White House strategist Steve Bannon argued forcefully in an interview published Wednesday that the United States is in an &quot;economic war&quot; with China, and the confrontation with nuclear-armed North Korea is just &quot;a sideshow.&quot;

&quot;To me the economic war with China is everything. And we have to be maniacally focused on that,&quot; he said in the interview with the American Prospect, a left-leaning website.

&quot;If we continue to lose it, we&#39;re five years away, I think, ten years at the most, of hitting an inflection point from which we&#39;ll never be able to recover,&quot; he said.

Bannon, an economic nationalist and former CEO of the extreme-right Breitbart news website, is reported to be on shaky ground with President Donald Trump, who gave him only a tepid endorsement this week.

But in a frank, freewheeling telephone interview with American Prospect editor Robert Kuttner, Bannon talked about the infighting in the White House, now engulfed in a storm over Trump&#39;s defensive response to deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia.

&#39;Collection of clowns&#39;

Far from defending Trump, Bannon spoke with disdain about the white nationalist movement he helped cultivate as a former head of Breitbart.

&quot;Ethno-nationalism -- it&#39;s losers. It&#39;s a fringe element. I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more,&quot; he was quoted as saying.

&quot;These guys are a collection of clowns.&quot;

Bannon also was dismissive of Trump&#39;s vow to bring down &quot;fire and fury&quot; on North Korea if it continued to threaten the United States with missiles and nuclear weapons.

&quot;There&#39;s no military solution [to North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear threats], forget it,&quot; he said. &quot;Until somebody solves the part of the equation that shows me that ten million people in Seoul don&#39;t die in the first 30 minutes from conventional weapons, I don&#39;t know what you&#39;re talking about, there&#39;s no military solution here, they got us.&quot;

According to Kuttner&#39;s account, Bannon described his fight within the administration to take a harder line against China&#39;s trade practices, and not fall into the trap of hoping China would play the role of honest broker in restraining North Korea.

&quot;We&#39;re at economic war with China,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s in all their literature. They&#39;re not shy about saying what they&#39;re doing.&quot;

&quot;One of us is going to be a hegemon in 25 or 30 years and it&#39;s gonna be them if we go down this path. On Korea, they&rsquo;re just tapping us along. It&#39;s just a sideshow.&quot;

Of his adversaries in the State Department and Defense who want to enlist China&#39;s help Bannon said &quot;they&#39;re wetting themselves.&quot;

&quot;We gotta do this. The president&#39;s default position is to do it, but the apparatus is going crazy. Don&#39;t get me wrong. It&#39;s like, every day.&quot;

Bannon also was dismissive of Trump's vow to bring down 'fire and fury' on North Korea if it continued to threaten the United States with missiles and nuclear weapons

White House strategist Steve Bannon argued forcefully in an interview published Wednesday that the United States is in an "economic war" with China, and the confrontation with nuclear-armed North Korea is just "a sideshow." "To me the economic war with China is everything. And we have to be maniacally focused on that," he said in the interview with the American Prospect, a left-leaning website. "If we continue to lose it, we're five years away, I think, ten years at the most, of hitting an inflection point from which we'll never be able to recover," he said. Bannon, an economic nationalist and former CEO of the extreme-right Breitbart news website, is reported to be on shaky ground with President Donald Trump, who gave him only a tepid endorsement this week. But in a frank, freewheeling telephone interview with American Prospect editor Robert Kuttner, Bannon talked about the infighting in the White House, now engulfed in a storm over Trump's defensive response to deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia. 'Collection of clowns' Far from defending Trump, Bannon spoke with disdain about the white nationalist movement he helped cultivate as a former head of Breitbart. "Ethno-nationalism -- it's losers. It's a fringe element. I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more," he was quoted as saying. "These guys are a collection of clowns." Bannon also was dismissive of Trump's vow to bring down "fire and fury" on North Korea if it continued to threaten the United States with missiles and nuclear weapons. "There's no military solution [to North Korea’s nuclear threats], forget it," he said. "Until somebody solves the part of the equation that shows me that ten million people in Seoul don't die in the first 30 minutes from conventional weapons, I don't know what you're talking about, there's no military solution here, they got us." According to Kuttner's account, Bannon described his fight within the administration to take a harder line against China's trade practices, and not fall into the trap of hoping China would play the role of honest broker in restraining North Korea. "We're at economic war with China," he said. "It's in all their literature. They're not shy about saying what they're doing." "One of us is going to be a hegemon in 25 or 30 years and it's gonna be them if we go down this path. On Korea, they’re just tapping us along. It's just a sideshow." Of his adversaries in the State Department and Defense who want to enlist China's help Bannon said "they're wetting themselves." "We gotta do this. The president's default position is to do it, but the apparatus is going crazy. Don't get me wrong. It's like, every day."

US in economic war with China: Trump strategist Steve Bannon

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was &quot;far worse than you realise&quot;, and sending in more troops would be self-destructive.

A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president&#39;s deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan.

&quot;Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might,&quot; the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter.

It criticised the Afghan government as &quot;stooges&quot;, &quot;lying, corrupt leaders&quot; and &quot;repulsive sellouts&quot; who were providing Washington with &quot;rosy pictures&quot; of the military position.

The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan.

&quot;The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!&quot; the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties.

The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an &quot;enduring&quot; US military presence in Afghanistan.

But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was &quot;very, very close&quot; to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved.

&quot;We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan,&quot; the Taliban told Trump.

&quot;A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges.&quot;

Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the &quot;Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war,&quot; one Taliban official said.

The first official said the Taliban was open to &quot;discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan&quot; if American troops are withdrawn.

&quot;Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation,&quot; the Taliban letter said.

&quot;The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors.&quot;

The Taliban warned Trump that the military situation in Afghanistan was 'far worse than you realise', and sending in more troops would be self-destructive

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was "far worse than you realise", and sending in more troops would be self-destructive. A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president's deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan. "Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might," the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter. It criticised the Afghan government as "stooges", "lying, corrupt leaders" and "repulsive sellouts" who were providing Washington with "rosy pictures" of the military position. The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan. "The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!" the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties. The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an "enduring" US military presence in Afghanistan. But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was "very, very close" to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved. "We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan," the Taliban told Trump. "A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges." Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the "Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war," one Taliban official said. The first official said the Taliban was open to "discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan" if American troops are withdrawn. "Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation," the Taliban letter said. "The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors."

Afghan Taliban warns Trump against sending in more troops

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korea&#39;s leader for backing off on plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam.

&quot;Kim Jong-Un of North Korea made a very wise and well-reasoned decision.The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision. The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/897784898865553409">August 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump stunned the world last week by warning North Korea it faced &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it continued to threaten the US or its allies with its ballistic missile program. His impromptu comments while on vacation in New Jersey were interpreted as raising the prospect of a US nuclear attack against North Korea.

The unpredictable and isolated North Korean leader on Tuesday had been briefed by his missile forces on a &quot;plan for an enveloping fire at Guam,&quot; according to the North&#39;s official KCNA news agency.

But afterward, according to KCNA, he decided to postpone the operation to &quot;watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees&quot; and not to go ahead unless the US commits more &quot;reckless actions.&quot;

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said after Kim postponed the threat that Washington remains ready for talks.

But he added that would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin.

Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Donald Trump has exhorted China to strong arm its diplomatic ally into dropping its rogue weapons programmes.

China, which is Pyongyang&#39;s main economic partner, announced this week that it was banning imports of iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from North Korea in accordance with new United Nations sanctions.

Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korea's leader for backing off on plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam. "Kim Jong-Un of North Korea made a very wise and well-reasoned decision.The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision. The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2017 × Trump stunned the world last week by warning North Korea it faced "fire and fury" if it continued to threaten the US or its allies with its ballistic missile program. His impromptu comments while on vacation in New Jersey were interpreted as raising the prospect of a US nuclear attack against North Korea. The unpredictable and isolated North Korean leader on Tuesday had been briefed by his missile forces on a "plan for an enveloping fire at Guam," according to the North's official KCNA news agency. But afterward, according to KCNA, he decided to postpone the operation to "watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees" and not to go ahead unless the US commits more "reckless actions." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said after Kim postponed the threat that Washington remains ready for talks. But he added that would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin. Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports. The administration of US President Donald Trump has exhorted China to strong arm its diplomatic ally into dropping its rogue weapons programmes. China, which is Pyongyang's main economic partner, announced this week that it was banning imports of iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from North Korea in accordance with new United Nations sanctions.

Trump praises Kim Jong-Un's 'wise' decision to halt Guam missile test

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump on Saturday to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions with North Korea as an escalating war of words raised global alarm.

Xi made the plea in a phone call hours after Trump ramped up his warnings to Pyongyang, saying the Stalinist regime would &quot;truly regret&quot; taking hostile action against the United States.

The White House said in a statement that the two leaders &quot;agreed North Korea must stop provocative and escalatory behaviour&quot; and that they are both committed to the denuclearisation of the peninsula.

But the Chinese foreign ministry said Xi urged Trump to avoid &quot;words and deeds&quot; that would &quot;exacerbate&quot; the already-tense situation, exercise restraint and seek a political settlement.

Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead.

The Republican billionaire has progressively ramped up the tone throughout the week and on Friday declared that the US military is &quot;locked and loaded.&quot;&nbsp;

In a call with Guam Governor Eddie Calvo on Friday, Trump said the US military is prepared to &quot;ensure the safety and security of the people of Guam&quot; in response to Pyongyang&#39;s plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory.

Japanese media said Tokyo was deploying its Patriot missile defence system following Pyongyang&#39;s threat to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards Guam.

&#39;Fire and fury&#39;&nbsp;

In another move that could further fan the flames, satellite photos posted by defence expert Joseph Bermudez suggested that North Korea could be preparing for fresh submarine-based ballistic missile tests.

Trump had earlier brandished a threat of unleashing &quot;fire and fury&quot; on Pyongyang, then noted Thursday maybe that statement &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

China, North Korea&#39;s biggest ally and trade partner, has been voicing concern at the mounting exchanges and a state-run newspaper suggested that Beijing should stay neutral if Pyongyang struck the US first.

Previously accused by Trump of not doing enough to rein in the authoritarian regime, China voted in favour of a series of wide-sweeping UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea last weekend.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Trump told Xi over the phone that he &quot;fully understands China&#39;s role in the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula.&quot; Trump is expected to visit China later this year.

The North&#39;s official KCNA news service in an editorial blamed Trump for &quot;driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war,&quot; calling the US &quot;the heinous nuclear war fanatic.&quot;

The sabre-rattling has sparked worldwide concerns that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a catastrophic conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

Russia and Germany have also urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric.

&quot;Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!&quot; Trump wrote Friday from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation.

Moscow &#39;alarmed&#39;

Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was &quot;very alarmed&quot; at Trump&#39;s tough talk, and said Washington should take the first step toward cooling tensions.

&quot;When a fight has nearly broken out, the first step away from the dangerous threshold should be taken by the side that is stronger and smarter,&quot; Lavrov said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said diplomacy was the answer.

&quot;Germany will very intensively take part in the options for resolution that are not military but I consider a verbal escalation to be the wrong response,&quot; she said.

Nearly a week ago, the UN Security Council unanimously passed fresh sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programme, including export bans, a new punishment that could cost North Korea $1 billion a year.

&quot;This is clearly a time for all the parties to focus on how to de-escalate and lower the tensions,&quot; said the spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Tensions on the peninsula tend to increase when Seoul and Washington launch major military joint exercises, and the next, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, is set to kick off around August 21.

&#39;Tragedy of war&#39;

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared intent Thursday on easing the tension, describing the prospect of war as &quot;catastrophic&quot; and saying diplomacy remained the priority.

Asked Friday if Mattis was aware of Trump&#39;s latest tweet, spokesman Colonel Rob Manning simply said the Pentagon chief was &quot;in close and constant contact with the president.&quot;

A White House official noted: &quot;There are military plans for just about any crisis we may face in the world. (...) This isn&#39;t anything new.&quot;

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North&#39;s repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July that are believed to have brought much of the US mainland within range.

North Korea raised hackles in the United States when it announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, an island territory of some 165,000 people, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.

Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump on Saturday to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions with North Korea as an escalating war of words raised global alarm. Xi made the plea in a phone call hours after Trump ramped up his warnings to Pyongyang, saying the Stalinist regime would "truly regret" taking hostile action against the United States. The White House said in a statement that the two leaders "agreed North Korea must stop provocative and escalatory behaviour" and that they are both committed to the denuclearisation of the peninsula. But the Chinese foreign ministry said Xi urged Trump to avoid "words and deeds" that would "exacerbate" the already-tense situation, exercise restraint and seek a political settlement. Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead. The Republican billionaire has progressively ramped up the tone throughout the week and on Friday declared that the US military is "locked and loaded." In a call with Guam Governor Eddie Calvo on Friday, Trump said the US military is prepared to "ensure the safety and security of the people of Guam" in response to Pyongyang's plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory. Japanese media said Tokyo was deploying its Patriot missile defence system following Pyongyang's threat to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards Guam. 'Fire and fury' In another move that could further fan the flames, satellite photos posted by defence expert Joseph Bermudez suggested that North Korea could be preparing for fresh submarine-based ballistic missile tests. Trump had earlier brandished a threat of unleashing "fire and fury" on Pyongyang, then noted Thursday maybe that statement "wasn't tough enough." China, North Korea's biggest ally and trade partner, has been voicing concern at the mounting exchanges and a state-run newspaper suggested that Beijing should stay neutral if Pyongyang struck the US first. Previously accused by Trump of not doing enough to rein in the authoritarian regime, China voted in favour of a series of wide-sweeping UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea last weekend. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Trump told Xi over the phone that he "fully understands China's role in the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula." Trump is expected to visit China later this year. The North's official KCNA news service in an editorial blamed Trump for "driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war," calling the US "the heinous nuclear war fanatic." The sabre-rattling has sparked worldwide concerns that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a catastrophic conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Russia and Germany have also urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" Trump wrote Friday from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation. Moscow 'alarmed' Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was "very alarmed" at Trump's tough talk, and said Washington should take the first step toward cooling tensions. "When a fight has nearly broken out, the first step away from the dangerous threshold should be taken by the side that is stronger and smarter," Lavrov said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said diplomacy was the answer. "Germany will very intensively take part in the options for resolution that are not military but I consider a verbal escalation to be the wrong response," she said. Nearly a week ago, the UN Security Council unanimously passed fresh sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programme, including export bans, a new punishment that could cost North Korea $1 billion a year. "This is clearly a time for all the parties to focus on how to de-escalate and lower the tensions," said the spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Tensions on the peninsula tend to increase when Seoul and Washington launch major military joint exercises, and the next, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, is set to kick off around August 21. 'Tragedy of war' US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared intent Thursday on easing the tension, describing the prospect of war as "catastrophic" and saying diplomacy remained the priority. Asked Friday if Mattis was aware of Trump's latest tweet, spokesman Colonel Rob Manning simply said the Pentagon chief was "in close and constant contact with the president." A White House official noted: "There are military plans for just about any crisis we may face in the world. (...) This isn't anything new." Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North's repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July that are believed to have brought much of the US mainland within range. North Korea raised hackles in the United States when it announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, an island territory of some 165,000 people, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.

Over phone call, Xi urges Trump to avoid exacerbating North Korea tensions

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was &quot;locked and loaded,&quot; his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear-armed regime.

&quot;Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!&quot; Trump tweeted.

The US president&#39;s Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea&#39;s weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/any-new-korean-war-could-quickly-escalate-to-catastrophe-18910" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe</a>

A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

Trump also warned North Korea it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam.

Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to &quot;signal a crucial warning&quot; as &quot;only absolute force&quot; would have an effect on a US leader &quot;bereft of reason.&quot;

Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties &quot;to be cautious with their words and actions.&quot;

China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

On Thursday Trump had warned that Pyongyang would face 'fire and fury' if it kept threatening the United States

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was "locked and loaded," his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang's nuclear-armed regime. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" Trump tweeted. The US president's Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea's weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange. Also read: Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face "fire and fury" if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk "wasn't tough enough." Trump also warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam. Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to "signal a crucial warning" as "only absolute force" would have an effect on a US leader "bereft of reason." Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties "to be cautious with their words and actions." China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded': Trump

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said Thursday he wants a one-to-one talk with US President Donald Trump, who has slapped him with sanctions, but stood defiant against &quot;imperialist aggression.&quot;

Speaking to a new, all-powerful loyalist assembly he saw installed through elections last month, Maduro said he had instructed his foreign minister to set it up &quot;so I have a personal conversation with Donald Trump.&quot;

He said he had also given orders, &quot;if it can happen,&quot; for a face-to-face to be organized in New York on September 20 when heads of state and government from around the world gather for a UN General Assembly.

