The UN Security Council on Friday expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests, adopting the first such resolution agreed by the United States and Pyongyang&#39;s only major ally China since President Donald Trump took office.

The Trump administration has been pressing China aggressively to rein in its reclusive neighbor, warning that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development programs.

The United States has struggled to slow those programs, which have become a security priority given Pyongyang&#39;s vow to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland.

&quot;The United States will continue to seek a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to this situation,&quot; US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council after the vote.

But she added: &quot;Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary.&quot;

Adding names to the UN blacklist - a global travel ban and asset freeze - was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

&quot;The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today - stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences,&quot; Haley said.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, sanctions four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People&#39;s Army, and 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang&#39;s overseas spying operations.

North Korea&#39;s Koryo Bank handles overseas transactions for Office 38, a shadowy body that manages the private slush funds of the North Korean leadership, according to a South Korean government database.

&#39;Critical window&#39;

The measures adopted on Friday could have been agreed by the council&#39;s North Korea sanctions committee behind closed doors, but Washington convinced China to back a public vote on the blacklist, amplifying the council&#39;s unhappiness with Pyongyang&#39;s defiance of a UN ban on ballistic missile launches.

The UN Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear tests and two long-range missile launches. North Korea is threatening a sixth nuclear test.

&quot;There is a critical window of opportunity for the nuclear issue of the peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations,&quot; Chinese UN&nbsp;Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council.

&quot;It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to do more to help ease the tension and build mutual trust.&quot;

He again proposed a simultaneous freeze of North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programs and South Korea and the United States&#39; joint military exercises. Russia said the suggestion merits &quot;serious consideration.&quot;

Haley said: &quot;We want a negotiated solution, but North Korea must fulfill its basic obligations by first stopping all ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons testing and taking concrete steps towards getting rid of its nuclear weapons program.&quot;

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told the Security Council on April 28 that it needed to act before North Korea does. Just hours after the meeting - chaired by Tillerson during his first visit to the United Nations as the top US&nbsp;diplomat - Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile.

&#39;Unfriendlky steps&#39;

Within days the United States proposed to China that the Security Council strengthen sanctions on North Korea over its repeated missile launches. Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated new sanctions before involving the other council members.

Pyongyang has launched several more ballistic missiles since then, including a short-range missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast.

Diplomats said it appeared China was still only likely to consider additional strong new UN&nbsp;sanctions measures, such as an oil embargo, a ban on Pyongyang&#39;s airline or tougher economic sanctions, if North Korea conducted a long-range missile launch or another nuclear test.

The last round of complex sanctions imposed by the Security Council took three months to negotiate following Pyongyang&#39;s fifth nuclear test in September. Those measures aimed to cut North Korea&#39;s annual export revenue by a quarter.

China has also been infuriated by the US deployment of an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying it was a threat to its security and would do nothing to ease tension with Pyongyang.

Security Council veto power Russia backed the UN measures on Friday. Moscow&#39;s support had been unclear after the United States imposed its own sanctions on Thursday on Russian firms for their support of North Korea&#39;s weapons programs.

&quot;This step is something that is very puzzling and deeply disappointing,&quot; Deputy Russian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said of the US sanctions amid battered US-Russia relations.

&quot;Instead of trying to work through the bilateral backlog in our work, Washington is doing exactly the opposite and undertaking unfriendly steps, which make it more difficult to normalize our dialogue and make it more difficult to cooperate in international affairs,&quot; he told the Security Council.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday voiced support for the unanimous UN decision and called on North Korea to refrain from repeated nuclear tests and missile launches.

The United States is encouraged by China&#39;s efforts to restrain North Korea, US&nbsp;defence secretary Jim Mattis said in Singapore on Saturday, adding the threat from North Korea was &quot;clear and present&quot;.

(Reuters)

The UN Security Council expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests

The UN Security Council on Friday expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests, adopting the first such resolution agreed by the United States and Pyongyang's only major ally China since President Donald Trump took office. The Trump administration has been pressing China aggressively to rein in its reclusive neighbor, warning that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development programs. The United States has struggled to slow those programs, which have become a security priority given Pyongyang's vow to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. "The United States will continue to seek a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to this situation," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council after the vote. But she added: "Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary." Adding names to the UN blacklist - a global travel ban and asset freeze - was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing. "The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today - stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences," Haley said. The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, sanctions four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army, and 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang's overseas spying operations. North Korea's Koryo Bank handles overseas transactions for Office 38, a shadowy body that manages the private slush funds of the North Korean leadership, according to a South Korean government database. 'Critical window' The measures adopted on Friday could have been agreed by the council's North Korea sanctions committee behind closed doors, but Washington convinced China to back a public vote on the blacklist, amplifying the council's unhappiness with Pyongyang's defiance of a UN ban on ballistic missile launches. The UN Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear tests and two long-range missile launches. North Korea is threatening a sixth nuclear test. "There is a critical window of opportunity for the nuclear issue of the peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations," Chinese UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council. "It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to do more to help ease the tension and build mutual trust." He again proposed a simultaneous freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and South Korea and the United States' joint military exercises. Russia said the suggestion merits "serious consideration." Haley said: "We want a negotiated solution, but North Korea must fulfill its basic obligations by first stopping all ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons testing and taking concrete steps towards getting rid of its nuclear weapons program." US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told the Security Council on April 28 that it needed to act before North Korea does. Just hours after the meeting - chaired by Tillerson during his first visit to the United Nations as the top US diplomat - Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile. 'Unfriendlky steps' Within days the United States proposed to China that the Security Council strengthen sanctions on North Korea over its repeated missile launches. Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated new sanctions before involving the other council members. Pyongyang has launched several more ballistic missiles since then, including a short-range missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast. Diplomats said it appeared China was still only likely to consider additional strong new UN sanctions measures, such as an oil embargo, a ban on Pyongyang's airline or tougher economic sanctions, if North Korea conducted a long-range missile launch or another nuclear test. The last round of complex sanctions imposed by the Security Council took three months to negotiate following Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test in September. Those measures aimed to cut North Korea's annual export revenue by a quarter. China has also been infuriated by the US deployment of an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying it was a threat to its security and would do nothing to ease tension with Pyongyang. Security Council veto power Russia backed the UN measures on Friday. Moscow's support had been unclear after the United States imposed its own sanctions on Thursday on Russian firms for their support of North Korea's weapons programs. "This step is something that is very puzzling and deeply disappointing," Deputy Russian UN Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said of the US sanctions amid battered US-Russia relations. "Instead of trying to work through the bilateral backlog in our work, Washington is doing exactly the opposite and undertaking unfriendly steps, which make it more difficult to normalize our dialogue and make it more difficult to cooperate in international affairs," he told the Security Council. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday voiced support for the unanimous UN decision and called on North Korea to refrain from repeated nuclear tests and missile launches. The United States is encouraged by China's efforts to restrain North Korea, US defence secretary Jim Mattis said in Singapore on Saturday, adding the threat from North Korea was "clear and present". (Reuters)

UN expands North Korea blacklist in first US, China sanctions deal under Trump

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life.

&quot;We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air,&quot; Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world&#39;s highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation.&quot;

Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources.

&quot;The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target,&quot; he said.

Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting &quot;billions and billions and billions&quot; of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord.

&quot;India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid,&quot; he said.

Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US.

&quot;As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country,&quot; he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden.

He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States.

&quot;We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly,&quot; Trump said.

(ANI)

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Modi said that India is increasingly relying on the use of renewable energy sources

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life. "We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air," Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world's highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, "Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation." Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources. "The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target," he said. Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting "billions and billions and billions" of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid," he said. Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US. "As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country," he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden. He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States. "We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly," Trump said. (ANI)

Prime Minister Modi says India committed to Paris Climate Accord

US President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh and not Paris&quot; statement has clearly riled city&#39;s mayor Bill Peduto.

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Hours after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord, Peduto tweeted saying,&nbsp;&quot;we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy and future.&quot;

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As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy &amp; future. <a href="https://t.co/3znXGTcd8C">https://t.co/3znXGTcd8C</a>
&mdash; bill peduto (@billpeduto) <a href="https://twitter.com/billpeduto/status/870370288344674304">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Pennsylvanian city&#39;s democratic mayor also fact-checked&nbsp;Trump&#39;s statement by saying it was Hillary Clinton who won 80 per cent of the votes in the city.

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Fact: Hillary Clinton received 80% of the vote in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh stands with the world &amp; will follow Paris Agreement <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton">@HillaryClinton</a> <a href="https://t.co/cibJyT7MAK">https://t.co/cibJyT7MAK</a>
&mdash; bill peduto (@billpeduto) <a href="https://twitter.com/billpeduto/status/870369217031397377">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Many experts feel&nbsp;Trump&#39;s decision to bring in Pittsburgh on an international platform is&nbsp;part of President Trump&#39;s ploy to swing voters in the city for his 2020&nbsp;re-election campaign.

Pittsburgh was where the National Republican Party first held its convention in 1856, it&nbsp;remained a Republican stronghold from the Civil war in the 1860s up till the 1930s but after the Great Depression voters began shifting their allegiance&nbsp;towards Roosevelt&#39;s&nbsp;New Deal policy. &nbsp;

Known as &quot;the steel city&quot; Pittsburgh has 300 steel-related businesses. The city has also been involved in the manufacturing of aluminum,petroleum, autos, and electronics

Pittsburg has now suddnelly hit the headlines after Trump&#39;s speech, Twitter was abuzz on Friday with people posting pictures of Pittsburgh from when it was polluted. Many came out in support of the Paris agreement.&nbsp;

However, the air quality in the city has improved in recent years&nbsp;years but the local rivers continue to have pollution levels exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency limits.

&nbsp;

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Pittsburgh then and now. 
I&#39;m pretty sure I know which one Pittsburghers prefer, having lived there for 23 years, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>.?? <a href="https://t.co/DD5nhZ2nkc">pic.twitter.com/DD5nhZ2nkc</a>
&mdash; FanMom (@fanmomaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/fanmomaf/status/870418827871490053">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump made Pittsburgh his counterpoint to Paris. We should recall that it led the way in post-WWII action on pollution. (This is from 1960:) <a href="https://t.co/nJbU6oV1p9">pic.twitter.com/nJbU6oV1p9</a>
&mdash; Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/870462820785278976">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The steel industry left Pittsburgh decades ago. Now they&#39;re doing biotech &amp; driverless cars. 
 
Pittsburgh is hurt by Paris withdrawal.
&mdash; ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/870372366932557824">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Withdrawing from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParisAgreement?src=hash">#ParisAgreement</a> will be devastating to our planet. Paris and Pittsburgh share the same environment after all. <a href="https://t.co/QNO5vHtmEF">pic.twitter.com/QNO5vHtmEF</a>
&mdash; Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/870380553895378944">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight Climate Change (Reuters)
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(WION)

While announcing his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord Trump said, 'I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh and not Paris'

US President Donald Trump's "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh and not Paris" statement has clearly riled city's mayor Bill Peduto. Hours after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord, Peduto tweeted saying, "we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy and future." As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future. https://t.co/3znXGTcd8C — bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 2017 × The Pennsylvanian city's democratic mayor also fact-checked Trump's statement by saying it was Hillary Clinton who won 80 per cent of the votes in the city. Fact: Hillary Clinton received 80% of the vote in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh stands with the world & will follow Paris Agreement @HillaryClinton https://t.co/cibJyT7MAK — bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 2017 × Many experts feel Trump's decision to bring in Pittsburgh on an international platform is part of President Trump's ploy to swing voters in the city for his 2020 re-election campaign. Pittsburgh was where the National Republican Party first held its convention in 1856, it remained a Republican stronghold from the Civil war in the 1860s up till the 1930s but after the Great Depression voters began shifting their allegiance towards Roosevelt's New Deal policy. Known as "the steel city" Pittsburgh has 300 steel-related businesses. The city has also been involved in the manufacturing of aluminum,petroleum, autos, and electronics Pittsburg has now suddnelly hit the headlines after Trump's speech, Twitter was abuzz on Friday with people posting pictures of Pittsburgh from when it was polluted. Many came out in support of the Paris agreement. However, the air quality in the city has improved in recent years years but the local rivers continue to have pollution levels exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency limits. Pittsburgh then and now. I'm pretty sure I know which one Pittsburghers prefer, having lived there for 23 years, @realDonaldTrump.?? pic.twitter.com/DD5nhZ2nkc — FanMom (@fanmomaf) June 1, 2017 × Trump made Pittsburgh his counterpoint to Paris. We should recall that it led the way in post-WWII action on pollution. (This is from 1960:) pic.twitter.com/nJbU6oV1p9 — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) June 2, 2017 × The steel industry left Pittsburgh decades ago. Now they're doing biotech & driverless cars. Pittsburgh is hurt by Paris withdrawal. — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) June 1, 2017 × Withdrawing from the #ParisAgreement will be devastating to our planet. Paris and Pittsburgh share the same environment after all. pic.twitter.com/QNO5vHtmEF — Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 1, 2017 × President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight Climate Change (Reuters) × (WION)

Pittsburgh Mayor disagrees with Trump, says 'we will follow the guidelines of Paris agreement'

The world forged ahead Friday with the Paris climate deal after President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the pact, triggering bitter condemnation from all corners of the globe.

French President Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;said the Paris climate change agreement was&nbsp;irreversible. He added that Americans did not need Paris to fulfill climate change agreements.

(Also Read: <a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/world/pittsburgh-mayor-disagrees-with-trump-says-we-will-follow-the-guidelines-of-paris-agreement-16359">Pittsburgh Mayor disagrees with Trump, says &#39;we will follow the guidelines of Paris agreement&#39;</a>)

Trump announced Thursday that his administration would immediately stop implementing the 195-nation accord brokered by Barack Obama in 2015 in tandem with Chinese leaders.

The European Union said it was increasing efforts with China, the world&#39;s biggest polluter, to galvanise global efforts to implement the deal while India vowed to stick to the pact regardless of the United States.

Trump also faced a backlash at home where Democratic state governors, city mayors and powerful companies drew up plans to meet the pact&#39;s greenhouse gas emission targets.

&quot;Americans will honour and fulfill the Paris agreement by leading from the bottom up -- and there isn&#39;t anything Washington can do to stop us,&quot; former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg said.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin spared Trump more withering criticism and urged the world to work with the New York tycoon on climate.

In Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk said the EU is &quot;stepping up our cooperation on climate change with China&quot; following a summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. &nbsp;

But EU officials said the two sides failed to formally endorse a joint statement on the issue due to a lingering but separate trade row.&nbsp;

Expressions of shock and regret poured in from around the world, including from Pacific islands at risk of being swallowed by rising seas, who accused Washington of &quot;abandoning&quot; them.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU&#39;s most powerful leader, pledged &quot;more decisive action than ever&quot; to protect the climate after Trump&#39;s &quot;highly regrettable&quot; decision.

