US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia&#39;s capital Riyadh on Saturday for the start of his first foreign tour since taking office.

The US president will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later in the day and is to give a speech on Islam to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.

He will seek to rebuild relations with the Muslim world on his first foreign trip even&nbsp;as political scandals mount at home.

Trump can expect a warm reception when he arrives in the oil-rich kingdom for talks with King Salman, but the domestic mood was grim following news that the FBI&#39;s investigation into his campaign&#39;s ties with Russia extends to a current senior White House official.

Former FBI director James Comey has agreed to publicly testify about the probe, piling pressure on the White House as fresh allegations emerged about Trump calling him a &quot;nut job&quot; in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week and saying his sacking had relieved &quot;great pressure&quot;.&nbsp;

Before departing, the president tweeted he would be &quot;strongly protecting American interests&quot; on his marathon eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, that presents a major diplomatic test.

While his predecessor Barack Obama was viewed with suspicion by Gulf Arab states for his tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran, Trump is likely to take a harder line against Tehran.

That, together with a more muted focus on human rights and the likely announcement of new arms deals, should please Washington&#39;s traditional Sunni Gulf allies.

&quot;He&#39;s going to be tougher on Iran,&quot; said Philip Gordon, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

&quot;He&#39;s not going to lecture them on democracy and human rights,&quot; he added.

Ahead of Trump&#39;s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will be accompanied by his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, Washington and Riyadh issued their first &quot;joint terrorist designation&quot; -- blacklisting a leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Late Friday, Saudi Arabia announced it had shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemeni rebels southwest of Riyadh.&nbsp;

The US provides weapons, intelligence and aerial refuelling to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and oppose the government of Yemen President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

&#39;Muslim ban&#39; 
 
Trump&#39;s relations with the wider Islamic world are still strained by his travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations.

So all eyes will be on a speech on Islam that the president is scheduled to deliver to dozens of Muslim leaders at a summit in Riyadh on Sunday.

&quot;I&#39;ll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith,&quot; Trump said ahead of his visit.

Trump wants Gulf states in particular to do more to tackle extremists such as the Islamic State jihadist group.

&quot;He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold, new steps to promote peace and to confront those, from ISIS to Al-Qaeda... who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond,&quot; said Trump&#39;s National Security Adviser HR&nbsp;McMaster.

While most US presidents make their first foreign trip to neighbouring Canada or Mexico, 70-year-old Trump has opted for six stops.

He will hold countless face-to-face meetings including with Pope Francis and France&#39;s new leader, Emmanuel Macron.

It is a trip fraught with peril for the real estate magnate, who is known to dislike lengthy travel.

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure have eroded Trump&#39;s standing at home -- where the parallels with Richard Nixon&#39;s ill-fated presidency are now being openly drawn.

On Friday, a report by The Washington Post that the probe into his campaign&#39;s Russia ties had identified a &quot;significant person of interest&quot; in the White House, undercut Trump&#39;s insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of &quot;nut job&quot; Comey had relieved &quot;great pressure&quot; on him due to the investigation.

The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts, with Trump declaring himself the victim of the &quot;greatest witch hunt&quot; in American political history.

Arms contracts

His visit to the Gulf is expected to bring lucrative arms contracts for US firms.

&quot;The big question mark that you should bear in mind is if Saudi Arabia signs up for a $100 billion arms deal with oil prices where they are today, how are they actually going to pay that in the future?&quot; said Bruce Riedel, former CIA analyst and counterterrorism expert now with the Brookings Institution.

After Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the Palestinian Territories where he hopes to revive the moribund peace process.

He will meet his &quot;friend&quot; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem.

The Israeli leg of his trip is already awash in controversy -- from a row over Trump&#39;s visit to Jerusalem&#39;s Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

Trump&#39;s meeting with Pope Francis -- two men at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy -- remains highly unpredictable, although the pontiff says he will give America&#39;s bullish leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will also meet members of the North Atlantic alliance in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina overlooking the Mediterranean.

(AFP)

Trump tweeted ahead of his trip that he would strongly protect America's interests during the trip

US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday for the start of his first foreign tour since taking office. The US president will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later in the day and is to give a speech on Islam to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday. He will seek to rebuild relations with the Muslim world on his first foreign trip even as political scandals mount at home. Trump can expect a warm reception when he arrives in the oil-rich kingdom for talks with King Salman, but the domestic mood was grim following news that the FBI's investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia extends to a current senior White House official. Former FBI director James Comey has agreed to publicly testify about the probe, piling pressure on the White House as fresh allegations emerged about Trump calling him a "nut job" in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week and saying his sacking had relieved "great pressure". Before departing, the president tweeted he would be "strongly protecting American interests" on his marathon eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, that presents a major diplomatic test. While his predecessor Barack Obama was viewed with suspicion by Gulf Arab states for his tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran, Trump is likely to take a harder line against Tehran. That, together with a more muted focus on human rights and the likely announcement of new arms deals, should please Washington's traditional Sunni Gulf allies. "He's going to be tougher on Iran," said Philip Gordon, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "He's not going to lecture them on democracy and human rights," he added. Ahead of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will be accompanied by his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, Washington and Riyadh issued their first "joint terrorist designation" -- blacklisting a leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed Shiite movement Hezbollah. Late Friday, Saudi Arabia announced it had shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemeni rebels southwest of Riyadh. The US provides weapons, intelligence and aerial refuelling to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and oppose the government of Yemen President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. 'Muslim ban' Trump's relations with the wider Islamic world are still strained by his travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations. So all eyes will be on a speech on Islam that the president is scheduled to deliver to dozens of Muslim leaders at a summit in Riyadh on Sunday. "I'll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith," Trump said ahead of his visit. Trump wants Gulf states in particular to do more to tackle extremists such as the Islamic State jihadist group. "He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold, new steps to promote peace and to confront those, from ISIS to Al-Qaeda... who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond," said Trump's National Security Adviser HR McMaster. While most US presidents make their first foreign trip to neighbouring Canada or Mexico, 70-year-old Trump has opted for six stops. He will hold countless face-to-face meetings including with Pope Francis and France's new leader, Emmanuel Macron. It is a trip fraught with peril for the real estate magnate, who is known to dislike lengthy travel. The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure have eroded Trump's standing at home -- where the parallels with Richard Nixon's ill-fated presidency are now being openly drawn. On Friday, a report by The Washington Post that the probe into his campaign's Russia ties had identified a "significant person of interest" in the White House, undercut Trump's insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin. The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of "nut job" Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him due to the investigation. The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts, with Trump declaring himself the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in American political history. Arms contracts His visit to the Gulf is expected to bring lucrative arms contracts for US firms. "The big question mark that you should bear in mind is if Saudi Arabia signs up for a $100 billion arms deal with oil prices where they are today, how are they actually going to pay that in the future?" said Bruce Riedel, former CIA analyst and counterterrorism expert now with the Brookings Institution. After Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the Palestinian Territories where he hopes to revive the moribund peace process. He will meet his "friend" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem. The Israeli leg of his trip is already awash in controversy -- from a row over Trump's visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials. Trump's meeting with Pope Francis -- two men at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy -- remains highly unpredictable, although the pontiff says he will give America's bullish leader an open-minded hearing. The president will also meet members of the North Atlantic alliance in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina overlooking the Mediterranean. (AFP)

Trump lands in Riyadh on first leg of foreign tour

Washington has agreed arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth almost $110 billion, a White House official said Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trump&#39;s visit to the traditional US ally.

&quot;This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats,&quot; the official said.

It will also bolster the kingdom&#39;s &quot;ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations,&quot; the official added.

Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson &quot;will attend a signing ceremony&quot; for the deals, the official said.

The official described the agreements as &quot;a significant expansion of the over seven-decade-long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.&quot;

The official did not provide details of the agreements with Riyadh, which is one of the world&#39;s biggest defence spenders.

A preliminary deal worth $6 billion to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia was separately announced at the Saudi-US CEO Forum held in Riyadh during Trump&#39;s visit.&nbsp;

The programme to &quot;support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters&quot; will support around 450 jobs in the kingdom, said a forum statement.

US defence contractors are major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which for more than two years has led a coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against rebels in Yemen.

The new deals come despite mounting pressure on Washington from rights groups to stop arms sales to Riyadh, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of a new military industries firm as part of the kingdom&#39;s efforts to boost defence production.

The kingdom&#39;s Public Investment Fund said the new government-owned company, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), &quot;aims to become one of the world&#39;s top 25 defence companies by 2030.&quot;

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in an April report that Saudi Arabia last year was the world&#39;s fourth-largest military spender, spending $63.7 billion.

(AFP)

The agreement further fortifies security partnership between the two countries, especially at a time when it faces threats from Iran

Washington has agreed arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth almost $110 billion, a White House official said Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trump's visit to the traditional US ally. "This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats," the official said. It will also bolster the kingdom's "ability to contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on the US military to conduct those operations," the official added. Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "will attend a signing ceremony" for the deals, the official said. The official described the agreements as "a significant expansion of the over seven-decade-long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The official did not provide details of the agreements with Riyadh, which is one of the world's biggest defence spenders. A preliminary deal worth $6 billion to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia was separately announced at the Saudi-US CEO Forum held in Riyadh during Trump's visit. The programme to "support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters" will support around 450 jobs in the kingdom, said a forum statement. US defence contractors are major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which for more than two years has led a coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against rebels in Yemen. The new deals come despite mounting pressure on Washington from rights groups to stop arms sales to Riyadh, which has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen. Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the creation of a new military industries firm as part of the kingdom's efforts to boost defence production. The kingdom's Public Investment Fund said the new government-owned company, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), "aims to become one of the world's top 25 defence companies by 2030." The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in an April report that Saudi Arabia last year was the world's fourth-largest military spender, spending $63.7 billion. (AFP)

US, Saudi Arabia agree arms deal worth $110 billion

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

&quot;I hope that former Director Comey&#39;s testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president,&quot; the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement.

The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement.

(AFP)

Comey has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday. "I hope that former Director Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president," the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement. The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement. (AFP)

Sacked FBI director Comey to testify publicly on Russian interference in 2016 elections

Iran&nbsp;criticised new US sanctions on its missile programme on Thursday, saying they&nbsp;would undermine a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.&nbsp;

&quot;Iran&nbsp;condemns the US administration&#39;s ill will in its effort to reduce the positive results of the country&#39;s implementation of JCPOA (nuclear deal) commitments by adding individuals to the list of unilateral and illegal extraterritorial sanctions,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Donald Trump chose to stick by the nuclear deal with&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;on Wednesday, renewing a waiver of nuclear-related sanctions despite his past criticism of the agreement.

But it imposed new measures to punish Iranian defence officials and a Chinese business tied to Tehran&#39;s ballistic missile programme, which it says is in breach of international law because they could carry nuclear warheads in the future.

The decision came just before a Friday presidential election&nbsp;in&nbsp;Iran, in which moderate President Hassan Rouhani is fighting for a second term against hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who has called for a much tougher stance against the West.&nbsp;

Iran&nbsp;denies ever seeking nuclear weapons and Ghasemi said its missile programme is part of its &quot;absolute and legal right to build up the country&#39;s defensive capabilities&quot;.

&quot;The Islamic Republic of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;will continue its missile programme with power and authority based on its plans,&quot; he said.

Ghasemi said&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;would retaliate by adding nine US individuals and companies to its own sanctions list, accusing them of &quot;clear violations of human rights&quot; in relation to their support for Israel or &quot;terrorist groups&quot; in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Under review&nbsp;

Trump threatened to tear up the nuclear deal during his campaign and has launched a review of its terms, but until then he is required to decide on renewing sanctions relief at regular intervals.