&quot;If he&#39;s so interested in Venezuela, here I am. Mister Donald Trump, here is my hand,&quot; he said.

But Maduro used substantial parts of his three-hour-plus speech lambasting the &quot;imperialist&quot; US for perceived actions against his regime. &quot;We will never cede to foreign powers,&quot; he said.

The United States hit Maduro with sanctions on July 31, the day after the election of the loyalist Constituent Assembly that Washington said was &quot;illegitimate&quot; and in service of a &quot;dictator.&quot;

It followed up this week with more sanctions against several members of the assembly.

The measures freeze any US assets of those designated and bar Americans from doing business with them.

Maduro stated that the assembly held supreme powers over all branches of government, even over his position, and that its work -- ostensibly to rewrite the constitution -- would return &quot;peace&quot; to the country.

But the United States and major Latin American nations say Maduro is using the body as a tool to quash dissent, by clamping down on the opposition and the legislature it controls.

On Thursday, the opposition accused the government Thursday of persecution after the supreme court this week sentenced two of its mayors to 15 months in prison for not preventing anti-government protests. Both were also barred from holding public office.

The verdict brought to 23 the number of mayors targeted by legal action, according to the opposition.

&quot;Is this the peace that Maduro is talking about?&quot; said Gerardo Blyde, another mayor who is the target of a legal investigation.

The Constituent Assembly has already sacked the attorney general, a Maduro appointee-turned-critic who opposed its creation as unconstitutional. &nbsp;

The developments fuelled tensions that have been flaring in Venezuela for the past four months. Nearly 130 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces.

The protests have lost steam in the past week as security forces have stepped up repression and demonstrators have grown discouraged by the opposition&#39;s failure to bring about change.

But hackers have taken up the torch. On Thursday a group calling itself The Binary Guardians claimed responsibility for a massive cyberattack that cut mobile telephone service to seven million users.

&quot;These terrorist actions which affected the Movilnet&#39;s GSM platform on Wednesday left without communication seven of the state operator&#39;s 13 million users,&quot; Science and Technology Minister Hugbel Roa said.

He said it was part of a wave of attacks that began Monday when dozens of government and private company websites were hacked.

The opposition coalition, a grouping of around 30 disparate parties called the Democratic Unity Roundtable, has been struggling with how to keep pressure on Maduro, whom it wants to see ousted through early elections.

On Wednesday, after much debate, the coalition said it would contest overdue regional elections in Venezuela&#39;s 23 states on December 10, with the aim of holding Maduro to the electoral calendar, which also sees the next presidential election in October 2018.

One radical party split from the coalition over the decision.

Polls suggest the opposition would win most of the states, if the elections are fair, replicating its landslide 2015 victory in taking control of the National Assembly.&nbsp;

But the opposition blasted as &quot;fraudulent&quot; the balloting that elected the Constituent Assembly.&nbsp;

A British-based company, Smartmatic, that supplied the voting technology has said the turnout figure was &quot;tampered with.&quot;

Maduro and his government are deeply unpopular, as the country&#39;s 30 million citizens suffer under a long economic crisis that has resulted in shortages of food and medicine and hyperinflation -- a harsh reality for an oil-rich country that used to be one of Latin America&#39;s wealthiest.

The United States hit Maduro with sanctions on July 31, the day after the election of the loyalist Constituent Assembly that Washington said was 'illegitimate' and in service of a 'dictator.'

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said Thursday he wants a one-to-one talk with US President Donald Trump, who has slapped him with sanctions, but stood defiant against "imperialist aggression." Speaking to a new, all-powerful loyalist assembly he saw installed through elections last month, Maduro said he had instructed his foreign minister to set it up "so I have a personal conversation with Donald Trump." He said he had also given orders, "if it can happen," for a face-to-face to be organized in New York on September 20 when heads of state and government from around the world gather for a UN General Assembly. "If he's so interested in Venezuela, here I am. Mister Donald Trump, here is my hand," he said. But Maduro used substantial parts of his three-hour-plus speech lambasting the "imperialist" US for perceived actions against his regime. "We will never cede to foreign powers," he said. The United States hit Maduro with sanctions on July 31, the day after the election of the loyalist Constituent Assembly that Washington said was "illegitimate" and in service of a "dictator." It followed up this week with more sanctions against several members of the assembly. The measures freeze any US assets of those designated and bar Americans from doing business with them. Maduro stated that the assembly held supreme powers over all branches of government, even over his position, and that its work -- ostensibly to rewrite the constitution -- would return "peace" to the country. But the United States and major Latin American nations say Maduro is using the body as a tool to quash dissent, by clamping down on the opposition and the legislature it controls. On Thursday, the opposition accused the government Thursday of persecution after the supreme court this week sentenced two of its mayors to 15 months in prison for not preventing anti-government protests. Both were also barred from holding public office. The verdict brought to 23 the number of mayors targeted by legal action, according to the opposition. "Is this the peace that Maduro is talking about?" said Gerardo Blyde, another mayor who is the target of a legal investigation. The Constituent Assembly has already sacked the attorney general, a Maduro appointee-turned-critic who opposed its creation as unconstitutional. The developments fuelled tensions that have been flaring in Venezuela for the past four months. Nearly 130 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. The protests have lost steam in the past week as security forces have stepped up repression and demonstrators have grown discouraged by the opposition's failure to bring about change. But hackers have taken up the torch. On Thursday a group calling itself The Binary Guardians claimed responsibility for a massive cyberattack that cut mobile telephone service to seven million users. "These terrorist actions which affected the Movilnet's GSM platform on Wednesday left without communication seven of the state operator's 13 million users," Science and Technology Minister Hugbel Roa said. He said it was part of a wave of attacks that began Monday when dozens of government and private company websites were hacked. The opposition coalition, a grouping of around 30 disparate parties called the Democratic Unity Roundtable, has been struggling with how to keep pressure on Maduro, whom it wants to see ousted through early elections. On Wednesday, after much debate, the coalition said it would contest overdue regional elections in Venezuela's 23 states on December 10, with the aim of holding Maduro to the electoral calendar, which also sees the next presidential election in October 2018. One radical party split from the coalition over the decision. Polls suggest the opposition would win most of the states, if the elections are fair, replicating its landslide 2015 victory in taking control of the National Assembly. But the opposition blasted as "fraudulent" the balloting that elected the Constituent Assembly. A British-based company, Smartmatic, that supplied the voting technology has said the turnout figure was "tampered with." Maduro and his government are deeply unpopular, as the country's 30 million citizens suffer under a long economic crisis that has resulted in shortages of food and medicine and hyperinflation -- a harsh reality for an oil-rich country that used to be one of Latin America's wealthiest.

Wants personal conversation with Trump: Nicolas Maduro

President Donald Trump on Thursday hardened his warning that&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it kept threatening the US, saying maybe that tough talk &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

However, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis later appeared to step back from the dire rhetoric of his boss. He described the prospect of war as &quot;catastrophic&quot; and added that diplomatic efforts to solve the&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;nuclear crisis were yielding results.

Trump in his new remarks Thursday also warned&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang said it was readying missile launch plans on the Pacific territory of Guam.

The Republican billionaire dismissed any criticism of his &quot;fire and fury&quot; warning of Tuesday, citing threats made by the regime of Kim Jong-Un to both Washington and its allies.

&quot;It&#39;s about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. So if anything, maybe that statement wasn&#39;t tough enough,&quot; Trump said.

Trump also said China, Pyongyang&#39;s main diplomatic ally, could &quot;do a lot more&quot; to pressure Kim to end his country&#39;s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Trump&#39;s comments, made from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, came after the&nbsp;North&nbsp;announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.&nbsp;

Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to &quot;signal a crucial warning&quot; as &quot;only absolute force&quot; would have an effect on a US leader &quot;bereft of reason.&quot;

Trump fired back with gusto.

&quot;If&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;does anything in terms of even thinking about an attack on anybody we love or we represent or our allies or us, they can be very, very nervous,&quot; he told reporters, with Vice President Mike Pence at his side.&nbsp;

&quot;And they should be... because things will happen to them like they never thought possible.&quot;

&#39;Better get their act together&#39;&nbsp;

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the&nbsp;North&#39;s repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July.

Those launches put the US mainland in range. Some experts believe the second missile could potentially reach New York.

The escalating saber-rattling took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the&nbsp;North&#39;s arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced &quot;fire and fury like the world has never seen&quot; if it continued to threaten the US.

That prompted a defiant Pyongyang to threaten the missile attack on Guam.

The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

The region is facing &quot;a mini Cuban missile crisis,&quot; John Delury, a professor at Seoul&#39;s Yonsei University, told AFP.

And speaking at an event in California, Mattis appeared intent on dialing back the &nbsp;tension, explaining his mission and responsibility was to have military options ready &quot;should they be needed&quot; but stressing the US effort is currently focused on diplomacy.

&quot;The American effort is diplomatically led, it has diplomatic traction, it is gaining diplomatic results and I want to stay right there right now,&quot; Mattis said at an event in California.&nbsp;

&quot;The tragedy of war is well-enough known it doesn&#39;t need another characterization beyond the fact that it would be catastrophic,&quot; he added.

Mattis did not elaborate on the diplomatic results he referenced, but the UN Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons program, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood.&nbsp;

The new punishment could cost&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;$1 billion a year, and even China voted for the US-drafted proposal.

Trump dismissed the notion that his administration was delivering mixed messages and said Washington remained open to negotiations.

But he once again suggested that he expected China to &quot;do a lot more&quot; to bring&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;into line.

&quot;I will tell you this,&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;better get their act together or they&#39;re going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world, okay?&quot; he added.

Unusual detail

In&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, General Kim Rak-Gyom, the commander of the&nbsp;North&#39;s missile forces, dismissed Trump&#39;s &quot;fire and fury&quot; remarks as &quot;a load of nonsense,&quot; according to Pyongyang&#39;s official Korean Central News Agency.

&quot;Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason,&quot; he added.

The military was expected to finalize its Guam plan by mid-August and submit it to Kim for consideration,he said.

The unusually precise statement said the four missiles would be launched simultaneously and overfly the Japanese prefectures of Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi.&nbsp;

They would have a flight time of 17 minutes 45 seconds, travel 3,356.7 kilometers (around 2,086 miles) and come down 30 to 40 kilometers away from Guam, it said -- just outside US territorial waters.

Japan, which has in the past warned it would shoot down any&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean missiles that threaten its territory, responded that it could &quot;never tolerate&quot; provocations from the reclusive state.

Analysts said a&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean launch towards Guam would put the US in a dilemma: if it did not try to intercept the missiles, its credibility would be damaged and the&nbsp;North&nbsp;would feel emboldened to carry out a full-range ICBM test.

But if an intercept were attempted and failed in any way, it would undermine the effectiveness of the United States&#39; ballistic missile defense system.

The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

President Donald Trump on Thursday hardened his warning that North Korea would face "fire and fury" if it kept threatening the US, saying maybe that tough talk "wasn't tough enough." However, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis later appeared to step back from the dire rhetoric of his boss. He described the prospect of war as "catastrophic" and added that diplomatic efforts to solve the North Korea nuclear crisis were yielding results. Trump in his new remarks Thursday also warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang said it was readying missile launch plans on the Pacific territory of Guam. The Republican billionaire dismissed any criticism of his "fire and fury" warning of Tuesday, citing threats made by the regime of Kim Jong-Un to both Washington and its allies. "It's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. So if anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough," Trump said. Trump also said China, Pyongyang's main diplomatic ally, could "do a lot more" to pressure Kim to end his country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Trump's comments, made from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, came after the North announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based. Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to "signal a crucial warning" as "only absolute force" would have an effect on a US leader "bereft of reason." Trump fired back with gusto. "If North Korea does anything in terms of even thinking about an attack on anybody we love or we represent or our allies or us, they can be very, very nervous," he told reporters, with Vice President Mike Pence at his side. "And they should be... because things will happen to them like they never thought possible." 'Better get their act together' Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North's repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July. Those launches put the US mainland in range. Some experts believe the second missile could potentially reach New York. The escalating saber-rattling took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the North's arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it continued to threaten the US. That prompted a defiant Pyongyang to threaten the missile attack on Guam. The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond. The region is facing "a mini Cuban missile crisis," John Delury, a professor at Seoul's Yonsei University, told AFP. And speaking at an event in California, Mattis appeared intent on dialing back the tension, explaining his mission and responsibility was to have military options ready "should they be needed" but stressing the US effort is currently focused on diplomacy. "The American effort is diplomatically led, it has diplomatic traction, it is gaining diplomatic results and I want to stay right there right now," Mattis said at an event in California. "The tragedy of war is well-enough known it doesn't need another characterization beyond the fact that it would be catastrophic," he added. Mattis did not elaborate on the diplomatic results he referenced, but the UN Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons program, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood. The new punishment could cost North Korea $1 billion a year, and even China voted for the US-drafted proposal. Trump dismissed the notion that his administration was delivering mixed messages and said Washington remained open to negotiations. But he once again suggested that he expected China to "do a lot more" to bring North Korea into line. "I will tell you this, North Korea better get their act together or they're going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world, okay?" he added. Unusual detail In North Korea, General Kim Rak-Gyom, the commander of the North's missile forces, dismissed Trump's "fire and fury" remarks as "a load of nonsense," according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. "Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason," he added. The military was expected to finalize its Guam plan by mid-August and submit it to Kim for consideration,he said. The unusually precise statement said the four missiles would be launched simultaneously and overfly the Japanese prefectures of Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi. They would have a flight time of 17 minutes 45 seconds, travel 3,356.7 kilometers (around 2,086 miles) and come down 30 to 40 kilometers away from Guam, it said -- just outside US territorial waters. Japan, which has in the past warned it would shoot down any North Korean missiles that threaten its territory, responded that it could "never tolerate" provocations from the reclusive state. Analysts said a North Korean launch towards Guam would put the US in a dilemma: if it did not try to intercept the missiles, its credibility would be damaged and the North would feel emboldened to carry out a full-range ICBM test. But if an intercept were attempted and failed in any way, it would undermine the effectiveness of the United States' ballistic missile defense system.

Fire and fury warning to North Korea maybe not enough: Trump

President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 10) declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency and said his administration was drafting papers to make it official.

Trump spoke about a week after a White House commission on the opioid crisis led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recommended the president declare it a national emergency.

The declaration could help unlock more support and resources to address the drug overdose epidemic, such as additional funding and expanded access to various forms of treatment, and it gives the government more flexibility in waiving rules and restrictions to expedite action.

National emergencies are typically declared for short-term crises, such as the Zika virus outbreak or a natural disaster. It is unclear what Trump&#39;s declaration will mean for a complex, long-term public health problem.

It is unclear what Trump's declaration will mean for a complex, long-term public health problem

President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 10) declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency and said his administration was drafting papers to make it official. Trump spoke about a week after a White House commission on the opioid crisis led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recommended the president declare it a national emergency. The declaration could help unlock more support and resources to address the drug overdose epidemic, such as additional funding and expanded access to various forms of treatment, and it gives the government more flexibility in waiving rules and restrictions to expedite action. National emergencies are typically declared for short-term crises, such as the Zika virus outbreak or a natural disaster. It is unclear what Trump's declaration will mean for a complex, long-term public health problem.

US President Trump declares opioid abuse crisis a national emergency

Australia &quot;will come to the aid of the United States&quot; if North Korea attacks, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Friday, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang outlined plans to fire missiles near the US territory of Guam.

The Australian leader&#39;s comments of support to close ally Washington followed President Donald Trump&#39;s warning to North Korea that it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if the isolated nation even thought of attacking US soil.

&quot;The United States has no stronger ally than Australia,&quot; Turnbull told Melbourne commercial radio station 3AW.

&quot;And we have an ANZUS agreement and if there is an attack on Australia or the United States then... each of us will come to the other&#39;s aid.

&quot;So let&#39;s be very clear about that. If there is an attack on the United States by North Korea, then the ANZUS treaty will be invoked and Australia will come to the aid of the United States.&quot;

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North&#39;s repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July.

The escalating dispute took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the North&#39;s arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced &quot;fire and fury like the world has never seen&quot; if it continued to threaten the US.

Turnbull said he spoke to US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday, who told him the preferred approach to deal with North Korea was through economic sanctions.

The UN Security Council on Saturday approved tough sanctions which could cost Pyongyang US$1 billion a year, with the sweeping measures the first of that scope to be imposed on North Korea since Trump took office.

