; their membership by defying their party&#39;s directives and attending events of opposition parties.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/10000-google-staff-set-to-police-youtube-content-chief-executive-susan-wojcicki-25873" target="_blank">10,000 Google staff to police YouTube content</a>

Google has said it will deploy, by 2018, a total of 10,000 people to hunt down content on YouTube that is extremist or could endanger children, media reports said. &nbsp;

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki admitted to Britain&#39;s Daily Telegraph that &ldquo;bad actors are exploiting&rdquo; the video-sharing site to &ldquo;mislead, manipulate, harass or even harm&rdquo;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-delays-jerusalem-verdict-as-pressure-mounts-25874">Trump delays decision to move US embassy to Jerusalem</a>

Facing dark warnings of a historic misstep and widespread unrest, US President Donald Trump on Monday delayed a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and move the US embassy there.

US defence secretary Mattis asks Pakistan to &#39;redouble efforts to confront terrorists&#39;

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday asked Pakistan&#39;s civilian and military leaders to &quot;redouble&quot; their efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country.

US Supreme Court lets Trump's latest travel ban go into full effect The US Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts. Supreme Court to commence final hearing in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute today The Supreme Court is likely to commence its final hearing in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute from today, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure. Sharad Yadav, Anwar Ali disqualified from Rajya Sabha Rebel JD(U) Members of Parliament (MPs) Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on Monday night after the Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu agreed to the Janata Dal (United)'s contention that the two senior leaders had "voluntarily given up" their membership by defying their party's directives and attending events of opposition parties. 10,000 Google staff to police YouTube content Google has said it will deploy, by 2018, a total of 10,000 people to hunt down content on YouTube that is extremist or could endanger children, media reports said. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki admitted to Britain's Daily Telegraph that “bad actors are exploiting” the video-sharing site to “mislead, manipulate, harass or even harm”. Trump delays decision to move US embassy to Jerusalem Facing dark warnings of a historic misstep and widespread unrest, US President Donald Trump on Monday delayed a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and move the US embassy there. US defence secretary Mattis asks Pakistan to 'redouble efforts to confront terrorists' US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday asked Pakistan's civilian and military leaders to "redouble" their efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country.

WION morning news brief, November 5, 2017

The US&nbsp;Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts.

The nine-member court, with two liberal justices dissenting, granted his administration&#39;s request to lift two injunctions imposed by lower courts that had partially blocked the ban, which is the third version of a contentious policy that Trump first sought to implement a week after taking office in January.&nbsp;

The high court&#39;s action means that the ban will now go fully into effect for people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. The Republican president has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by Islamic militants.&nbsp;

In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the Supreme Court`s action &quot;a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people.&quot; Sessions said the Trump administration was heartened that a clear majority of the justices &quot;allowed the president`s lawful proclamation protecting our country`s national security to go into full effect.&quot;

The ban was challenged in separate lawsuits by the state of Hawaii and the American Civil Liberties Union. Both sets of challengers said the latest ban, like the earlier ones, discriminates against Muslims in violation of the US&nbsp;Constitution and is not permissible under immigration laws.&nbsp;

Trump had promised as a candidate to impose &quot;a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.&quot; Last week he shared on Twitter anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British party leader.

&quot;President Trump&#39;s anti-Muslim prejudice is no secret - he has repeatedly confirmed it, including just last week on Twitter,&quot; ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat said.

&quot;It&#39;s unfortunate that the full ban can move forward for now, but this order does not address the merits of our claims. We continue to stand for freedom, equality and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones,&quot; Jadwat added.

Lower courts had previously limited the scope of the ban to people without either certain family connections to the United States or formal relationships with US-based entities such as universities and resettlement agencies.

Trump&#39;s ban also covers people from North Korea and certain government officials from Venezuela, but the lower courts had already allowed those provisions to go into effect.

The high court said in two similar one-page orders that lower court rulings that partly blocked the latest ban should be put on hold while federal appeals courts in San Francisco and Richmond, Virginia weigh the cases. Both courts are due to hear arguments in those cases this week.