&#39;Nothing to renegotiate&#39; 
 
In a nationalistic &quot;America First&quot; announcement from the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he was withdrawing from a UN-backed deal that imposes &quot;draconian financial and economic burdens&quot; on the United States while going too easy on economic rivals China, India and Europe.

&quot;We don&#39;t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won&#39;t be.&quot;

Trump offered no details about how, or when, a formal withdrawal would happen. At one point he suggested a renegotiation could take place, an idea that was unceremoniously slapped down by partners.

&quot;There is nothing to renegotiate here,&quot; EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete told reporters in Brussels.

The United States is the world&#39;s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, after China, so Trump&#39;s decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases.

Nicaragua and war-torn Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough.

Trump&#39;s decision is likely to play well with the Republican base, with the more immediate damage likely to appear on the diplomatic front.

Vice President Mike Pence said that Trump &quot;has demonstrated his commitment... to put American workers, American consumers, American energy, and the American people first.&quot;

Echoes of reality TV 
 
Ever the showman, the 70-year-old Trump gave his decision a reality TV-style tease, refusing to indicate his preference either way until his announcement.

Opponents of the pullout -- also believed&nbsp;to include Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka -- had warned that Washington&#39;s global leadership role was at stake, along with the environment.

A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont and tech heavyweights Google, Intel and Microsoft had urged Trump to stick to the pact.

Following the announcement Tesla boss Elon Musk and Disney chief Robert Iger said they would no longer participate in presidential business councils.

&quot;Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,&quot; Musk said.

&nbsp;&#39;Morally criminal&#39; 
 
White House officials acknowledged that under the deal, a formal withdrawal might not take place until after the 2020 election, and leaders will certainly push Trump to reconsider his decision in the meantime.

India&#39;s environment minister Harsh Vardhan said his country is committed to the Paris accord &quot;irrespective&quot; of the position of other nations.&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who has said failing to address climate change would be &quot;morally criminal&quot; -- is due to visit the White House shortly.

Trump&#39;s announcement comes less than 18 months after the climate pact was adopted, the fruit of a hard-fought agreement between Beijing and Washington under Obama&#39;s leadership.

The Paris Agreement commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, which is blamed for melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels and an increase in extreme weather events.

They vowed to take steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures &quot;well below&quot; two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times and to &quot;pursue efforts&quot; to hold the increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius. 
 
(AFP)

The EU said it was increasing efforts with China to galvanise global efforts to implement the deal

The world forged ahead Friday with the Paris climate deal after President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the pact, triggering bitter condemnation from all corners of the globe. French President Emmanuel Macron said the Paris climate change agreement was irreversible. He added that Americans did not need Paris to fulfill climate change agreements. (Also Read: Pittsburgh Mayor disagrees with Trump, says 'we will follow the guidelines of Paris agreement') Trump announced Thursday that his administration would immediately stop implementing the 195-nation accord brokered by Barack Obama in 2015 in tandem with Chinese leaders. The European Union said it was increasing efforts with China, the world's biggest polluter, to galvanise global efforts to implement the deal while India vowed to stick to the pact regardless of the United States. Trump also faced a backlash at home where Democratic state governors, city mayors and powerful companies drew up plans to meet the pact's greenhouse gas emission targets. "Americans will honour and fulfill the Paris agreement by leading from the bottom up -- and there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us," former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg said. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin spared Trump more withering criticism and urged the world to work with the New York tycoon on climate. In Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk said the EU is "stepping up our cooperation on climate change with China" following a summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. But EU officials said the two sides failed to formally endorse a joint statement on the issue due to a lingering but separate trade row. Expressions of shock and regret poured in from around the world, including from Pacific islands at risk of being swallowed by rising seas, who accused Washington of "abandoning" them. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU's most powerful leader, pledged "more decisive action than ever" to protect the climate after Trump's "highly regrettable" decision. 'Nothing to renegotiate' In a nationalistic "America First" announcement from the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he was withdrawing from a UN-backed deal that imposes "draconian financial and economic burdens" on the United States while going too easy on economic rivals China, India and Europe. "We don't want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won't be." Trump offered no details about how, or when, a formal withdrawal would happen. At one point he suggested a renegotiation could take place, an idea that was unceremoniously slapped down by partners. "There is nothing to renegotiate here," EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete told reporters in Brussels. The United States is the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, after China, so Trump's decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases. Nicaragua and war-torn Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough. Trump's decision is likely to play well with the Republican base, with the more immediate damage likely to appear on the diplomatic front. Vice President Mike Pence said that Trump "has demonstrated his commitment... to put American workers, American consumers, American energy, and the American people first." Echoes of reality TV Ever the showman, the 70-year-old Trump gave his decision a reality TV-style tease, refusing to indicate his preference either way until his announcement. Opponents of the pullout -- also believed to include Trump's daughter Ivanka -- had warned that Washington's global leadership role was at stake, along with the environment. A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont and tech heavyweights Google, Intel and Microsoft had urged Trump to stick to the pact. Following the announcement Tesla boss Elon Musk and Disney chief Robert Iger said they would no longer participate in presidential business councils. "Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk said. 'Morally criminal' White House officials acknowledged that under the deal, a formal withdrawal might not take place until after the 2020 election, and leaders will certainly push Trump to reconsider his decision in the meantime. India's environment minister Harsh Vardhan said his country is committed to the Paris accord "irrespective" of the position of other nations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who has said failing to address climate change would be "morally criminal" -- is due to visit the White House shortly. Trump's announcement comes less than 18 months after the climate pact was adopted, the fruit of a hard-fought agreement between Beijing and Washington under Obama's leadership. The Paris Agreement commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, which is blamed for melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels and an increase in extreme weather events. They vowed to take steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times and to "pursue efforts" to hold the increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius. (AFP)

World forges ahead with Paris climate deal without Trump

James Comey, who was sacked as the FBI chief by US President Donald Trump last month, will testify before a powerful Congressional committee in an open session next week, it was announcement today.

Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner, who is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that Comey will testify before the Committee on June 8, 2017.

&quot;The hearing will begin at 10 AM in open session. The open session will be followed by a closed session at 1 PM,&quot; a media announcement said.

Comey was fired as FBI Director by Trump last month.

According to US media reports, Comey is likely to tell the lawmakers that he was asked by Trump not to go ahead of the FBI investigations against Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor to Trump.

Meanwhile, Senators Patrick Leahy and Al Franken released a letter that they had written to Comey requesting an FBI inquiry into Attorney General Sessions&#39; testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and his contacts with Russian officials.

&quot;Earlier this year, Attorney General Sessions provided false testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to our questions regarding his contacts with Russian officials,&quot; the two Senators said.

&quot;He made no attempt to correct his misleading testimony until the Washington Post revealed that, in fact, he had at least two meetings with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign,&quot; they said.

Yet, the Attorney General never fully explained or even acknowledged the misrepresentations in his testimony, and &quot;we remained concerned that he had still not been forthcoming about the extent of his contacts with Russian officials,&quot; the two Senators said in the statement.

&quot;On March 20, we asked then-FBI Director Comey to investigate Attorney General Sessions&#39; false testimony and any additional contacts he may have had with Russian officials, including reports that he may have met with the Russian ambassador at a small, private Trump campaign event at the Mayflower Hotel in April 2016,&quot; they wrote.

&quot;We anticipated that Director Comey would respond to our letter by May 12,&quot; the Senators said.

Director Comey was abruptly dismissed on May 9.

Since then, the two Senators said, they have been in communication with the FBI concerning a response to their letter, and expect to be briefed on the matter in the near future.

&quot;We served with the Attorney General in the Senate and on the Judiciary Committee for many years. We know he would not tolerate dishonesty if he were in our shoes. If it is determined that the Attorney General still has not been truthful with Congress and the American people about his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign, he needs to resign,&quot; the two Senators said.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Comey is likely to tell the lawmakers he was asked by Trump not to go ahead with the FBI investigations against Michael Flynn

James Comey, who was sacked as the FBI chief by US President Donald Trump last month, will testify before a powerful Congressional committee in an open session next week, it was announcement today. Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner, who is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that Comey will testify before the Committee on June 8, 2017. "The hearing will begin at 10 AM in open session. The open session will be followed by a closed session at 1 PM," a media announcement said. Comey was fired as FBI Director by Trump last month. According to US media reports, Comey is likely to tell the lawmakers that he was asked by Trump not to go ahead of the FBI investigations against Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor to Trump. Meanwhile, Senators Patrick Leahy and Al Franken released a letter that they had written to Comey requesting an FBI inquiry into Attorney General Sessions' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and his contacts with Russian officials. "Earlier this year, Attorney General Sessions provided false testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to our questions regarding his contacts with Russian officials," the two Senators said. "He made no attempt to correct his misleading testimony until the Washington Post revealed that, in fact, he had at least two meetings with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign," they said. Yet, the Attorney General never fully explained or even acknowledged the misrepresentations in his testimony, and "we remained concerned that he had still not been forthcoming about the extent of his contacts with Russian officials," the two Senators said in the statement. "On March 20, we asked then-FBI Director Comey to investigate Attorney General Sessions' false testimony and any additional contacts he may have had with Russian officials, including reports that he may have met with the Russian ambassador at a small, private Trump campaign event at the Mayflower Hotel in April 2016," they wrote. "We anticipated that Director Comey would respond to our letter by May 12," the Senators said. Director Comey was abruptly dismissed on May 9. Since then, the two Senators said, they have been in communication with the FBI concerning a response to their letter, and expect to be briefed on the matter in the near future. "We served with the Attorney General in the Senate and on the Judiciary Committee for many years. We know he would not tolerate dishonesty if he were in our shoes. If it is determined that the Attorney General still has not been truthful with Congress and the American people about his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign, he needs to resign," the two Senators said. (PTI)

Trump-Russia probe: Comey to testify before Senate intel panel next week

President Donald Trump postponed moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem on Thursday, avoiding a provocative step as he tries to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who welcomed Trump to the city last week, expressed disappointment at the delay but made it clear he still values Trump&#39;s support.

And the Palestinian leadership were relieved by a decision that they said &quot;gives peace a chance.&quot;&nbsp;

On the campaign trail Trump repeatedly pledged that he would shift the embassy from Tel Aviv to the city claimed as capital by both Israel and its Palestinian neighbors and he appointed a US ambassador who shares this goal.

But since coming to office in January, Trump has met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Washington and in a visit to the region last week and has committed himself to seeking a long-elusive final peace deal between them.

Congress passed a law in 1995 making it US policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel&#39;s claim on the city as its capital.

But the law contained a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a six-month waiver on carrying out the move.

On Thursday, the waiver came up for renewal for the first time on Trump&#39;s watch, and he followed the example of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama before him in instructing his secretary of state to hold off on the move.

No retreat&nbsp;

&quot;No one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the president&#39;s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance,&quot; the White House said, in a written statement.

&quot;President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America&#39;s national security interests,&quot; it explained.

&quot;But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.&quot;

Netanyahu&#39;s office expressed disappointment, but not anger.

&quot;Maintaining embassies outside the capital drives peace further away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem,&quot; a statement said.

&quot;Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today&#39;s expression of President Trump&#39;s friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future.&quot;

Hussam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the United States, also issued a statement.

&quot;This is in line with the long-held US policy and the international consensus and it gives peace a chance,&quot; &nbsp;he said.

&quot;We are ready to start the consultation process with the US administration. We are serious and genuine about achieving a just and lasting peace.&quot;

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity stressed to AFP that &quot;it&#39;s a question of when, not if,&quot; and added that &quot;he doesn&#39;t think the timing is right, right now.&quot;

&quot;In timing such a move he will seek to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians,&quot; he said.

Peace process&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s closest advisors are reported to be divided about the wisdom of quickly making good on the pledge, a move that would delight many Israelis but dismay Palestinians and raise concerns among Israel&#39;s Arab neighbors.

White House strategy chief Steve Bannon supports the move, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is less keen and has said Trump is &quot;being very careful to understand how such a decision would impact the peace process.&quot;

In Washington, pro-Israel lobby groups are also divided on the policy.&nbsp;

Progressive group J Street, which favors a two-state peace deal with the Palestinians, welcomed the delay to a move that could imperil efforts to find a deal on the status of the city negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.

&quot;American governments have avoided and objected to actions that could be interpreted as prejudging the outcome of those negotiations,&quot; the group argued.&nbsp;

But the biggest pro-Israeli group in the US capital, AIPAC, expressed concern.

&quot;We are disappointed that the president has not yet followed through on his pledge to move the embassy, and we hope that he does so soon,&quot; it said.

Jerusalem was divided between Israeli rule in the west and Jordanian in the east until 1967, when Israel was attacked by allied Arab armies.

Israel fought back and its victory left it in control of East Jerusalem. Its government is now based in the city, and settlements have been built around it on occupied land.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem -- including the Old City and its sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians -- to become the capital of their eventual state.

(AFP)

The US president wanted avoid another flash point in the region as he attempts to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process

President Donald Trump postponed moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem on Thursday, avoiding a provocative step as he tries to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who welcomed Trump to the city last week, expressed disappointment at the delay but made it clear he still values Trump's support. And the Palestinian leadership were relieved by a decision that they said "gives peace a chance." On the campaign trail Trump repeatedly pledged that he would shift the embassy from Tel Aviv to the city claimed as capital by both Israel and its Palestinian neighbors and he appointed a US ambassador who shares this goal. But since coming to office in January, Trump has met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Washington and in a visit to the region last week and has committed himself to seeking a long-elusive final peace deal between them. Congress passed a law in 1995 making it US policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel's claim on the city as its capital. But the law contained a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a six-month waiver on carrying out the move. On Thursday, the waiver came up for renewal for the first time on Trump's watch, and he followed the example of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama before him in instructing his secretary of state to hold off on the move. No retreat "No one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the president's strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance," the White House said, in a written statement. "President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America's national security interests," it explained. "But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when." Netanyahu's office expressed disappointment, but not anger. "Maintaining embassies outside the capital drives peace further away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem," a statement said. "Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today's expression of President Trump's friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future." Hussam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the United States, also issued a statement. "This is in line with the long-held US policy and the international consensus and it gives peace a chance," he said. "We are ready to start the consultation process with the US administration. We are serious and genuine about achieving a just and lasting peace." A US official speaking on condition of anonymity stressed to AFP that "it's a question of when, not if," and added that "he doesn't think the timing is right, right now." "In timing such a move he will seek to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. Peace process Trump's closest advisors are reported to be divided about the wisdom of quickly making good on the pledge, a move that would delight many Israelis but dismay Palestinians and raise concerns among Israel's Arab neighbors. White House strategy chief Steve Bannon supports the move, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is less keen and has said Trump is "being very careful to understand how such a decision would impact the peace process." In Washington, pro-Israel lobby groups are also divided on the policy. Progressive group J Street, which favors a two-state peace deal with the Palestinians, welcomed the delay to a move that could imperil efforts to find a deal on the status of the city negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians. "American governments have avoided and objected to actions that could be interpreted as prejudging the outcome of those negotiations," the group argued. But the biggest pro-Israeli group in the US capital, AIPAC, expressed concern. "We are disappointed that the president has not yet followed through on his pledge to move the embassy, and we hope that he does so soon," it said. Jerusalem was divided between Israeli rule in the west and Jordanian in the east until 1967, when Israel was attacked by allied Arab armies. Israel fought back and its victory left it in control of East Jerusalem. Its government is now based in the city, and settlements have been built around it on occupied land. Palestinians want East Jerusalem -- including the Old City and its sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians -- to become the capital of their eventual state. (AFP)

Palestinians happy as Trump delays moving US embassy to Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump has said he will announce Thursday whether the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, as aides reportedly said a pullout is likely.