&nbsp;

The escalating dispute between?Washington and Pyongyang?took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the North's arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced 'fire and fury like the world has never seen' if it continued to threaten the US

Australia "will come to the aid of the United States" if North Korea attacks, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Friday, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang outlined plans to fire missiles near the US territory of Guam. The Australian leader's comments of support to close ally Washington followed President Donald Trump's warning to North Korea that it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if the isolated nation even thought of attacking US soil. "The United States has no stronger ally than Australia," Turnbull told Melbourne commercial radio station 3AW. "And we have an ANZUS agreement and if there is an attack on Australia or the United States then... each of us will come to the other's aid. "So let's be very clear about that. If there is an attack on the United States by North Korea, then the ANZUS treaty will be invoked and Australia will come to the aid of the United States." Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North's repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July. The escalating dispute took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the North's arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it continued to threaten the US. Turnbull said he spoke to US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday, who told him the preferred approach to deal with North Korea was through economic sanctions. The UN Security Council on Saturday approved tough sanctions which could cost Pyongyang US$1 billion a year, with the sweeping measures the first of that scope to be imposed on North Korea since Trump took office.

Will back US in any North Korea conflict: Australia

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say.

While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/military-option-with-north-korea-locked-and-loaded-trump-18908" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Military option with North Korea &#39;locked and loaded&#39;</a>

On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be &quot;met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-and-fury-warning-to-north-korea-maybe-not-enough-trump-18872" target="_blank">Also read: &#39;Fire and fury&#39;&nbsp;warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump</a>

The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States.

Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough.

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Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea.

But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty.

&quot;The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated,&quot; said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton.

Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the &quot;credibility problem&quot; Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials.

&quot;In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there&#39;s a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that&#39;s where the miscalculation can happen,&quot; Yun said.

With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box.

North Korea&#39;s acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further.

Catastrophic casualties

Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people.

&quot;It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side,&quot; David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters.

&quot;I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that&#39;s just in South Korea - it&#39;s possible North Korea could attack Japan as well.&quot;

The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea&#39;s weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal.

Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions.

&quot;If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland,&quot; said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists.

Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen.

A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were.

&quot;And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began.&quot;

Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human.

&quot;If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;Donald Trump&#39;s agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It&#39;s against his interest and it&#39;s not really an option.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Any conflict would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say. Also read: Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded' On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be "met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Also read: 'Fire and fury' warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States. Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality × Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea. But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty. "The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated," said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton. Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the "credibility problem" Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials. "In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there's a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that's where the miscalculation can happen," Yun said. With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box. North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further. Catastrophic casualties Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people. "It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side," David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters. "I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that's just in South Korea - it's possible North Korea could attack Japan as well." The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea's weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal. Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions. "If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland," said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists. Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen. A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were. "And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began." Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human. "If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula. "Donald Trump's agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It's against his interest and it's not really an option."

Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un are playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship.

North Korea got the world&rsquo;s attention &ndash; and Trump&rsquo;s &ndash; when it <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-missile-icbm-pentagon-trump-not-seen-before-a7825541.html">successfully launched</a> an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time on July 4. In response, the United Nations <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/un-imposes-new-sanctions-on-north-korea-following-missile-tests/2017/08/05/dc382962-7a29-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html">approved new economic sanctions</a> against North Korea which, predictably, inspired a bellicose response from the rogue regime.

Trump <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/08/north-korea-trump-ratchet-up-tension-with-threats-fire-hours-apart.html">threatened</a> that further provocations will be met with &ldquo;fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.&rdquo;

In response, North Korea issued a threat of its own &ndash; <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-says-seriously-considering-plan-strike-guam-222757124.html">missile strikes</a> on the U.S. territory of Guam.

With tensions escalating, it is important to be realistic about how we can get out of this mess.

In short, any non-military solution will rely on China choosing to apply its massive economic leverage over the North Korean regime. This is a point that Trump clearly recognizes. In July, he tweeted that Chinese trade with North Korea &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/882560030884716544">rose 40 per cent in the first quarter</a>,&rdquo; highlighting China&rsquo;s reluctance to punish North Korea for its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

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Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/882560030884716544">5 July 2017</a></blockquote>
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While the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/07/05/the-messy-data-behind-chinas-growing-trade-with-north-korea/?utm_term=.41435ab3f758">poor quality of the data</a> hinders a detailed analysis, Trump&rsquo;s overall sentiment is correct. China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear ambitions besides backing the most recent round of U.N. sanctions. China&rsquo;s foremost objective seems to be promoting greater stability from its volatile neighbor.

Yet a quick look at the data, however murky, shows just how much leverage China has if it wishes to use it.

In general, exports from one country to another <a href="http://www.cepii.fr/pdf_pub/wp/2013/wp2013-27.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">can be mostly explained</a> by the distance between them and the sizes of their markets, a pattern that holds for China and North Korea.

Geographically, they share a long border, which makes China a natural, though not inevitable, partner for trade. As a case in point, North Korea also shares a long border with South Korea, but these countries have almost no trade between them. In addition, North Korea shares a small border with Russia, with whom it has little, though ever-increasing, trade, as I discuss below.

China&rsquo;s large market, proximity and &ndash; most importantly &ndash; willingness to trade with North Korea has led to a situation in which North Korea has become highly dependent on trade with what has become its primary patron. <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">About half</a> of North Korean exports and imports go directly to and from China and most of the rest of its trade is handled indirectly by Chinese middlemen.

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North Korea&rsquo;s dependence on its neighbor has grown hand-in-hand with China&rsquo;s increasing economic dominance of East Asia, which gained momentum 15 years ago when China <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/china_e.htm">joined the World Trade Organization</a>. Since then, both Chinese gross domestic product, as well as its annual trade with North Korea, have increased nearly tenfold, to around <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/country/china">US$11 trillion</a> and <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">$6 billion</a>, respectively.

North Korea <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/chn/prk/show/2015/">imports nearly everything</a> from China, from rubber tires to refined petroleum to pears, with no single category dominating. Meanwhile, <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/import/chn/prk/show/2015/">coal constitutes about 40 per cent</a> of North Korean exports to China, followed by &ldquo;non-knit men&rsquo;s coats.&rdquo;

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Time to use that leverage?

However, recent events &ndash; such as the use of front companies by Chinese firms to <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-idUSKCN11W1SL">evade sanctions</a> imposed on North Korea and China&rsquo;s <a href="http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/01/05/2017010501412.html">reluctance to cut off</a> energy supplies to the country &ndash; have led to some uncertainty about the extent to which China is willing to use this economic leverage to rein in North Korea&rsquo;s military ambitions.

On one hand, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/18/world/asia/north-korea-china-coal-imports-suspended.html">China claims</a> that coal imports from North Korea have recently been stopped as part of an effort to punish the regime for recent missile tests and the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/20/asia/kim-jong-nam-death-timeline/index.html">suspected assassination of Kim Jong-nam</a>, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-kim-jong-un-tick-77143">Kim Jong Un</a>. If true, this would be an important signal of China&rsquo;s willingness to support U.S. concerns about the missile program as it would represent a loss of <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">about a third</a> ($930 million) of North Korea&rsquo;s import revenue.

However, there is evidence that coal shipments in fact <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/07/05/trump_tried_to_make_china_to_do_his_bidding_against_north_korea_and_is_shocked.html">never ceased</a>. And, in any case, China <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/07/05/the-messy-data-behind-chinas-growing-trade-with-north-korea/?utm_term=.41435ab3f758">may have dramatically increased</a> its imports of iron ore from North Korea to offset the lost coal revenues.

This is consistent with the idea that China carefully considers the resources and revenue that are available to the North Korean regime at any moment, and uses trade as a lever to control them. In this way, China walks a fine line between providing too many resources, and thus allowing the regime to prosper, and not enough resources, such that North Korea is in danger of collapsing. Ultimately, trade may be used as a lever to do some light scolding, but China&rsquo;s overwhelming concern is preventing North Korea&rsquo;s collapse.

Further evidence that China has tight control over the North Korean economy comes from <a href="https://c4ads.org/reports/">a recent report</a> from <a href="https://c4ads.org">C4ADS</a>. The research group found close, and often common, ownership ties between most of the major Chinese companies who do business with North Korea. This suggests that trade with North Korea is highly centralized and thus easily controlled.

Russia: North Korea&rsquo;s other &lsquo;friend&rsquo;

China is not the only country that North Korea trades with, though the others currently pale in comparison. Other top export destinations include India ($97.8 million), Pakistan ($43.1 million) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 million). In terms of imports, India ($108 million), Russia ($78.3 million) and Thailand ($73.8 million) currently sell the most to North Korea.

Russia, in particular, may soon complicate <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/nikki-haley-says-u-s-will-propose-tougher-sanctions-against-north-korea/">U.S. efforts to isolate the regime</a>. While still small, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/06/05/russia-boosts-trade-north-korea-china-cuts/102389824/">Russian trade with North Korea increased</a> 73 per cent over the first two months of 2017 compared with the same period of the previous year.

But whereas China is legitimately worried that an economic crisis in North Korea could lead to a flood of refugees or all-out war, Russia likely sees engagement with North Korea in much simpler terms, namely as an additional way to gain geopolitical advantage relative to the U.S.

A way out?

Nearly all experts agree that there is no easy way to &ldquo;solve&rdquo; the North Korea problem. However, one plausible approach is to encourage South Korea and Japan to begin to develop nuclear weapons programs of their own and to only discontinue these programs if China takes meaningful steps to use its trade with North Korea to reign in the regime.

Threatening to introduce new nuclear powers to the world is clearly risky, however stable and peaceful South Korea and Japan currently are. But China is highly averse to having these economic and political rivals acquire nuclear capabilities, as it would threaten China&rsquo;s ongoing pursuit of regional control. In short, this is a sensitive pressure point that could be used to sway the Chinese leadership.

One way or another, China must become convinced that the costs of propping up the North Korean regime through trade are higher than the costs of an increased probability that the regime will collapse.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-is-the-key-to-avoiding-nuclear-fire-and-fury-in-north-korea-82257">original article</a>.

China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea?s nuclear ambitions.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un are playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship. North Korea got the world’s attention – and Trump’s – when it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time on July 4. In response, the United Nations approved new economic sanctions against North Korea which, predictably, inspired a bellicose response from the rogue regime. Trump threatened that further provocations will be met with “fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” In response, North Korea issued a threat of its own – missile strikes on the U.S. territory of Guam. With tensions escalating, it is important to be realistic about how we can get out of this mess. In short, any non-military solution will rely on China choosing to apply its massive economic leverage over the North Korean regime. This is a point that Trump clearly recognizes. In July, he tweeted that Chinese trade with North Korea “rose 40 per cent in the first quarter,” highlighting China’s reluctance to punish North Korea for its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 5 July 2017 × While the poor quality of the data hinders a detailed analysis, Trump’s overall sentiment is correct. China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea’s nuclear ambitions besides backing the most recent round of U.N. sanctions. China’s foremost objective seems to be promoting greater stability from its volatile neighbor. Yet a quick look at the data, however murky, shows just how much leverage China has if it wishes to use it. In general, exports from one country to another can be mostly explained by the distance between them and the sizes of their markets, a pattern that holds for China and North Korea. Geographically, they share a long border, which makes China a natural, though not inevitable, partner for trade. As a case in point, North Korea also shares a long border with South Korea, but these countries have almost no trade between them. In addition, North Korea shares a small border with Russia, with whom it has little, though ever-increasing, trade, as I discuss below. China’s large market, proximity and – most importantly – willingness to trade with North Korea has led to a situation in which North Korea has become highly dependent on trade with what has become its primary patron. About half of North Korean exports and imports go directly to and from China and most of the rest of its trade is handled indirectly by Chinese middlemen. North Korea’s dependence on its neighbor has grown hand-in-hand with China’s increasing economic dominance of East Asia, which gained momentum 15 years ago when China joined the World Trade Organization. Since then, both Chinese gross domestic product, as well as its annual trade with North Korea, have increased nearly tenfold, to around US$11 trillion and $6 billion, respectively. North Korea imports nearly everything from China, from rubber tires to refined petroleum to pears, with no single category dominating. Meanwhile, coal constitutes about 40 per cent of North Korean exports to China, followed by “non-knit men’s coats.” Time to use that leverage? However, recent events – such as the use of front companies by Chinese firms to evade sanctions imposed on North Korea and China’s reluctance to cut off energy supplies to the country – have led to some uncertainty about the extent to which China is willing to use this economic leverage to rein in North Korea’s military ambitions. On one hand, China claims that coal imports from North Korea have recently been stopped as part of an effort to punish the regime for recent missile tests and the suspected assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. If true, this would be an important signal of China’s willingness to support U.S. concerns about the missile program as it would represent a loss of about a third ($930 million) of North Korea’s import revenue. However, there is evidence that coal shipments in fact never ceased. And, in any case, China may have dramatically increased its imports of iron ore from North Korea to offset the lost coal revenues. This is consistent with the idea that China carefully considers the resources and revenue that are available to the North Korean regime at any moment, and uses trade as a lever to control them. In this way, China walks a fine line between providing too many resources, and thus allowing the regime to prosper, and not enough resources, such that North Korea is in danger of collapsing. Ultimately, trade may be used as a lever to do some light scolding, but China’s overwhelming concern is preventing North Korea’s collapse. Further evidence that China has tight control over the North Korean economy comes from a recent report from C4ADS. The research group found close, and often common, ownership ties between most of the major Chinese companies who do business with North Korea. This suggests that trade with North Korea is highly centralized and thus easily controlled. Russia: North Korea’s other ‘friend’ China is not the only country that North Korea trades with, though the others currently pale in comparison. Other top export destinations include India ($97.8 million), Pakistan ($43.1 million) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 million). In terms of imports, India ($108 million), Russia ($78.3 million) and Thailand ($73.8 million) currently sell the most to North Korea. Russia, in particular, may soon complicate U.S. efforts to isolate the regime. While still small, Russian trade with North Korea increased 73 per cent over the first two months of 2017 compared with the same period of the previous year. But whereas China is legitimately worried that an economic crisis in North Korea could lead to a flood of refugees or all-out war, Russia likely sees engagement with North Korea in much simpler terms, namely as an additional way to gain geopolitical advantage relative to the U.S. A way out? Nearly all experts agree that there is no easy way to “solve” the North Korea problem. However, one plausible approach is to encourage South Korea and Japan to begin to develop nuclear weapons programs of their own and to only discontinue these programs if China takes meaningful steps to use its trade with North Korea to reign in the regime. Threatening to introduce new nuclear powers to the world is clearly risky, however stable and peaceful South Korea and Japan currently are. But China is highly averse to having these economic and political rivals acquire nuclear capabilities, as it would threaten China’s ongoing pursuit of regional control. In short, this is a sensitive pressure point that could be used to sway the Chinese leadership. One way or another, China must become convinced that the costs of propping up the North Korean regime through trade are higher than the costs of an increased probability that the regime will collapse. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

China is the key to avoiding nuclear 'fire and fury' in North Korea

The city of Chicago filed suit Monday against the Donald Trump administration for withholding funds from so-called &quot;sanctuary cities&quot; that fail to cooperate with tougher federal efforts cracking down on undocumented immigrants.

The lawsuit, the first of its kind, challenges the Trump administration&#39;s requirement that cities detain suspects for questioning by federal immigration authorities or see their grant funding for municipal police departments withheld.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday called the policy counterproductive.

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<h5>We will always be a welcoming city,&#39; Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said</h5>
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&quot;By forcing us, or the police department, to choose between the values of the city and the philosophy of the police department... I think it&#39;s a false choice, and it undermines our actual safety agenda,&quot; Emanuel told CNN.

&quot;We will always be a welcoming city,&quot; he continued, adding that local police departments rely on the cooperation of the immigrant community -- both documented and undocumented.

&quot;Our police department is part of a neighborhood, part of a community, built on the premise of trust,&quot; the mayor said.

&quot;We want you to come to Chicago if you believe in the American dream,&quot; he added.

The federal grant at the center of the lawsuit provided $2.3 million to Chicago last year to purchase police equipment, such as cars, computers, radios and Tasers, Emanuel said.&nbsp;

The federal government&#39;s new rules would tie the grant to requirements that, among other things, cities give federal immigration authorities unlimited access to local police stations to interrogate arrestees, Chicago officials said.&nbsp;

The city is asking a federal court to declare such requirements unlawful.

Trump has targeted sanctuary cities as part of his promised crackdown on illegal immigration, and the Department of Justice implemented the new funding requirement last month. &nbsp;

Supporters of &quot;sanctuary city&quot; policies say requiring local police to fully cooperate with immigration enforcement erodes with the communities they serve and frustrate law enforcement efforts. &nbsp;

The Department of Justice (DOJ) criticized the lawsuit in a statement that accused Emanuel of &quot;protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago&#39;s law enforcement at greater risk.&quot;

The head of the DOJ, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, last week said the policy would improve safety for immigration officers who now have to track down suspects who already had been detained and released by local police.