The Supreme Court said the ban will remain in effect regardless of what the appeals courts rule, at least until the justices ultimately decide whether to take up the issue on the merits, which they are highly likely to do. The court&#39;s order said the appeals courts should decide the cases &quot;with appropriate dispatch.&quot;

&quot;We agree a speedy resolution is needed for the sake of our universities, our businesses and most of all, for people marginalized by this unlawful order,&quot; Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have denied the administration&#39;s request.

Strong signal&nbsp;

Monday&#39;s action sent a strong signal that the court is likely to uphold the ban on the merits when the case likely returns to the justices in the coming months. 
 
There are some exceptions to the ban. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and any applicant can ask for an individual waiver.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on the merits of Hawaii`s challenge on Wednesday in Seattle. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will arguments on the merits of case spearheaded by the ACLU on Friday in Richmond.

Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, then issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts. The second one expired in September after a long court fight and was replaced with the present version.

The Trump administration said the president put the latest restrictions in place after a worldwide review of the ability of each country in the world to issue reliable passports and share data with the United States.

The administration argues that a president has broad authority to decide who can come into the United States, but detractors say the expanded ban violates a law forbidding the government from discriminating based on nationality when issuing immigrant visas.

The administration has said the ban is not discriminatory and pointed out that many Muslim-majority countries are unaffected by it. 
&nbsp;

The nine-member court, with two liberal justices dissenting, granted his administration`s request to lift two injunctions imposed by lower courts

The US Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts. The nine-member court, with two liberal justices dissenting, granted his administration's request to lift two injunctions imposed by lower courts that had partially blocked the ban, which is the third version of a contentious policy that Trump first sought to implement a week after taking office in January. The high court's action means that the ban will now go fully into effect for people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. The Republican president has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by Islamic militants. In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the Supreme Court`s action "a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people." Sessions said the Trump administration was heartened that a clear majority of the justices "allowed the president`s lawful proclamation protecting our country`s national security to go into full effect." The ban was challenged in separate lawsuits by the state of Hawaii and the American Civil Liberties Union. Both sets of challengers said the latest ban, like the earlier ones, discriminates against Muslims in violation of the US Constitution and is not permissible under immigration laws. Trump had promised as a candidate to impose "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." Last week he shared on Twitter anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British party leader. "President Trump's anti-Muslim prejudice is no secret - he has repeatedly confirmed it, including just last week on Twitter," ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat said. "It's unfortunate that the full ban can move forward for now, but this order does not address the merits of our claims. We continue to stand for freedom, equality and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones," Jadwat added. Lower courts had previously limited the scope of the ban to people without either certain family connections to the United States or formal relationships with US-based entities such as universities and resettlement agencies. Trump's ban also covers people from North Korea and certain government officials from Venezuela, but the lower courts had already allowed those provisions to go into effect. The high court said in two similar one-page orders that lower court rulings that partly blocked the latest ban should be put on hold while federal appeals courts in San Francisco and Richmond, Virginia weigh the cases. Both courts are due to hear arguments in those cases this week. The Supreme Court said the ban will remain in effect regardless of what the appeals courts rule, at least until the justices ultimately decide whether to take up the issue on the merits, which they are highly likely to do. The court's order said the appeals courts should decide the cases "with appropriate dispatch." "We agree a speedy resolution is needed for the sake of our universities, our businesses and most of all, for people marginalized by this unlawful order," Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have denied the administration's request. Strong signal Monday's action sent a strong signal that the court is likely to uphold the ban on the merits when the case likely returns to the justices in the coming months. There are some exceptions to the ban. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and any applicant can ask for an individual waiver. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on the merits of Hawaii`s challenge on Wednesday in Seattle. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will arguments on the merits of case spearheaded by the ACLU on Friday in Richmond. Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, then issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts. The second one expired in September after a long court fight and was replaced with the present version. The Trump administration said the president put the latest restrictions in place after a worldwide review of the ability of each country in the world to issue reliable passports and share data with the United States. The administration argues that a president has broad authority to decide who can come into the United States, but detractors say the expanded ban violates a law forbidding the government from discriminating based on nationality when issuing immigrant visas. The administration has said the ban is not discriminatory and pointed out that many Muslim-majority countries are unaffected by it.

US Supreme Court lets Trump's latest travel ban go into full effect

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