His first deadline fell this week, related to sanctions on oil purchases through the Iranian central bank -- part of a 2012 law called the National Defence Authorisation Act -- that must be waived every 120 days.

The Trump administration will have to waive more sanctions next month if it wants to stick by the nuclear deal.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in April that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;was complying with its side of the bargain, but has described the country as the world&#39;s leading state sponsor of terrorism.&nbsp;

Washington has maintained a raft of other sanctions related to human rights and the missile programme that continue to stifle&nbsp;Iran&#39;s efforts to rebuild its foreign trade.

This has been a major issue in the Iranian election, with hardliner Raisi accusing Rouhani of making too many concessions without gaining any economic benefits.&nbsp;

Although oil sales have rebounded since the deal came into effect in January 2016,&nbsp;Iran&#39;s continued exclusion from the international banking system has prevented it from signing much needed trade and investment deals with Europe and Asia.&nbsp;

Rouhani, who is still seen as the frontrunner in unofficial polls, has vowed to work towards the removal of remaining sanctions and called for more time to allow the benefits of the deal to reach ordinary Iranians.&nbsp;

(AFP)

But the Donald Trump administration committed itself to the nuclear deal with?Iran?by waiving nuclear-related sanctions

Iran criticised new US sanctions on its missile programme on Thursday, saying they would undermine a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. "Iran condemns the US administration's ill will in its effort to reduce the positive results of the country's implementation of JCPOA (nuclear deal) commitments by adding individuals to the list of unilateral and illegal extraterritorial sanctions," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel. The administration of US President Donald Trump chose to stick by the nuclear deal with Iran on Wednesday, renewing a waiver of nuclear-related sanctions despite his past criticism of the agreement. But it imposed new measures to punish Iranian defence officials and a Chinese business tied to Tehran's ballistic missile programme, which it says is in breach of international law because they could carry nuclear warheads in the future. The decision came just before a Friday presidential election in Iran, in which moderate President Hassan Rouhani is fighting for a second term against hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who has called for a much tougher stance against the West. Iran denies ever seeking nuclear weapons and Ghasemi said its missile programme is part of its "absolute and legal right to build up the country's defensive capabilities". "The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its missile programme with power and authority based on its plans," he said. Ghasemi said Iran would retaliate by adding nine US individuals and companies to its own sanctions list, accusing them of "clear violations of human rights" in relation to their support for Israel or "terrorist groups" in the Middle East. Under review Trump threatened to tear up the nuclear deal during his campaign and has launched a review of its terms, but until then he is required to decide on renewing sanctions relief at regular intervals. His first deadline fell this week, related to sanctions on oil purchases through the Iranian central bank -- part of a 2012 law called the National Defence Authorisation Act -- that must be waived every 120 days. The Trump administration will have to waive more sanctions next month if it wants to stick by the nuclear deal. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in April that Iran was complying with its side of the bargain, but has described the country as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Washington has maintained a raft of other sanctions related to human rights and the missile programme that continue to stifle Iran's efforts to rebuild its foreign trade. This has been a major issue in the Iranian election, with hardliner Raisi accusing Rouhani of making too many concessions without gaining any economic benefits. Although oil sales have rebounded since the deal came into effect in January 2016, Iran's continued exclusion from the international banking system has prevented it from signing much needed trade and investment deals with Europe and Asia. Rouhani, who is still seen as the frontrunner in unofficial polls, has vowed to work towards the removal of remaining sanctions and called for more time to allow the benefits of the deal to reach ordinary Iranians. (AFP)

Iran irate as US slaps fresh nuclear missile sanctions

The world often wondered, how did Donald Trump win the US election. Well, he won through bullshitting.&nbsp;

Tired, scared and struggling from job loss, declining wages and endless military engagement in the Middle East, the American citizens bought into Trump&rsquo;s endless bullshit on illegal immigration. Courtesy the rhetoric used during the election campaign, America&rsquo;s economic revival suddenly became contingent on issues related to immigration. Migrants, legal or otherwise, Trump argued, is taking away jobs of Americans. It is the economic rights of Americans he professed to protect, and pleaded votes based on the claim.

It is about time that we decode the presidential bullshit on immigrants and their role (or lack of it) in the American life. Of course, by now as protestations flowed from the IT sector, Trump has learned to hammer down only on illegal immigrants, blaming them for all of the country&rsquo;s ills, from crime to depleted national resources. As far as foreign professionals are concerned, the president sounds more welcoming. Beneath the differential approach, however, lurks a greater danger: the President is cooking up a binary between illegal immigrants and merit-based immigration. As if the immigrant communities in the US can be divided into these two groups only.&nbsp;

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<h5>The President does not say how these family-based immigrant groups would fare in his fight against illegal entry and his preference for merit-based immigration.</h5>
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Trump does not come out in the open to say what his government&rsquo;s position will be on family-based immigration, which constitutes by far the majority among those getting immigrant visas. The President does not say how these family-based immigrant groups would fare in his fight against illegal entry and his preference for merit-based immigration. Family-based immigration, as per the law of the land, is not contingent upon merit but is based on family ties. The US government allows 2, 26, 000 Family Preference Immigrant visas and an unlimited number of Immediate Relative &amp; Family Sponsored visas each year. These forms of immigration are not illegal but with the President prioritising only on merit, there is nothing yet on what he proposed to do with these two categories.&nbsp;

A large section of the media is also buying into the President&rsquo;s false concocted binaries without pointing out that merit-based immigration and illegal immigration are two separate issues. They operate through separate channels, involve different demographics and involve completely different job descriptions. Stopping illegal immigration will not necessarily mean that merit-based immigration will increase in the US. A whole set of measures has to be taken to achieve that goal, not to mention sweeping immigration reforms. And, it is still not clear how is merit-based immigration compatible with Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;hire Americans&rdquo; motto.&nbsp;

Trump&rsquo;s policies, particularly, his immigration policies are replete with such contradictions. The President is short of lying but in keeping the contradiction unresolved, he is bullshitting his country, that is, in traversing the twilight zone between truth and false information, President Trump continues to make unsubstantiated statements.&nbsp;

Trump&rsquo;s rant against illegal immigrants has no basis in the reality of the immigration scenario in the US. America does have millions of illegal immigrants living in the country. In fact, with Russia and India, United States counts as the top destination for immigrants who have crossed over illegally. But having said that, unauthorised immigrants represented 3.4 per cent of the total U.S. population in 2015 and it has undergone a small but statistically significant decline since 2009 when there were 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.

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<h5>In all other industries and forms of occupation, President Trump should know, illegal immigrants&nbsp;are outnumbered by U.S.-born workers</h5>
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To claim that these illegal immigrants are taking away the jobs of the American citizens or claiming state benefits, shows a lack of connection to ground reality. These illegal immigrants are mostly employed in the farming and construction sectors. In all other industries and forms of occupation, President Trump should know, illegal immigrants&nbsp;are outnumbered by U.S.-born workers. Moreover, as illegal aliens, these immigrants receive no benefits from the government. Even if we set aside the humanitarian aspect of illegal immigration as to what forces individuals to leave their homeland for unknown places, there are numbers that the president ignores to garner mass support for his immigration policy. It is for time to tell how long the world and, more particularly, his own countrymen allow him to go on bullshitting on the impact of illegal immigration on the realisation of the American dream.&nbsp;

President Trump is particularly fond of musing over lost American greatness and how he plans to revive it. Though the &ldquo;America First&rdquo; movement is fast gaining steam in the US, Trump balances it with his claims to initiate merit-based immigration in the country. Courtesy the hullabaloo he has successfully created, we have largely forgotten that the US always have had merit-based immigration.The 90,000 strong individuals who go to work in the US with an H1B visa get through because they have the merit. Huge multi-national corporations hire employees from all over the world and spend millions of dollars on them to send them to the US.&nbsp;

Let&rsquo;s not define merit here in terms abstract superior intellect. In countries following merit-based immigration system, points are awarded based on your last degree. In the US, degree matters but more importantly, the immigration office grants entry based on whether the individual has been able to secure a job in the US market commensurate with his/her degree.&nbsp;

H1B visa holders come with at least a university degree and sometimes even with a Ph.D. Without a job offer from a reputable, well-established and registered company in the US, it is impossible to get an H1B visa. In the long tedious process of H1B visa application and during the visa interview too, one has to prove, as per the visa regulation, the job falls into the category of &quot;specialty occupation&quot; and not just any job. That means one cannot get an H1B visa from India to work as a secretary in any office, or be a bartender, or be a professional driver. &nbsp;

Trump professes that he wants meritorious people to come to work in the US. But action speaks louder than words. President Trump has not done anything so far which would prove he is serious to retain talent from overseas. Far from increasing the annual &ldquo;cap&rdquo; of H1B visa, Trump is yet to implement Obama administration&rsquo;s proposal to increase the &ldquo;cap exempt&rdquo; category for non-profit hospitals, as well as educational and research institutions. Most meritorious professionals in the US who work in research and academic institutions fall in this cap. Many of the corporations could use this &ldquo;cap exempt&rdquo; category to hire bright professionals, irrespective of their national origin.

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<h5>But aside from the mindless chatter about attracting talents to build a new America which, incidentally, completely contradicts &ldquo;hire American&rdquo; policy, another crucial mistake that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis of judging merit.</h5>
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But aside from the mindless chatter about attracting talents to build a new America which, incidentally, completely contradicts &ldquo;hire American&rdquo; policy, another crucial mistake that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis of judging merit. The High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act, introduced by Congressperson Zoe Lofgren of California, would raise H-1B holders&#39; minimum salaries to the US $130,000. Doing this would mean, losing out a significant number of talents in the field that are crucial but not well-paid. For instance, the average salary of a fire protection and fuel engineer is $130,000 and $123,000 respectively. Whereas a computer engineer on an average earns $121,245&nbsp; and healthcare facility engineer gets $120,027.

Under the circumstance, Asian countries, particularly India and China which have been supplying the largest number of IT professionals to the US, are all poised to lose significantly. The Indian government knows this perfectly. In meeting with the US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, India&rsquo;s Finance minister Arun Jaitley raised India&rsquo;s concerns over the Trump administration&rsquo;s move to tighten the H-1B visa regime. The main concern of the minister in alignment with IT industry has been that most Indian professionals, who go to the USA with an H1B visa, stay there for a short term. Under the circumstance, they can never match the $130,000 proposed salary ceiling.

Contradictions and ambiguities replete Trump&rsquo;s immigration policy but he is yet to face stiff opposition on that count. The reason he is getting away with this is, people do not see how the President of United States is operating in the twilight zone; in matters of immigration policy, at least, Trump is not lying but he is not telling the truth either. Rather, he very cleverly waits for his audience to interpret his message according to their conviction. So, if one thinks Mexicans are taking away American jobs, the person will support the &ldquo;Wall&rdquo;; on the other hand, if one thinks, in a free-market economy, the state can&rsquo;t control employment, they will support Trump&rsquo;s merit-based immigration policy. It is because of this fragmented approach that Trump is walking away victorious.

Thus, only a holistic approach with eyes open to the ground reality will ensure that the President does not get away with bullshitting the American citizens and world population at large.

It is about time that we decode the presidential bullshit on immigrants and their role (or lack of it) in the American life.