&quot;By forcing police to go into more dangerous situations to re-arrest the same criminals, these policies endanger law enforcement officers more than anyone,&quot; Sessions said.&nbsp;

The lawsuit, the first of its kind, challenges the Trump administration's requirement that cities detain suspects for questioning by federal immigration authorities or see their grant funding for municipal police departments withheld

The city of Chicago filed suit Monday against the Donald Trump administration for withholding funds from so-called "sanctuary cities" that fail to cooperate with tougher federal efforts cracking down on undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit, the first of its kind, challenges the Trump administration's requirement that cities detain suspects for questioning by federal immigration authorities or see their grant funding for municipal police departments withheld. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday called the policy counterproductive. We will always be a welcoming city,' Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said × "By forcing us, or the police department, to choose between the values of the city and the philosophy of the police department... I think it's a false choice, and it undermines our actual safety agenda," Emanuel told CNN. "We will always be a welcoming city," he continued, adding that local police departments rely on the cooperation of the immigrant community -- both documented and undocumented. "Our police department is part of a neighborhood, part of a community, built on the premise of trust," the mayor said. "We want you to come to Chicago if you believe in the American dream," he added. The federal grant at the center of the lawsuit provided $2.3 million to Chicago last year to purchase police equipment, such as cars, computers, radios and Tasers, Emanuel said. The federal government's new rules would tie the grant to requirements that, among other things, cities give federal immigration authorities unlimited access to local police stations to interrogate arrestees, Chicago officials said. The city is asking a federal court to declare such requirements unlawful. Trump has targeted sanctuary cities as part of his promised crackdown on illegal immigration, and the Department of Justice implemented the new funding requirement last month. Supporters of "sanctuary city" policies say requiring local police to fully cooperate with immigration enforcement erodes with the communities they serve and frustrate law enforcement efforts. The Department of Justice (DOJ) criticized the lawsuit in a statement that accused Emanuel of "protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk." The head of the DOJ, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, last week said the policy would improve safety for immigration officers who now have to track down suspects who already had been detained and released by local police. "By forcing police to go into more dangerous situations to re-arrest the same criminals, these policies endanger law enforcement officers more than anyone," Sessions said.

Chicago sues Trump administration

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In on Sunday agreed that North Korea &quot;poses a grave and growing direct threat&quot;, in a phone call one day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that significantly strengthened sanctions on North Korea, AFP reported.

&quot;The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world,&quot; AFP quoted the White House as saying.

&quot;The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/17574">North Korea launches missile some experts say can hit </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/17574">US</a>

The resolution bans all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood by the cash-starved state -- stripping North Korea of a third of its export earnings estimated at $3 billion per year.

The US began talks on a resolution with China a month ago after North Korea test fired its first ballistic missile.

(With inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

'The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world,' the White House said

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In on Sunday agreed that North Korea "poses a grave and growing direct threat", in a phone call one day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that significantly strengthened sanctions on North Korea, AFP reported. "The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," AFP quoted the White House as saying. "The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well." Also read: North Korea launches missile some experts say can hit US The resolution bans all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood by the cash-starved state -- stripping North Korea of a third of its export earnings estimated at $3 billion per year. The US began talks on a resolution with China a month ago after North Korea test fired its first ballistic missile. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump, Moon agree North Korea poses 'growing direct threat': White House

Investigators probing President Donald Trump&#39;s team for possible connections to Russia have asked the White House to hand over records for what is believed to be the first time, the New York Times said Friday.

Members of the sweeping federal investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller requested the White House submit documents linked to Trump&#39;s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to the paper, citing authorities close to the investigation.

The document request, while not a formal subpoena, was the latest signal that the probe is gathering pace.

The news came one day after reports revealed that Mueller -- a former FBI director -- has empanelled a grand jury to investigate Russia&#39;s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Flynn -- who was ousted mere weeks after being named Trump&#39;s national security adviser over mischaracterizing contacts with Russian officials -- is at the centre of the Russia controversy plaguing the White House.

Asked for comment on the story presidential lawyer Ty Cobb said the White House would not discuss &quot;specific communications&quot; with Mueller but would &quot;continue to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel.&quot;

Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion, saying he is the victim of a political &quot;witch hunt&quot; and &quot;fake news.&quot;

Investigators had also questioned witnesses over whether Flynn received secret payments from the Turkish government at the end of the 2016 presidential campaign -- suggesting the probe&#39;s scope has widened to examine Flynn&#39;s financial dealings.

US media has reported that Mueller is also said to be investigating Trump&#39;s financial records unrelated to Russia or the election.

Trump has publicly warned Mueller that his financial dealings should be out of bounds and investigating them would cross a red line.

The document request, while not a formal subpoena, was the latest signal that the probe is gathering pace

Investigators probing President Donald Trump's team for possible connections to Russia have asked the White House to hand over records for what is believed to be the first time, the New York Times said Friday. Members of the sweeping federal investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller requested the White House submit documents linked to Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to the paper, citing authorities close to the investigation. The document request, while not a formal subpoena, was the latest signal that the probe is gathering pace. The news came one day after reports revealed that Mueller -- a former FBI director -- has empanelled a grand jury to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn -- who was ousted mere weeks after being named Trump's national security adviser over mischaracterizing contacts with Russian officials -- is at the centre of the Russia controversy plaguing the White House. Asked for comment on the story presidential lawyer Ty Cobb said the White House would not discuss "specific communications" with Mueller but would "continue to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel." Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion, saying he is the victim of a political "witch hunt" and "fake news." Investigators had also questioned witnesses over whether Flynn received secret payments from the Turkish government at the end of the 2016 presidential campaign -- suggesting the probe's scope has widened to examine Flynn's financial dealings. US media has reported that Mueller is also said to be investigating Trump's financial records unrelated to Russia or the election. Trump has publicly warned Mueller that his financial dealings should be out of bounds and investigating them would cross a red line.

Russia probe team asks White House for records: Report

United States has reaffirmed its support for India&#39;s permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, said, &quot;I believe US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is going to raise the issue at the United Nations.&quot;

During Prime Minister Modi&#39;s visit to United States in June, President Trump reaffirmed the support of the United States for India&#39;s permanent membership on a reformed UN Security Council and in other multilateral institutions like the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

&quot;As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India&#39;s early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group,&quot; the India-U.S. joint statement said.

India has been asking for a reform of the United Nations Security Council and a membership at the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.

During Prime Minister Modi's visit to US in June, President Trump reaffirmed the US support for India's permanent membership on a reformed UNSC

United States has reaffirmed its support for India's permanent seat at the UN Security Council. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, said, "I believe US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is going to raise the issue at the United Nations." During Prime Minister Modi's visit to United States in June, President Trump reaffirmed the support of the United States for India's permanent membership on a reformed UN Security Council and in other multilateral institutions like the Nuclear Suppliers Group. "As global non-proliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group," the India-U.S. joint statement said. India has been asking for a reform of the United Nations Security Council and a membership at the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.

US reaffirms support for India's UN Security Council bid

Russia may impose counter-measures on the United States after US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The new US penalties were short-sighted and risked harming global stability, it said in a statement on its website.

&quot;It&#39;s high time to realise that threats and attempts to exert pressure on Russia will not make it change its course or sacrifice its national interests,&quot; the statement read.

US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow that targets the Russian energy sector

Russia may impose counter-measures on the United States after US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The new US penalties were short-sighted and risked harming global stability, it said in a statement on its website. "It's high time to realise that threats and attempts to exert pressure on Russia will not make it change its course or sacrifice its national interests," the statement read.

Russia may impose counter-measures on US after new sanctions: foreign ministry

Harry Potter author J K Rowling in a series of tweets justified&nbsp;her reactions to a misleading video of United States President Donald Trump.

The author clarified that her tweets came out of personal sensitivity. She said, &quot;I very clearly projected my own sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly. These tweets will remain, but I will delete the previous ones on the subject.&quot;

J.K Rowling&#39;s sentimental outburst was because of the personal experience of her mother using the wheelchair.

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Re: my tweets about the small boy in a wheelchair whose proferred hand the president appeared to ignore in press footage, multiple /1
&mdash; J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/892128355117563906">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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sources have informed me that that was not a full or accurate representation of their interaction. I very clearly projected my own /2
&mdash; J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/892128824854532102">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Rowling&nbsp;tweeted in response to a video that showed Trump refusing to shake hands with a child in a wheelchair. The author reproached Trump by saying, &quot;This monster of narcissism values only himself and his pale reflections.&quot;

However, she apologised later after the video was found to be&nbsp;doctored.&nbsp;

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sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress /3
&mdash; J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/892129163460694018">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly. These tweets will remain, but I will delete the previous ones on the subject. /4x
&mdash; J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/892129536363692032">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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J K Rowling's tweet was in response to a video that showed Trump refusing to shake hands with a child in a wheelchair. The author reproached Trump by saying, 'This monster of narcissism values only himself and his pale reflections.'

Harry Potter author J K Rowling in a series of tweets justified her reactions to a misleading video of United States President Donald Trump. The author clarified that her tweets came out of personal sensitivity. She said, "I very clearly projected my own sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly. These tweets will remain, but I will delete the previous ones on the subject." J.K Rowling's sentimental outburst was because of the personal experience of her mother using the wheelchair. Re: my tweets about the small boy in a wheelchair whose proferred hand the president appeared to ignore in press footage, multiple /1 — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017 × sources have informed me that that was not a full or accurate representation of their interaction. I very clearly projected my own /2 — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017 × Rowling tweeted in response to a video that showed Trump refusing to shake hands with a child in a wheelchair. The author reproached Trump by saying, "This monster of narcissism values only himself and his pale reflections." However, she apologised later after the video was found to be doctored. sensitivities around the issue of disabled people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress /3 — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017 × to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly. These tweets will remain, but I will delete the previous ones on the subject. /4x — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 31, 2017 ×

J K Rowling apologises for tweets over doctored Trump video

U.S. President Donald Trump ousted recently hired White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci on Monday over an obscene tirade, sources familiar with the decision said, in the latest staff upheaval for the six-month-old administration.

The move, coming just 10 days after the Republican president named Scaramucci to the post, took place on the first day of work for Trump&#39;s new chief of staff, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, who sources said was seeking to impose order on a White House riven with factions and backbiting.

&quot;There&#39;s a new sheriff in town,&quot; said Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser.

A Republican close to Trump said the president fretted on the weekend over what to do about Scaramucci, calling his advisers to ask their opinion, all of whom told him the tough-talking aide had to go.

Trump was annoyed about Scaramucci&#39;s lewd comments to The New Yorker magazine published last Thursday and at how the abrasive New York financier appeared to inflate the strength of their friendship, since he had started the 2016 presidential election cycle as a fundraiser for two Trump rivals, Scott Walker and Jeb Bush.

Trump decided it was time to cut him loose, the source said.

Kelly, who also wanted him removed, summoned Scaramucci to Kelly&#39;s office on Monday morning and fired him on the spot, the official said. It was one of Kelly&#39;s first acts as chief of staff.

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<h5>A great day at the White House!&#39; Trump tweeted on Monday evening</h5>
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&quot;A great day at the White House!&quot; Trump tweeted on Monday evening.

The departure of Scaramucci followed one of the rockiest weeks of Trump&#39;s presidency in which a major Republican effort to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system failed in Congress and both his spokesman and previous chief of staff left their jobs as White House infighting burst into the open.

Scaramucci&#39;s comments to The New Yorker included a profanity-laced attack against then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump&#39;s chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

&quot;The president certainly felt that Anthony&#39;s comments were inappropriate for a person in that position,&quot; spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

In a change from previous procedure at the Trump White House, all staff will now report to Kelly, including Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Sanders said.

A Republican official close to the White House said Kelly had been given wide authority to impose order on the unruly Trump White House.

&ldquo;Things will run with regular order,&rdquo; the official said, adding that even the president&#39;s daughter and her husband, who both have senior roles at the White House, are &quot;not above the law.&quot;

At a dinner on Saturday night at Trump&#39;s hotel near the White House, Trump told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to expect some staff changes, the official said. Kelly attended the dinner as well.

Inner circle

Tensions in Trump&#39;s inner circle erupted last week when Scaramucci assailed Priebus and Bannon, two of the West Wing&#39;s most senior figures. He accused Priebus of leaking information to the media. Priebus later resigned.

Trump appeared on Monday with Kelly in the Oval Office and in a Cabinet meeting where he predicted the new chief of staff would do a &quot;spectacular job.&quot; He praised Kelly for his tenure overseeing border security issues at the Department of Homeland Security.

&quot;With a very controversial situation, there&rsquo;s been very little controversy, which is really amazing by itself,&quot; Trump said.

Republicans fear that staff chaos at the White House could derail any attempt to revive efforts to repeal and replace the Obamacare healthcare law and a plan to overhaul the U.S. tax system.

The U.S. dollar hit a more than 2-1/2-year low against the euro on Monday on month-end portfolio adjustments and uncertainty over the U.S. political outlook after Scaramucci&#39;s departure.

Aside from domestic challenges, Trump is weighing how to respond to North Korea&#39;s latest missile test - a sore point between Washington and Beijing. Trump has been critical of China, North Korea&#39;s closest ally, saying it should do more to rein in Pyongyang.

He is also dealing with several investigations into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and has been frustrated that the probes are also looking into potential collusion by his campaign. Moscow rejects the charge it tried to swing the election in Trump&#39;s favour, and Trump denies his campaign had anything to do with such interference.

Trump was annoyed about Scaramucci's lewd comments to The New Yorker magazine published last Thursday and at how the abrasive New York financier appeared to inflate the strength of their friendship

U.S. President Donald Trump ousted recently hired White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci on Monday over an obscene tirade, sources familiar with the decision said, in the latest staff upheaval for the six-month-old administration. The move, coming just 10 days after the Republican president named Scaramucci to the post, took place on the first day of work for Trump's new chief of staff, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, who sources said was seeking to impose order on a White House riven with factions and backbiting. "There's a new sheriff in town," said Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser. A Republican close to Trump said the president fretted on the weekend over what to do about Scaramucci, calling his advisers to ask their opinion, all of whom told him the tough-talking aide had to go. Trump was annoyed about Scaramucci's lewd comments to The New Yorker magazine published last Thursday and at how the abrasive New York financier appeared to inflate the strength of their friendship, since he had started the 2016 presidential election cycle as a fundraiser for two Trump rivals, Scott Walker and Jeb Bush. Trump decided it was time to cut him loose, the source said. Kelly, who also wanted him removed, summoned Scaramucci to Kelly's office on Monday morning and fired him on the spot, the official said. It was one of Kelly's first acts as chief of staff. A great day at the White House!' Trump tweeted on Monday evening × "A great day at the White House!" Trump tweeted on Monday evening. The departure of Scaramucci followed one of the rockiest weeks of Trump's presidency in which a major Republican effort to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system failed in Congress and both his spokesman and previous chief of staff left their jobs as White House infighting burst into the open. Scaramucci's comments to The New Yorker included a profanity-laced attack against then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon. "The president certainly felt that Anthony's comments were inappropriate for a person in that position," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. In a change from previous procedure at the Trump White House, all staff will now report to Kelly, including Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Sanders said. A Republican official close to the White House said Kelly had been given wide authority to impose order on the unruly Trump White House. “Things will run with regular order,” the official said, adding that even the president's daughter and her husband, who both have senior roles at the White House, are "not above the law." At a dinner on Saturday night at Trump's hotel near the White House, Trump told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to expect some staff changes, the official said. Kelly attended the dinner as well. Inner circle Tensions in Trump's inner circle erupted last week when Scaramucci assailed Priebus and Bannon, two of the West Wing's most senior figures. He accused Priebus of leaking information to the media. Priebus later resigned. Trump appeared on Monday with Kelly in the Oval Office and in a Cabinet meeting where he predicted the new chief of staff would do a "spectacular job." He praised Kelly for his tenure overseeing border security issues at the Department of Homeland Security. "With a very controversial situation, there’s been very little controversy, which is really amazing by itself," Trump said. Republicans fear that staff chaos at the White House could derail any attempt to revive efforts to repeal and replace the Obamacare healthcare law and a plan to overhaul the U.S. tax system. The U.S. dollar hit a more than 2-1/2-year low against the euro on Monday on month-end portfolio adjustments and uncertainty over the U.S. political outlook after Scaramucci's departure. Aside from domestic challenges, Trump is weighing how to respond to North Korea's latest missile test - a sore point between Washington and Beijing. Trump has been critical of China, North Korea's closest ally, saying it should do more to rein in Pyongyang. He is also dealing with several investigations into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and has been frustrated that the probes are also looking into potential collusion by his campaign. Moscow rejects the charge it tried to swing the election in Trump's favour, and Trump denies his campaign had anything to do with such interference.