&quot;I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&quot; the US leader said in a tweet late Wednesday, punctuating the post with his populist campaign slogan.

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I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/870083798981111808">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump has decided he will, in fact, pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the decision.&nbsp;

Details about how they will withdraw are being finalised now;&nbsp;To be decided is whether the withdrawal will be formal or whether to exit the underlying UN climate change treaty--the former can take three years, while the latter is faster but is &quot;more extreme&quot;, Axios reports.

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President Trump has decided he will pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the decision (WION)
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The Paris climate agreement is at the centre of President Obama&#39;s legacy, and is supported by every country except for Syria and Nicaragua.

Donald Trump has, very wrongly, called climate change &quot;a hoax invented by the Chinese&quot;.

Here is a data and graphs released by <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/" target="_blank">NASA</a>, showing&nbsp;that climate change is real and highly dangerous, and that&nbsp;climate change &nbsp;is not just a hoax&nbsp;invented by the Chinese.

(WION)

His aides reportedly said a pullout from the Paris agreement is likely

US President Donald Trump has said he will announce Thursday whether the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, as aides reportedly said a pullout is likely. "I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" the US leader said in a tweet late Wednesday, punctuating the post with his populist campaign slogan. I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017 × Trump has decided he will, in fact, pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the decision. Details about how they will withdraw are being finalised now; To be decided is whether the withdrawal will be formal or whether to exit the underlying UN climate change treaty--the former can take three years, while the latter is faster but is "more extreme", Axios reports. President Trump has decided he will pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the decision (WION) × The Paris climate agreement is at the centre of President Obama's legacy, and is supported by every country except for Syria and Nicaragua. Donald Trump has, very wrongly, called climate change "a hoax invented by the Chinese". Here is a data and graphs released by NASA, showing that climate change is real and highly dangerous, and that climate change is not just a hoax invented by the Chinese. (WION)

Trump to announce Paris climate deal decision Thursday

For all the fuss over the disturbing Kathy Griffin <a href="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2011/09/29/hugo_chavez_caption_contest/kathy-griffin-trump-head.png.CROP.promo-xlarge2.png" target="_blank">photo</a>, the one of her holding a bloody severed head that appears to look a lot like Donald Trump, it&#39;s important to remember that&nbsp;nobody supported or defended it.

Everybody, everybody thought it was bad: Democrats, Republicans,&nbsp;the left, the&nbsp;right, even Kathy Griffin! Afterwards Griffin said, &quot;I beg your forgiveness, I went too far.&quot; She asked for the photo to be taken down.

So if everyone agrees,&nbsp;why are so many people still talking about it?

Trump&nbsp;is desperate for a pretext to rail against something,&nbsp;given the heat on him in&nbsp;the ever-expanding Russia probe and&nbsp;his&nbsp;overseas trip where he was celebrated in&nbsp;Saudi Arabia but&nbsp;scolded America&#39;s traditional European&nbsp;allies.

No president&nbsp;in American history has ever been mired in this much scandal, so early. It&#39;s not surprising that Trump complain when he legitimately is&nbsp;the victim of something all agree is bad.

But when President Obama was threatened with death, did Trump come to his defence? Did he say US presidents can be criticised, but death threats&nbsp;go too far?

Nope. And this brings us to Ted Nugent, the rock and roll musician.

Ted Nugent&nbsp;openly threatened Obama with death. He called Obama a &quot;subhuman mongrel&quot; a &quot;piece of sh*t&quot;, and he became the target of&nbsp;a <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/trump-hosts-ted-nugent-white-house-c0da4b94c51">Secret Service investigation</a> in 2012 after saying that if Obama were reelected, Nugent would &quot;either be dead or in jail by this time next year&quot;.&nbsp;

Nugent is famously a hunter with many, many guns and an NRA member.&nbsp;I personally saw him in concert in Toronto in the early 2000s, and he protested Canadian hunting laws by shooting his amplifier with a crossbow.&nbsp;

Here is Nugent, a guest in the White House.

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="703" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftednugent%2Fposts%2F10154626793642297%3A0&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe>

Here is more juxtaposition&nbsp;of selective Republican outrage:

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cool cool cool <a href="https://t.co/uROQGunpaL">pic.twitter.com/uROQGunpaL</a>
&mdash; Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/870088566625501184">June 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The claim that Barron Trump, 70-year-old Donald&#39;s 11-year-old son, was watching TV and happened to see Griffin holding his father&#39;s head and thought it was real...well, it seems awfully scripted as a&nbsp;story for sympathy. But it could be real. Either way,&nbsp;again, Griffin was wrong to do it, a verdict that everyone agrees with! (Well almost everyone: the <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/335904-kathy-griffin-photographer-stands-by-beheaded-trump-shoot" target="_blank">photographer</a> defends it.)

Also, while Griffin was fired from her annual CNN&nbsp;new year&#39;s gig,&nbsp;Nugent has been a guest on Fox News for years. This shows no signs of abating.

The point isn&#39;t that Trump complained about Griffin, it&#39;s that he welcomed into the White House a person&nbsp;who openly threatened to kill the previous president. He isn&#39;t wrong to blame Griffin, but the hypocrisy is staggering and flagrant.

The main problem isn&#39;t consistency, it&#39;s that no American president should be so&nbsp;comfortable with a man who threatened to murder an American president, let alone being photographed with him in the White House. Not just being this comfortable personally, but signalling it, publicising it,&nbsp;is extremely dangerous.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The musician Ted Nugent openly threatened Obama with death. Rather than scold, Trump invited him as a guest to the White House

For all the fuss over the disturbing Kathy Griffin photo, the one of her holding a bloody severed head that appears to look a lot like Donald Trump, it's important to remember that nobody supported or defended it. Everybody, everybody thought it was bad: Democrats, Republicans, the left, the right, even Kathy Griffin! Afterwards Griffin said, "I beg your forgiveness, I went too far." She asked for the photo to be taken down. So if everyone agrees, why are so many people still talking about it? Trump is desperate for a pretext to rail against something, given the heat on him in the ever-expanding Russia probe and his overseas trip where he was celebrated in Saudi Arabia but scolded America's traditional European allies. No president in American history has ever been mired in this much scandal, so early. It's not surprising that Trump complain when he legitimately is the victim of something all agree is bad. But when President Obama was threatened with death, did Trump come to his defence? Did he say US presidents can be criticised, but death threats go too far? Nope. And this brings us to Ted Nugent, the rock and roll musician. Ted Nugent openly threatened Obama with death. He called Obama a "subhuman mongrel" a "piece of sh*t", and he became the target of a Secret Service investigation in 2012 after saying that if Obama were reelected, Nugent would "either be dead or in jail by this time next year". Nugent is famously a hunter with many, many guns and an NRA member. I personally saw him in concert in Toronto in the early 2000s, and he protested Canadian hunting laws by shooting his amplifier with a crossbow. Here is Nugent, a guest in the White House. Here is more juxtaposition of selective Republican outrage: cool cool cool pic.twitter.com/uROQGunpaL — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) June 1, 2017 × The claim that Barron Trump, 70-year-old Donald's 11-year-old son, was watching TV and happened to see Griffin holding his father's head and thought it was real...well, it seems awfully scripted as a story for sympathy. But it could be real. Either way, again, Griffin was wrong to do it, a verdict that everyone agrees with! (Well almost everyone: the photographer defends it.) Also, while Griffin was fired from her annual CNN new year's gig, Nugent has been a guest on Fox News for years. This shows no signs of abating. The point isn't that Trump complained about Griffin, it's that he welcomed into the White House a person who openly threatened to kill the previous president. He isn't wrong to blame Griffin, but the hypocrisy is staggering and flagrant. The main problem isn't consistency, it's that no American president should be so comfortable with a man who threatened to murder an American president, let alone being photographed with him in the White House. Not just being this comfortable personally, but signalling it, publicising it, is extremely dangerous. (WION)

Trump's reaction to Kathy Griffin's photo of her holding his severed head is hypocritical

US comedian Kathy Griffin may have hoped to make art in holding up a prop depicting Donald Trump&#39;s bloodied, severed head. But the stunt cost her a job with CNN and achieved the unthinkable -- uniting conservatives and liberals in outrage.

The president castigated the comedian on Wednesday, saying she &quot;should be ashamed of herself&quot; for the grisly-looking photograph.&nbsp;

&quot;My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!&quot; he tweeted.

It didn&#39;t matter that the outspoken Trump critic and award-winning performer had already apologized and asked celebrity photographer Tyler Shields to remove the picture from the internet. It was not enough to save her job.

&quot;CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year&#39;s Eve program,&quot; the network&#39;s communications division announced.

CNN had earlier called the picture &quot;disgusting and offensive, &quot;and said it was &quot;evaluating&quot; its annual New Year&#39;s Eve coverage, which Griffin co-hosted for a decade with Anderson Cooper. The CNN anchor slammed the image as &quot;completely inappropriate.&quot;

First Lady Melania Trump also criticized Griffin, who has twice won Emmys for her reality show &quot;My Life on the D List.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing,&quot; she said in a rare statement.

&quot;When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it,&quot; she added.

The Secret Service also said it would look into the incident, tweeting that threats against protectees &quot;receive the highest priority of all of our investigations.&quot;

In a 31-second video posted to social media late Tuesday, Griffin said: &quot;I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far. I made a mistake and I was wrong.&quot;

But the 56-year-old was initially more defiant.

&quot;There was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his... wherever,&quot; she captioned the photograph Tuesday in reference to a remark Trump made on the campaign trail about US journalist Megyn Kelly, who moderated a presidential debate.

&#39;Repugnant and vile&#39;&nbsp;

&quot;I do not condone any violence... I&#39;m merely mocking the mocker in chief,&quot; Griffin tweeted later. Both messages have since been deleted and the photograph has been removed from her social media account.

Trump&#39;s eldest son Donald Jr, who runs the family business in New York, and Mitt Romney, the defeated 2012 Republican presidential nominee, were among those conservatives who slammed the photograph.

&quot;Our politics have become too base, too low &amp; too vulgar, but Kathy Griffin&#39;s post descends into an even more repugnant &amp; vile territory,&quot; Romney tweeted.

Even Trump critics vented their disapproval.&nbsp;

&quot;It is never funny to joke about killing a president,&quot; tweeted Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former president Bill and Trump&#39;s election rival Hillary.

&quot;I think she was thinking she was making some artistic statement, but that image has no place in our political dialogue,&quot; Al Franken, a Democratic senator from Minnesota and a former comedian on long-running television show Saturday Night Live, told MSNBC.

Apart from CNN, Squatty Potty, a Utah-based bathroom products company, suspended an advertising campaign featuring Griffin, calling the picture &quot;deeply inappropriate.&quot;

Shields has not commented publicly since the controversy broke. He is listed on his website as an artist and &quot;Hollywood&#39;s favorite photographer&quot; who has evolved from being the &quot;bad boy of photography.&quot;

US newspapers were scathing on the editorial pages.

&quot;In a strange way Griffin&#39;s shameful stunt might&nbsp;have given Americans their greatest moment of unity since Trump&#39;s unexpected election,&quot; wrote USA Today.

&quot;Those who hate Trump with all their gut, and recoil at the crass and nasty direction he&#39;s taken our politics, should be the first to condemn imagery that normalizes violence against him,&quot; said the New York Daily News.

(AFP)

Kathy Griffin came under a lot of criticism for holding up a prop depicting Donald Trump's bloodied, severed head

US comedian Kathy Griffin may have hoped to make art in holding up a prop depicting Donald Trump's bloodied, severed head. But the stunt cost her a job with CNN and achieved the unthinkable -- uniting conservatives and liberals in outrage. The president castigated the comedian on Wednesday, saying she "should be ashamed of herself" for the grisly-looking photograph. "My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!" he tweeted. It didn't matter that the outspoken Trump critic and award-winning performer had already apologized and asked celebrity photographer Tyler Shields to remove the picture from the internet. It was not enough to save her job. "CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program," the network's communications division announced. CNN had earlier called the picture "disgusting and offensive, "and said it was "evaluating" its annual New Year's Eve coverage, which Griffin co-hosted for a decade with Anderson Cooper. The CNN anchor slammed the image as "completely inappropriate." First Lady Melania Trump also criticized Griffin, who has twice won Emmys for her reality show "My Life on the D List." "As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing," she said in a rare statement. "When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it," she added. The Secret Service also said it would look into the incident, tweeting that threats against protectees "receive the highest priority of all of our investigations." In a 31-second video posted to social media late Tuesday, Griffin said: "I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far. I made a mistake and I was wrong." But the 56-year-old was initially more defiant. "There was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his... wherever," she captioned the photograph Tuesday in reference to a remark Trump made on the campaign trail about US journalist Megyn Kelly, who moderated a presidential debate. 'Repugnant and vile' "I do not condone any violence... I'm merely mocking the mocker in chief," Griffin tweeted later. Both messages have since been deleted and the photograph has been removed from her social media account. Trump's eldest son Donald Jr, who runs the family business in New York, and Mitt Romney, the defeated 2012 Republican presidential nominee, were among those conservatives who slammed the photograph. "Our politics have become too base, too low & too vulgar, but Kathy Griffin's post descends into an even more repugnant & vile territory," Romney tweeted. Even Trump critics vented their disapproval. "It is never funny to joke about killing a president," tweeted Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former president Bill and Trump's election rival Hillary. "I think she was thinking she was making some artistic statement, but that image has no place in our political dialogue," Al Franken, a Democratic senator from Minnesota and a former comedian on long-running television show Saturday Night Live, told MSNBC. Apart from CNN, Squatty Potty, a Utah-based bathroom products company, suspended an advertising campaign featuring Griffin, calling the picture "deeply inappropriate." Shields has not commented publicly since the controversy broke. He is listed on his website as an artist and "Hollywood's favorite photographer" who has evolved from being the "bad boy of photography." US newspapers were scathing on the editorial pages. "In a strange way Griffin's shameful stunt might have given Americans their greatest moment of unity since Trump's unexpected election," wrote USA Today. "Those who hate Trump with all their gut, and recoil at the crass and nasty direction he's taken our politics, should be the first to condemn imagery that normalizes violence against him," said the New York Daily News. (AFP)

US comedian sacked by CNN over grisly Trump stunt

US President Donald Trump has done it yet again! The president in a late night&nbsp;tweet said &quot;Despite the constant negative press covfefe&quot; as the&nbsp;Twitterati quickly latched on to it trying to find the meaning of the new word introduced.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-praises-wrong-ivanka-on-twitter-11410">Also Read:&nbsp;Trump praises wrong Ivanka on Twitter</a>

The word &#39;covfefe&#39; started trending worldwide on Twitter with the hashtag #covfefe creating a social media storm.