The world often wondered, how did Donald Trump win the US election. Well, he won through bullshitting. Tired, scared and struggling from job loss, declining wages and endless military engagement in the Middle East, the American citizens bought into Trump’s endless bullshit on illegal immigration. Courtesy the rhetoric used during the election campaign, America’s economic revival suddenly became contingent on issues related to immigration. Migrants, legal or otherwise, Trump argued, is taking away jobs of Americans. It is the economic rights of Americans he professed to protect, and pleaded votes based on the claim. It is about time that we decode the presidential bullshit on immigrants and their role (or lack of it) in the American life. Of course, by now as protestations flowed from the IT sector, Trump has learned to hammer down only on illegal immigrants, blaming them for all of the country’s ills, from crime to depleted national resources. As far as foreign professionals are concerned, the president sounds more welcoming. Beneath the differential approach, however, lurks a greater danger: the President is cooking up a binary between illegal immigrants and merit-based immigration. As if the immigrant communities in the US can be divided into these two groups only. The President does not say how these family-based immigrant groups would fare in his fight against illegal entry and his preference for merit-based immigration. × Trump does not come out in the open to say what his government’s position will be on family-based immigration, which constitutes by far the majority among those getting immigrant visas. The President does not say how these family-based immigrant groups would fare in his fight against illegal entry and his preference for merit-based immigration. Family-based immigration, as per the law of the land, is not contingent upon merit but is based on family ties. The US government allows 2, 26, 000 Family Preference Immigrant visas and an unlimited number of Immediate Relative & Family Sponsored visas each year. These forms of immigration are not illegal but with the President prioritising only on merit, there is nothing yet on what he proposed to do with these two categories. A large section of the media is also buying into the President’s false concocted binaries without pointing out that merit-based immigration and illegal immigration are two separate issues. They operate through separate channels, involve different demographics and involve completely different job descriptions. Stopping illegal immigration will not necessarily mean that merit-based immigration will increase in the US. A whole set of measures has to be taken to achieve that goal, not to mention sweeping immigration reforms. And, it is still not clear how is merit-based immigration compatible with Trump’s “hire Americans” motto. Trump’s policies, particularly, his immigration policies are replete with such contradictions. The President is short of lying but in keeping the contradiction unresolved, he is bullshitting his country, that is, in traversing the twilight zone between truth and false information, President Trump continues to make unsubstantiated statements. Trump’s rant against illegal immigrants has no basis in the reality of the immigration scenario in the US. America does have millions of illegal immigrants living in the country. In fact, with Russia and India, United States counts as the top destination for immigrants who have crossed over illegally. But having said that, unauthorised immigrants represented 3.4 per cent of the total U.S. population in 2015 and it has undergone a small but statistically significant decline since 2009 when there were 11 million illegal immigrants in the US. In all other industries and forms of occupation, President Trump should know, illegal immigrants are outnumbered by U.S.-born workers × To claim that these illegal immigrants are taking away the jobs of the American citizens or claiming state benefits, shows a lack of connection to ground reality. These illegal immigrants are mostly employed in the farming and construction sectors. In all other industries and forms of occupation, President Trump should know, illegal immigrants are outnumbered by U.S.-born workers. Moreover, as illegal aliens, these immigrants receive no benefits from the government. Even if we set aside the humanitarian aspect of illegal immigration as to what forces individuals to leave their homeland for unknown places, there are numbers that the president ignores to garner mass support for his immigration policy. It is for time to tell how long the world and, more particularly, his own countrymen allow him to go on bullshitting on the impact of illegal immigration on the realisation of the American dream. President Trump is particularly fond of musing over lost American greatness and how he plans to revive it. Though the “America First” movement is fast gaining steam in the US, Trump balances it with his claims to initiate merit-based immigration in the country. Courtesy the hullabaloo he has successfully created, we have largely forgotten that the US always have had merit-based immigration.The 90,000 strong individuals who go to work in the US with an H1B visa get through because they have the merit. Huge multi-national corporations hire employees from all over the world and spend millions of dollars on them to send them to the US. Let’s not define merit here in terms abstract superior intellect. In countries following merit-based immigration system, points are awarded based on your last degree. In the US, degree matters but more importantly, the immigration office grants entry based on whether the individual has been able to secure a job in the US market commensurate with his/her degree. H1B visa holders come with at least a university degree and sometimes even with a Ph.D. Without a job offer from a reputable, well-established and registered company in the US, it is impossible to get an H1B visa. In the long tedious process of H1B visa application and during the visa interview too, one has to prove, as per the visa regulation, the job falls into the category of "specialty occupation" and not just any job. That means one cannot get an H1B visa from India to work as a secretary in any office, or be a bartender, or be a professional driver. Trump professes that he wants meritorious people to come to work in the US. But action speaks louder than words. President Trump has not done anything so far which would prove he is serious to retain talent from overseas. Far from increasing the annual “cap” of H1B visa, Trump is yet to implement Obama administration’s proposal to increase the “cap exempt” category for non-profit hospitals, as well as educational and research institutions. Most meritorious professionals in the US who work in research and academic institutions fall in this cap. Many of the corporations could use this “cap exempt” category to hire bright professionals, irrespective of their national origin. But aside from the mindless chatter about attracting talents to build a new America which, incidentally, completely contradicts “hire American” policy, another crucial mistake that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis of judging merit. × But aside from the mindless chatter about attracting talents to build a new America which, incidentally, completely contradicts “hire American” policy, another crucial mistake that the Trump administration is committing is to make salary the basis of judging merit. The High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act, introduced by Congressperson Zoe Lofgren of California, would raise H-1B holders' minimum salaries to the US $130,000. Doing this would mean, losing out a significant number of talents in the field that are crucial but not well-paid. For instance, the average salary of a fire protection and fuel engineer is $130,000 and $123,000 respectively. Whereas a computer engineer on an average earns $121,245 and healthcare facility engineer gets $120,027. Under the circumstance, Asian countries, particularly India and China which have been supplying the largest number of IT professionals to the US, are all poised to lose significantly. The Indian government knows this perfectly. In meeting with the US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, India’s Finance minister Arun Jaitley raised India’s concerns over the Trump administration’s move to tighten the H-1B visa regime. The main concern of the minister in alignment with IT industry has been that most Indian professionals, who go to the USA with an H1B visa, stay there for a short term. Under the circumstance, they can never match the $130,000 proposed salary ceiling. Contradictions and ambiguities replete Trump’s immigration policy but he is yet to face stiff opposition on that count. The reason he is getting away with this is, people do not see how the President of United States is operating in the twilight zone; in matters of immigration policy, at least, Trump is not lying but he is not telling the truth either. Rather, he very cleverly waits for his audience to interpret his message according to their conviction. So, if one thinks Mexicans are taking away American jobs, the person will support the “Wall”; on the other hand, if one thinks, in a free-market economy, the state can’t control employment, they will support Trump’s merit-based immigration policy. It is because of this fragmented approach that Trump is walking away victorious. Thus, only a holistic approach with eyes open to the ground reality will ensure that the President does not get away with bullshitting the American citizens and world population at large.

How Donald Trump gets by: By operating in the twilight zone between truth and falsity

Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by phone, a spokesman said Wednesday, as controversy brewed over the US president&#39;s sharing of intelligence with Russia that came from Israel.

A spokesman in Netanyahu&#39;s office confirmed the phone call took place on Tuesday afternoon but did not say who initiated it.

Trump is due to visit Israel next week.

&quot;There was a call yesterday between the president and prime minister for about 20 minutes,&quot; the spokesman said. &quot;The only topic discussed was the upcoming visit.&quot;

Israel meanwhile sought to contain fallout from Trump&#39;s sharing of its intelligence with Russia, while not commenting directly on the move.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman lauded security ties between the United States and his country, saying it would continue to be &quot;unprecedented&quot; in scope.

But he made no mention of Trump divulging intelligence to Russia that a US administration official said had originally come from Israel.

The United States is Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid each year.

The Washington Post reported late Monday that Trump revealed what it said was highly classified information on the Islamic State group (IS) during a meeting last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow&#39;s Washington ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

It said that Trump told Lavrov about a specific IS bomb threat.

A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times.

(AFP)

The two leaders spoke for 20 minutes after a report suggested that White House shared Israeli intel with Russia

Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by phone, a spokesman said Wednesday, as controversy brewed over the US president's sharing of intelligence with Russia that came from Israel. A spokesman in Netanyahu's office confirmed the phone call took place on Tuesday afternoon but did not say who initiated it. Trump is due to visit Israel next week. "There was a call yesterday between the president and prime minister for about 20 minutes," the spokesman said. "The only topic discussed was the upcoming visit." Israel meanwhile sought to contain fallout from Trump's sharing of its intelligence with Russia, while not commenting directly on the move. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman lauded security ties between the United States and his country, saying it would continue to be "unprecedented" in scope. But he made no mention of Trump divulging intelligence to Russia that a US administration official said had originally come from Israel. The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid each year. The Washington Post reported late Monday that Trump revealed what it said was highly classified information on the Islamic State group (IS) during a meeting last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow's Washington ambassador Sergey Kislyak. It said that Trump told Lavrov about a specific IS bomb threat. A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times. (AFP)

Trump, Netanyahu speak by phone amid controversy over intel sharing with Russia

The Trump administration&#39;s search for a new FBI director hit roadblocks on Tuesday when two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job.

Advisers to Judge Merrick Garland and US Senator John Cornyn of Texas told Reuters they discouraged them from leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cautioning that they would be leaving important, secure jobs for one fraught with politics and controversy.

The advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the new FBI director would have little job security and heightened scrutiny by political observers following President Donald Trump&#39;s abrupt firing of James Comey on May 9.

Garland and Cornyn distancing themselves from the selection process just three days before Trump has said he may make a decision, points to the difficulties the White House has in filling the FBI post amid turmoil in the administration.

Trump&#39;s firing of Comey, the man in charge of an investigation into possible collusion between 2016 election campaign associates and the Russian government, outraged many lawmakers, including some Republicans.

Garland, the chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, &quot;loves his job and is not interested in leaving the judiciary,&quot; said one source familiar with the judge&#39;s thinking.

Cornyn said in a statement that he had informed the White House that &quot;the best way I can serve is continuing to fight for a conservative agenda in the US Senate.&quot;

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday that an announcement on FBI director was still possible before Trump leaves on his first foreign trip on Friday.

He said the US&nbsp;Department of Justice was still interviewing candidates.

Several Republican senators had promoted Garland even though they had refused to give him a hearing when Republican Trump&#39;s predecessor President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland last year for a then-vacant seat on the US Supreme Court.

The Republicans&#39; reasoning appeared to be that Garland would be accepted by Democrats and help restore faith in the FBI as a nonpartisan agency.

In an interview on Bloomberg Television, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Garland, a former federal prosecutor, as &quot;an apolitical professional.&quot;

A second Garland acquaintance who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Garland sought advice from those who told him he would be leaving his life-long position on the federal bench to take a job that could be terminated by Trump overnight.

A Republican Senate aide said Cornyn&#39;s staff also worried that the third-term Texas Senator could cut his- and their own- careers short by going to the FBI.

An adviser to another candidate on the White House short-list, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, 75, said Kelly is also being persuaded to step out of the running.

Kelly has not said that he would not consider the job, but so far he has not been interviewed.

Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor whose name had been floated, said on Monday he was not interested in the director position.

The difficulty in filling key administration jobs is not just limited to the FBI director post.

Trump&rsquo;s habits of contradicting his top aides, demanding personal loyalty and punishing officials who contradict him in public has discouraged a number of experienced people from pursuing jobs, said three people who declined to discuss possible positions with administration officials.