Trump fires communications director Scaramucci, he lasted all of 10 days

Deidre Ball, the wife of White House&rsquo;s new communications director Anthony Scaramucci, has <a href="http://pagesix.com/2017/07/28/anthony-scaramuccis-wife-files-for-divorce/">reportedly filed for a divorce </a>because she is tired of his &ldquo;naked ambition&rdquo;.&nbsp;

A &nbsp;Page Six report has quoted a source saying that Deidre has left him and filed for a divorce.&nbsp;

&ldquo;She liked the nice Wall Street life and their home on Long Island, not the insane world of D.C. She is tired of his naked ambition, which is so enormous that it left her at her wits&rsquo; end. She has left him even though they have two children together.&rdquo; The source told Page Six.&nbsp;

Scaramucci and Ball are believed to have married in 2014.

Deidre worked as a vice president in investor relations for SkyBridge Capital, a firm Scaramucci founded in 2005 and later sold.&nbsp;

The Source told Page Six that Scaramucci had been &ldquo;hell bent&rdquo; on taking up a job at the White House even after he was originally &ldquo;pegged for a senior role and sold SkyBridge Capital in preparation in January&rdquo;.&nbsp;

Another source told Page Six that Deidre and Scaramucci had fought over his loyalty to Trump.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Deidre is not a fan of Trump, and she hasn&rsquo;t exactly been on board and supportive of Anthony and his push to get back into the White House.&rdquo; Page Six quoted the source as saying.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A source told Page Six that Deidre Ball and Scaramucci had fought over his loyalty to Trump

Deidre Ball, the wife of White House’s new communications director Anthony Scaramucci, has reportedly filed for a divorce because she is tired of his “naked ambition”. A Page Six report has quoted a source saying that Deidre has left him and filed for a divorce. “She liked the nice Wall Street life and their home on Long Island, not the insane world of D.C. She is tired of his naked ambition, which is so enormous that it left her at her wits’ end. She has left him even though they have two children together.” The source told Page Six. Scaramucci and Ball are believed to have married in 2014. Deidre worked as a vice president in investor relations for SkyBridge Capital, a firm Scaramucci founded in 2005 and later sold. The Source told Page Six that Scaramucci had been “hell bent” on taking up a job at the White House even after he was originally “pegged for a senior role and sold SkyBridge Capital in preparation in January”. Another source told Page Six that Deidre and Scaramucci had fought over his loyalty to Trump. “Deidre is not a fan of Trump, and she hasn’t exactly been on board and supportive of Anthony and his push to get back into the White House.” Page Six quoted the source as saying.

Anthony Scaramucci?s wife files for divorce: Report

Feuding within Donald Trump&rsquo;s inner circle appeared to burst out on Twitter late&nbsp;Wednesday when one White House aide tagged another in a tweet calling on the FBI to investigate the leak of his financial information.

After details of his financial holdings were made public, White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci appeared to point the finger of blame at White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

&quot;In light of the leak of my financial disclosure info which is a felony. I will be contacting @FBI and the @TheJusticeDept #swamp @Reince45,&quot; Scaramucci tweeted.

Scaramucci was appointed White House communications director just this week, but he has quickly become a public face of the administration and powerful surrogate for the president.

Earlier, Politico published details of Scaramucci&rsquo;s finances, which are submitted to the government ethics office by all senior White House staff and released to anyone who requests them.

Trump&rsquo;s White House has been beset by infighting, as different ideological factions leak damaging information about rivals in their war for dominance.

Since coming to office Scaramucci has boasted of having a plan to deal with the leaks and staked his political future on rooting them out.

He later deleted the first tweet and appeared to deny calling for his colleague&#39;s prosecution.

Scaramucci tweeted that it was a &quot;public notice to leakers&quot; that all senior administration officials &quot;are helping to end illegal leaks. @Reince45&quot;.

'In light of the leak of my financial disclosure info which is a felony. I will be contacting @FBI and the @TheJusticeDept #swamp @Reince45,' White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted

Feuding within Donald Trump’s inner circle appeared to burst out on Twitter late Wednesday when one White House aide tagged another in a tweet calling on the FBI to investigate the leak of his financial information. After details of his financial holdings were made public, White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci appeared to point the finger of blame at White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. "In light of the leak of my financial disclosure info which is a felony. I will be contacting @FBI and the @TheJusticeDept #swamp @Reince45," Scaramucci tweeted. Scaramucci was appointed White House communications director just this week, but he has quickly become a public face of the administration and powerful surrogate for the president. Earlier, Politico published details of Scaramucci’s finances, which are submitted to the government ethics office by all senior White House staff and released to anyone who requests them. Trump’s White House has been beset by infighting, as different ideological factions leak damaging information about rivals in their war for dominance. Since coming to office Scaramucci has boasted of having a plan to deal with the leaks and staked his political future on rooting them out. He later deleted the first tweet and appeared to deny calling for his colleague's prosecution. Scaramucci tweeted that it was a "public notice to leakers" that all senior administration officials "are helping to end illegal leaks. @Reince45".

Trump aide appears to call for colleague's prosecution, backpedals

US President Donald Trump resumed his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday, calling his onetime ally &quot;VERY weak&quot; in pursuing intelligence leaks and for failing to go after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her email.

Trump&#39;s latest Twitter salvo followed a report in the Washington Post that the president and his advisers have discussed replacing Sessions, one of the Republican billionaire&#39;s earliest supporters.

&quot;Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails &amp;DNC server) &amp; Intel leakers!&quot; Trump tweeted.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails &amp; DNC server) &amp; Intel leakers!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/889790429398528000">July 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump has openly criticised Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing a federal probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Sessions has said he has no plans to resign.

With pressure mounting from the investigation led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, Trump has sought to revive an election year controversy over Clinton&#39;s use of a private server to send email while secretary of state.

The White House also alleged last week that the Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 campaign, adding another twist to the president&#39;s counter-offensive.&nbsp;

&quot;Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - &#39;quietly working to boost Clinton.&#39; So where is the investigation A.G.,&quot; Trump said in another early morning tweet Tuesday.

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Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - &quot;quietly working to boost Clinton.&quot; So where is the investigation A.G. <a href="https://twitter.com/seanhannity">@seanhannity</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/889788202172780544">July 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&#39;Beleaguered&#39;

US presidents normally go to great pains to avoid being seen as influencing ongoing or possible investigations, making Trump&#39;s attacks on Sessions all the more extraordinary.

On Monday, Trump took to Twitter to declare his top law enforcement official &quot;beleaguered&quot; as he wondered out loud why Sessions was not investigating Clinton.

&quot;So why aren&#39;t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes &amp; Russia relations?&quot; Trump asked.

Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department&#39;s investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened.

Last week, he publicly upbraided Sessions for stepping back from issues related to the probe.

Sessions recused himself because of his role on Trump&#39;s campaign and because he failed to tell the Senate during his confirmation hearings about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador in Washington.

Trump said he would never have hired Sessions had he known he would recuse himself.

&quot;I think is very unfair to the president,&quot; Trump told The New York Times last week. &quot;It&#39;s extremely unfair, and that&#39;s a mild word, to the president.&quot;&nbsp;

Widening probe

Trump&#39;s eldest son, son-in-law and top aides have become entangled in the widening investigation led by Mueller.

Jared Kushner, the president&#39;s son-in-law and a top White House official, was questioned Monday by a Senate panel about contacts with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a Russian financier and a Russian lawyer who offered dirt on Clinton.

Kushner made a statement denying collusion after testifying behind closed doors, insisting the string of undisclosed meetings with Russian officials were &quot;proper.&quot;

&quot;Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!&quot; Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

In May, Trump fired FBI director James Comey over the bureau&#39;s investigation into Russia.

That led to Mueller&#39;s appointment as a special prosecutor.

The Post report said Trump associates see getting rid of Sessions as part of a potential strategy to fire Mueller and end the Russia investigation.&nbsp;

The website Axios reported that Trump was considering replacing Sessions with another early supporter, Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor.

But Giuliani dismissed the report and said Sessions was right to have recused himself from the Russia probe, CNN reported.

Sessions &quot;made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department,&quot; CNN quoted Giuliani as saying as he arrived at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.&nbsp;

US presidents normally go to great pains to avoid being seen as influencing ongoing or possible investigations, making Trump's attacks on Sessions all the more extraordinary

US President Donald Trump resumed his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday, calling his onetime ally "VERY weak" in pursuing intelligence leaks and for failing to go after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her email. Trump's latest Twitter salvo followed a report in the Washington Post that the president and his advisers have discussed replacing Sessions, one of the Republican billionaire's earliest supporters. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails &DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump tweeted. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 × Trump has openly criticised Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing a federal probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections. Sessions has said he has no plans to resign. With pressure mounting from the investigation led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, Trump has sought to revive an election year controversy over Clinton's use of a private server to send email while secretary of state. The White House also alleged last week that the Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 campaign, adding another twist to the president's counter-offensive. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.," Trump said in another early morning tweet Tuesday. Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 × 'Beleaguered' US presidents normally go to great pains to avoid being seen as influencing ongoing or possible investigations, making Trump's attacks on Sessions all the more extraordinary. On Monday, Trump took to Twitter to declare his top law enforcement official "beleaguered" as he wondered out loud why Sessions was not investigating Clinton. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Trump asked. Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department's investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened. Last week, he publicly upbraided Sessions for stepping back from issues related to the probe. Sessions recused himself because of his role on Trump's campaign and because he failed to tell the Senate during his confirmation hearings about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador in Washington. Trump said he would never have hired Sessions had he known he would recuse himself. "I think is very unfair to the president," Trump told The New York Times last week. "It's extremely unfair, and that's a mild word, to the president." Widening probe Trump's eldest son, son-in-law and top aides have become entangled in the widening investigation led by Mueller. Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and a top White House official, was questioned Monday by a Senate panel about contacts with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a Russian financier and a Russian lawyer who offered dirt on Clinton. Kushner made a statement denying collusion after testifying behind closed doors, insisting the string of undisclosed meetings with Russian officials were "proper." "Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday. In May, Trump fired FBI director James Comey over the bureau's investigation into Russia. That led to Mueller's appointment as a special prosecutor. The Post report said Trump associates see getting rid of Sessions as part of a potential strategy to fire Mueller and end the Russia investigation. The website Axios reported that Trump was considering replacing Sessions with another early supporter, Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor. But Giuliani dismissed the report and said Sessions was right to have recused himself from the Russia probe, CNN reported. Sessions "made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department," CNN quoted Giuliani as saying as he arrived at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Trump slams Jeff Sessions, questions Ukraine's role in US elections

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, said on Monday he &quot;did not collude&quot; with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition, AFP reports.

In a written statement released ahead of his scheduled appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Kushner said his initial White House security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts.

Filing misleading information in this form is a felony which carries&nbsp;a possible five-year jail sentence. Kushner&nbsp;originally claimed&nbsp;he had no&nbsp;foreign contacts before the election, and updated the forms, several times, to show he had over <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jared-Kushner-added-more-than-100-names-to-his-list-of-foreign-contacts-in-updated-security-clearance-forms/articleshow/59581180.cms">100 foreign contacts</a> from over 20 countries.

&quot;I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government,&quot; Kushner said.&nbsp;&quot;I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector,&quot; he said.

Trump&#39;s son Donald Trump Jr released emails this month, with a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/11/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-email-text.html" target="_blank">subject heading</a> &#39;&#39;Re - Russia-Clinton--private and confidential&#39;,&nbsp;that showed Trump Jr appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from the Russian government about Clinton. Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort were also at the meeting.

Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress as lawmakers try to determine whether Trump&#39;s campaign enlisted Russia&#39;s help to win the White House in last year&#39;s election.

Kushner is scheduled to address the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10 am&nbsp;on Monday and the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which US.&nbsp;

Intelligence agencies have accused Russia of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow.&nbsp;The Republican president has said the Russia probes in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated.

In a tweet on Monday morning, Trump lashed out at the ongoing investigations.

&quot;So why aren&#39;t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered AG, looking into Crooked Hillary&#39;s crimes &amp; Russia relations?&quot; he added, referring to his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.

&nbsp;

Kushner described the secret meetings with Russians promising damaging information about Clinton&nbsp;as a waste of time. &quot;I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote &#39;Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.&#39;&quot;

He said no part of the meeting he attended &quot;included anything about the campaign&quot; and he had no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. <a href="http://time.com/4858397/donald-trump-jr-meeting-russian-lobbyist/" target="_blank">Time </a>reports that during the meeting, Akmetshin and the Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya brought a plastic folder with printed-out documents that detailed what she believed was the flow of illicit funds to the Democratic National Committee.

As for nothing being discussed related to the campaign, Trump Jr and even President Trump have said this secret meeting&nbsp;discussed &quot;adoption&quot;, which refers to the Magnitsky Act. After Obama in 2012 put sanctions on Russian oligarchs accused of human rights violations, a law known as the Magnitsky Act, Putin responded by forbidding Americans from adopting Russian babies.

The Magnitsky Act is thought to be preventing the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars.&nbsp;The Trump administration&#39;s potential willingness to drop sanctions against Russia is at the heart of the alleged connection between US President Donald&nbsp;Trump and Russia. Investigations into this are ongoing.&nbsp;

The Senate Judiciary Committee is negotiating with Manafort and Trump Jr&nbsp;about testifying in a public hearing. &nbsp;The congressional committees, along with federal special counsel Robert Mueller, are examining Russia&#39;s influence in the US election and possible links to Trump&#39;s campaign.

&nbsp;

&#39;Secret back channel&#39;

Kushner will also face questions about reports he tried to set up a secret back channel to Moscow, as well as other contacts with top Russian officials and business leaders.

Kushner said he first met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington in April 2016 and shook hands. He said he did not recall phone calls with Kislyak between April and November of that year as reported by Reuters in May, had found no evidence of the calls in phone records and was skeptical they took place.&nbsp;

In a meeting with Kislyak after the election, on December&nbsp;1, Kushner said he articulated a desire for the United States to make a fresh start with Russia.

&quot;The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should, of course, be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day,&quot; he said.

He said the Russian ambassador asked if there was a secure line in Trump&#39;s transition office to facilitate a discussion with Russian generals about Syria. There was not.&nbsp;

Kushner suggested arranging something through an existing communications channel at the Russian embassy, but Kislyak indicated that was not possible and they agreed to follow up after the inauguration.

&quot;Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a &#39;secret back channel.&#39;&nbsp;I did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office,&quot; Kushner said. &quot;I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions.&quot;

Kushner said he met on December 13 with Sergey Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, because Kislyak`s insistence and because he had a &quot;direct relationship&quot; with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama&#39;s administration were not discussed nor were Kushner`s business activities, Kushner said.

&quot;I did not know or have any contact with Mr Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since,&quot; Kushner wrote.

Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance. He has since revised those forms several times.

He said the forms were initially submitted prematurely in error and omitted all foreign contacts he had had, not just those with Russian officials.