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Despite the constant negative press covfefe
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/869766994899468288">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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This, however, is not the first time President Trump has accidentally slipped his hands on the keyboard. He had misspelt the word unprecedented with &nbsp;&#39;unpresidented&#39; earlier and had tweeted the sole word &#39;we&#39; leaving the Twitter world to complete the sentence.

As the word began to trend on Twitter, social media began giving its own interpretation of&nbsp;the word&nbsp;&#39;covfefe&#39;.

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Even Queen is Disturbed ??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/covfefe?src=hash">#covfefe</a> <a href="https://t.co/djiGpPjRdr">pic.twitter.com/djiGpPjRdr</a>
&mdash; Nabeel Chaudhry (@chaudhry_nabeel) <a href="https://twitter.com/chaudhry_nabeel/status/869831261019398144">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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I&#39;m calling it now - covfefe will be in the oxford english dictionary by the end of this year.
&mdash; kickthePJ (@kickthepj) <a href="https://twitter.com/kickthepj/status/869828520142360576">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US president in an early morning tweet said 'Despite the constant negative press covfefe' as the?Twitterati quickly latched on to it

US President Donald Trump has done it yet again! The president in a late night tweet said "Despite the constant negative press covfefe" as the Twitterati quickly latched on to it trying to find the meaning of the new word introduced. Also Read: Trump praises wrong Ivanka on Twitter The word 'covfefe' started trending worldwide on Twitter with the hashtag #covfefe creating a social media storm. Despite the constant negative press covfefe — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017 × This, however, is not the first time President Trump has accidentally slipped his hands on the keyboard. He had misspelt the word unprecedented with 'unpresidented' earlier and had tweeted the sole word 'we' leaving the Twitter world to complete the sentence. As the word began to trend on Twitter, social media began giving its own interpretation of the word 'covfefe'. Even Queen is Disturbed ??#covfefe pic.twitter.com/djiGpPjRdr — Nabeel Chaudhry (@chaudhry_nabeel) May 31, 2017 × I'm calling it now - covfefe will be in the oxford english dictionary by the end of this year. — kickthePJ (@kickthepj) May 31, 2017 × (WION)

What is 'covfefe'? President Trump can explain

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump sought to insert himself into congressional probes on Russia on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to hear from one of his former advisers, Carter Page, to counter testimony by directors of the FBI and CIA.

Trump has been dismissive of probes by the FBI and several congressional panels into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by the Trump campaign.

In a series of morning tweets, the Republican president quoted a Monday letter from Page in which he asked to address the House Intelligence Committee promptly and referred to faulty testimony from US&nbsp;intelligence officials.

Trump accused Democrats of blocking Page&#39;s testimony, without citing any evidence but referring to an unidentified report.

&quot;So now it is reported that the Democrats, who have excoriated Carter Page about Russia, don&#39;t want him to testify. He blows away their case against him &amp; now wants to clear his name by showing &#39;the false or misleading testimony by James Comey, John Brennan...&#39; Witch Hunt!&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to the former directors of the FBI and CIA.

Trump&#39;s early morning tweets came as his advisers are planning to establish a &quot;war room&quot; to combat mounting questions about communication between Russia and his presidential campaign before and after November&#39;s election.

However, the president&#39;s penchant for tweeting could complicate White House efforts to tamp down the scandal if the messages appear to address the investigations.

Page&#39;s letter was reported by the Washington Examiner. Reuters has not verified the contents of the letter. A House Intelligence Committee staffer said on Wednesday the panel does not make public its communications.

Page, who advised Trump during his presidential campaign, is one of several Trump associates of interest to congressional investigators in the Russia probes that have begun to dominate his four-month-old presidency.

Moscow has denied US&nbsp;intelligence agencies&#39; conclusion that Moscow interfered in the election campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump&#39;s favour. Trump has denied any collusion.

(Reuters)

Trump's criticism of the investigations into him and Russia was not supported by any cited evidence

US President Donald Trump sought to insert himself into congressional probes on Russia on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to hear from one of his former advisers, Carter Page, to counter testimony by directors of the FBI and CIA. Trump has been dismissive of probes by the FBI and several congressional panels into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by the Trump campaign. In a series of morning tweets, the Republican president quoted a Monday letter from Page in which he asked to address the House Intelligence Committee promptly and referred to faulty testimony from US intelligence officials. Trump accused Democrats of blocking Page's testimony, without citing any evidence but referring to an unidentified report. "So now it is reported that the Democrats, who have excoriated Carter Page about Russia, don't want him to testify. He blows away their case against him & now wants to clear his name by showing 'the false or misleading testimony by James Comey, John Brennan...' Witch Hunt!" Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to the former directors of the FBI and CIA. Trump's early morning tweets came as his advisers are planning to establish a "war room" to combat mounting questions about communication between Russia and his presidential campaign before and after November's election. However, the president's penchant for tweeting could complicate White House efforts to tamp down the scandal if the messages appear to address the investigations. Page's letter was reported by the Washington Examiner. Reuters has not verified the contents of the letter. A House Intelligence Committee staffer said on Wednesday the panel does not make public its communications. Page, who advised Trump during his presidential campaign, is one of several Trump associates of interest to congressional investigators in the Russia probes that have begun to dominate his four-month-old presidency. Moscow has denied US intelligence agencies' conclusion that Moscow interfered in the election campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump's favour. Trump has denied any collusion. (Reuters)

Trump blasts Russia probe, urges testimony from former adviser Page

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s communications director, Mike Dubke, is set to leave after three months in his White House post, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday.

&quot;He has expressed his desire to leave the White House and made very clear that he would see through the president&#39;s international trip,&quot; White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on Fox News, referring to Trump&#39;s first overseas trip to the Middle East and Europe that ended on Saturday.

Dubke, a communications firm owner who was brought into the Trump administration in March, has not set a last day on the job but is leaving on good terms, according to Axios News, which first reported his departure and cited a senior administration official.

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/30/dubke-resigns-as-white-house-communications-director/?tid=a_breakingnews&amp;utm_term=.48299e5b972b" target="_blank">Washington Post </a>reports that this could be the first in a series of changes to the president&#39;s senior staf, as the Trump-Russia scandal continues to grow.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Mike Dubke had only been there for three months

US President Donald Trump's communications director, Mike Dubke, is set to leave after three months in his White House post, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday. "He has expressed his desire to leave the White House and made very clear that he would see through the president's international trip," White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on Fox News, referring to Trump's first overseas trip to the Middle East and Europe that ended on Saturday. Dubke, a communications firm owner who was brought into the Trump administration in March, has not set a last day on the job but is leaving on good terms, according to Axios News, which first reported his departure and cited a senior administration official. The Washington Post reports that this could be the first in a series of changes to the president's senior staf, as the Trump-Russia scandal continues to grow. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump's communications director set to leave White House: Trump adviser

The EU and China will attempt to deepen ties at a summit Thursday amid rising worry about the direction taken by US President Donald Trump on trade and climate change.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will meet EU president Donald Tusk and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker with hopes of forging an answer to Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; challenge.

But years of skirmishes over trade and human rights will make a deeper alliance difficult.

The incentive to strengthen links with Beijing is strong after German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU&#39;s most powerful leader, on Sunday warned that the EU can no longer depend on longtime ally US as a reliable partner.

Li, China&#39;s second most powerful leader after President Xi Jinping, will also visit Germany where he will meet Merkel and sign a cooperation deal on electric cars.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot we can offer each other,&quot; said vice foreign minister Wang Chao in the run-up to the European tour by Li.

The Brussels talks follow a tense international tour by Trump in which the unpredictable tycoon refused pleas by his European counterparts to adhere to the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The EU, US and China each roughly represent the same weight in the world economy and an exit by Washington from the climate deal would leave its only chance of survival in the hands of Brussels and Beijing.

Given the context, China&#39;s premier and the heads of the European Union&#39;s main institutions are expected to deliver a strong statement in support of the Paris agreement.

But besides climate, big obstacles to a deeper diplomatic breakthrough remain.

&nbsp;

&#39;Walk the talk&#39;

Also on the agenda is an EU-China investment accord that has been under negotiation since 2013 and that is largely seen as a dry run for a full trade deal.

But those talks are at a standstill over longstanding disagreements on the lack of access given to European companies in China and a fight over cheap Chinese exports that Europeans say are unfairly flooding their market.

China, the EU&#39;s second-largest trade partner, &quot;needs to walk the talk,&quot; said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem at a business conference last week.

&quot;The welcome commitments from China about liberalisation have not been matched by concrete action,&quot; she added.

Many had hoped that President Xi Jinping&#39;s fervent defence of globalisation at the World Economic Forum in January would signal a new open trade era for China.&nbsp;

&quot;We have heard a lot of positive signals coming out of China when it comes to market opening and freer trade, but we hope this week we will lead to some concrete result,&quot; the European Chamber of Commerce&#39;s Mats Harborn told Bloomberg TV.

But Li Chenggang, assistant minister of commerce, told a news briefing in Beijing that &quot;the two sides don&#39;t see eye to eye on all issues&quot;.&nbsp;

China&#39;s militarisation of islands in the South China Sea and the increase in authoritarianism under Xi have also rung alarm bells for Europeans.

&quot;EU leaders need to make good on their pledges and make human rights and the freeing of peaceful activists a top strategic priority in the EU&#39;s relationship with China,&quot; said Human Rights Watch&#39;s EU director Lotte Leicht.

In a letter to Juncker and Tusk, several groups of rights activists, including Human Rights Watch, urged the EU to take up these concerns with China&#39;s leadership.

&quot;While EU officials are willing to engage in very public, critical battles with China over steel tariffs, solar panels, or the South China Sea, most EU officials are not willing to engage publicly in such debates over China&#39;s use of torture and arbitrary detention,&quot; the letter said.

(AFP)

This comes amid rising worry about the direction taken by US President Donald Trump on trade and climate change

The EU and China will attempt to deepen ties at a summit Thursday amid rising worry about the direction taken by US President Donald Trump on trade and climate change. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will meet EU president Donald Tusk and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker with hopes of forging an answer to Trump's "America First" challenge. But years of skirmishes over trade and human rights will make a deeper alliance difficult. The incentive to strengthen links with Beijing is strong after German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU's most powerful leader, on Sunday warned that the EU can no longer depend on longtime ally US as a reliable partner. Li, China's second most powerful leader after President Xi Jinping, will also visit Germany where he will meet Merkel and sign a cooperation deal on electric cars. "There's a lot we can offer each other," said vice foreign minister Wang Chao in the run-up to the European tour by Li. The Brussels talks follow a tense international tour by Trump in which the unpredictable tycoon refused pleas by his European counterparts to adhere to the 2015 Paris climate accord. The EU, US and China each roughly represent the same weight in the world economy and an exit by Washington from the climate deal would leave its only chance of survival in the hands of Brussels and Beijing. Given the context, China's premier and the heads of the European Union's main institutions are expected to deliver a strong statement in support of the Paris agreement. But besides climate, big obstacles to a deeper diplomatic breakthrough remain. 'Walk the talk' Also on the agenda is an EU-China investment accord that has been under negotiation since 2013 and that is largely seen as a dry run for a full trade deal. But those talks are at a standstill over longstanding disagreements on the lack of access given to European companies in China and a fight over cheap Chinese exports that Europeans say are unfairly flooding their market. China, the EU's second-largest trade partner, "needs to walk the talk," said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem at a business conference last week. "The welcome commitments from China about liberalisation have not been matched by concrete action," she added. Many had hoped that President Xi Jinping's fervent defence of globalisation at the World Economic Forum in January would signal a new open trade era for China. "We have heard a lot of positive signals coming out of China when it comes to market opening and freer trade, but we hope this week we will lead to some concrete result," the European Chamber of Commerce's Mats Harborn told Bloomberg TV. But Li Chenggang, assistant minister of commerce, told a news briefing in Beijing that "the two sides don't see eye to eye on all issues". China's militarisation of islands in the South China Sea and the increase in authoritarianism under Xi have also rung alarm bells for Europeans. "EU leaders need to make good on their pledges and make human rights and the freeing of peaceful activists a top strategic priority in the EU's relationship with China," said Human Rights Watch's EU director Lotte Leicht. In a letter to Juncker and Tusk, several groups of rights activists, including Human Rights Watch, urged the EU to take up these concerns with China's leadership. "While EU officials are willing to engage in very public, critical battles with China over steel tariffs, solar panels, or the South China Sea, most EU officials are not willing to engage publicly in such debates over China's use of torture and arbitrary detention," the letter said. (AFP)

EU, China seek tighter bond to face Trump

US President Donald Trump&#39;s actions have &quot;weakened&quot; the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday, while also charging that Trump&#39;s &quot;short-sighted&quot; policies hurt EU interests.

&quot;Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk,&quot; Gabriel said.&nbsp;

&quot;The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,&quot; he said, adding that &quot;the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker&quot;.

(AFP)

He accused Trump of accelerating climate change by weakening environmental protections and selling arms in conflict zones

US President Donald Trump's actions have "weakened" the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday, while also charging that Trump's "short-sighted" policies hurt EU interests. "Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk," Gabriel said. "The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union," he said, adding that "the West has become smaller, at least it has become weaker". (AFP)

Trump has 'weakened' the West, hurt EU interests: German FM

France&#39;s new President Emmanuel Macron says he was ready for his &quot;moment of truth&quot; with US counterpart Donald Trump -- when they shook hands for the first time.

&quot;You have to show you won&#39;t make little concessions, even symbolic ones,&quot; Macron, 39, told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral.

As cameras rolled, Macron held on tight to Trump&#39;s notorious power grip as the two men sat next to each other, the Frenchman&#39;s mouth clenched and eyes firmly fixed at the 70-year-old tycoon&#39;s squinty stare.

After some five seconds, Trump was the first to open his hand but Macron insisted on being the last to let go.

&quot;It&#39;s not the be-all-and-end-all... but a moment of truth,&quot; Macron said.