&quot;It&rsquo;s becoming increasingly difficult to attract good people to work in this administration,&quot; said one senior official. &quot;In other cases, veteran people with expertise are leaving or seeking posts overseas and away from this White House.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job Tuesday

The Trump administration's search for a new FBI director hit roadblocks on Tuesday when two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job. Advisers to Judge Merrick Garland and US Senator John Cornyn of Texas told Reuters they discouraged them from leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cautioning that they would be leaving important, secure jobs for one fraught with politics and controversy. The advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the new FBI director would have little job security and heightened scrutiny by political observers following President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of James Comey on May 9. Garland and Cornyn distancing themselves from the selection process just three days before Trump has said he may make a decision, points to the difficulties the White House has in filling the FBI post amid turmoil in the administration. Trump's firing of Comey, the man in charge of an investigation into possible collusion between 2016 election campaign associates and the Russian government, outraged many lawmakers, including some Republicans. Garland, the chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, "loves his job and is not interested in leaving the judiciary," said one source familiar with the judge's thinking. Cornyn said in a statement that he had informed the White House that "the best way I can serve is continuing to fight for a conservative agenda in the US Senate." White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday that an announcement on FBI director was still possible before Trump leaves on his first foreign trip on Friday. He said the US Department of Justice was still interviewing candidates. Several Republican senators had promoted Garland even though they had refused to give him a hearing when Republican Trump's predecessor President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland last year for a then-vacant seat on the US Supreme Court. The Republicans' reasoning appeared to be that Garland would be accepted by Democrats and help restore faith in the FBI as a nonpartisan agency. In an interview on Bloomberg Television, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Garland, a former federal prosecutor, as "an apolitical professional." A second Garland acquaintance who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Garland sought advice from those who told him he would be leaving his life-long position on the federal bench to take a job that could be terminated by Trump overnight. A Republican Senate aide said Cornyn's staff also worried that the third-term Texas Senator could cut his- and their own- careers short by going to the FBI. An adviser to another candidate on the White House short-list, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, 75, said Kelly is also being persuaded to step out of the running. Kelly has not said that he would not consider the job, but so far he has not been interviewed. Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor whose name had been floated, said on Monday he was not interested in the director position. The difficulty in filling key administration jobs is not just limited to the FBI director post. Trump’s habits of contradicting his top aides, demanding personal loyalty and punishing officials who contradict him in public has discouraged a number of experienced people from pursuing jobs, said three people who declined to discuss possible positions with administration officials. "It’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract good people to work in this administration," said one senior official. "In other cases, veteran people with expertise are leaving or seeking posts overseas and away from this White House." (Reuters)

Trump can't find a new FBI chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow could provide a recording of a controversial exchange between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US President Donald Trump that has plunged the White House into turmoil.

His comments were the first since Trump was hit with accusations that he shared secrets while meeting Lavrov in Washington, the latest crisis to hit the White house amid existing investigations into whether Trump&#39;s aides colluded with Moscow during the campaign.

Putin said he was pleased with Lavrov&#39;s visit to Washington last week but mocked the idea that Trump had shared secrets during the meeting, calling the allegations &quot;political schizophrenia&quot; and saying people spreading them are either &quot;dumb&quot; or &quot;corrupt.&quot;

&quot;We can see that political schizophrenia is developing in the United States,&quot; Putin told reporters after talks with Italian Prime Minister&nbsp;Paolo Gentiloni in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

&quot;I cannot otherwise explain the accusations of the president that he handed Lavrov some sort of secrets,&quot; Putin added.

&quot;If the US administration finds it possible, we are ready to provide a recording of the conversation between Lavrov and Trump to the US Congress and Senate,&quot; Putin said.

Although Putin used the Russian word for audio recording at the press conference, his foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that &quot;audio is not made&quot; at such meetings.

&quot;There is a recording kept by a special person present at conversations,&quot; Ushakov clarified to Russian news agencies.&nbsp;

Citing unnamed sources, the Washington Post reported that Trump had shared intelligence with Lavrov regarding an Islamic State group terror threat related to the use of laptop computers on airplanes.

According to sources cited in the report, that intelligence came from a US ally who had not authorised Washington to pass it on to Moscow.

&#39;Simply dumb&#39;&nbsp;

The fresh US crisis sank the dollar early Wednesday as well as Hong Kong stocks amid worries that Trump&#39;s economy-boosting and tax-cutting agenda could be derailed, with some experts mentioning possible impeachment.

As news emerged that Israel was the initial source of the intel, it attempted to contain the fallout from the scandal, with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman saying security ties would continue to be &quot;unprecedented&quot; in scope.

A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times.

British PM Theresa May meanwhile said Trump is free to decide what to discuss with White House visitors, while stressing that London&#39;s relationship with Washington was &quot;the most important defence and security relationship&quot; around the world.

Putin mocked the idea that Trump went off-script to share secrets with the Russians, saying he could issue a &quot;reprimand&quot; to Lavrov since the minister hadn&#39;t passed on the information.

&quot;(Lavrov) didn&#39;t share these secrets with us -- neither with me nor with the representatives of the Russian security services. That is very bad of him,&quot; Putin said to sniggers from the audience including Lavrov himself.

&#39;Absolute right&#39;&nbsp;

The visit had already generated its share of scandal after Moscow released pictures of the closed-door Oval Office meeting showing Trump and Lavrov grinning after White House officials presumed they would not be made public.

Trump&#39;s National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster denied the president caused any security lapses while Trump himself insisted he had the &quot;absolute right&quot; to share &quot;facts pertaining... to terrorism and airline flight safety&quot; with Russia.&nbsp;

Adding to the confusion, Russian senator Alexei Pushkov on Wednesday tweeted that &quot;US media were hysterical with Trump because he told us about IS plans to detonate our passenger plane.&quot;

Putin on Wednesday also slammed critics who spread allegations about Trump&#39;s ties with Russia.

&quot;What else will the people generating such drivel and nonsense think of next?&quot; he said. &quot;They are shaking up their internal politics while using anti-Russian slogans.&quot;

&quot;They either don&#39;t understand that they are hurting their own country, and then they are simply dumb, or they understand everything and then they are dangerous and corrupt people,&quot; Putin added.

(AFP)

Putin mocked the idea that Trump had shared secrets during the meeting, calling the allegations 'political schizophrenia'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow could provide a recording of a controversial exchange between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US President Donald Trump that has plunged the White House into turmoil. His comments were the first since Trump was hit with accusations that he shared secrets while meeting Lavrov in Washington, the latest crisis to hit the White house amid existing investigations into whether Trump's aides colluded with Moscow during the campaign. Putin said he was pleased with Lavrov's visit to Washington last week but mocked the idea that Trump had shared secrets during the meeting, calling the allegations "political schizophrenia" and saying people spreading them are either "dumb" or "corrupt." "We can see that political schizophrenia is developing in the United States," Putin told reporters after talks with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in the southern Russian city of Sochi. "I cannot otherwise explain the accusations of the president that he handed Lavrov some sort of secrets," Putin added. "If the US administration finds it possible, we are ready to provide a recording of the conversation between Lavrov and Trump to the US Congress and Senate," Putin said. Although Putin used the Russian word for audio recording at the press conference, his foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that "audio is not made" at such meetings. "There is a recording kept by a special person present at conversations," Ushakov clarified to Russian news agencies. Citing unnamed sources, the Washington Post reported that Trump had shared intelligence with Lavrov regarding an Islamic State group terror threat related to the use of laptop computers on airplanes. According to sources cited in the report, that intelligence came from a US ally who had not authorised Washington to pass it on to Moscow. 'Simply dumb' The fresh US crisis sank the dollar early Wednesday as well as Hong Kong stocks amid worries that Trump's economy-boosting and tax-cutting agenda could be derailed, with some experts mentioning possible impeachment. As news emerged that Israel was the initial source of the intel, it attempted to contain the fallout from the scandal, with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman saying security ties would continue to be "unprecedented" in scope. A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times. British PM Theresa May meanwhile said Trump is free to decide what to discuss with White House visitors, while stressing that London's relationship with Washington was "the most important defence and security relationship" around the world. Putin mocked the idea that Trump went off-script to share secrets with the Russians, saying he could issue a "reprimand" to Lavrov since the minister hadn't passed on the information. "(Lavrov) didn't share these secrets with us -- neither with me nor with the representatives of the Russian security services. That is very bad of him," Putin said to sniggers from the audience including Lavrov himself. 'Absolute right' The visit had already generated its share of scandal after Moscow released pictures of the closed-door Oval Office meeting showing Trump and Lavrov grinning after White House officials presumed they would not be made public. Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster denied the president caused any security lapses while Trump himself insisted he had the "absolute right" to share "facts pertaining... to terrorism and airline flight safety" with Russia. Adding to the confusion, Russian senator Alexei Pushkov on Wednesday tweeted that "US media were hysterical with Trump because he told us about IS plans to detonate our passenger plane." Putin on Wednesday also slammed critics who spread allegations about Trump's ties with Russia. "What else will the people generating such drivel and nonsense think of next?" he said. "They are shaking up their internal politics while using anti-Russian slogans." "They either don't understand that they are hurting their own country, and then they are simply dumb, or they understand everything and then they are dangerous and corrupt people," Putin added. (AFP)

Putin open to revealing Trump-Lavrov 'intel exchange'

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into &quot;America First&quot; policies, analysts say.

But not everyone is buying the rhetoric.

Xi&#39;s plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes.

The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be &quot;a project of the century&quot; and &quot;unleash new driving forces for global economic growth&quot;.&nbsp;

Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism.

He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of &quot;America First&quot; policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour.

&quot;He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam said.

But Xi&#39;s cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China&#39;s economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment.

&quot;Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way,&quot; European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade.&quot;

Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies.&nbsp;

It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank&#39;s ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment.&nbsp;

Financial risks

Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan.

&quot;I don&#39;t think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity,&quot; said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks.

&quot;I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that&#39;s how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China&#39;s economic priorities.&quot;

The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.&nbsp;

Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects.&nbsp;

The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending.&nbsp;

But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble.&nbsp;

&quot;If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising,&quot; said Gilholm.&nbsp;

PR coup

&nbsp;But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad.&nbsp;

The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country&#39;s ultimate decision-making body.

Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves.&nbsp;

&quot;I think the optics worked out well for him,&quot; said Gilholm.

&quot;But obviously there&#39;s a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards.&quot;

(AFP)

Xi Jinping's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into "America First" policies, analysts say. But not everyone is buying the rhetoric. Xi's plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes. The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be "a project of the century" and "unleash new driving forces for global economic growth". Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism. He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of "America First" policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour. "He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker," China political analyst Willy Lam said. But Xi's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment. "Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way," European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently. "I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade." Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies. It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank's ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment. Financial risks Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan. "I don't think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity," said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks. "I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that's how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China's economic priorities." The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects. The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending. But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble. "If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising," said Gilholm. PR coup But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad. The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country's ultimate decision-making body. Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves. "I think the optics worked out well for him," said Gilholm. "But obviously there's a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards." (AFP)

China's Xi seeks to rewrite global trade rules as US retreats

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test.

&quot;Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,&quot; the White House said in a brief statement.

The missile impacted &quot;so close to Russian soil -&ndash; in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -&ndash; the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased.&quot;

North Korea &quot;has been a flagrant menace for far too long,&quot; the statement read. &quot;South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us.&quot;

The statement emphasises that the United States &quot;maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,' the White House said in a brief statement

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test. "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea," the White House said in a brief statement. The missile impacted "so close to Russian soil -– in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -– the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased." North Korea "has been a flagrant menace for far too long," the statement read. "South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us." The statement emphasises that the United States "maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea." (AFP)

Trump calls for stronger sanctions on North Korea after missile test

Donald Trump warned ousted FBI Director James Comey on Friday not to talk to the media, a highly unusual move that prompted fresh charges the president is trying to silence the man who led an investigation into possible collusion between Trump&#39;s election campaign and Russia.