(With agency inputs)

 
&nbsp;

Kushner said his original White House security clearance form, which said he had 0 foreign contacts instead of over 100, had been submitted in error

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, said on Monday he "did not collude" with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition, AFP reports. In a written statement released ahead of his scheduled appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Kushner said his initial White House security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts. Filing misleading information in this form is a felony which carries a possible five-year jail sentence. Kushner originally claimed he had no foreign contacts before the election, and updated the forms, several times, to show he had over 100 foreign contacts from over 20 countries. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner said. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," he said. Trump's son Donald Trump Jr released emails this month, with a subject heading ''Re - Russia-Clinton--private and confidential', that showed Trump Jr appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from the Russian government about Clinton. Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort were also at the meeting. Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress as lawmakers try to determine whether Trump's campaign enlisted Russia's help to win the White House in last year's election. Kushner is scheduled to address the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10 am on Monday and the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which US. Intelligence agencies have accused Russia of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow. The Republican president has said the Russia probes in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated. In a tweet on Monday morning, Trump lashed out at the ongoing investigations. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered AG, looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" he added, referring to his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton. Kushner described the secret meetings with Russians promising damaging information about Clinton as a waste of time. "I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.'" He said no part of the meeting he attended "included anything about the campaign" and he had no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. Time reports that during the meeting, Akmetshin and the Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya brought a plastic folder with printed-out documents that detailed what she believed was the flow of illicit funds to the Democratic National Committee. As for nothing being discussed related to the campaign, Trump Jr and even President Trump have said this secret meeting discussed "adoption", which refers to the Magnitsky Act. After Obama in 2012 put sanctions on Russian oligarchs accused of human rights violations, a law known as the Magnitsky Act, Putin responded by forbidding Americans from adopting Russian babies. The Magnitsky Act is thought to be preventing the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars. The Trump administration's potential willingness to drop sanctions against Russia is at the heart of the alleged connection between US President Donald Trump and Russia. Investigations into this are ongoing. The Senate Judiciary Committee is negotiating with Manafort and Trump Jr about testifying in a public hearing. The congressional committees, along with federal special counsel Robert Mueller, are examining Russia's influence in the US election and possible links to Trump's campaign. 'Secret back channel' Kushner will also face questions about reports he tried to set up a secret back channel to Moscow, as well as other contacts with top Russian officials and business leaders. Kushner said he first met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington in April 2016 and shook hands. He said he did not recall phone calls with Kislyak between April and November of that year as reported by Reuters in May, had found no evidence of the calls in phone records and was skeptical they took place. In a meeting with Kislyak after the election, on December 1, Kushner said he articulated a desire for the United States to make a fresh start with Russia. "The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should, of course, be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day," he said. He said the Russian ambassador asked if there was a secure line in Trump's transition office to facilitate a discussion with Russian generals about Syria. There was not. Kushner suggested arranging something through an existing communications channel at the Russian embassy, but Kislyak indicated that was not possible and they agreed to follow up after the inauguration. "Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a 'secret back channel.' I did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office," Kushner said. "I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions." Kushner said he met on December 13 with Sergey Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, because Kislyak`s insistence and because he had a "direct relationship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama's administration were not discussed nor were Kushner`s business activities, Kushner said. "I did not know or have any contact with Mr Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since," Kushner wrote. Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance. He has since revised those forms several times. He said the forms were initially submitted prematurely in error and omitted all foreign contacts he had had, not just those with Russian officials. (With agency inputs)

Trump son-in-law Kushner denies collusion despite 'private, confidential' meeting with Russian officials ???????

Sean Spicer resigned from his job as the White House press secretary on Friday reportedly because he was unhappy with the choice of Anthony Scaramucci as the new the director of communications.

Spicer&rsquo;s term at the White House was turbulent for part -- to be fair, being Donald Trump&#39;s spokesman is arguably the toughest job in the world -- provoking the ire of reporters.&nbsp;

He lasted six months.&nbsp;

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This is how I&#39;ll always remember <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec">@PressSec</a> Sean Spicer. <a href="https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa">https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa</a> <a href="https://t.co/BhlBhKB9Eh">pic.twitter.com/BhlBhKB9Eh</a>
&mdash; Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattwilstein/status/888430237117054976">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Spicer burst on to the scene in January 2017 with a rant at reporters, in which he scolded them for deliberately under-reporting the size of President Trump&rsquo;s Inauguration Day crowd.&nbsp;

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There were 1.5 million people at the inauguration. Just 1.25 million of them had their invisibility cloaks on.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spicerfacts?src=hash">#spicerfacts</a> <a href="https://t.co/MxsRRXhcY2">pic.twitter.com/MxsRRXhcY2</a>
&mdash; Ben (@BenPatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenPatz/status/823075222463057920">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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His friction with the media prompted NBC&rsquo;s Saturday Night Live to caricature him.

Melissa McCarthy played &quot;Spicey&quot;, a character who swallowed gum and drove a motorised lectern into reporters who asked hard questions.

Two months into his term at the White House, Spicer was accused of racism by an Indian-origin woman.&nbsp;

&ldquo;How does it feel to work for a fascist?&rdquo; Shree Chauhan had asked him at an Apple store in Washington.

&ldquo;&ldquo;Such a great country that allows you to be here,&rdquo; Spicer replied.&nbsp;

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White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been accused of racism by an Indian-American woman. Here&#39;s more to this story (WION)
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Then there was the comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Hitler in April.&nbsp;

&quot;You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn&#39;t even sink to using chemical weapons,&quot; Spicer said.&nbsp;

Obviously, considering the Nazis gas chambers, a furore ensued.&nbsp;

Spicer&#39;s live televised briefings drew big audiences, and he found himself the butt of social media jokes and memes,&nbsp;

Here are a few:&nbsp;

When he refused to take questions from the press and reporters kept calling his name in unison:&nbsp;

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SEAAAAAAAAN <a href="https://t.co/LZ1iTPg4x7">pic.twitter.com/LZ1iTPg4x7</a>
&mdash; Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/859478879320383489">May 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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When Twitterati couldn&#39;t get over&nbsp;his past as an Easter bunny:&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neverforget?src=hash">#neverforget</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteHousebunny?src=hash">#WhiteHousebunny</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seanspicer">@seanspicer</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fi134UjYYJ">pic.twitter.com/Fi134UjYYJ</a>
&mdash; Olivier Knox (@OKnox) <a href="https://twitter.com/OKnox/status/714454998952910848">March 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The memes did not stop after his resignation.

Like this one inspired by the time he and his staff huddled behind bushes on the White House complex trying to come up answers to reporters&#39; questions on former FBI director James Comey&#39;s firing:&nbsp;

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SEAN SPICER OUT <a href="https://t.co/vCG58VVjV7">pic.twitter.com/vCG58VVjV7</a>
&mdash; Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) <a href="https://twitter.com/margaretcho/status/888430888396046336">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Reuters reported Spicer was spotted around the White House complex after his resignation. He was described by colleagues as being in a good mood and feeling he had made the right decision.

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Sean Spicer seen leaving The White House after resignation 
<a href="https://t.co/iGEnf9POyV">pic.twitter.com/iGEnf9POyV</a>
&mdash; Chris Smith (@Lilyachttty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lilyachttty/status/888448664229756929">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders has taken up Spicer&#39;s job. She is the new White House press secretary.&nbsp;

Sanders is former Arkansas governor Mick Huckabee&#39;s daughter.&nbsp;

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In picture: Sarah Sanders and Anthony Scaramucci arrive at the White House. (Reuters)
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There had been reports earlier that Trump had not been happy with Spicer. That he thought Spicer wasn&#39;t doing a good enough job of speaking for (read protecting) him.&nbsp;

The reports speculated that a change was in the offing.&nbsp;

Now, some people are asking why it took so long to come.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Spicer, who resigned his job Friday, lasted six months as White House press secretary

Sean Spicer resigned from his job as the White House press secretary on Friday reportedly because he was unhappy with the choice of Anthony Scaramucci as the new the director of communications. Spicer’s term at the White House was turbulent for part -- to be fair, being Donald Trump's spokesman is arguably the toughest job in the world -- provoking the ire of reporters. He lasted six months. This is how I'll always remember @PressSec Sean Spicer. https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa pic.twitter.com/BhlBhKB9Eh — Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) July 21, 2017 × Spicer burst on to the scene in January 2017 with a rant at reporters, in which he scolded them for deliberately under-reporting the size of President Trump’s Inauguration Day crowd. × There were 1.5 million people at the inauguration. Just 1.25 million of them had their invisibility cloaks on.#spicerfacts pic.twitter.com/MxsRRXhcY2 — Ben (@BenPatz) January 22, 2017 × His friction with the media prompted NBC’s Saturday Night Live to caricature him. Melissa McCarthy played "Spicey", a character who swallowed gum and drove a motorised lectern into reporters who asked hard questions. Two months into his term at the White House, Spicer was accused of racism by an Indian-origin woman. “How does it feel to work for a fascist?” Shree Chauhan had asked him at an Apple store in Washington. ““Such a great country that allows you to be here,” Spicer replied. White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been accused of racism by an Indian-American woman. Here's more to this story (WION) × Then there was the comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Hitler in April. "You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," Spicer said. Obviously, considering the Nazis gas chambers, a furore ensued. Spicer's live televised briefings drew big audiences, and he found himself the butt of social media jokes and memes, Here are a few: When he refused to take questions from the press and reporters kept calling his name in unison: SEAAAAAAAAN pic.twitter.com/LZ1iTPg4x7 — Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) May 2, 2017 × When Twitterati couldn't get over his past as an Easter bunny: #neverforget #WhiteHousebunny @seanspicer pic.twitter.com/Fi134UjYYJ — Olivier Knox (@OKnox) March 28, 2016 × The memes did not stop after his resignation. Like this one inspired by the time he and his staff huddled behind bushes on the White House complex trying to come up answers to reporters' questions on former FBI director James Comey's firing: SEAN SPICER OUT pic.twitter.com/vCG58VVjV7 — Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) July 21, 2017 × Reuters reported Spicer was spotted around the White House complex after his resignation. He was described by colleagues as being in a good mood and feeling he had made the right decision. Sean Spicer seen leaving The White House after resignation pic.twitter.com/iGEnf9POyV — Chris Smith (@Lilyachttty) July 21, 2017 × Sarah Huckabee Sanders has taken up Spicer's job. She is the new White House press secretary. Sanders is former Arkansas governor Mick Huckabee's daughter. In picture: Sarah Sanders and Anthony Scaramucci arrive at the White House. (Reuters) × There had been reports earlier that Trump had not been happy with Spicer. That he thought Spicer wasn't doing a good enough job of speaking for (read protecting) him. The reports speculated that a change was in the offing. Now, some people are asking why it took so long to come.

A brief history of Sean Spicer

If President Donald Trump, who refers to the media as &quot;fake news,&quot; wants his staff to use a more conciliatory approach with journalists, new communications director Anthony Scaramucci may be implementing such a shift - for now.

The Wall Street financier and Republican fundraiser walked into the White House briefing room on Friday and immediately did what Sean Spicer, the outgoing press secretary, did not do on his first day in January: engage, in a friendly manner, with reporters.

Wearing a blue tie and an American flag pin on a dark suit, Scaramucci bantered with correspondents, pledged to be transparent and even made respectful remarks about CNN, the cable network with which Trump and Spicer have sparred repeatedly.

He made fun of himself, joking about his short stature and apologising to Trump from the podium for having called the New York businessman a hack politician in 2015.

&quot;He brings it up every 15 seconds, all right?&quot; Scaramucci said to laughter, referring to the president. &quot;I should have never said that about him. So, Mr. President, if you&#39;re listening, I personally apologise for the 50th time for saying that.&quot;

Trump was probably listening.

Reporters peppered Scaramucci with questions on press-related issues that have dogged the relationship between the Trump presidency and the journalists that cover it.

Did he support having briefings televised? &quot;I obviously am committed to being transparent because I&rsquo;m standing here. But I&rsquo;d like to talk that over with the president,&quot; he said.

He noted that CNN had apologised when it reported something false about him and that he had accepted the apology.

&quot;There feels like there&rsquo;s a little bit of media bias, and so what we hope we can do is de-escalate that and turn that around. And let&#39;s let the message from the president get out there to the American people,&quot; he said.

He announced the new press secretary to take over from Spicer, who resigned earlier on Friday, would be Sarah Sanders.

Spicer&#39;s debut at the White House podium in January featured a long scolding of reporters for their portrayal of Trump&#39;s Inauguration Day crowd numbers.

Asked on Friday whether he agreed with Trump&#39;s contention, for which there is no evidence, that 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, Scaramucci answered carefully.

&quot;So if the president says it, let me do more research on it, but my guess is that there&rsquo;s probably some level of truth to that,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think what we have found sometimes the president says stuff, some of you guys in the media think it&rsquo;s not true or it isn&rsquo;t true, and it turns out it&rsquo;s closer to the truth than people think.&quot;

Trump's new communications director apologised to Trump from the podium for having called the New York businessman a hack politician in 2015

If President Donald Trump, who refers to the media as "fake news," wants his staff to use a more conciliatory approach with journalists, new communications director Anthony Scaramucci may be implementing such a shift - for now. The Wall Street financier and Republican fundraiser walked into the White House briefing room on Friday and immediately did what Sean Spicer, the outgoing press secretary, did not do on his first day in January: engage, in a friendly manner, with reporters. Wearing a blue tie and an American flag pin on a dark suit, Scaramucci bantered with correspondents, pledged to be transparent and even made respectful remarks about CNN, the cable network with which Trump and Spicer have sparred repeatedly. He made fun of himself, joking about his short stature and apologising to Trump from the podium for having called the New York businessman a hack politician in 2015. "He brings it up every 15 seconds, all right?" Scaramucci said to laughter, referring to the president. "I should have never said that about him. So, Mr. President, if you're listening, I personally apologise for the 50th time for saying that." Trump was probably listening. Reporters peppered Scaramucci with questions on press-related issues that have dogged the relationship between the Trump presidency and the journalists that cover it. Did he support having briefings televised? "I obviously am committed to being transparent because I’m standing here. But I’d like to talk that over with the president," he said. He noted that CNN had apologised when it reported something false about him and that he had accepted the apology. "There feels like there’s a little bit of media bias, and so what we hope we can do is de-escalate that and turn that around. And let's let the message from the president get out there to the American people," he said. He announced the new press secretary to take over from Spicer, who resigned earlier on Friday, would be Sarah Sanders. Spicer's debut at the White House podium in January featured a long scolding of reporters for their portrayal of Trump's Inauguration Day crowd numbers. Asked on Friday whether he agreed with Trump's contention, for which there is no evidence, that 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, Scaramucci answered carefully. "So if the president says it, let me do more research on it, but my guess is that there’s probably some level of truth to that," he said. "I think what we have found sometimes the president says stuff, some of you guys in the media think it’s not true or it isn’t true, and it turns out it’s closer to the truth than people think."

Trump's new hire Scaramucci apologises for calling him 'hack politician'

As news of Donald Trump&rsquo;s victory in last November&rsquo;s US presidential election&nbsp;spread around the world, delegates at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference were meeting to discuss implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement.&nbsp;The man widely credited with playing a pivotal role in securing that landmark deal in the French capital was US President Barack Obama.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;It was a combination of the United States and China that ultimately got that deal through. You had to get 200 countries to go along with this agreement, and the approach the US came up with was the one that was ultimately successful,&rdquo; said Ken Berlin, CEO of the Climate Reality Project, an environmental NGO based in Washington, DC.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The outgoing president&rsquo;s commitment to fighting climate change has formed a key part of his domestic agenda and will undoubtedly shape his legacy.&nbsp;According to figures from the White House, Obama&rsquo;s administration has cut US carbon emissions by 9 per cent&nbsp;since he took office in 2009. In the same period, the US economy grew by more than 10 per cent.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But many Democrat supporters and environmentalists now fear Obama&rsquo;s work could be torpedoed by his successor.&nbsp;During the presidential campaign, a tweet expressing scepticism over climate change surfaced on Donald Trump&rsquo;s official Twitter account.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive,&rdquo; Trump tweeted in November 2012.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Recently, the UK&rsquo;s climate change minister, Nick Hurd, called the US President-elect a &ldquo;very big challenge&rdquo; to efforts to control global temperature rises.&nbsp;Senior members of Trump&rsquo;s team like Jeff Sessions and Ben Carson are also openly sceptical about climate change.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I know there are a lot of people who say &lsquo;overwhelming science&rsquo;, but then when you ask them to show the overwhelming science, they never can show it,&rdquo; Mr Carson, the President-elect&rsquo;s pick for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2015.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Although fearful about Trump&rsquo;s future climate change policy, environmentalists say the new administration&rsquo;s impact on falling carbon emissions in the US could be limited in the short term.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Overall, if you take into account federal, state and local governments and business, we will still continue to make progress in reducing carbon emissions in the United States. It will be a slower pace than if Hillary Clinton had won, but the environmental community here is gearing up for what might be the fight of our lives,&rdquo; said Mr Berlin.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Even if Trump does not do what many fear and pull out of the Paris deal immediately, what he does in 2020 could be just as crucial. Under the terms of the Paris climate change deal, countries must set five-year targets or &ldquo;national determined contributions&rdquo;. By 2020, the US will need to ramp up its efforts to cut emissions once again in order to meet its commitments.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
While Obama has been a leader on climate change policy across the world, a Trump White House could stall the Paris deal in its delicate early years.&nbsp;In the environmental community, the latest US election was billed as a showdown between Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s green credentials and Donald Trump&rsquo;s climate scepticism. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Scepticism prevailed in 2016. But environmentalists say the next time US voters go to the polls in 2020 could be the defining moment in the global battle against climate change.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION)

US environmentalists highlight Obama?s climate change legacy, but fear a Trump presidency

As news of Donald Trump’s victory in last November’s US presidential election spread around the world, delegates at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference were meeting to discuss implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The man widely credited with playing a pivotal role in securing that landmark deal in the French capital was US President Barack Obama. “It was a combination of the United States and China that ultimately got that deal through. You had to get 200 countries to go along with this agreement, and the approach the US came up with was the one that was ultimately successful,” said Ken Berlin, CEO of the Climate Reality Project, an environmental NGO based in Washington, DC. The outgoing president’s commitment to fighting climate change has formed a key part of his domestic agenda and will undoubtedly shape his legacy. According to figures from the White House, Obama’s administration has cut US carbon emissions by 9 per cent since he took office in 2009. In the same period, the US economy grew by more than 10 per cent. But many Democrat supporters and environmentalists now fear Obama’s work could be torpedoed by his successor. During the presidential campaign, a tweet expressing scepticism over climate change surfaced on Donald Trump’s official Twitter account. “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive,” Trump tweeted in November 2012. Recently, the UK’s climate change minister, Nick Hurd, called the US President-elect a “very big challenge” to efforts to control global temperature rises. Senior members of Trump’s team like Jeff Sessions and Ben Carson are also openly sceptical about climate change. “I know there are a lot of people who say ‘overwhelming science’, but then when you ask them to show the overwhelming science, they never can show it,” Mr Carson, the President-elect’s pick for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2015. Although fearful about Trump’s future climate change policy, environmentalists say the new administration’s impact on falling carbon emissions in the US could be limited in the short term. “Overall, if you take into account federal, state and local governments and business, we will still continue to make progress in reducing carbon emissions in the United States. It will be a slower pace than if Hillary Clinton had won, but the environmental community here is gearing up for what might be the fight of our lives,” said Mr Berlin. Even if Trump does not do what many fear and pull out of the Paris deal immediately, what he does in 2020 could be just as crucial. Under the terms of the Paris climate change deal, countries must set five-year targets or “national determined contributions”. By 2020, the US will need to ramp up its efforts to cut emissions once again in order to meet its commitments. While Obama has been a leader on climate change policy across the world, a Trump White House could stall the Paris deal in its delicate early years. In the environmental community, the latest US election was billed as a showdown between Hillary Clinton’s green credentials and Donald Trump’s climate scepticism. Scepticism prevailed in 2016. But environmentalists say the next time US voters go to the polls in 2020 could be the defining moment in the global battle against climate change. (WION)

Political climate change

Veteran US Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has been diagnosed with brain cancer, his office announced Wednesday.