&quot;I don&#39;t miss a thing, that&#39;s how you get respect.&quot;

(AFP)

Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral

France's new President Emmanuel Macron says he was ready for his "moment of truth" with US counterpart Donald Trump -- when they shook hands for the first time. "You have to show you won't make little concessions, even symbolic ones," Macron, 39, told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche on Sunday. Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral. As cameras rolled, Macron held on tight to Trump's notorious power grip as the two men sat next to each other, the Frenchman's mouth clenched and eyes firmly fixed at the 70-year-old tycoon's squinty stare. After some five seconds, Trump was the first to open his hand but Macron insisted on being the last to let go. "It's not the be-all-and-end-all... but a moment of truth," Macron said. "I don't miss a thing, that's how you get respect." (AFP)

Macron speaks about 'moment of truth' handshake with Trump

A man fatally stabbed two passengers aboard a Portland, Oregon, commuter train after they tried to stop him from harassing two young women who appeared to be Muslim, police said on Saturday.

Police identified the assailant, who was arrested soon after the Friday afternoon attack, as Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland, a 35-year-old convicted felon.

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Here&#39;s Portland killer Jeremy Christian at a &quot;free speech rally&quot; three weeks ago making a Nazi salute: <a href="https://t.co/lSJUxyLkUy">pic.twitter.com/lSJUxyLkUy</a>
&mdash; Omar Ghabra (@omarghabra) <a href="https://twitter.com/omarghabra/status/868502294941245440">May 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations blamed an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in part on President Donald Trump&#39;s focus on militant Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The administration has said that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam.

A senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a blog post, said Christian&#39;s Facebook page showed he held &quot;some racist and other extremist beliefs&quot;.

The attack unfolded hours before the start of Ramadan, Islam&#39;s holy month, when most of the world&#39;s 1.6 billion Muslims observe a daily religious fast.

The <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/05/27/19041594/suspect-in-portland-hate-crime-murders-is-a-known-white-supremacist" target="_blank">Portland Mercury</a> reports that&nbsp;Jeremy Christian was a known white supremacist, who as recently as April 29 attended a &quot;March for Free Speech&quot; in Montavilla,&nbsp;carrying a baseball bat to assault left wing activists. When police confiscated it, he began shouting racist obscenities, and was reportedy&nbsp;giving Nazi salutes all day.

On the train Friday&nbsp;Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs, apparently at the two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim head-covering, the Portland Police Department said in a statement.

Three men who intervened were stabbed. Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, Oregon died at the scene, while Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Southeast Portland died at a hospital, police said. A third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher of 21, Southeast Portland, remained in a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/lsarsour">@lsarsour</a> This is one of the young men who gave his life yesterday to fight hatred. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Portland?src=hash">#Portland</a> <a href="https://t.co/xB3BAwthIc">pic.twitter.com/xB3BAwthIc</a>
&mdash; IndivisibleOregon (@Indivisible_OR) <a href="https://twitter.com/Indivisible_OR/status/868512884451557376">May 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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The surviving <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Portland?src=hash">#Portland</a> hero. Micah Fletcher, 21, won a 2013 poetry competition w/ a poem condemning Islamophobia. In hospital w/stab wounds <a href="https://t.co/zxZt4L3flL">pic.twitter.com/zxZt4L3flL</a>
&mdash; Tarek El-Messidi (@Elmessidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Elmessidi/status/868656255702900736">May 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Christian was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and was ordered held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

The women, who had left the train before officers arrived, were later in contact with authorities, according to police, who have not released their identities.

Dyjuana Hudson, the mother of one of them, told The Oregonian newspaper her 16-year-old daughter, who is black, boarded the train with a Muslim friend, also a teenager, who was wearing a hijab.

The attacker approached the girls while screaming at them, Hudson told the newspaper, relaying an account her daughter had given her. &quot;He was saying that Muslims should die,&quot; Hudson said.

On Friday, police said detectives wanted to speak to the two women. A detective later took a statement from her family, Hudson told the paper. She could not be reached for comment.

Police declined to release details of Christian&#39;s criminal history, but the newspaper reported he had been convicted of robbery, kidnapping and weapon charges, citing court records. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.

The suspect had no known affiliation with a criminal gang member nor any mental health history, police said.&nbsp;

A Facebook page that appears to belong to Christian mentions &quot;Jihadi Muslims&quot; among people he disliked. The image on the page matches a photo of Christian released by police.

&quot;There is too much hatred in the world right now and far too much violence. Our current political climate allows far too much room for those who spread bigotry,&quot; Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told a news conference.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The men who stood up to this known white supremacist will be remembered as heroes

A man fatally stabbed two passengers aboard a Portland, Oregon, commuter train after they tried to stop him from harassing two young women who appeared to be Muslim, police said on Saturday. Police identified the assailant, who was arrested soon after the Friday afternoon attack, as Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland, a 35-year-old convicted felon. Here's Portland killer Jeremy Christian at a "free speech rally" three weeks ago making a Nazi salute: pic.twitter.com/lSJUxyLkUy — Omar Ghabra (@omarghabra) May 27, 2017 × In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations blamed an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in part on President Donald Trump's focus on militant Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The administration has said that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam. A senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a blog post, said Christian's Facebook page showed he held "some racist and other extremist beliefs". The attack unfolded hours before the start of Ramadan, Islam's holy month, when most of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims observe a daily religious fast. The Portland Mercury reports that Jeremy Christian was a known white supremacist, who as recently as April 29 attended a "March for Free Speech" in Montavilla, carrying a baseball bat to assault left wing activists. When police confiscated it, he began shouting racist obscenities, and was reportedy giving Nazi salutes all day. On the train Friday Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs, apparently at the two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim head-covering, the Portland Police Department said in a statement. Three men who intervened were stabbed. Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, Oregon died at the scene, while Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Southeast Portland died at a hospital, police said. A third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher of 21, Southeast Portland, remained in a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. .@lsarsour This is one of the young men who gave his life yesterday to fight hatred. #Portland pic.twitter.com/xB3BAwthIc — IndivisibleOregon (@Indivisible_OR) May 27, 2017 × The surviving #Portland hero. Micah Fletcher, 21, won a 2013 poetry competition w/ a poem condemning Islamophobia. In hospital w/stab wounds pic.twitter.com/zxZt4L3flL — Tarek El-Messidi (@Elmessidi) May 28, 2017 × Christian was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and was ordered held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday. The women, who had left the train before officers arrived, were later in contact with authorities, according to police, who have not released their identities. Dyjuana Hudson, the mother of one of them, told The Oregonian newspaper her 16-year-old daughter, who is black, boarded the train with a Muslim friend, also a teenager, who was wearing a hijab. The attacker approached the girls while screaming at them, Hudson told the newspaper, relaying an account her daughter had given her. "He was saying that Muslims should die," Hudson said. On Friday, police said detectives wanted to speak to the two women. A detective later took a statement from her family, Hudson told the paper. She could not be reached for comment. Police declined to release details of Christian's criminal history, but the newspaper reported he had been convicted of robbery, kidnapping and weapon charges, citing court records. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney. The suspect had no known affiliation with a criminal gang member nor any mental health history, police said. A Facebook page that appears to belong to Christian mentions "Jihadi Muslims" among people he disliked. The image on the page matches a photo of Christian released by police. "There is too much hatred in the world right now and far too much violence. Our current political climate allows far too much room for those who spread bigotry," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told a news conference. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Two men stabbed to death on Oregon train trying to stop anti-Muslim rant

The US military will try to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile in a landmark test of a defense system that comes amid broad tensions over North Korea&#39;s weapons program, the Pentagon said Friday.

Scheduled for Tuesday, the test is the first time the military will attempt to intercept an ICBM. Previous trials have been against intermediate-range missiles, which are slower.

Experts will launch a ground-based interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California at a mock-up of an ICBM fired from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement.&nbsp;

The exercise will check the performance of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which has had a checkered record in previous tests.

Though it succeeded in the last test in 2014, it failed during the three prior attempts.

The technology behind the GMD is extremely complex, and the system uses globally deployed sensors to detect and track ballistic missile threats.&nbsp;

In a move that the Pentagon says is akin to hitting a bullet with another bullet -- though at far higher speeds -- the missile launches into space, then deploys an &quot;Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle&quot; that uses kinetic energy to destroy the incoming target.

If the test is successful, it will prove that America has an effective ground-based defense against ICBMs, albeit on a limited scale.&nbsp;

The system will comprise 44 interceptors by the end of the year, so it could thwart an attack from a rogue state or a volley of rockets.

But the interceptors, based in California and Alaska, would be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack from countries like Russia or China, which could fire dozens of missiles at a time.

North Korea this year has conducted a series of missile tests as it strives to build an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States.

Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year, and has accelerated its missile launch program, despite tough UN sanctions aimed at denying Kim the hard currency needed to fund his weapons ambitions.

President Donald Trump has called Kim a &quot;madman with nuclear weapons.&quot;

(AFP)

The test is the first time the US military will attempt to intercept an ICBM

The US military will try to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile in a landmark test of a defense system that comes amid broad tensions over North Korea's weapons program, the Pentagon said Friday. Scheduled for Tuesday, the test is the first time the military will attempt to intercept an ICBM. Previous trials have been against intermediate-range missiles, which are slower. Experts will launch a ground-based interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California at a mock-up of an ICBM fired from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement. The exercise will check the performance of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which has had a checkered record in previous tests. Though it succeeded in the last test in 2014, it failed during the three prior attempts. The technology behind the GMD is extremely complex, and the system uses globally deployed sensors to detect and track ballistic missile threats. In a move that the Pentagon says is akin to hitting a bullet with another bullet -- though at far higher speeds -- the missile launches into space, then deploys an "Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle" that uses kinetic energy to destroy the incoming target. If the test is successful, it will prove that America has an effective ground-based defense against ICBMs, albeit on a limited scale. The system will comprise 44 interceptors by the end of the year, so it could thwart an attack from a rogue state or a volley of rockets. But the interceptors, based in California and Alaska, would be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack from countries like Russia or China, which could fire dozens of missiles at a time. North Korea this year has conducted a series of missile tests as it strives to build an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. Pyongyang carried out two atomic tests last year, and has accelerated its missile launch program, despite tough UN sanctions aimed at denying Kim the hard currency needed to fund his weapons ambitions. President Donald Trump has called Kim a "madman with nuclear weapons." (AFP)

US to test anti-ICBM system as North Korea threat looms

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

&quot;The Germans are bad, very bad,&quot; he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine&#39;s online edition said.

&quot;See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this,&quot; he reportedly said according to &quot;participants at the meeting&quot;. Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone.&nbsp;

Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report.

Trump&#39;s reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for &quot;not paying what they should be paying&quot; and did not declare his commitment to the alliance&#39;s collective defence guarantee.

Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel.

In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany&#39;s substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation.

After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as &quot;GREAT&quot;, Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing &quot;vast sums of money&quot; to NATO and the US.

For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign.

(AFP)

Trump accused Germany of selling millions of cars in the US during a meeting with EU officials, reports Der Spiegel

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported. "The Germans are bad, very bad," he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine's online edition said. "See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this," he reportedly said according to "participants at the meeting". Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone. Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy. Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report. Trump's reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for "not paying what they should be paying" and did not declare his commitment to the alliance's collective defence guarantee. Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel. In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany's substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation. After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as "GREAT", Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO and the US. For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign. (AFP)

Donald Trump: 'The Germans are bad, very bad'

British police have stopped sharing information about a suicide bombing in Manchester with US&nbsp;authorities following leaks of details of the investigation that has angered the government, the BBC said on Thursday.&nbsp;

(<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-furious-over-us-leaks-on-manchester-attack-16013">Also Read: Britain &#39;furious&#39; over US leaks on Manchester attack</a>)

The British government and police force have criticised the leaks which they say could undermine their investigation into the killing of 22 people at a concert on Monday.

The BBC did not give a source for its report.

(Reuters)

The British government and police force have criticised the leaks made by US intelligence agencies

British police have stopped sharing information about a suicide bombing in Manchester with US authorities following leaks of details of the investigation that has angered the government, the BBC said on Thursday. (Also Read: Britain 'furious' over US leaks on Manchester attack) The British government and police force have criticised the leaks which they say could undermine their investigation into the killing of 22 people at a concert on Monday. The BBC did not give a source for its report. (Reuters)

UK stops sharing information on Manchester attack with United States after leaks: BBC

&quot;Furious&quot; British officials scolded their US counterparts on Wednesday following repeated leaks of shared material about the investigation into the deadly Manchester terror attack.

British Home Secretary Amber Rudd roasted the US Department of Homeland Security and other intelligence branches after the bomber&#39;s identity and details of the probe leaked out to US media before British officials felt ready to disclose them.

But shortly after the interior minister complained, The New York Times newspaper again scooped British authorities and other media by publishing photographs from the scene of remnants of the bomb.

The pictures were apparently taken by police investigators and, according to British government ministry sources, leaked by US counterparts they had been shared with.

&quot;We are furious. This is completely unacceptable,&quot; a government ministry source said. &quot;These images leaked from inside the US system will be distressing for victims, their families and the wider public.

&quot;The issue is being raised at every relevant level by the British authorities with their US counterparts.&quot;

The row -- which goes to the heart of the close intelligence-sharing relationship between the two allies -- provides an awkward backdrop to Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday.

&nbsp;

&#39;It is irritating&#39;

Rudd revealed the frustration going on inside the probe to find the suspected network behind bomber Salman Abedi.

&quot;The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity... the element of surprise,&quot; &nbsp;Rudd told BBC radio.

&quot;So it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again.&quot;&nbsp;

Asked if the US authorities had compromised the investigation, she said: &quot;I wouldn&#39;t go that far. But I can say that they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn&#39;t happen again.&quot;

But the National Counter Terrorism Policing body said the investigation was being &quot;undermined&quot;.

&ldquo;We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world,&quot; a spokesman said.

&quot;These relationships enable us to collaborate and share privileged and sensitive information.

&ldquo;When that trust is breached it undermines these relationships, and undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their families.

&quot;This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorised disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counter-terrorism investigation.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Bomber identity leaked

Twenty-two people, including several children, were killed on Monday when a bomb went off at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England.

British-born Abedi was identified as the suspected suicide bomber responsible. His name first surfaced in US media reports Tuesday, based on briefings given to US officials by their counterparts in London.

Earlier, US media, also quoting US security sources, identified the assailant as a suicide bomber, well before British authorities confirmed that publicly.

Department of Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan confirmed that Rudd, who spoke with DHS Secretary John Kelly by phone Wednesday, had raised the matter.

&quot;They communicated to DHS as well as other US government agencies their concern over leaks about their investigation into the incident in Manchester -- information that&#39;s gotten into the press and public through US sources when the UK was leading the investigation and wants to protect the information,&quot; Lapan said.

&quot;They&#39;ve asked all of us to better protect the information that we have so as not to impede their investigation. We&#39;ll do whatever we can to honour that.&quot;&nbsp;

DHS and intelligence agencies contacted by AFP would not comment on whether they were the ones who leaked the information.