On Twitter, Trump appeared to suggest that if Comey gave his version of contacts between them, the administration might produce tapes of conversations, although it was not clear if such tapes exist. The veiled threat added to the storm over Trump&#39;s abrupt firing of Comey on Tuesday.

Critics have assailed Trump for dismissing the FBI chief just as the agency is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and possible Moscow ties to the Trump presidential campaign.&nbsp;

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James Comey better hope that there are no &quot;tapes&quot; of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/863007411132649473">May 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The New York Times reported the president asked Comey in January to pledge loyalty to him and that Comey refused to do so. Such a request would undermine the standing of the FBI chief as an independent law enforcer and further fueled charges that Trump has overstepped the norms of his office.

&quot;James Comey better hope that there are no &#39;tapes&#39; of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!&quot; Trump said in a string of Twitter posts on Friday.

Trump told Fox News he did not ask Comey to pledge loyalty and only wants him to be honest. Trump said he would not talk about the existence of any tapes.

CNN said Comey is &quot;not worried about any tapes&quot; Trump may have, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation probe and parallel congressional investigations have clouded Trump&#39;s presidency since he took office on Jan. 20, threatening to overwhelm his policy priorities.

Democrats accuse the Republican president of trying to dent the FBI probe by firing Comey and have called for a special counsel to investigate the Russia issue.

INDEPENDENT PROBE?

The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Richard Durbin, went further on Friday and said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should appoint an independent special prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges related to Comey&#39;s firing, although he did not specify if he meant such charges should be against Trump.

But Rosenstein does not see the need at this time for a special prosecutor, CNN reported. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Trump told Fox News in an interview he did not think an independent probe was necessary.

In a statement, Durbin said that what he characterized as Trump&#39;s admission that he fired Comey because of the Russia probe was &quot;dangerously close to obstruction of justice.&quot;

Durbin said Trump&#39;s tweet on Friday &quot;could be construed as threatening a witness in this investigation, which is another violation of federal law.&quot;

Comey declined an invitation to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed meeting on Tuesday for scheduling reasons, said a spokesman for Senator Mark Warner, the panel&#39;s top Democrat. An official familiar with the matter told Reuters that Comey had agreed in principle to testify behind closed doors at some point.

As has happened on previous occasions since Trump took office, different versions rapidly circulated of an event - in this case phone conversations between Comey and Trump and a dinner they had at the White House.

The New York Times said Comey told associates he declined to make a pledge of loyalty to Trump when the president requested it while they dined just seven days after his inauguration. Comey instead told Trump he could count on his honesty, the Times said.

Trump says Comey had told him three times he was not under investigation in the Russia probe. He said in an interview on Thursday with NBC News that Comey gave him this assurance during the White House dinner and in two phone conversations. Trump said Comey wanted to have the dinner because he wanted to stay on in the job.

Comey has not publicly discussed any conversations he has had with Trump.

NEWS BRIEFINGS

Trump also hit back on Friday at media reports questioning the credibility of White House accounts of why Comey was fired, which have changed over the course of the week, and threatened an end to regular White House press briefings.

&quot;As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!&quot; Trump said. &quot;Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future &#39;press briefings&#39; and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???&quot;

Trump told Fox News he would decide in &quot;the next couple of weeks&quot; whether the briefings would continue.

The White House initially said Trump fired Comey on the recommendation of the top Justice Department officials: Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rosenstein. In the NBC interview on Thursday, Trump said he would have fired Comey regardless of any such recommendations.

The White House has said Comey&#39;s firing was unrelated to the Russia probe. On Thursday, Trump told NBC he knew he ran the risk that by firing Comey he would &quot;confuse people&quot; and &quot;lengthen out the investigation&quot; into ties to Russia.

The president said he never pressured Comey into dropping the FBI investigation, and added that there was no &quot;collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians.&quot;

Trump told Fox News he was surprised by the fierce reaction of Democrats. &quot;I thought that this would be a very popular thing, that I did, when I terminated Comey, because all of the Democrats couldn&#39;t stand him,&quot; Trump said.

Comey had angered Democrats over his handling of the probe of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of interference in the election aimed at tilting the vote in Trump&#39;s favor. Moscow has denied any such meddling.

Seeking to bolster Trump&#39;s case that he has had no concealed dealings with Russia, his lawyers said in a letter released by the White House on Friday that a review of Trump&#39;s tax returns from the past 10 years showed no income from Russian sources outside of a few exceptions, and indicated he did not owe money to Russian lenders.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Critics have assailed Trump for dismissing the FBI chief just as the agency is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, and possible Moscow ties to the Trump presidential campaign

Donald Trump warned ousted FBI Director James Comey on Friday not to talk to the media, a highly unusual move that prompted fresh charges the president is trying to silence the man who led an investigation into possible collusion between Trump's election campaign and Russia. On Twitter, Trump appeared to suggest that if Comey gave his version of contacts between them, the administration might produce tapes of conversations, although it was not clear if such tapes exist. The veiled threat added to the storm over Trump's abrupt firing of Comey on Tuesday. Critics have assailed Trump for dismissing the FBI chief just as the agency is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and possible Moscow ties to the Trump presidential campaign. James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017 × The New York Times reported the president asked Comey in January to pledge loyalty to him and that Comey refused to do so. Such a request would undermine the standing of the FBI chief as an independent law enforcer and further fueled charges that Trump has overstepped the norms of his office. "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump said in a string of Twitter posts on Friday. Trump told Fox News he did not ask Comey to pledge loyalty and only wants him to be honest. Trump said he would not talk about the existence of any tapes. CNN said Comey is "not worried about any tapes" Trump may have, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation probe and parallel congressional investigations have clouded Trump's presidency since he took office on Jan. 20, threatening to overwhelm his policy priorities. Democrats accuse the Republican president of trying to dent the FBI probe by firing Comey and have called for a special counsel to investigate the Russia issue. INDEPENDENT PROBE? The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Richard Durbin, went further on Friday and said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should appoint an independent special prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges related to Comey's firing, although he did not specify if he meant such charges should be against Trump. But Rosenstein does not see the need at this time for a special prosecutor, CNN reported. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Trump told Fox News in an interview he did not think an independent probe was necessary. In a statement, Durbin said that what he characterized as Trump's admission that he fired Comey because of the Russia probe was "dangerously close to obstruction of justice." Durbin said Trump's tweet on Friday "could be construed as threatening a witness in this investigation, which is another violation of federal law." Comey declined an invitation to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed meeting on Tuesday for scheduling reasons, said a spokesman for Senator Mark Warner, the panel's top Democrat. An official familiar with the matter told Reuters that Comey had agreed in principle to testify behind closed doors at some point. As has happened on previous occasions since Trump took office, different versions rapidly circulated of an event - in this case phone conversations between Comey and Trump and a dinner they had at the White House. The New York Times said Comey told associates he declined to make a pledge of loyalty to Trump when the president requested it while they dined just seven days after his inauguration. Comey instead told Trump he could count on his honesty, the Times said. Trump says Comey had told him three times he was not under investigation in the Russia probe. He said in an interview on Thursday with NBC News that Comey gave him this assurance during the White House dinner and in two phone conversations. Trump said Comey wanted to have the dinner because he wanted to stay on in the job. Comey has not publicly discussed any conversations he has had with Trump. NEWS BRIEFINGS Trump also hit back on Friday at media reports questioning the credibility of White House accounts of why Comey was fired, which have changed over the course of the week, and threatened an end to regular White House press briefings. "As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!" Trump said. "Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future 'press briefings' and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???" Trump told Fox News he would decide in "the next couple of weeks" whether the briefings would continue. The White House initially said Trump fired Comey on the recommendation of the top Justice Department officials: Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rosenstein. In the NBC interview on Thursday, Trump said he would have fired Comey regardless of any such recommendations. The White House has said Comey's firing was unrelated to the Russia probe. On Thursday, Trump told NBC he knew he ran the risk that by firing Comey he would "confuse people" and "lengthen out the investigation" into ties to Russia. The president said he never pressured Comey into dropping the FBI investigation, and added that there was no "collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians." Trump told Fox News he was surprised by the fierce reaction of Democrats. "I thought that this would be a very popular thing, that I did, when I terminated Comey, because all of the Democrats couldn't stand him," Trump said. Comey had angered Democrats over his handling of the probe of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of interference in the election aimed at tilting the vote in Trump's favor. Moscow has denied any such meddling. Seeking to bolster Trump's case that he has had no concealed dealings with Russia, his lawyers said in a letter released by the White House on Friday that a review of Trump's tax returns from the past 10 years showed no income from Russian sources outside of a few exceptions, and indicated he did not owe money to Russian lenders. (Reuters)

Trump warns Comey not to talk to media, says he 'better hope they are no tapes of our conversations'

Former first lady Michelle Obama made her first high-profile public appearance on Friday since leaving the White House in January.

Mrs Obama, who championed healthy eating and physical activity among children as first lady, was the keynote speaker at the Partnership for a Healthier America summit in Washington.

&quot;We got to make sure we don&#39;t let anybody take us back. Because the question is &#39;where are we going back to?&#39; What is it that people, and this is where you really have to look at motives,&quot; Obama said.

&quot;You have to stop and think &#39;why don&#39;t you want our kids to have good food at school?&#39; What is wrong with you? And why is that a partisan issue? Why would that be political? What is going on?&quot; she said to applause.

Mrs&nbsp;Obama&#39;s appearance comes as a much-delayed U.S. rule requiring restaurants and retailers to clearly display food calorie counts is pushed back again, and could be rewritten or scrapped as the Trump administration rebuffs Obama-era regulations.

Notice came shortly after the U.S. Department of Agriculture relaxed some school lunch rules that were part of the former first lady&#39;s signature effort to fight childhood obesity.

It was not clear if Mrs Obama was speaking specifically about the new rules or more generally about the direction of healthcare in America.

The former first lady also said that life outside of the White House has been good.

&quot;Being &#39;former&#39; is all right. I&#39;m good with it,&quot; she told the moderator who had asked how things have been for her and since the end of Barack Obama&#39;s 8-year-long presidency.

&quot;President&#39;s good. You know, running around out there in the world with his shirt unbuttoned,&quot; Mrs Obama joked, in reference a speech given by the former president earlier in the week in Italy during which he was tie-less and kept his shirt unbuttoned at the top.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The former first lady was the keynote speaker at the Partnership for a Healthier America summit in Washington

Former first lady Michelle Obama made her first high-profile public appearance on Friday since leaving the White House in January. Mrs Obama, who championed healthy eating and physical activity among children as first lady, was the keynote speaker at the Partnership for a Healthier America summit in Washington. "We got to make sure we don't let anybody take us back. Because the question is 'where are we going back to?' What is it that people, and this is where you really have to look at motives," Obama said. "You have to stop and think 'why don't you want our kids to have good food at school?' What is wrong with you? And why is that a partisan issue? Why would that be political? What is going on?" she said to applause. Mrs Obama's appearance comes as a much-delayed U.S. rule requiring restaurants and retailers to clearly display food calorie counts is pushed back again, and could be rewritten or scrapped as the Trump administration rebuffs Obama-era regulations. Notice came shortly after the U.S. Department of Agriculture relaxed some school lunch rules that were part of the former first lady's signature effort to fight childhood obesity. It was not clear if Mrs Obama was speaking specifically about the new rules or more generally about the direction of healthcare in America. The former first lady also said that life outside of the White House has been good. "Being 'former' is all right. I'm good with it," she told the moderator who had asked how things have been for her and since the end of Barack Obama's 8-year-long presidency. "President's good. You know, running around out there in the world with his shirt unbuttoned," Mrs Obama joked, in reference a speech given by the former president earlier in the week in Italy during which he was tie-less and kept his shirt unbuttoned at the top. (Reuters)

'What is wrong with you?' Michelle Obama asks as Trump govt relaxes her school lunch rules

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference.