The 80-year-old lawmaker from Arizona underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye last week and tests &quot;revealed that a primary brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot,&quot; the Mayo Clinic, whose doctors performed the surgery in Phoenix, said in a statement released by McCain&#39;s office.

&quot;The senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options,&quot; the statement added, noting they may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

Glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive brain tumor affecting adults. It is of the same category of cancer that led to the death of another icon of the US Senate, Ted Kennedy, who died in 2009 at age 77.

It is not McCain&#39;s first bout with cancer. Doctors removed several malignant melanomas on McCain&#39;s skin in the 1990s and 2000s, including an invasive melanoma in 2000.

Experts had said this week that McCain&#39;s latest operation suggested the possibility of a return of cancer.&nbsp;

McCain&#39;s office said the senator &quot;is in good spirits as he continues to recover at home with his family in Arizona,&quot; and that he will consult with his care team about when he might be able to return to work in Washington.

Senate Leader Mitch McConnell quickly issued a statement saying the entire chamber was praying for their colleague and hoped to see him back soon.

&quot;John McCain is a hero to our conference and a hero to our country,&quot; McConnell said.&nbsp;

&quot;He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life.&quot;&nbsp;

McCain, a former US Navy aviator, was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 as he conducted a bombing mission during the Vietnam War.

He was badly injured when he parachuted out, and was tortured during his five and a half years as a POW in Hanoi.

The 80-year-old lawmaker from Arizona underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye last week and tests revealed a primary brain tumor

Veteran US Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has been diagnosed with brain cancer, his office announced Wednesday. The 80-year-old lawmaker from Arizona underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye last week and tests "revealed that a primary brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot," the Mayo Clinic, whose doctors performed the surgery in Phoenix, said in a statement released by McCain's office. "The senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options," the statement added, noting they may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive brain tumor affecting adults. It is of the same category of cancer that led to the death of another icon of the US Senate, Ted Kennedy, who died in 2009 at age 77. It is not McCain's first bout with cancer. Doctors removed several malignant melanomas on McCain's skin in the 1990s and 2000s, including an invasive melanoma in 2000. Experts had said this week that McCain's latest operation suggested the possibility of a return of cancer. McCain's office said the senator "is in good spirits as he continues to recover at home with his family in Arizona," and that he will consult with his care team about when he might be able to return to work in Washington. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell quickly issued a statement saying the entire chamber was praying for their colleague and hoped to see him back soon. "John McCain is a hero to our conference and a hero to our country," McConnell said. "He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life." McCain, a former US Navy aviator, was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 as he conducted a bombing mission during the Vietnam War. He was badly injured when he parachuted out, and was tortured during his five and a half years as a POW in Hanoi.

Republican Senator John McCain diagnosed with brain tumour

An angry President Donald Trump railed Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long effort to dismantle Barack Obama&#39;s landmark health care law.

Trump fired off a series of early morning tweets complaining about how he was &quot;let down&quot; by Democrats &quot;and a few Republicans,&quot; who announced their opposition the previous night to the latest leadership plan to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

With four Republicans now lined up against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell&#39;s health overhaul, the plan has flatlined in the 100-member chamber, where the party could afford only two defectors in order to get the measure passed.&nbsp;

The dramatic implosion effectively means Trump, who marks his first six months in office later this week, has no major legislative victory under his belt, squandering months of political capital.

Trump had campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to abolish most of the Affordable Care Act, proclaiming at an October campaign rally that it would be &quot;so easy&quot; to immediately repeal and replace the law.

But on Monday night he ran into the uncompromising reality of American politics: even with a president&#39;s party enjoying a majority in both chambers, crafting and passing landmark legislation can be difficult in the US Congress.

The failure suggests an inability by Trump -- a political neophyte who often highlighted his lack of connections to establishment Washington -- to get members of his own party to fall into line.

Nevertheless Trump put on a brave face, insisting on Twitter that &quot;we will return!&quot;

&quot;As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;

&#39;Time to start over&#39;

McConnell was by no means giving up. He told colleagues Tuesday that despite &quot;regret&quot; that&nbsp;the effort failed, &quot;I believe we must continue to push forward now&quot;.

In the coming days, McConnell will introduce a bill that repeals Obamacare outright, but with a two-year delay of implementation, in order to allow Congress time to craft a replacement.

A straight repeal bill passed Congress in 2015. But that was during Obama&#39;s presidency, and Republicans knew they would pay no political price for their votes, as Obama vetoed the measure.

Trump would likely sign such legislation, putting Republicans on the hook for any ensuing disruption to the health care system.

Two years ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office warned that simply repealing Obamacare would essentially kick 18 million people off health care in the first year compared to current law, a figure that would balloon to 32 million by 2026. That is far above the 22 million that CBO forecast would lose coverage under the latest repeal-and-replace legislation.

Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday he and Trump &quot;fully support&quot; McConnell&#39;s decision to move ahead with an Obamacare repeal.

But with a number of Senate Republican moderates voicing concern about how the latest bill could adversely impact millions of people insured through Medicaid, the health coverage program for the poor and the disabled, it appeared unlikely that McConnell&#39;s repeal bid would win enough support.

&quot;I can not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians,&quot; Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose chamber passed its own health reform bill in May, appeared to recognise the quandary the Senate was in, but stressed the commitment Republicans have made to voters over the past seven years. &quot;We&#39;ve got a promise to keep,&quot; he told reporters.

But Ryan hesitated to map out the way forward, because it remained unclear what repeal effort, if any, could pass the Senate.&nbsp;

While Democrats celebrated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer extended an olive branch to his Republican rivals. &quot;It&#39;s time to move on. It&#39;s time to start over&quot; on health care, he said.

Schumer called on Republicans to &quot;work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides longterm stability to the markets and improve our health care system.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Trump complained about how he was 'let down' by Democrats 'and a few Republicans' who opposed the latest Republican effort to repeal Obamacare

An angry President Donald Trump railed Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long effort to dismantle Barack Obama's landmark health care law. Trump fired off a series of early morning tweets complaining about how he was "let down" by Democrats "and a few Republicans," who announced their opposition the previous night to the latest leadership plan to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. With four Republicans now lined up against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's health overhaul, the plan has flatlined in the 100-member chamber, where the party could afford only two defectors in order to get the measure passed. The dramatic implosion effectively means Trump, who marks his first six months in office later this week, has no major legislative victory under his belt, squandering months of political capital. Trump had campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to abolish most of the Affordable Care Act, proclaiming at an October campaign rally that it would be "so easy" to immediately repeal and replace the law. But on Monday night he ran into the uncompromising reality of American politics: even with a president's party enjoying a majority in both chambers, crafting and passing landmark legislation can be difficult in the US Congress. The failure suggests an inability by Trump -- a political neophyte who often highlighted his lack of connections to establishment Washington -- to get members of his own party to fall into line. Nevertheless Trump put on a brave face, insisting on Twitter that "we will return!" "As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned," he added. 'Time to start over' McConnell was by no means giving up. He told colleagues Tuesday that despite "regret" that the effort failed, "I believe we must continue to push forward now". In the coming days, McConnell will introduce a bill that repeals Obamacare outright, but with a two-year delay of implementation, in order to allow Congress time to craft a replacement. A straight repeal bill passed Congress in 2015. But that was during Obama's presidency, and Republicans knew they would pay no political price for their votes, as Obama vetoed the measure. Trump would likely sign such legislation, putting Republicans on the hook for any ensuing disruption to the health care system. Two years ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office warned that simply repealing Obamacare would essentially kick 18 million people off health care in the first year compared to current law, a figure that would balloon to 32 million by 2026. That is far above the 22 million that CBO forecast would lose coverage under the latest repeal-and-replace legislation. Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday he and Trump "fully support" McConnell's decision to move ahead with an Obamacare repeal. But with a number of Senate Republican moderates voicing concern about how the latest bill could adversely impact millions of people insured through Medicaid, the health coverage program for the poor and the disabled, it appeared unlikely that McConnell's repeal bid would win enough support. "I can not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians," Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement. House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose chamber passed its own health reform bill in May, appeared to recognise the quandary the Senate was in, but stressed the commitment Republicans have made to voters over the past seven years. "We've got a promise to keep," he told reporters. But Ryan hesitated to map out the way forward, because it remained unclear what repeal effort, if any, could pass the Senate. While Democrats celebrated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer extended an olive branch to his Republican rivals. "It's time to move on. It's time to start over" on health care, he said. Schumer called on Republicans to "work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides longterm stability to the markets and improve our health care system."

'Let ObamaCare fail,' Trump fumes as health bill collapses

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has reiterated that US President Donald Trump will not be given an elaborate state visit when he comes to the United Kingdom next year for a state visit.

&quot;State visits are different from a normal visit and at a time when the President of the USA has policies that many in our country disagree with, I am not sure it is appropriate for our government to roll out the red carpet,&quot; Khan told CNN in an interview.

Khan&#39;s comments come&nbsp;shortly after a <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/i-havent-had-great-coverage-out-there-theresa-donald-trump-tells-pm-he-wants-a-better-reception-when-a3588891.html" target="_blank">leaked</a> conversation, first reported last Sunday,&nbsp;between Trump and British PM Theresa May, where Trump said he would &nbsp;not visit London unless&nbsp;his&nbsp;reception improved.

He said: &quot;I still want to come, but I&#39;m in no rush. So, if you can fix it for me, it would make things a lot easier.

&quot;When I know I&#39;m going to get a better reception, I&#39;ll come and not before.&quot;

The delay to Trump&#39;s visit comes amid concern that there will be mass protests against the President in the British capital. Earlier this year, over 1.8 million people signed a petition seeking to block Trump&#39;s UK trip over fears that it would &quot;cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen.&quot;

Trump had requested a<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/328970-trump-wants-to-ride-in-gold-plated-carriage-with-the-queen" target="_blank"> gold-plated&nbsp;carriage</a> ride with&nbsp;Queen Elizabeth II during his October visit. Obama had declined such a ride, but world leakers like Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin, Mexican President Enrique Nieto and Chinese President Xi Jinping have taken such a ride.

Trump met with UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 summit in Hamburg and told reporters he would be visiting London.

May&#39;s offer of a state visit was made during her visit to Washington in January, just days after Trump&#39;s inauguration. Khan, who is the first Muslim mayor of a western capital city, however, did not rule out a meeting with the US President.

&quot;If someone has views that I think can be changed I am ready to play my role. If you somehow think it is not possible to be a Muslim and a proud westerner I am happy to disabuse you of that idea, whether you are a reporter for CNN or Donald Trump,&quot; he said.

Khan and Trump&#39;s relationship is known to be a particularly rocky one, following Khan&#39;s opposition to Trump&#39;s decision to bar from the US people from a list of mainly Muslim countries.

Post the terror attack on London Bridge last month in which eight were killed, Khan&#39;s reassurance to Londoners that there was &quot;no reason to be alarmed&quot; by the increased police presence, a sharp response from Trump on Twitter.

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At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is &quot;no reason to be alarmed!&quot;
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/871328428963901440">June 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is &#39;no reason to be alarmed!&#39;&quot; Trump tweeted. 
In a sharp rebuttal, Khan said his remarks had been taken out of context as he had been referring to the enhanced police presence.

This only drew out another response from Trump who tweeted: &quot;Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his &#39;no reason to be alarmed&#39; statement. MSM [mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!&quot;&nbsp;

(With agency inputs)

This comes after the US President complained to British PM, 'when I know I'm going to get a better reception, I'll come and not before'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has reiterated that US President Donald Trump will not be given an elaborate state visit when he comes to the United Kingdom next year for a state visit. "State visits are different from a normal visit and at a time when the President of the USA has policies that many in our country disagree with, I am not sure it is appropriate for our government to roll out the red carpet," Khan told CNN in an interview. Khan's comments come shortly after a leaked conversation, first reported last Sunday, between Trump and British PM Theresa May, where Trump said he would not visit London unless his reception improved. He said: "I still want to come, but I'm in no rush. So, if you can fix it for me, it would make things a lot easier. "When I know I'm going to get a better reception, I'll come and not before." The delay to Trump's visit comes amid concern that there will be mass protests against the President in the British capital. Earlier this year, over 1.8 million people signed a petition seeking to block Trump's UK trip over fears that it would "cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen." Trump had requested a gold-plated carriage ride with Queen Elizabeth II during his October visit. Obama had declined such a ride, but world leakers like Russia's Vladimir Putin, Mexican President Enrique Nieto and Chinese President Xi Jinping have taken such a ride. Trump met with UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 summit in Hamburg and told reporters he would be visiting London. May's offer of a state visit was made during her visit to Washington in January, just days after Trump's inauguration. Khan, who is the first Muslim mayor of a western capital city, however, did not rule out a meeting with the US President. "If someone has views that I think can be changed I am ready to play my role. If you somehow think it is not possible to be a Muslim and a proud westerner I am happy to disabuse you of that idea, whether you are a reporter for CNN or Donald Trump," he said. Khan and Trump's relationship is known to be a particularly rocky one, following Khan's opposition to Trump's decision to bar from the US people from a list of mainly Muslim countries. Post the terror attack on London Bridge last month in which eight were killed, Khan's reassurance to Londoners that there was "no reason to be alarmed" by the increased police presence, a sharp response from Trump on Twitter. At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!" — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2017 × "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'" Trump tweeted. In a sharp rebuttal, Khan said his remarks had been taken out of context as he had been referring to the enhanced police presence. This only drew out another response from Trump who tweeted: "Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his 'no reason to be alarmed' statement. MSM [mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!" (With agency inputs)

No red carpet for Donald Trump, says London Mayor Khan

Grandparents of US citizens from six Muslim-majority countries are now eligible to receive US visas,&nbsp;according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters that reflects the latest court ruling on US President Donald Trump&#39;s travel ban.

The memo, or cable, from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sent to all US diplomatic posts overseas on Friday after a US district judge in Hawaii issued a ruling late on Thursday limiting the scope of the administration&#39;s temporary ban on refugees and travellers from the six countries.

US District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu found the government cannot bar grandparents and other relatives of United States citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from getting visas under the ban.

Watson declined to put his ruling on hold pending appeal, meaning it went into effect immediately. The administration has asked the Supreme Court and San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to block the decision.&nbsp;

The July 14 cable updated the definition of &quot;close family&quot; that are exempt from the temporary travel ban laid down in Trump`s March 6 executive order.

The cable reversed the State Department&#39;s previous, narrow definition of close family and stated that &quot;grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, and cousins&quot; are eligible for visas.

Consulates and embassies do not need to re-open any visa applications refused under the prior, narrower definition of close family members, the cable said.

Between March 10 and March 17, Tillerson issued four cables, originally giving instructions on implementing the travel ban, then rescinding much of his guidance because of court rulings and because it had been issued without approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget.