(AFP)

US intelligence leaked the bomber's identity and details of the probe to US media before British officials felt ready to disclose them

"Furious" British officials scolded their US counterparts on Wednesday following repeated leaks of shared material about the investigation into the deadly Manchester terror attack. British Home Secretary Amber Rudd roasted the US Department of Homeland Security and other intelligence branches after the bomber's identity and details of the probe leaked out to US media before British officials felt ready to disclose them. But shortly after the interior minister complained, The New York Times newspaper again scooped British authorities and other media by publishing photographs from the scene of remnants of the bomb. The pictures were apparently taken by police investigators and, according to British government ministry sources, leaked by US counterparts they had been shared with. "We are furious. This is completely unacceptable," a government ministry source said. "These images leaked from inside the US system will be distressing for victims, their families and the wider public. "The issue is being raised at every relevant level by the British authorities with their US counterparts." The row -- which goes to the heart of the close intelligence-sharing relationship between the two allies -- provides an awkward backdrop to Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday. 'It is irritating' Rudd revealed the frustration going on inside the probe to find the suspected network behind bomber Salman Abedi. "The British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity... the element of surprise," Rudd told BBC radio. "So it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again." Asked if the US authorities had compromised the investigation, she said: "I wouldn't go that far. But I can say that they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn't happen again." But the National Counter Terrorism Policing body said the investigation was being "undermined". “We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world," a spokesman said. "These relationships enable us to collaborate and share privileged and sensitive information. “When that trust is breached it undermines these relationships, and undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their families. "This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorised disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counter-terrorism investigation.” Bomber identity leaked Twenty-two people, including several children, were killed on Monday when a bomb went off at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England. British-born Abedi was identified as the suspected suicide bomber responsible. His name first surfaced in US media reports Tuesday, based on briefings given to US officials by their counterparts in London. Earlier, US media, also quoting US security sources, identified the assailant as a suicide bomber, well before British authorities confirmed that publicly. Department of Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan confirmed that Rudd, who spoke with DHS Secretary John Kelly by phone Wednesday, had raised the matter. "They communicated to DHS as well as other US government agencies their concern over leaks about their investigation into the incident in Manchester -- information that's gotten into the press and public through US sources when the UK was leading the investigation and wants to protect the information," Lapan said. "They've asked all of us to better protect the information that we have so as not to impede their investigation. We'll do whatever we can to honour that." DHS and intelligence agencies contacted by AFP would not comment on whether they were the ones who leaked the information. (AFP)

Britain 'furious' over US leaks on Manchester attack

A bill passed by US&nbsp;House Republicans would cause 23 million people to lose healthcare coverage by 2026 while de-stabilising health insurance markets in some states and making it hard for sick people to buy insurance, a budget watchdog agency said on Wednesday.

The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan group of experts who analyse US&nbsp;legislation, said the bill would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion between 2017 and 2026.

The report could give added ammunition to Democrats who have accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of putting sick and low-income people at risk with their effort to roll back former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature 2010 healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act but often called Obamacare.

The report also complicates the job of Senate Republicans - some of whom already have doubts about the House bill - as they craft their own healthcare legislation.

Republicans have sought to unravel Obamacare since its passage and Trump promised on the campaign trail to repeal it, saying it is too costly and an overreach by government in the healthcare market.

As Trump and Republican leaders sought to bring wavering lawmakers on board with the House bill, they added a controversial last-minute amendment that would give states leeway to drop an Obamacare requirement that forces insurers to charge sick and healthy people the same insurance rates.

Another change would allow states to decide whether to require insurers to cover health benefits such as maternity care and prescription drugs that are mandatory under current law.

But the CBO report said the amendment would make it difficult or impossible for people in poor health to purchase comprehensive coverage in some states.

&quot;People who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all,&quot; the CBO report said.

The CBO said markets for people to buy individual insurance plans could then become &quot;unstable&quot; in states that choose to waive the Obamacare requirements for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions and essential health benefits.

Even before the report, many Republican senators were wary of the House version of the healthcare bill, saying it unraveled Obamacare too much and too quickly. About 20 million people gained insurance under Obamacare.

The House bill would eliminate most Obamacare taxes that help subsidise private health coverage for individuals, roll back the government&#39;s Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled and replace the law&#39;s income-based tax credits for buying medical coverage with credits based on age.

A group of 13 Republican senators led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to draft its own version of the healthcare bill in the coming months. McConnell, however, told Reuters on Wednesday he does not yet know how Republicans will get the necessary votes.

&quot;This is a very challenging undertaking,&quot; McConnell said.

&nbsp;

REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION

After the release of the CBO report, several Republican senators said they could not support the House bill.

&quot;While I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, I am opposed to the American Health Care Act in its current form,&quot; Republican Senator Dean Heller said in a statement.

Republican Senator Susan Collins said too many people would lose insurance and that older and low-income Americans would be hurt.

House Republicans, who argue their healthcare bill would allow insurance markets to function more efficiently, focused on the projected budget savings from it and a finding in the CBO report that said insurance premiums for some people would decline.

Groups representing hospitals, insurers and doctors who opposed the House bill said the CBO report showed the Senate should start fresh with an eye to maintaining coverage and benefits.

Democrats also blasted the bill and said the CBO report proved it would be catastrophic for millions of people who would lose health insurance.

&quot;The report makes clear Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system,&quot; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference.

The new CBO score predicts the AHCA would cover 1 million more Americans than Republicans&#39; previous version of the bill, which the agency estimated would have left 24 million more people uninsured than Obamacare in 2026.

To allay concerns about coverage of people with pre-existing illnesses, House Republicans allocated an additional $8 billion over five years in their bill to help sick people pay for insurance premiums but the CBO said the money would not be enough to help them afford coverage.

The CBO said premiums would fall for younger people and rise for older people in states that did not waive Obamacare requirements for an overall decline of about 4 per cent. In states that made moderate changes to their markets, representing about one-third of the US&nbsp;population, premiums would fall 20 per cent on average.

Reaction on Wall Street was muted, with shares of hospitals affected by the cuts to Medicaid, like Community Health Systems, and health insurers specialising in Medicaid, such as Molina Healthcare&nbsp;and Centene Corp&nbsp;unchanged in light after-hours trading.

The Republicans&#39; first attempt at undoing Obamacare this year resulted in a setback for the Trump agenda in March. Conservative and moderate Republican factions in the House were opposed to the initial legislation and the leadership decided not to put it up for a vote.

(Reuters)

'...Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system,' said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer

A bill passed by US House Republicans would cause 23 million people to lose healthcare coverage by 2026 while de-stabilising health insurance markets in some states and making it hard for sick people to buy insurance, a budget watchdog agency said on Wednesday. The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan group of experts who analyse US legislation, said the bill would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion between 2017 and 2026. The report could give added ammunition to Democrats who have accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of putting sick and low-income people at risk with their effort to roll back former President Barack Obama's signature 2010 healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act but often called Obamacare. The report also complicates the job of Senate Republicans - some of whom already have doubts about the House bill - as they craft their own healthcare legislation. Republicans have sought to unravel Obamacare since its passage and Trump promised on the campaign trail to repeal it, saying it is too costly and an overreach by government in the healthcare market. As Trump and Republican leaders sought to bring wavering lawmakers on board with the House bill, they added a controversial last-minute amendment that would give states leeway to drop an Obamacare requirement that forces insurers to charge sick and healthy people the same insurance rates. Another change would allow states to decide whether to require insurers to cover health benefits such as maternity care and prescription drugs that are mandatory under current law. But the CBO report said the amendment would make it difficult or impossible for people in poor health to purchase comprehensive coverage in some states. "People who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all," the CBO report said. The CBO said markets for people to buy individual insurance plans could then become "unstable" in states that choose to waive the Obamacare requirements for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions and essential health benefits. Even before the report, many Republican senators were wary of the House version of the healthcare bill, saying it unraveled Obamacare too much and too quickly. About 20 million people gained insurance under Obamacare. The House bill would eliminate most Obamacare taxes that help subsidise private health coverage for individuals, roll back the government's Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled and replace the law's income-based tax credits for buying medical coverage with credits based on age. A group of 13 Republican senators led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to draft its own version of the healthcare bill in the coming months. McConnell, however, told Reuters on Wednesday he does not yet know how Republicans will get the necessary votes. "This is a very challenging undertaking," McConnell said. REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION After the release of the CBO report, several Republican senators said they could not support the House bill. "While I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, I am opposed to the American Health Care Act in its current form," Republican Senator Dean Heller said in a statement. Republican Senator Susan Collins said too many people would lose insurance and that older and low-income Americans would be hurt. House Republicans, who argue their healthcare bill would allow insurance markets to function more efficiently, focused on the projected budget savings from it and a finding in the CBO report that said insurance premiums for some people would decline. Groups representing hospitals, insurers and doctors who opposed the House bill said the CBO report showed the Senate should start fresh with an eye to maintaining coverage and benefits. Democrats also blasted the bill and said the CBO report proved it would be catastrophic for millions of people who would lose health insurance. "The report makes clear Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference. The new CBO score predicts the AHCA would cover 1 million more Americans than Republicans' previous version of the bill, which the agency estimated would have left 24 million more people uninsured than Obamacare in 2026. To allay concerns about coverage of people with pre-existing illnesses, House Republicans allocated an additional $8 billion over five years in their bill to help sick people pay for insurance premiums but the CBO said the money would not be enough to help them afford coverage. The CBO said premiums would fall for younger people and rise for older people in states that did not waive Obamacare requirements for an overall decline of about 4 per cent. In states that made moderate changes to their markets, representing about one-third of the US population, premiums would fall 20 per cent on average. Reaction on Wall Street was muted, with shares of hospitals affected by the cuts to Medicaid, like Community Health Systems, and health insurers specialising in Medicaid, such as Molina Healthcare and Centene Corp unchanged in light after-hours trading. The Republicans' first attempt at undoing Obamacare this year resulted in a setback for the Trump agenda in March. Conservative and moderate Republican factions in the House were opposed to the initial legislation and the leadership decided not to put it up for a vote. (Reuters)

Under US Republican bill, 23 million would lose health coverage: Watchdog

President Donald Trump&#39;s businesses say it would be &quot;impractical&quot; to require customers representing foreign nations to identify themselves, raising questions about how Trump will fulfil a pledge to donate all profits from overseas governments to the US&nbsp;Treasury.

The umbrella Trump Organization sent a pamphlet to the general managers at each hotel, golf course, social club, and winery owned or operated by Trump, saying it would only donate profits from guests who declare they represent foreign governments.

The pamphlet was sent to the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee in response to a request for information on how the Trump Organization was fulfilling the pledge Trump made in January.

&ldquo;Putting forth a policy that requires all guests to identify themselves would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand,&quot; said the pamphlet.

The Trump Organization, Trump&#39;s lawyer, Sheri Dillon, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Dillon announced at a January press conference that Trump would voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his properties to the Treasury.

Payments from foreign governments to businesses that profit Trump have drawn criticism from constitutional and ethics experts who say they put Trump in violation of the US&nbsp;Constitution&#39;s ban on the president receiving &quot;emoluments&quot; from foreign governments.

Emoluments are typically defined in this context as funds or gifts of value.

Seven Democratic lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee sent the Republican president a letter on Wednesday asking for a detailed account of &quot;any benefits or rewards, financial or otherwise&quot; he received from foreign governments since he took office on Jan&nbsp;20.

&nbsp;

Loophole underway

The Kuwaiti and Azerbaijani governments have already hosted events at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC&nbsp;In March, the Government Accountability Office said it would check whether Trump has made any payments to the US&nbsp;Treasury from profits at his hotels.

The Trump Organization pamphlet identified other entities through which foreign governments may operate, such as state-owned aerospace, defence, banking, finance, healthcare, and energy business entities.

Those entities &quot;may not be reasonably identifiable as foreign government entities, and therefore may not be included in our calculation of profit to be donated,&quot; the pamphlet read.

Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the congressional committee that received the pamphlet, said in a response to the Trump Organization that its method for identifying foreign government payments was deficient.

Cummings said foreign powers would still be able to provide unconstitutional emoluments to Trump through entities that are funded and controlled but not openly affiliated with foreign governments.

&quot;Those payments would not be tracked in any way and would be hidden from the American public,&quot; Cummings wrote.

(Reuters)

Any politician can enrich Trump through his hotels, so long as they don't self-declare themselves representatives of foreign governments

President Donald Trump's businesses say it would be "impractical" to require customers representing foreign nations to identify themselves, raising questions about how Trump will fulfil a pledge to donate all profits from overseas governments to the US Treasury. The umbrella Trump Organization sent a pamphlet to the general managers at each hotel, golf course, social club, and winery owned or operated by Trump, saying it would only donate profits from guests who declare they represent foreign governments. The pamphlet was sent to the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee in response to a request for information on how the Trump Organization was fulfilling the pledge Trump made in January. “Putting forth a policy that requires all guests to identify themselves would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand," said the pamphlet. The Trump Organization, Trump's lawyer, Sheri Dillon, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Dillon announced at a January press conference that Trump would voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his properties to the Treasury. Payments from foreign governments to businesses that profit Trump have drawn criticism from constitutional and ethics experts who say they put Trump in violation of the US Constitution's ban on the president receiving "emoluments" from foreign governments. Emoluments are typically defined in this context as funds or gifts of value. Seven Democratic lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee sent the Republican president a letter on Wednesday asking for a detailed account of "any benefits or rewards, financial or otherwise" he received from foreign governments since he took office on Jan 20. Loophole underway The Kuwaiti and Azerbaijani governments have already hosted events at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC In March, the Government Accountability Office said it would check whether Trump has made any payments to the US Treasury from profits at his hotels. The Trump Organization pamphlet identified other entities through which foreign governments may operate, such as state-owned aerospace, defence, banking, finance, healthcare, and energy business entities. Those entities "may not be reasonably identifiable as foreign government entities, and therefore may not be included in our calculation of profit to be donated," the pamphlet read. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the congressional committee that received the pamphlet, said in a response to the Trump Organization that its method for identifying foreign government payments was deficient. Cummings said foreign powers would still be able to provide unconstitutional emoluments to Trump through entities that are funded and controlled but not openly affiliated with foreign governments. "Those payments would not be tracked in any way and would be hidden from the American public," Cummings wrote. (Reuters)

Trump Organization not tracking all profits from foreign governments, breaking promise

Former CIA director John Brennan said Tuesday he became increasingly concerned last summer over contacts between Donald Trump`s campaign officials and Moscow, as a Russian effort to interfere with the US presidential election became evident.

Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat, and why the FBI began investigating it in July, well before the American public was aware of the allegations.

&quot;I encountered and became aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and US persons involved in the Trump campaign,&quot; Brennan said.

&quot;I know what the Russians try to do,&quot; he told the committee. &quot;They try to suborn individuals and they try to get individuals, including US persons, to act on their behalf either wittingly or unwittingly.&quot;

&quot;Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realise they`re on that path until it gets to be too late,&quot; he added.