The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election.&nbsp;

&quot;When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,&quot; he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey&#39;s firing with the investigation.

Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner.

&quot;I actually asked him, yes. I said, &#39;If it&#39;s possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?&#39;&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;He said, &#39;You are not under investigation,&#39;&quot; Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey&#39;s firing Tuesday.

&quot;All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I&#39;m not under investigation. Me. Personally. I&#39;m not talking about campaigns. I&#39;m not talking about anything else. I&#39;m not under investigation.&quot;

Trump&#39;s comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence.

Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump&#39;s question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and &quot;would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term.

Asking such a question &quot;would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would&#39;ve had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought,&quot; Tribe said.

The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. &quot;I don&#39;t see it as a conflict of interest,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief&#39;s handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails.

&quot;I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations,&quot; said the president. &quot;He&#39;s a showboat, he&#39;s a&nbsp;grandstander.&quot;&nbsp;

What&#39;s the reason?

Opponents have claimed that Comey&#39;s shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump&#39;s team.

Trump&#39;s interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey&#39;s sacking would not derail the Russia investigation.

&quot;There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,&quot; acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal.

&quot;You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing,&quot; he said. &quot;All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions.&quot;

Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been &quot;horrible.&quot;

He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow.

&quot;There&#39;s no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians,&quot; he said.

&#39;Broad support&#39;&nbsp;

While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in &quot;turmoil,&quot; &nbsp;McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file.

&quot;Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today,&quot; he told the committee.&nbsp;

Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey&#39;s dismissal &quot;especially troubling.&quot;

&quot;He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia&#39;s efforts to interfere in our election.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president&#39;s decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation.&quot;

McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications.

He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House.

(AFP)

Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference. The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election. "When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story," he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey's firing with the investigation. Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner. "I actually asked him, yes. I said, 'If it's possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?'" "He said, 'You are not under investigation,'" Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey's firing Tuesday. "All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I'm not under investigation. Me. Personally. I'm not talking about campaigns. I'm not talking about anything else. I'm not under investigation." Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines. US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence. Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump's question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and "would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation." Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term. Asking such a question "would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would've had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought," Tribe said. The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. "I don't see it as a conflict of interest," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief's handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton's emails. "I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations," said the president. "He's a showboat, he's a grandstander." What's the reason? Opponents have claimed that Comey's shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's team. Trump's interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey's sacking would not derail the Russia investigation. "There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date," acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal. "You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing," he said. "All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions." Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been "horrible." He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow. "There's no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians," he said. 'Broad support' While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in "turmoil," McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file. "Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today," he told the committee. Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey's dismissal "especially troubling." "He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts to interfere in our election." "For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president's decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation." McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications. He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House. (AFP)

Trump asked sacked FBI chief Comey three times if he was target of investigations

The anger behind Donald Trump&#39;s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said.

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server.

When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump&rsquo;s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said.

&quot;It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties,&quot; one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous.

Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel &quot;mildly nauseous&quot; that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton&#39;s handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again.

Trump&#39;s sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign&#39;s alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI&#39;s probe into Russia&#39;s alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe.

Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.

A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year.

According to this former adviser, Comey&#39;s Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump&#39;s mind that &quot;Comey was against him.&quot;

&quot;He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump,&quot; the former Trump adviser said of Comey.

Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump.

Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago.

Trump&#39;s move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing.

Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing.

Fig Leaf

Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly.

Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI&rsquo;s handling of the Clinton email investigation.

&ldquo;I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it&rsquo;s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,&rdquo; one former official said.

US&nbsp;Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her &ldquo;understanding&rdquo; Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him.

Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey&#39;s dismissal as he met with former US&nbsp;Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, &quot;He wasn&#39;t doing a good job, very simply. He wasn&#39;t doing a good job.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server

The anger behind Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said. Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump’s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said. "It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties," one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous. Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton's handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again. Trump's sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign's alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency. Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI's probe into Russia's alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling. The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe. Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia. A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year. According to this former adviser, Comey's Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump's mind that "Comey was against him." "He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump," the former Trump adviser said of Comey. Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump. Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago. Trump's move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened. White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing. Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing. Fig Leaf Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly. Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation. “I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it’s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,” one former official said. US Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her “understanding” Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him. Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey's dismissal as he met with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, "He wasn't doing a good job, very simply. He wasn't doing a good job." (Reuters)

Comey's refusal to preview details of Senate testimony on Clinton probe made Trump furious

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking.

He vowed to replace Comey with someone &quot;far better.&quot;

&quot;Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,&quot; Trump wrote in a Tweet.

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James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862265729718128641">May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862267781336752128">May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign&#39;s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations.

&quot;There will be no effect,&quot; Putin told CBS.&quot;Your question looks very funny for me. Don&#39;t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

Sacked FBI director James Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking. He vowed to replace Comey with someone "far better." "Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me," Trump wrote in a Tweet. James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations. "There will be no effect," Putin told CBS."Your question looks very funny for me. Don't be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump defends FBI director sacking

The election of South Korea&#39;s new president Moon Jae-In heralds a sea change in Seoul&#39;s approach towards the nuclear-armed North -- and puts it on a potential collision course with Washington.

The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang over its atomic and missile ambitions.

In contrast, Donald Trump&#39;s administration has called for stepped up sanctions and warned military action is an &quot;option on the table&quot;, sending fears of conflict spiralling.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the two Koreas are divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth.&nbsp;

The isolated, impoverished North is accused of widespread rights abuses and dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.

It has carried out five atomic tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple rocket launches.

The last time South Korea had a liberal leadership it embraced a &quot;Sunshine Policy&quot; of rapprochement with Pyongyang and, as a close aide to then president Roh Moo-Hyun, Moon helped arrange the last inter-Korean summit with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

&quot;I would go anywhere in the world -- including North Korea itself -- if doing so would solve the North&#39;s nuclear problem,&quot; Moon told reporters during the presidential campaign. &quot;I would meet anyone for that.&quot;

He also advocates resumption of some inter-Korean projects shuttered under the conservative governments of the last 10 years, including the Kaesong joint industrial zone, where South Korean firms employed Northern workers.

But his scope for manoeuvre will be limited, analysts say.

Under Moon, Seoul&#39;s policy towards the North will change &quot;substantially&quot;, Robert Kelly of Pusan National University told AFP, &quot;but less substantially than many people on the South Korean left and Moon himself would like&quot;.

Unlike 20 years ago, when the Sunshine policy was first introduced, the North now has nuclear weapons, an increasingly advanced missile programme, and a reputation as a drug manufacturer and counterfeiter.

&quot;That doesn&rsquo;t mean we shouldn&rsquo;t talk to North Korea,&quot; Kelly said, but if Moon wants to pursue re-opening Kaesong or a &#39;Sunshine Policy 2&#39;, &quot;he&#39;s going to collide with the American government where there is a pretty solid consensus right now that North Korea is a genuine global menace&quot;.

&#39;Good cop&#39; 
The new president wants the South to have a greater say in its alliance with security guarantor the United States, which has 28,500 troops in the country.

Their presence is also in Washington&#39;s own interests, he said. &quot;They are important not only to our own security but also to the global strategy of the US.&quot;

He has expressed ambivalence over the US THAAD missile defence system, whose deployment in the South has infuriated China, and which Trump has demanded Seoul pay for.

But its accelerated installation -- it was declared operational last week -- meant he can now present it to opponents as a &quot;fait accompli&quot;, analysts say.

To his critics, any concession to Pyongyang is dangerous and they accuse Moon -- whose parents fled the North during the Korean War -- of being a Communist sympathiser.

Others suggest his presidential victory could give the US room for manoeuvre.

Trump has moderated his tone more recently, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and Cheong Seong-Chang of the private Sejong Institute told AFP that Washington was &quot;groping for an exit following all the huffing and puffing over the past few months&quot;.

&quot;Moon&#39;s policy of engagement may appear to clash with Trump&#39;s line of heaping utmost pressure and sanctions, but they are complementary to each other as Seoul may play a &#39;good cop&#39; role here,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Bomb shelter 
South Koreans are accustomed to living under the threat from the North, and opinions are divided on how to handle Pyongyang.

With corruption and the economy uppermost in voters&#39; minds, surveys showed that only around 18 percent considered security the most important issue in the election.

And engagement has its backers.

Gyodong island lies on the DMZ, with the North barely two kilometres away at its closest point, and its residents are subject to a constant barrage of propaganda broadcasts from both sides.

One of the polling stations where voters cast their ballots this week stands just a few hundred metres from a new municipal facility under construction -- a giant bomb shelter with thick blast doors.

As well as its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has a huge conventional military at its disposal, including vast artillery forces within range of Seoul.

Resident Lee Mee-jung declined to tell AFP who she voted for.

But she said: &quot;We&#39;re in close quarters with North Korea. So we need a more peaceful policy of talking to each other so that war doesn&#39;t break out.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang

The election of South Korea's new president Moon Jae-In heralds a sea change in Seoul's approach towards the nuclear-armed North -- and puts it on a potential collision course with Washington. The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang over its atomic and missile ambitions. In contrast, Donald Trump's administration has called for stepped up sanctions and warned military action is an "option on the table", sending fears of conflict spiralling. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the two Koreas are divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth. The isolated, impoverished North is accused of widespread rights abuses and dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States. It has carried out five atomic tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple rocket launches. The last time South Korea had a liberal leadership it embraced a "Sunshine Policy" of rapprochement with Pyongyang and, as a close aide to then president Roh Moo-Hyun, Moon helped arrange the last inter-Korean summit with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. "I would go anywhere in the world -- including North Korea itself -- if doing so would solve the North's nuclear problem," Moon told reporters during the presidential campaign. "I would meet anyone for that." He also advocates resumption of some inter-Korean projects shuttered under the conservative governments of the last 10 years, including the Kaesong joint industrial zone, where South Korean firms employed Northern workers. But his scope for manoeuvre will be limited, analysts say. Under Moon, Seoul's policy towards the North will change "substantially", Robert Kelly of Pusan National University told AFP, "but less substantially than many people on the South Korean left and Moon himself would like". Unlike 20 years ago, when the Sunshine policy was first introduced, the North now has nuclear weapons, an increasingly advanced missile programme, and a reputation as a drug manufacturer and counterfeiter. "That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk to North Korea," Kelly said, but if Moon wants to pursue re-opening Kaesong or a 'Sunshine Policy 2', "he's going to collide with the American government where there is a pretty solid consensus right now that North Korea is a genuine global menace". 'Good cop' The new president wants the South to have a greater say in its alliance with security guarantor the United States, which has 28,500 troops in the country. Their presence is also in Washington's own interests, he said. "They are important not only to our own security but also to the global strategy of the US." He has expressed ambivalence over the US THAAD missile defence system, whose deployment in the South has infuriated China, and which Trump has demanded Seoul pay for. But its accelerated installation -- it was declared operational last week -- meant he can now present it to opponents as a "fait accompli", analysts say. To his critics, any concession to Pyongyang is dangerous and they accuse Moon -- whose parents fled the North during the Korean War -- of being a Communist sympathiser. Others suggest his presidential victory could give the US room for manoeuvre. Trump has moderated his tone more recently, saying he would be "honoured" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and Cheong Seong-Chang of the private Sejong Institute told AFP that Washington was "groping for an exit following all the huffing and puffing over the past few months". "Moon's policy of engagement may appear to clash with Trump's line of heaping utmost pressure and sanctions, but they are complementary to each other as Seoul may play a 'good cop' role here," he said. Bomb shelter South Koreans are accustomed to living under the threat from the North, and opinions are divided on how to handle Pyongyang. With corruption and the economy uppermost in voters' minds, surveys showed that only around 18 percent considered security the most important issue in the election. And engagement has its backers. Gyodong island lies on the DMZ, with the North barely two kilometres away at its closest point, and its residents are subject to a constant barrage of propaganda broadcasts from both sides. One of the polling stations where voters cast their ballots this week stands just a few hundred metres from a new municipal facility under construction -- a giant bomb shelter with thick blast doors. As well as its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has a huge conventional military at its disposal, including vast artillery forces within range of Seoul. Resident Lee Mee-jung declined to tell AFP who she voted for. But she said: "We're in close quarters with North Korea. So we need a more peaceful policy of talking to each other so that war doesn't break out." (AFP)

South Korea's Moon to seek change with North, could put it on collision course with US

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday made the shock decision to fire his FBI director James Comey, the man who leads the agency charged with investigating his campaign&#39;s ties with Russia.