In another reversal, the State Department had originally interpreted the Supreme Court&#39;s June 26 ruling to exclude fianc&eacute;s, saying they do not count as a close family relationship eligible for an exemption to the travel ban. Just before the 90-day travel ban was to take effect on June 29, the State Department said fianc&eacute;s would be counted as close family.

&quot;These guys (consular officers) have had enough whiplash over the past six, seven months but they continue to fulfil their role, which is to process visa applications,&quot; said Stephen Pattison, a former State Department consular official now working as an immigration attorney. &quot;The people who are really getting whiplash are the people in the Department who are responsible for formulating the policy, getting it approved and getting it sent out.&quot;

A State Department official declined to comment on internal communications.

&quot;We regularly provide updated operational instructions to our embassies and consulates around the world to ensure that our consular officers are using the most up-to-date vetting procedures as they adjudicate visas,&quot; the official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

&quot;We are processing visa applications for nationals of the six affected countries as directed by the Executive Order and to the extent permitted by court decisions,&quot; the official said.

Last month the Supreme Court partially revived the March 6 ban that had been blocked by lower courts. It said the ban could take effect, but people with a &quot;bona fide relationship&quot; to a US person or entity could not be barred.

A State Department memo seen by Reuters reflects the latest court ruling on US President Donald Trump's travel ban

Grandparents of US citizens from six Muslim-majority countries are now eligible to receive US visas, according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters that reflects the latest court ruling on US President Donald Trump's travel ban. The memo, or cable, from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sent to all US diplomatic posts overseas on Friday after a US district judge in Hawaii issued a ruling late on Thursday limiting the scope of the administration's temporary ban on refugees and travellers from the six countries. US District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu found the government cannot bar grandparents and other relatives of United States citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from getting visas under the ban. Watson declined to put his ruling on hold pending appeal, meaning it went into effect immediately. The administration has asked the Supreme Court and San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to block the decision. The July 14 cable updated the definition of "close family" that are exempt from the temporary travel ban laid down in Trump`s March 6 executive order. The cable reversed the State Department's previous, narrow definition of close family and stated that "grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, and cousins" are eligible for visas. Consulates and embassies do not need to re-open any visa applications refused under the prior, narrower definition of close family members, the cable said. Between March 10 and March 17, Tillerson issued four cables, originally giving instructions on implementing the travel ban, then rescinding much of his guidance because of court rulings and because it had been issued without approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget. In another reversal, the State Department had originally interpreted the Supreme Court's June 26 ruling to exclude fiancés, saying they do not count as a close family relationship eligible for an exemption to the travel ban. Just before the 90-day travel ban was to take effect on June 29, the State Department said fiancés would be counted as close family. "These guys (consular officers) have had enough whiplash over the past six, seven months but they continue to fulfil their role, which is to process visa applications," said Stephen Pattison, a former State Department consular official now working as an immigration attorney. "The people who are really getting whiplash are the people in the Department who are responsible for formulating the policy, getting it approved and getting it sent out." A State Department official declined to comment on internal communications. "We regularly provide updated operational instructions to our embassies and consulates around the world to ensure that our consular officers are using the most up-to-date vetting procedures as they adjudicate visas," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We are processing visa applications for nationals of the six affected countries as directed by the Executive Order and to the extent permitted by court decisions," the official said. Last month the Supreme Court partially revived the March 6 ban that had been blocked by lower courts. It said the ban could take effect, but people with a "bona fide relationship" to a US person or entity could not be barred.

Grandmas, grandpas from travel ban states now welcome: US cable

A lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated last year in a meeting with senior aides to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, including his son, and a Russian lawyer, NBC News reported on Friday, adding to allegations of possible connections between Moscow and the November election.

The Associated Press said the lobbyist, whom it identified as Rinat Akhmetshin, confirmed that he had attended the June 2016 meeting in New York&#39;s Trump Tower.

A source familiar with the participants of the meeting confirmed to Reuters that Akhmetshin was in the room.

NBC News, which did not identify the Russian-American lobbyist,&nbsp;said some US&nbsp;officials suspected him of still having ties to Russian intelligence,&nbsp;something he denied to the network.

The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump&#39;s election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel.

Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign adviser Paul Manafort were also at the meeting, which Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;agreed to attend because he believed he could get damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr, the president&#39;s eldest son, did not mention Akhmetshin&#39;s presence when he released a series of emails about the meeting earlier this week.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said the report about Akhmetshin &quot;if accurate, adds another deeply disturbing fact about this secret meeting.&quot;

Akhmetshin was not available for comment on Friday. There was no answer at the door of his house in Washington.

The White House had no immediate comment about the NBC News report of a Russian-American lobbyist at the meeting.

Kushner&#39;s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Manafort&#39;s spokesman Jason Maloni said Manafort had no comment on the meeting.

A former Trump campaign adviser, Michael Caputo, told reporters after he testified to the House Intelligence Committee in closed session on Friday that he had no contact with Russians and never heard of anyone in the campaign &quot;talking with Russians.&quot;

Accusations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated the Republican president&#39;s first months in office. Russia denies the allegations, and Trump says there was no collusion.

The agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online.

Akhmetshin has been accused in federal and state courts in the United States of engaging in hacking conspiracies, although the allegations were later withdrawn, according to court records.

In 2015, lawyers for the Russian mining company International Mineral Resources claimed in the US&nbsp;District Court of the District of Columbia that Akhmetshin helped organise the hack, theft and dissemination of private documents.

That case was dropped. The same company filed a lawsuit against Akhmetshin in the New York Supreme Court but withdrew it last year.

US&nbsp;Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley described Akhmetshin in a letter to the Justice Department in March as &quot;a former member of the Russian military intelligence services (GRU)&quot; who was working to overturn the 2012 &quot;Magnitsky Act&quot; of Congress, which blacklists Russians for human rights abuses.

The Kremlin has often complained about the act.

Congressional records show that Akhmetshin lobbied Congress last year for the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group that says it is working to lift laws that prevent US&nbsp;residents from adopting Russian children. Those laws were put in place by Moscow in response to the Magnitsky Act.

Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he did not know about his son&#39;s meeting last year until recently. But in a conversation with reporters later that day, Trump said: &quot;In fact, maybe (the meeting) was mentioned at some point,&quot; adding he was not told it was about Clinton.

Trump Jr&#39;s lawyer, Alan Futerfas, said he had talked with a person who came to the meeting between Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump aides.

&quot;He told me specifically he was not working for the Russian government, and in fact laughed when I asked him that question,&quot; Futerfas told NBC News. It was not immediately clear if the person he referred to was Akhmetshin.

The lawyer said Trump Jr&nbsp;knew nothing about the man&#39;s background at the time of the meeting.

The Russian lawyer in the meeting, Veselnitskaya, has said she was not working for Russian authorities, but she told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Friday that she was meeting with Russian authorities regularly.

She said she shared information about a US-born fund manager who lobbied for passage of the Magnitsky Act with the Russian prosecutor general&rsquo;s office, including with Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, a top official appointed by the Kremlin, the Journal said.

The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump's election campaign and Russia

A lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated last year in a meeting with senior aides to US President Donald Trump, including his son, and a Russian lawyer, NBC News reported on Friday, adding to allegations of possible connections between Moscow and the November election. The Associated Press said the lobbyist, whom it identified as Rinat Akhmetshin, confirmed that he had attended the June 2016 meeting in New York's Trump Tower. A source familiar with the participants of the meeting confirmed to Reuters that Akhmetshin was in the room. NBC News, which did not identify the Russian-American lobbyist, said some US officials suspected him of still having ties to Russian intelligence, something he denied to the network. The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump's election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign adviser Paul Manafort were also at the meeting, which Donald Trump Jr agreed to attend because he believed he could get damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr, the president's eldest son, did not mention Akhmetshin's presence when he released a series of emails about the meeting earlier this week. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said the report about Akhmetshin "if accurate, adds another deeply disturbing fact about this secret meeting." Akhmetshin was not available for comment on Friday. There was no answer at the door of his house in Washington. The White House had no immediate comment about the NBC News report of a Russian-American lobbyist at the meeting. Kushner's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Manafort's spokesman Jason Maloni said Manafort had no comment on the meeting. A former Trump campaign adviser, Michael Caputo, told reporters after he testified to the House Intelligence Committee in closed session on Friday that he had no contact with Russians and never heard of anyone in the campaign "talking with Russians." Accusations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated the Republican president's first months in office. Russia denies the allegations, and Trump says there was no collusion. The agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online. Akhmetshin has been accused in federal and state courts in the United States of engaging in hacking conspiracies, although the allegations were later withdrawn, according to court records. In 2015, lawyers for the Russian mining company International Mineral Resources claimed in the US District Court of the District of Columbia that Akhmetshin helped organise the hack, theft and dissemination of private documents. That case was dropped. The same company filed a lawsuit against Akhmetshin in the New York Supreme Court but withdrew it last year. US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley described Akhmetshin in a letter to the Justice Department in March as "a former member of the Russian military intelligence services (GRU)" who was working to overturn the 2012 "Magnitsky Act" of Congress, which blacklists Russians for human rights abuses. The Kremlin has often complained about the act. Congressional records show that Akhmetshin lobbied Congress last year for the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group that says it is working to lift laws that prevent US residents from adopting Russian children. Those laws were put in place by Moscow in response to the Magnitsky Act. Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he did not know about his son's meeting last year until recently. But in a conversation with reporters later that day, Trump said: "In fact, maybe (the meeting) was mentioned at some point," adding he was not told it was about Clinton. Trump Jr's lawyer, Alan Futerfas, said he had talked with a person who came to the meeting between Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump aides. "He told me specifically he was not working for the Russian government, and in fact laughed when I asked him that question," Futerfas told NBC News. It was not immediately clear if the person he referred to was Akhmetshin. The lawyer said Trump Jr knew nothing about the man's background at the time of the meeting. The Russian lawyer in the meeting, Veselnitskaya, has said she was not working for Russian authorities, but she told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Friday that she was meeting with Russian authorities regularly. She said she shared information about a US-born fund manager who lobbied for passage of the Magnitsky Act with the Russian prosecutor general’s office, including with Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, a top official appointed by the Kremlin, the Journal said.

Russian lobbyist admits he met Trump Jr, Russian lawyer: Reports

President Donald Trump&#39;s pick to head the&nbsp;FBI, Christopher Wray, on Wednesday said he would refuse to pledge loyalty to Trump, rejected his description of the probe into Russian election meddling as a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; and vowed to quit if asked by the president to do something unlawful.

Wray, nominated by Trump on June 7 to replace the fired James Comey as Federal Bureau of Investigation director, sought to stake out independence from the president and protect the agency from partisan political influence. Wray even said it would be &quot;highly unlikely&quot; he would agree to meet Trump in a one-on-one situation, as Comey reluctantly did.

Wray, who seemed headed for US Senate approval to fill the 10-year post, testified during a 4 1/2-hour hour Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing amid an uproar in Washington over 2016 emails released on Tuesday involving the president&#39;s son, Donald Trump Jr.

The emails showed the Republican president&#39;s son agreeing last year to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic White House rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow&#39;s official support for his father.

Wray deflected specific questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the president&#39;s son&#39;s emails, saying he had not read them. But Wray said, &quot;Any threats or effort to interfere with our election from any nation-state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;would want to know.&quot;

Trump&#39;s son did not notify the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;and wrote &quot;I love it&quot; about the Russian&#39;s offer of information on Clinton.

Trump fired Comey on May 9, igniting a political firestorm, and later cited the &quot;Russia thing&quot; as his reason. The Justice Department eight days later named Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win and potential collusion between Moscow and Trump associates.

The Russia matter has dogged Trump&#39;s first six months in office. Wray said he had no reason to doubt the US intelligence community&#39;s conclusion that Russia interfered in part by hacking and releasing emails damaging to Clinton, a claim Moscow denies.

Wray worked at the Justice Department under Republican former President George W. Bush when Comey was deputy attorney general and Mueller was&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;director. Wray also represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in a political scandal.

Trump has called the Russia probe a &quot;witch hunt.&quot;

&quot;I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt,&quot; Wray told Graham.

Wray said he was &quot;very committed&quot; to supporting Mueller&#39;s investigation, calling him a &quot;consummate straight shooter and somebody I have enormous respect for.&quot;

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Wray to inform the committee &quot;if you learn about any machinations to tamper with&quot; Mueller&#39;s probe.

&quot;Understood,&quot; Wray responded.

No loyalty oath

Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked.

&quot;My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the&nbsp;FBI. And no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process, and I sure as heck didn&#39;t offer one,&quot; Wray said.

Comey previously told the same committee Trump pressed him in a one-on-one session to drop the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn&#39;s ties to Russia. Comey said he felt he was fired in a bid by Trump to undercut the Russia probe.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy asked Wray, &quot;If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?&quot;

&quot;First, I would try to talk him out of it. And if that failed, I would resign,&quot; Wray replied.

The allegation involving Trump pressing Comey on February 14 over the Flynn probe raised questions about whether Trump&#39;s behaviour amounted to obstruction of justice, a potential issue in any potential future effort in Congress to impeach the president and remove him from office.

Wray sought to differentiate himself from Comey. Wray was asked about Comey&#39;s July 2016 news conference announcing that no criminal charges were planned against Clinton over her use of a private email server to handle classified information but faulting her conduct.

&quot;I can&#39;t imagine a situation where as&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;director I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it,&quot; Wray testified.

Graham questioned Wray about a January report by the US&nbsp;news organisation Politico that a Ukrainian-American operative who was consulting for the Democratic National Committee had met with Ukrainian embassy officials in Washington in a bid to help Clinton and expose links between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia.

Wray said it would be wrong for Ukraine to meddle in the election and &quot;I&#39;d be happy to dig into it.&quot;

Christopher Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked

President Donald Trump's pick to head the FBI, Christopher Wray, on Wednesday said he would refuse to pledge loyalty to Trump, rejected his description of the probe into Russian election meddling as a "witch hunt," and vowed to quit if asked by the president to do something unlawful. Wray, nominated by Trump on June 7 to replace the fired James Comey as Federal Bureau of Investigation director, sought to stake out independence from the president and protect the agency from partisan political influence. Wray even said it would be "highly unlikely" he would agree to meet Trump in a one-on-one situation, as Comey reluctantly did. Wray, who seemed headed for US Senate approval to fill the 10-year post, testified during a 4 1/2-hour hour Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing amid an uproar in Washington over 2016 emails released on Tuesday involving the president's son, Donald Trump Jr. The emails showed the Republican president's son agreeing last year to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic White House rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow's official support for his father. Wray deflected specific questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the president's son's emails, saying he had not read them. But Wray said, "Any threats or effort to interfere with our election from any nation-state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the FBI would want to know." Trump's son did not notify the FBI and wrote "I love it" about the Russian's offer of information on Clinton. Trump fired Comey on May 9, igniting a political firestorm, and later cited the "Russia thing" as his reason. The Justice Department eight days later named Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win and potential collusion between Moscow and Trump associates. The Russia matter has dogged Trump's first six months in office. Wray said he had no reason to doubt the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in part by hacking and releasing emails damaging to Clinton, a claim Moscow denies. Wray worked at the Justice Department under Republican former President George W. Bush when Comey was deputy attorney general and Mueller was FBI director. Wray also represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in a political scandal. Trump has called the Russia probe a "witch hunt." "I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt," Wray told Graham. Wray said he was "very committed" to supporting Mueller's investigation, calling him a "consummate straight shooter and somebody I have enormous respect for." Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Wray to inform the committee "if you learn about any machinations to tamper with" Mueller's probe. "Understood," Wray responded. No loyalty oath Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked. "My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the FBI. And no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process, and I sure as heck didn't offer one," Wray said. Comey previously told the same committee Trump pressed him in a one-on-one session to drop the FBI investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn's ties to Russia. Comey said he felt he was fired in a bid by Trump to undercut the Russia probe. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy asked Wray, "If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?" "First, I would try to talk him out of it. And if that failed, I would resign," Wray replied. The allegation involving Trump pressing Comey on February 14 over the Flynn probe raised questions about whether Trump's behaviour amounted to obstruction of justice, a potential issue in any potential future effort in Congress to impeach the president and remove him from office. Wray sought to differentiate himself from Comey. Wray was asked about Comey's July 2016 news conference announcing that no criminal charges were planned against Clinton over her use of a private email server to handle classified information but faulting her conduct. "I can't imagine a situation where as FBI director I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it," Wray testified. Graham questioned Wray about a January report by the US news organisation Politico that a Ukrainian-American operative who was consulting for the Democratic National Committee had met with Ukrainian embassy officials in Washington in a bid to help Clinton and expose links between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia. Wray said it would be wrong for Ukraine to meddle in the election and "I'd be happy to dig into it."

Russia probe not witch hunt: Trump FBI pick

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