Brennan said he delivered a stiff telephone warning to his Russian counterpart, the head of the FSB spy agency, against meddling in early August, two months before US intelligence chiefs went public with their belief that Russia was trying to manipulate the election in Trump&#39;s favour.

&quot;I said American voters would be outraged by any attempt to interfere in the election,&quot; Brennan said of the August 4 call.

&quot;I warned him that if Russia pursued this course, it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement of relations and would undermine constructive engagement even on matters of mutual interest.&quot;

Brennan did not cite the names of the Trump aides that US intelligence agencies had eyed for their Russia contacts. He also said that, when he stepped down from the CIA as Trump took office, he still did not know if there had been collusion.

&quot;By the time I left office on January 20, I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting US persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf,&quot; he said.

Nevertheless, he said, &quot;It should be clear to everyone that Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election process.&quot;

&quot;And that they undertook the activities despite our strong protests and explicit warning they not do so.&quot;

Brennan&#39;s comments came as investigations by the Justice Department and several Congressional committees into Russian interference increasingly focus on several people tied to the president.&nbsp;

A number of former Trump aides have been summoned to testify by Congress and a grand jury.After the former CIA chief spoke, the White House again denied any links to Moscow.

&quot;This morning`s hearings back up what we`ve been saying all along: that despite a year of investigation, there is still no evidence of any Russia-Trump campaign collusion,&quot; a spokesman said.

The hearing came a day after Trump`s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, defied a subpoena to provide the Senate Intelligence Committee documents on his Russia ties.

It also came after The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers to publicly deny any evidence of ties between his campaign and Russia.

Both refused, the Post said.&nbsp;

At a separate hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Coats, who was appointed by Trump, sidestepped questions about the Post report.

&quot;I have always believed that given the nature of my position and the information which we share, it`s not appropriate for me to comment publicly on any of that,&quot; he said.

Brennan also meanwhile addressed news reports that Trump, in an Oval Office meeting this month with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, shared highly classified information provided by a US ally about the Islamic State group.

If these reports are true, he said, Trump would have violated two intelligence protocols -- the need to share such information through established intelligence channels, and the need to warn the country which provided it, so as not to jeopardize sources or methods.

&quot;It appears, at least from the press reports, that neither did it go in the proper channels nor did the originating agency have the opportunity to clear language for it,&quot; Brennan said.

(AFP)

Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat

Former CIA director John Brennan said Tuesday he became increasingly concerned last summer over contacts between Donald Trump`s campaign officials and Moscow, as a Russian effort to interfere with the US presidential election became evident. Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat, and why the FBI began investigating it in July, well before the American public was aware of the allegations. "I encountered and became aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and US persons involved in the Trump campaign," Brennan said. "I know what the Russians try to do," he told the committee. "They try to suborn individuals and they try to get individuals, including US persons, to act on their behalf either wittingly or unwittingly." "Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realise they`re on that path until it gets to be too late," he added. Brennan said he delivered a stiff telephone warning to his Russian counterpart, the head of the FSB spy agency, against meddling in early August, two months before US intelligence chiefs went public with their belief that Russia was trying to manipulate the election in Trump's favour. "I said American voters would be outraged by any attempt to interfere in the election," Brennan said of the August 4 call. "I warned him that if Russia pursued this course, it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement of relations and would undermine constructive engagement even on matters of mutual interest." Brennan did not cite the names of the Trump aides that US intelligence agencies had eyed for their Russia contacts. He also said that, when he stepped down from the CIA as Trump took office, he still did not know if there had been collusion. "By the time I left office on January 20, I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting US persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf," he said. Nevertheless, he said, "It should be clear to everyone that Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election process." "And that they undertook the activities despite our strong protests and explicit warning they not do so." Brennan's comments came as investigations by the Justice Department and several Congressional committees into Russian interference increasingly focus on several people tied to the president. A number of former Trump aides have been summoned to testify by Congress and a grand jury.After the former CIA chief spoke, the White House again denied any links to Moscow. "This morning`s hearings back up what we`ve been saying all along: that despite a year of investigation, there is still no evidence of any Russia-Trump campaign collusion," a spokesman said. The hearing came a day after Trump`s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, defied a subpoena to provide the Senate Intelligence Committee documents on his Russia ties. It also came after The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers to publicly deny any evidence of ties between his campaign and Russia. Both refused, the Post said. At a separate hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Coats, who was appointed by Trump, sidestepped questions about the Post report. "I have always believed that given the nature of my position and the information which we share, it`s not appropriate for me to comment publicly on any of that," he said. Brennan also meanwhile addressed news reports that Trump, in an Oval Office meeting this month with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, shared highly classified information provided by a US ally about the Islamic State group. If these reports are true, he said, Trump would have violated two intelligence protocols -- the need to share such information through established intelligence channels, and the need to warn the country which provided it, so as not to jeopardize sources or methods. "It appears, at least from the press reports, that neither did it go in the proper channels nor did the originating agency have the opportunity to clear language for it," Brennan said. (AFP)

Former CIA chief John Brennan warned Russian counterpart against meddling in US elections last year

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign&#39;s possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday.

In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year&#39;s presidential election.

Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request.

The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016.

Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way.

But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports.

In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia.

The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia.&nbsp;

During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ally-says-he-worked-with-assange-pre-election-to-spread-clinton-emails-in-abusive-twitter-tirade-13089" target="_blank">Roger Stone</a> claimed to have &quot;a perfectly legal back channel&quot; with&nbsp;WikiLeaks&#39; Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton&#39;s emails.&nbsp;

Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also,&nbsp;there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone&#39;s actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump urged National Security Agency chief and Director of National Intelligence to publicly deny any link between his campaign and Russia

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign's possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday. In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year's presidential election. Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request. The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016. Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way. But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports. In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia. The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia. During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor Roger Stone claimed to have "a perfectly legal back channel" with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton's emails. Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also, there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone's actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump asked top two intelligence officials to deny Russia collusion: Reports

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region.

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France&#39;s new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump&#39;s stance against the Islamic Republic.

Visiting Iran&#39;s arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term.

He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region.

&quot;The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis,&quot; Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran&#39;s state news agency IRNA.&nbsp;

The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday&rsquo;s presidential vote.

&quot;We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region,&quot; Rouhani was also quoted as saying.

Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties.

French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump&#39;s administration will impose sanctions.

France has said it backs Trump&#39;s call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions.&nbsp;

Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump&#39;s call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would &quot;work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises&quot;.&nbsp;

Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region. In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic. Visiting Iran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term. He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region. "The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis," Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran's state news agency IRNA. The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday’s presidential vote. "We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region," Rouhani was also quoted as saying. Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties. French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump's administration will impose sanctions. France has said it backs Trump's call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions. Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump's call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would "work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises". Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help. (Reuters)

Iran: President Rouhani hopeful Europe will not copy Trump's stance against Islamic Republic

US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than &quot;people have thought&quot;.

Trump&#39;s visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion.

It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

&quot;Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,&quot; Netanyahu said late Sunday. &quot;The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty.&quot;

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.&nbsp;

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6&nbsp;pm (1500 GMT).

&nbsp;

Enormous challenge&nbsp;

&quot;I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US,&quot; Netanyahu said Sunday. &quot;We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace.&quot;

The United States is Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump&#39;s inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the &quot;ultimate deal&quot; is possible, vowing &quot;we will get it done&quot;.

&quot;It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years,&quot; Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

Criticism of Iran 
At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump&#39;s seeming openness to at least some of Abbas&#39;s concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country&#39;s history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump&#39;s election. Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state.

Trump&#39;s actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for &quot;honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism&quot;.

He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling &quot;the fires of sectarian conflict and terror&quot; and calling for its international isolation.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.

(AFP)

Achieving peace between Israel and Palestine has eluded his predecessors, but Trump said it could be easier than 'people have thought'

US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought". Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion. It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia. Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem. The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel. "Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late Sunday. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty." Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community. It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6 pm (1500 GMT). Enormous challenge "I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said Sunday. "We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace." The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually. On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum. Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it. He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done". "It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month. Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February. Criticism of Iran At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed. At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians. He has since said the move was still being looked at. Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say. On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election. Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state. Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts. In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism". He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation. After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings. (AFP)

Trump heads to Jerusalem looking for Israeli-Palestinian peace

US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall on Monday as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran.

Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall in the disputed city, placing his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism in a highly symbolic move.

Trump&#39;s visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism while also criticising Iran.

It comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon, welcomed by officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he walked along a red carpet ahead of a brief ceremony.

He later travelled by helicopter to Jerusalem and, in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin&#39;s residence, launched another salvo against Iran.

&quot;The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;And it must cease immediately.&quot;

When meeting Netanyahu, Trump said Iran should have thanked the United States for the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers because it led to the lifting of sanctions.

&quot;Instead of saying thank you to the United States, they now feel emboldened,&quot; Trump said.

In Tehran on Monday, Iran&#39;s newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Trump&#39;s summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as &quot;just a show.&quot;

Tight security 
 
Security was extremely tight for the Israeli leg of the visit, with police deploying some 10,000 officers.&nbsp;

The alleys and passageways of Jerusalem&#39;s ancient Old City, which Trump visited later in the day, were essentially under lockdown.

Trump toured two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The first was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, wearing a black skullcap, he made his symbolic visit to the Western Wall, placing what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom.

He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the visit to the site in east Jerusalem.

Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israel&#39;s unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of US and international precedent.

The status of Jerusalem is ultra-sensitive and has been among the most difficult issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Enormous challenge 
 
Trump has spoken of reaching the &quot;ultimate deal&quot; -- Israeli-Palestinian peace -- brushing off years of failed attempts by his predecessors.

Speaking just after his arrival, he said: &quot;We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace.&quot;

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump&#39;s inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in vowing &quot;we will get it done&quot;.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

Embassy move unclear 
 
At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump&#39;s seeming openness to at least some of Abbas&#39;s concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country&#39;s history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump&#39;s election.

Trump&#39;s actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

However, the United States remains Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings. 
 
(AFP)

Trump placed his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism in a highly symbolic move

US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall on Monday as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran. Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall in the disputed city, placing his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism in a highly symbolic move. Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism while also criticising Iran. It comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia. Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon, welcomed by officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he walked along a red carpet ahead of a brief ceremony. He later travelled by helicopter to Jerusalem and, in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's residence, launched another salvo against Iran. "The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said. "And it must cease immediately." When meeting Netanyahu, Trump said Iran should have thanked the United States for the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers because it led to the lifting of sanctions. "Instead of saying thank you to the United States, they now feel emboldened," Trump said. In Tehran on Monday, Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as "just a show." Tight security Security was extremely tight for the Israeli leg of the visit, with police deploying some 10,000 officers. The alleys and passageways of Jerusalem's ancient Old City, which Trump visited later in the day, were essentially under lockdown. Trump toured two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. The first was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Afterwards, wearing a black skullcap, he made his symbolic visit to the Western Wall, placing what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom. He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the visit to the site in east Jerusalem. Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israel's unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of US and international precedent. The status of Jerusalem is ultra-sensitive and has been among the most difficult issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community. It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Enormous challenge Trump has spoken of reaching the "ultimate deal" -- Israeli-Palestinian peace -- brushing off years of failed attempts by his predecessors. Speaking just after his arrival, he said: "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace." On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum. Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it. He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in vowing "we will get it done". Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February. Embassy move unclear At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed. At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians. He has since said the move was still being looked at. Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say. On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election. Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts. However, the United States remains Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually. After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings. (AFP)

Trump becomes first sitting US president to visit Jerusalem's Western Wall

US President Donald Trump said Monday during a visit to Jerusalem that Iran must never be allowed to have nuclear weapons while also denouncing Tehran&#39;s support for &quot;terrorists&quot;.

&quot;Most importantly the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias,&quot; Trump said in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin&#39;s residence.

&quot;And it must cease immediately.&quot;

Trump&#39;s remarks were his latest salvo against Iran since starting his first foreign trip after taking office.

On the first leg of his trip in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran, accusing it of fuelling &quot;the fires of sectarian conflict and terror&quot; and calling for its international isolation.

Trump&#39;s Saudi visit &#39;just a show&#39;: Iran&#39;s President Rouhani

Iran&#39;s newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani dismissed President Trump&#39;s summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as &quot;just a show&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind. You can&#39;t solve terrorism just by giving people&#39;s money to a superpower,&quot; Rouhani said at a press conference on Tehran, referring to the billion-dollar deals signed between the US and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

 
The yawning gap between Tehran and Washington has grown even wider with US President Donald Trump&#39;s latest efforts to isolate Iran, which accused the United States of &quot;milking&quot; Saudi Arabia for petro-dollars.

Trump&#39;s choice of Saudi Arabia, Iran&#39;s bitter regional rival, for his first official foreign visit reflects the deep antagonism of his administration towards the Islamic republic.

The US president signed a giant list of deals, worth a total of $380 billion, including $110 billion for weapons that will invariably find their way into the numerous conflicts of the region -- including Syria, Yemen and Iraq -- where Riyadh and Tehran often find themselves on opposing sides.&nbsp;

Trump also vilified Iran as the greatest source of instability in the Middle East, though many observers noted the irony that his claims came on the same day that 41 million Iranians enthusiastically took part in elections, with a sizeable majority backing President Hassan Rouhani and his policy of engagement with the world.

Relations with the US and Iran have been under deep freeze since the Islamic revolution of 1979, which deposed the Washington-backed shah.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s team is dedicated to reversing his predecessor&#39;s efforts at rapprochement with Iran, which saw a nuclear deal signed in 2015, lifting many sanctions.&nbsp;

&quot;From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region,&quot; Trump said in Riyadh on Sunday.&nbsp;

He called on all countries to work together to isolate Iran &quot;until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace&quot;.

Analysts fear tensions are growing out of control.

&quot;Battlelines are being drawn and it&#39;s worrying, especially when it comes just a day after the election victory of Rouhani which showed a real dynamic in favour of democratisation and opening in Iranian society,&quot; said Azadeh Kian of Sciences Po University in Paris.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&#39;Bastion of democracy&#39; 
 
Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who spearheaded the nuclear negotiations, reacted sarcastically, &nbsp;comparing this weekend&#39;s elections in Iran to the lack of democracy in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

&quot;Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation,&quot; Zarif tweeted, referring to the US president.

Is that a serious foreign policy, he asked, or is the US &quot;simply milking&quot; Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars?&nbsp;

Tehran sees itself as the vital force holding back the advance of the Islamic State jihadist group both in Syria and Iraq, and finds it hard to comprehend US bellicosity.&nbsp;

Shiite Iran regularly points to the Saudis&#39; fundamentalist Wahhabi creed and their efforts to spread it around the Muslim world as the root cause of violent Sunni jihadism.&nbsp;

&quot;Unfortunately, with the hostile and offensive policies of American officials, we see once again the reinforcement of terrorist groups in the region... and the dictators that support them,&quot; said Iran&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday.