The surprise dismissal of Comey, who played a controversial role in the 2016 presidential election, is sure to send shockwaves through Washington.

&quot;The president has accepted the recommendation of the attorney general and the deputy attorney general regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,&quot; White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.

A search for a new FBI director was to begin &quot;immediately,&quot; the White House said in a statement.

In a letter, Trump told Comey: &quot;You are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.&quot;

&quot;While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.&quot;

&quot;It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission,&quot; Trump said.

FBI directors are appointed for a single 10-year term. The 56-year-old Comey, who is popular among rank-and-file agents, was appointed four years ago.

Democrat Hillary Clinton accused Comey of trashing her chances of becoming president by revealing an renewed investigation into her email use.

His dismissal will raise questions about Trump&#39;s motives.

It will also prompt parallels with Richard Nixon&#39;s decision to unceremoniously fire his attorney general, an event that plunged his presidency deeper into crisis.

(AFP)

Democrat Hillary Clinton had accused Comey of trashing her chances of becoming president by revealing an renewed investigation into her email use.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday made the shock decision to fire his FBI director James Comey, the man who leads the agency charged with investigating his campaign's ties with Russia. The surprise dismissal of Comey, who played a controversial role in the 2016 presidential election, is sure to send shockwaves through Washington. "The president has accepted the recommendation of the attorney general and the deputy attorney general regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. A search for a new FBI director was to begin "immediately," the White House said in a statement. In a letter, Trump told Comey: "You are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately." "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau." "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission," Trump said. FBI directors are appointed for a single 10-year term. The 56-year-old Comey, who is popular among rank-and-file agents, was appointed four years ago. Democrat Hillary Clinton accused Comey of trashing her chances of becoming president by revealing an renewed investigation into her email use. His dismissal will raise questions about Trump's motives. It will also prompt parallels with Richard Nixon's decision to unceremoniously fire his attorney general, an event that plunged his presidency deeper into crisis. (AFP)

Trump fires FBI director James Comey

A foreign-funded university in North Korea confirmed Monday the arrest of a US citizen -- the second person linked to the school held in two weeks amid tensions on the peninsula.

The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile ambitions.

The North detained Kim on Saturday for &quot;hostile acts&quot;, the official KCNA news agency said Sunday, adding he had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST).

The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members. Students are generally the children of the country&#39;s elite.

PUST confirmed Kim&#39;s arrest, saying he was detained as he was about to leave the country after a visit of several weeks.

&quot;During that visit, Mr Kim was at PUST to do agricultural development work with PUST&#39;s experimental farm,&quot; it said in a statement.

It did not comment on the reason for Kim&#39;s arrest but said it was &quot;not connected in any way with the work of PUST.&quot;

Two weeks ago the North arrested Tony Kim, a US citizen and accounting professor who was lecturing at PUST, accusing him of trying to &quot;overturn&quot; the regime.

Little is known about Kim Hak-Song. &nbsp;

The arrests of two Americans in such a short span of time comes as Pyongyang exchanges hostile rhetoric with the US over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.&nbsp;

Pyongyang has carried out two nuclear tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the US mainland.&nbsp;

Washington has suggested military action could be on the table but President Donald Trump has has softened his message more recently, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet the North&#39;s young leader, Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp;

The four American citizens held in the North also include college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul, who received lengthy jail terms for &quot;crimes against the state&quot; and spying, respectively.

The North has occasionally jailed US citizens and released them only after visits by high-profile political figures including former president Bill Clinton.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens

A foreign-funded university in North Korea confirmed Monday the arrest of a US citizen -- the second person linked to the school held in two weeks amid tensions on the peninsula. The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions. The North detained Kim on Saturday for "hostile acts", the official KCNA news agency said Sunday, adding he had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members. Students are generally the children of the country's elite. PUST confirmed Kim's arrest, saying he was detained as he was about to leave the country after a visit of several weeks. "During that visit, Mr Kim was at PUST to do agricultural development work with PUST's experimental farm," it said in a statement. It did not comment on the reason for Kim's arrest but said it was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST." Two weeks ago the North arrested Tony Kim, a US citizen and accounting professor who was lecturing at PUST, accusing him of trying to "overturn" the regime. Little is known about Kim Hak-Song. The arrests of two Americans in such a short span of time comes as Pyongyang exchanges hostile rhetoric with the US over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Pyongyang has carried out two nuclear tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the US mainland. Washington has suggested military action could be on the table but President Donald Trump has has softened his message more recently, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North's young leader, Kim Jong-Un. The four American citizens held in the North also include college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul, who received lengthy jail terms for "crimes against the state" and spying, respectively. The North has occasionally jailed US citizens and released them only after visits by high-profile political figures including former president Bill Clinton. (AFP)

North Korea arrests another US citizens amid tensions in flashpoint region

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said&nbsp;he would &quot;fight the divisions&quot; in the country.

39-year-old Macron&nbsp;stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote.

&quot;I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed,&quot; &nbsp;Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&quot;I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us,&quot; he added.

Set to be&nbsp;France&#39;s youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to &quot;rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens.&quot;

&quot;A new page in our long history is opening this evening,&quot; the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one &quot;of hope and confidence regained&quot;.

&quot;France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism,&quot; he said.

Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency,&quot; outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement.

US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron.

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Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/861300169438113793">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on &quot;a wide range of shared priorities&quot;.

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I warmly congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron">@EmmanuelMacron</a> on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities.
&mdash; Theresa May (@theresa_may) <a href="https://twitter.com/theresa_may/status/861301370367987713">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said Macron&#39;s victory &quot;is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship.&quot;

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a &quot;European future&quot;.

European Union &nbsp;Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen &quot;liberty, equality and fraternity&quot; and &quot;said no to the tyranny of fake news&quot;.&nbsp;

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a &quot;stable&quot; and &quot;more integrated Europe&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe,&quot; Rajoy said in a tweet.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'A new page in our long history is opening this evening,' the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one 'of hope and confidence regained'

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said he would "fight the divisions" in the country. 39-year-old Macron stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote. "I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed," Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported. "I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us," he added. Set to be France's youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to "rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens." "A new page in our long history is opening this evening," the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one "of hope and confidence regained". "France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism," he said. Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world. "I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency," outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement. US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron. Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017 × British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on "a wide range of shared priorities". I warmly congratulate @EmmanuelMacron on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities. — Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 7, 2017 × German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said Macron's victory "is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a "European future". European Union Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen "liberty, equality and fraternity" and "said no to the tyranny of fake news". Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a "stable" and "more integrated Europe". "Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe," Rajoy said in a tweet. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Macron vows to 'fight the divisions' in France

The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged wealthy Chinese Sunday to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment through the EB-5 visa programme.

Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing Saturday and in Shanghai Sunday, seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey.&nbsp;

Jared Kushner, 36, is both a senior adviser and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy. He stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration.

However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family firm will be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme.

The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign nationals, but detractors say it puts citizenship up for sale.&nbsp;

This offers foreigners permanent residency -- commonly known as a green card -- in exchange for investment of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs.&nbsp;

Meyer told a crowd of more than 100 potential investors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai that her grandfather had come to the US as a poor refugee, labouring as a carpenter before building up a real estate empire.&nbsp;

But they could fast-track the process by buying into the 1,476-unit complex in Jersey City, scheduled to break ground in early 2018.&nbsp;

The investment drive, hosted by Chinese government-approved immigration agency QWOS, has sought to highlight the project&#39;s connections to the &quot;famous&quot; clan, raising concern over potential conflicts of interest.&nbsp;

On Sunday Meyer was introduced in Chinese to investors as a representative of &quot;a famed celebrity investment family&quot;. &nbsp;

QWOS representatives courting potential investors on-site pointedly dropped the name of Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, who is Jared Kushner&#39;s wife and a popular icon on the mainland.

Attendees were reassured by an American lawyer that despite his tough talk on immigration, Trump himself was a key decision-maker for EB-5 policy and was unlikely to make any changes to it in the near future -- making it a safe path to US residency.

But acting sooner was better than later since investment thresholds were likely to rise come autumn and regulations tighten, he warned. &nbsp;

The housing complex, known as &quot;One Journal Square&quot;, will include recreational facilities, child playrooms and a pet hospital, according to the QWOS website.&nbsp;

EB-5 investment from China will account for around 15 per cent of its total $976.4 million cost. &nbsp;

Sunday&#39;s presentations emphasised the complex&#39;s similarity to a Trump-branded luxury development a ten-minute drive away.&nbsp;

Those apartments were also developed by Kushner Companies, and about a quarter of the funding -- around $50 million -- was obtained via EB-5 investment, according to a report last year by Bloomberg News.&nbsp;

Most investors were Chinese and were brought in by QWOS, the company said.

Around a dozen clients had signed on for the new project after a Beijing event headed by Meyer the day before, QWOS representatives told AFP.&nbsp;

There, Nicole Kushner Meyer told investors that the project &quot;means a lot to me and my entire family&quot;, and mentioned her brother&#39;s former role as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the New York Times reported.&nbsp;

Photos of the meeting showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: &quot;Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it&quot;.

Journalists had been asked to leave the room in Beijing. In Shanghai, they were told they could not attend the &quot;private event&quot; even though it was publicly advertised. &nbsp;

Kushner Companies are also due to pitch for investment in the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou next weekend, according to the QWOS website.