The US and its Arab allies in the Gulf respond that Iran and Russia&#39;s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has helped perpetuate the chaos.&nbsp;

And they say Iran&#39;s support for Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Shiite Huthi rebel forces in Yemen are deeply destabilising.&nbsp;

But Iran&#39;s Press TV wrote on Sunday that the aggression coming from Riyadh this weekend ultimately reflected the Saudis&#39; realisation that they are losing in conflicts across the Middle East.&nbsp;

&quot;The Riyadh regime has... failed to achieve its objectives despite going to great expense,&quot; it wrote in an editorial. 
 
(AFP)

Trump arrived in Tel Aviv earlier Monday and is due to hold talks with Israeli PM Netanyahu later in the day

US President Donald Trump said Monday during a visit to Jerusalem that Iran must never be allowed to have nuclear weapons while also denouncing Tehran's support for "terrorists". "Most importantly the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's residence. "And it must cease immediately." Trump's remarks were his latest salvo against Iran since starting his first foreign trip after taking office. On the first leg of his trip in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran, accusing it of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation. Trump's Saudi visit 'just a show': Iran's President Rouhani Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani dismissed President Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as "just a show". "The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind. You can't solve terrorism just by giving people's money to a superpower," Rouhani said at a press conference on Tehran, referring to the billion-dollar deals signed between the US and Saudi Arabia. The yawning gap between Tehran and Washington has grown even wider with US President Donald Trump's latest efforts to isolate Iran, which accused the United States of "milking" Saudi Arabia for petro-dollars. Trump's choice of Saudi Arabia, Iran's bitter regional rival, for his first official foreign visit reflects the deep antagonism of his administration towards the Islamic republic. The US president signed a giant list of deals, worth a total of $380 billion, including $110 billion for weapons that will invariably find their way into the numerous conflicts of the region -- including Syria, Yemen and Iraq -- where Riyadh and Tehran often find themselves on opposing sides. Trump also vilified Iran as the greatest source of instability in the Middle East, though many observers noted the irony that his claims came on the same day that 41 million Iranians enthusiastically took part in elections, with a sizeable majority backing President Hassan Rouhani and his policy of engagement with the world. Relations with the US and Iran have been under deep freeze since the Islamic revolution of 1979, which deposed the Washington-backed shah. Trump's team is dedicated to reversing his predecessor's efforts at rapprochement with Iran, which saw a nuclear deal signed in 2015, lifting many sanctions. "From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said in Riyadh on Sunday. He called on all countries to work together to isolate Iran "until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace". Analysts fear tensions are growing out of control. "Battlelines are being drawn and it's worrying, especially when it comes just a day after the election victory of Rouhani which showed a real dynamic in favour of democratisation and opening in Iranian society," said Azadeh Kian of Sciences Po University in Paris. 'Bastion of democracy' Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who spearheaded the nuclear negotiations, reacted sarcastically, comparing this weekend's elections in Iran to the lack of democracy in Saudi Arabia. "Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation," Zarif tweeted, referring to the US president. Is that a serious foreign policy, he asked, or is the US "simply milking" Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars? Tehran sees itself as the vital force holding back the advance of the Islamic State jihadist group both in Syria and Iraq, and finds it hard to comprehend US bellicosity. Shiite Iran regularly points to the Saudis' fundamentalist Wahhabi creed and their efforts to spread it around the Muslim world as the root cause of violent Sunni jihadism. "Unfortunately, with the hostile and offensive policies of American officials, we see once again the reinforcement of terrorist groups in the region... and the dictators that support them," said Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday. The US and its Arab allies in the Gulf respond that Iran and Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has helped perpetuate the chaos. And they say Iran's support for Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Shiite Huthi rebel forces in Yemen are deeply destabilising. But Iran's Press TV wrote on Sunday that the aggression coming from Riyadh this weekend ultimately reflected the Saudis' realisation that they are losing in conflicts across the Middle East. "The Riyadh regime has... failed to achieve its objectives despite going to great expense," it wrote in an editorial. (AFP)

Trumps continues Iran nuclear tirade as tensions mount in West Asia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Jerusalem will always be the capital of the Jewish state, speaking ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump.

&quot;Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,&quot; Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers.

&quot;The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty.&quot;

The Western Wall is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

The holiest site where Jews can pray, it is in the Old City of east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam&#39;s third holiest site, referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Trump is on Monday expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall.

Netanyahu was speaking at festivities marking the 50th anniversary of Israel&#39;s conquest of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War.

Preparations for Trump&#39;s visit have led to criticism from Israeli right-wingers after US officials declined to say whether the Western Wall was part of Israel.

The legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem is one of the key points in the Middle East conflict.

Israel considers the entire city to be its eternal and indivisible capital, but the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

(AFP)

'Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,' Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Jerusalem will always be the capital of the Jewish state, speaking ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump. "Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty." The Western Wall is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The holiest site where Jews can pray, it is in the Old City of east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community. It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount. Trump is on Monday expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall. Netanyahu was speaking at festivities marking the 50th anniversary of Israel's conquest of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. Preparations for Trump's visit have led to criticism from Israeli right-wingers after US officials declined to say whether the Western Wall was part of Israel. The legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem is one of the key points in the Middle East conflict. Israel considers the entire city to be its eternal and indivisible capital, but the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. (AFP)

Jerusalem will always be Israel's capital: Benjamin Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump is to urge the Islamic world to confront extremism in a highly anticipated speech Sunday to dozens of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Aides have said the speech, given in the cradle of Islam, will be &quot;uplifting&quot; but also &quot;blunt&quot; in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism.

It comes on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of an eight-day foreign tour -- Trump`s first since taking office -- that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian Territories and then to Europe.

The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals -- welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home linked with the probe into alleged Russian meddling during last year`s election campaign.

Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history, which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said was aimed in particular at countering &quot;malign Iranian influence&quot;.

The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their Shiite rival Iran.

Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump has made no mention of human rights during his visit so far.He is unlikely to do so in his speech, focusing instead on a centrepiece of his foreign policy: tackling jihadism and its disciples like the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.&nbsp;

&quot;He will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president`s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam,&quot; Trump`s influential national security adviser, HR McMaster, said ahead of the visit.

&quot;He`ll talk about what unites us in uplifting terms,&quot; a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&quot;But he`ll also be very blunt in talking about the need to confront extremism and the fact that many in the Muslim world have not only not done enough, they&#39;ve actively abetted this extremism, even as some of them have talked a good game on the surface but in quiet, continue to fund extremism.&quot;

The speech has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

It will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration`s attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric.

In December 2015, Trump told a campaign rally he was calling for a &quot;total shutdown&quot; of Muslims entering the United States &quot;until our country&#39;s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on&quot;.

His words shocked many Americans, with Trump detractors noting that the US Constitution prohibits religious discrimination.

&quot;I think Islam hates us. There is a tremendous hatred there. We have to get to the bottom of it,&quot; Trump said in a March 2016 interview with CNN.Still, Trump has been welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception by King Salman and the rest of the Saudi royal family.

Trump was awarded the country`s highest civilian honour, attended a series of banquets and receptions and bobbed up and down with dancers in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony.

The trade deals announced on Saturday were said to be worth in excess of $380 billion and Trump proudly declared the first day of his visit &quot;tremendous&quot;.

&quot;That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs.&quot;

US President meets Egypt&#39;s President Sisi,&nbsp;Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh

On Sunday he began a series of meetings with other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain&#39;s King Hamad. 
 
The meeting with Sisi -- an avowed fan of the president -- was especially warm and Trump said he would &quot;absolutely&quot; be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit &quot;very soon&quot;.

Trump referred to Sisi as &quot;my friend&quot; at the start of the talks, adding: &quot;We&#39;ve really been through a lot together.&quot;

Sisi said that Trump was a &quot;unique personality&quot; and &quot;capable of doing the impossible&quot;, to which Trump responded &quot;I agree!&quot;

In the meeting with King Hamad, Trump again made a clear break from previous US policy, which saw the Obama administration frequently scold its ally over rights concerns.

Trump told the king it was &quot;a great honour to be with you&quot; and mentioned that there &quot;has been a little strain but there won&#39;t be strain with this administration&quot;.

Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home.

The last week has seen a string of major developments in Trump`s domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports have also emerged that Trump called Comey &quot;a nut job&quot; and that the FBI have identified a senior White House official as a &quot;significant person of interest&quot; in its probe of Russian meddling. 
 
(AFP)

Aides say the speech will be 'uplifting' but also 'blunt' in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism

US President Donald Trump is to urge the Islamic world to confront extremism in a highly anticipated speech Sunday to dozens of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia. Aides have said the speech, given in the cradle of Islam, will be "uplifting" but also "blunt" in its call for leaders of Muslim countries to take a stand against violent fundamentalism. It comes on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of an eight-day foreign tour -- Trump`s first since taking office -- that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian Territories and then to Europe. The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals -- welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home linked with the probe into alleged Russian meddling during last year`s election campaign. Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history, which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said was aimed in particular at countering "malign Iranian influence". The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their Shiite rival Iran. Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump has made no mention of human rights during his visit so far.He is unlikely to do so in his speech, focusing instead on a centrepiece of his foreign policy: tackling jihadism and its disciples like the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. "He will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president`s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam," Trump`s influential national security adviser, HR McMaster, said ahead of the visit. "He`ll talk about what unites us in uplifting terms," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But he`ll also be very blunt in talking about the need to confront extremism and the fact that many in the Muslim world have not only not done enough, they've actively abetted this extremism, even as some of them have talked a good game on the surface but in quiet, continue to fund extremism." The speech has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009. It will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration`s attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric. In December 2015, Trump told a campaign rally he was calling for a "total shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on". His words shocked many Americans, with Trump detractors noting that the US Constitution prohibits religious discrimination. "I think Islam hates us. There is a tremendous hatred there. We have to get to the bottom of it," Trump said in a March 2016 interview with CNN.Still, Trump has been welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception by King Salman and the rest of the Saudi royal family. Trump was awarded the country`s highest civilian honour, attended a series of banquets and receptions and bobbed up and down with dancers in a traditional sword dance welcome ceremony. The trade deals announced on Saturday were said to be worth in excess of $380 billion and Trump proudly declared the first day of his visit "tremendous". "That was a tremendous day. Tremendous investments in the United States," Trump said. "Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs." US President meets Egypt's President Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh On Sunday he began a series of meetings with other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain's King Hamad. The meeting with Sisi -- an avowed fan of the president -- was especially warm and Trump said he would "absolutely" be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit "very soon". Trump referred to Sisi as "my friend" at the start of the talks, adding: "We've really been through a lot together." Sisi said that Trump was a "unique personality" and "capable of doing the impossible", to which Trump responded "I agree!" In the meeting with King Hamad, Trump again made a clear break from previous US policy, which saw the Obama administration frequently scold its ally over rights concerns. Trump told the king it was "a great honour to be with you" and mentioned that there "has been a little strain but there won't be strain with this administration". Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home. The last week has seen a string of major developments in Trump`s domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections. Reports have also emerged that Trump called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI have identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling. (AFP)

Trump to urge Muslim leaders to fight extremism in major speech

US President Donald Trump made a 30-minute speech on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on his first foreign visit since taking office.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s speech, preceded by a traditional Koranic reading, held Iran responsible for global extremism, urged Arab and Muslim nations to freeze channels of funding for groups including the Islamic State and Hezbollah, and highlighted US and Saudi commitment to economic development, inter-faith peace and the fight against terrorism.

Here are key highlights:&nbsp;

- On economic ties, Trump said some $400 billion in agreements signed this weekend with Saudi Arabia would create hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries, and that he looked forward to cooperating in the future.

&quot;This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defence purchase. And we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a far greater role in security and operations having to do with security.&quot;&nbsp;

- Trump said Muslim-majority states should take the lead in combating extremism: &quot;A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists... Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your community.&quot;

- He said &quot;terrorists do not worship God, they worship death... This is not a battle between different faiths... this is a battle between good and evil.&quot;

- Trump praised the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, specifically Saudi Arabia, for &quot;blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and for designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, which they certainly are, this year.&quot;

- The president said Iran was responsible for training armed groups in the wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, but drew a clear distinction between the &quot;richness and culture&quot; of the Iranian people and the government in Tehran.

- On Iran&#39;s influence, Trump said: &quot;The government that gives terrorists safe harbour, financial backing... It is the regime that is responsible for so much instability in that region. I am speaking of course of Iran. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region&quot; and calls for the destruction of Israel and death to America.

- On refugees, he praised Lebanon and Turkey for accommodating Syrians fleeing war at home: &quot;This region should not be a place from which refugees leave but to which newcomers flock.&quot;

- Trump said Arab and Muslim countries had suffered the deadliest toll of radicalism: &quot;Innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground... knows no religion, faith or tribe.&quot;

- He asked: &quot;Behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice and years for peace. Today billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great questions of our time. Will we be indifferent in the face of evil?&quot;

- Trump concluded with the &quot;promise that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others but to outstretch our hands.&quot;

(AFP)

He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that 'terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil'

US President Donald Trump made a 30-minute speech on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on his first foreign visit since taking office. Trump's speech, preceded by a traditional Koranic reading, held Iran responsible for global extremism, urged Arab and Muslim nations to freeze channels of funding for groups including the Islamic State and Hezbollah, and highlighted US and Saudi commitment to economic development, inter-faith peace and the fight against terrorism. Here are key highlights: - On economic ties, Trump said some $400 billion in agreements signed this weekend with Saudi Arabia would create hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries, and that he looked forward to cooperating in the future. "This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defence purchase. And we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a far greater role in security and operations having to do with security." - Trump said Muslim-majority states should take the lead in combating extremism: "A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists... Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your community." - He said "terrorists do not worship God, they worship death... This is not a battle between different faiths... this is a battle between good and evil." - Trump praised the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, specifically Saudi Arabia, for "blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and for designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, which they certainly are, this year." - The president said Iran was responsible for training armed groups in the wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, but drew a clear distinction between the "richness and culture" of the Iranian people and the government in Tehran. - On Iran's influence, Trump said: "The government that gives terrorists safe harbour, financial backing... It is the regime that is responsible for so much instability in that region. I am speaking of course of Iran. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region" and calls for the destruction of Israel and death to America. - On refugees, he praised Lebanon and Turkey for accommodating Syrians fleeing war at home: "This region should not be a place from which refugees leave but to which newcomers flock." - Trump said Arab and Muslim countries had suffered the deadliest toll of radicalism: "Innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground... knows no religion, faith or tribe." - He asked: "Behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice and years for peace. Today billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great questions of our time. Will we be indifferent in the face of evil?" - Trump concluded with the "promise that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others but to outstretch our hands." (AFP)

Trump in Saudi Arabia: US president calls for isolation of Iran

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