Nearly 90 per cent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2014, when the programme reached its quota of 10,000 visas. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey

The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged wealthy Chinese Sunday to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment through the EB-5 visa programme. Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing Saturday and in Shanghai Sunday, seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey. Jared Kushner, 36, is both a senior adviser and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy. He stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration. However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family firm will be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme. The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign nationals, but detractors say it puts citizenship up for sale. This offers foreigners permanent residency -- commonly known as a green card -- in exchange for investment of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs. Meyer told a crowd of more than 100 potential investors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai that her grandfather had come to the US as a poor refugee, labouring as a carpenter before building up a real estate empire. But they could fast-track the process by buying into the 1,476-unit complex in Jersey City, scheduled to break ground in early 2018. The investment drive, hosted by Chinese government-approved immigration agency QWOS, has sought to highlight the project's connections to the "famous" clan, raising concern over potential conflicts of interest. On Sunday Meyer was introduced in Chinese to investors as a representative of "a famed celebrity investment family". QWOS representatives courting potential investors on-site pointedly dropped the name of Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is Jared Kushner's wife and a popular icon on the mainland. Attendees were reassured by an American lawyer that despite his tough talk on immigration, Trump himself was a key decision-maker for EB-5 policy and was unlikely to make any changes to it in the near future -- making it a safe path to US residency. But acting sooner was better than later since investment thresholds were likely to rise come autumn and regulations tighten, he warned. The housing complex, known as "One Journal Square", will include recreational facilities, child playrooms and a pet hospital, according to the QWOS website. EB-5 investment from China will account for around 15 per cent of its total $976.4 million cost. Sunday's presentations emphasised the complex's similarity to a Trump-branded luxury development a ten-minute drive away. Those apartments were also developed by Kushner Companies, and about a quarter of the funding -- around $50 million -- was obtained via EB-5 investment, according to a report last year by Bloomberg News. Most investors were Chinese and were brought in by QWOS, the company said. Around a dozen clients had signed on for the new project after a Beijing event headed by Meyer the day before, QWOS representatives told AFP. There, Nicole Kushner Meyer told investors that the project "means a lot to me and my entire family", and mentioned her brother's former role as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the New York Times reported. Photos of the meeting showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: "Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it". Journalists had been asked to leave the room in Beijing. In Shanghai, they were told they could not attend the "private event" even though it was publicly advertised. Kushner Companies are also due to pitch for investment in the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou next weekend, according to the QWOS website. Nearly 90 per cent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2014, when the programme reached its quota of 10,000 visas. (AFP)

Sister of Trump's son-in-law solicits Chinese investment in exchange of visas

A draft of President Donald Trump&#39;s new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated.

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, &quot;open-ended&quot; military commitments.

&quot;We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American &#39;blood and treasure&#39; in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals,&quot; states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months.

&quot;We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups,&quot; it says.

However, it acknowledges that terrorism &quot;cannot be defeated with any sort of finality&quot;.

Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, &quot;As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011.&quot;

The process is aimed at ensuring &quot;the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies,&quot; Anton said. &quot;Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles.&quot;

Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones.

It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia.

Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say.

A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders.

&quot;If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy,&quot; said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday.

Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has &quot;diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago,&quot; the draft strategy said.

In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said.

Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University&#39;s Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters&#39; request, said the draft strategy &quot;paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture&quot; of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a &quot;triumphalist&quot; tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden&#39;s death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan.

Missing Phrase

The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered.

The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO.

It does not include a signature phrase from Trump&#39;s 2016 campaign, &quot;radical Islamic terrorism.&quot; Instead, it says that jihadist groups &quot;have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale.&quot;

The draft&#39;s first guiding principle is that the United States &quot;will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary.&quot;

The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, &quot;ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders.&quot;

The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and &quot;degrade their efforts to develop and deploy&quot; chemical and biological weapons.

Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities.

The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other &quot;soft power&quot; tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism.

In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made &quot;respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law&quot; the foremost of its guiding principles.

&quot;Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics,&quot; or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft &quot;a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it.&quot;

(Reuters)

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, 'open-ended' military commitments

A draft of President Donald Trump's new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated. The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, "open-ended" military commitments. "We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American 'blood and treasure' in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals," states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months. "We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups," it says. However, it acknowledges that terrorism "cannot be defeated with any sort of finality". Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, "As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011." The process is aimed at ensuring "the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies," Anton said. "Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles." Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones. It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia. Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say. A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders. "If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday. Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has "diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago," the draft strategy said. In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said. Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters' request, said the draft strategy "paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture" of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a "triumphalist" tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan. Missing Phrase The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered. The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump's "America First" foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO. It does not include a signature phrase from Trump's 2016 campaign, "radical Islamic terrorism." Instead, it says that jihadist groups "have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale." The draft's first guiding principle is that the United States "will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary." The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, "ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders." The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and "degrade their efforts to develop and deploy" chemical and biological weapons. Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities. The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other "soft power" tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism. In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made "respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law" the foremost of its guiding principles. "Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics," or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft "a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it." (Reuters)

Trump's new counter-terrorism strategy urges allies to do more to combat terrorism

&nbsp;The US Defense Department is finalising a lease on a privately owned apartment in New York&#39;s Trump Tower for the White House Military Office to use for supporting President Donald Trump without providing any benefit to Trump or his organisation, according to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters.

The Military Office carries and safeguards the &quot;football,&quot; the device that contains the top secret launch codes the president needs to order a nuclear attack, as well as providing him secure communications wherever he is.

The White House, Secret Service, and Defense Department had no comment on whether similar arrangements have been made at other properties Trump frequents - Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is spending this weekend.&nbsp;

In a letter to Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and intelligence committees, Defense Department official James MacStravic, said the apartment is &quot;privately owned and ... lease negotiations have been with the owner&#39;s representatives only.&quot;

MacStravic, who wrote that he was &quot;temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics,&quot; said any acquisition of leased space with &quot;an annual rental in excess of $1 million must first be approved by my office.&quot;

He &quot;approved this action&quot; after consulting with the White House Military Office and other officials, he said.

Officials declined to reveal the cost of the lease or identify the owners of the apartment.&nbsp;

MacStravic&#39;s letter, dated March 3, added: &quot;We are not aware of any means through which the President would personally benefit from a Government lease of this space.&quot;&nbsp;

The letter explained that the White House Military Office, a Pentagon unit, &quot;requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence.&quot;

The letter said such arrangements are &quot;typical of support provided&quot; by the Military Office to previous US presidents and vice presidents at their private residences.

It is not clear, however, whether the office has ever paid to rent space to house the classified equipment presidents need when they are staying at homes they own outside Washington.

A White House spokeswoman said the White House had no information on the leasing issue. The Defense Department and US Secret Service declined to comment.

The Trump Organisation did not reply to an email requesting comment.&nbsp;

When the Pentagon in February first acknowledged that it was seeking to lease space in Trump Tower, some Democrats questioned whether such a move would produce a financial windfall for Trump.

&quot;I am concerned by the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal at the expense of the Department of Defense - and ultimately, taxpayers,&quot; Speier wrote to Defense Secretary James Mattis shortly after the Trump Tower issue became public in February.&nbsp;

By negotiating only with representatives of the owners of a private apartment, the Pentagon said it was seeking to avoid such concerns.

(Reuters)

According to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters, a unit "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence."

The US Defense Department is finalising a lease on a privately owned apartment in New York's Trump Tower for the White House Military Office to use for supporting President Donald Trump without providing any benefit to Trump or his organisation, according to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters. The Military Office carries and safeguards the "football," the device that contains the top secret launch codes the president needs to order a nuclear attack, as well as providing him secure communications wherever he is. The White House, Secret Service, and Defense Department had no comment on whether similar arrangements have been made at other properties Trump frequents - Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is spending this weekend. In a letter to Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and intelligence committees, Defense Department official James MacStravic, said the apartment is "privately owned and ... lease negotiations have been with the owner's representatives only." MacStravic, who wrote that he was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics," said any acquisition of leased space with "an annual rental in excess of $1 million must first be approved by my office." He "approved this action" after consulting with the White House Military Office and other officials, he said. Officials declined to reveal the cost of the lease or identify the owners of the apartment. MacStravic's letter, dated March 3, added: "We are not aware of any means through which the President would personally benefit from a Government lease of this space." The letter explained that the White House Military Office, a Pentagon unit, "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence." The letter said such arrangements are "typical of support provided" by the Military Office to previous US presidents and vice presidents at their private residences. It is not clear, however, whether the office has ever paid to rent space to house the classified equipment presidents need when they are staying at homes they own outside Washington. A White House spokeswoman said the White House had no information on the leasing issue. The Defense Department and US Secret Service declined to comment. The Trump Organisation did not reply to an email requesting comment. When the Pentagon in February first acknowledged that it was seeking to lease space in Trump Tower, some Democrats questioned whether such a move would produce a financial windfall for Trump. "I am concerned by the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal at the expense of the Department of Defense - and ultimately, taxpayers," Speier wrote to Defense Secretary James Mattis shortly after the Trump Tower issue became public in February. By negotiating only with representatives of the owners of a private apartment, the Pentagon said it was seeking to avoid such concerns. (Reuters)

Pentagon to lease privately owned Trump Tower apartment for nuclear 'football' : Letter

&nbsp;The US&nbsp;House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;on&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state.

The vote was 419 to 1.

Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme.

The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law.

Although legislation addressing&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill.

Any new US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would likely affect China, the&nbsp;North&#39;s most important trade partner.

While China has been angered by&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them.

Asked about the latest US&nbsp;legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions.

With the situation tense on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said.

(Reuters)

The US House of Representatives approved a legislation targeting shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state. The vote was 419 to 1. Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to North Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme. The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law. Although legislation addressing North Korea has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill. Any new US sanctions against North Korea would likely affect China, the North's most important trade partner. While China has been angered by North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN sanctions against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them. Asked about the latest US legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions. With the situation tense on the Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said. (Reuters)

US House tightens sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea

When Donald Trump was elected in November, the Dalai Lama said he was keen to meet the incoming US president, but since then Trump has cozied up to China&#39;s leader Xi Jinping, making it less likely the man Beijing deems a separatist will get an invite to the White House anytime soon.

The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People&#39;s Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence. But that has not deterred all the recent US presidents before Trump from meeting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

The United States is widely seen as the last major Western power that has still held meetings with the Dalai Lama despite Beijing&#39;s objections that such encounters foment separatism.

In past meetings, the US had consistently voiced support for the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China, and called for formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama and his representatives.

A State Department spokeswoman and a White House official referred Reuters to the Dalai Lama&#39;s office when asked whether the Tibetan spiritual leader and his representatives had asked for a meeting with Trump and whether any such meetings were planned.

The Chinese foreign ministry didn&#39;t immediately respond to a faxed request asking whether Beijing had asked Trump not to meet the Dalai Lama.

&quot;His Holiness was supposed to go (to the US) in April, but it was postponed,&quot; Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, told Reuters.

That trip has been delayed until June due to a hectic schedule in the preceding months that had left the Dalai Lama physically exhausted, Sangay said, adding that Washington DC wouldn&#39;t be part of the June itinerary.

The office of the Dalai Lama hasn&#39;t reached out to Trump to arrange a meeting yet, he said.

The Dalai Lama is taking a more considered approach with regard to any meeting with Trump, said a source with knowledge of the thinking of the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

The unpredictable US president upset protocol in December when weeks before being sworn into office he took a telephone call from the leader of self-ruled Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province, only to last week rebuff Taiwanese suggestions of another call.

In the interim, Trump has met and phoned Xi, and says he has built a strong relationship with the Chinese leader.

He called Xi &quot;a friend of mine&quot; who was &quot;doing an amazing job as a leader&quot; in an interview with Reuters last week, and praised him for trying to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. In return, the Chinese president has invited Trump to visit China this year.

In mid-2008, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama, to the anger of Beijing. Months later, the British Foreign Secretary at that time David Miliband ditched Britain&#39;s near century-long position on Tibet, describing it as an &quot;anachronism&quot;, and explicitly recognised Tibet as part of China.

Based on treaties signed at the turn of the 20th century by British-administered India and Tibet, Britain had previously said it would recognise China&#39;s &quot;special position&quot; in Tibet on the condition that Tibet was given significant autonomy.

Silence from Trump

Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a &quot;peaceful liberation&quot;. Nine years later, the Dalai Lama fled to India after an abortive uprising and set up a government in exile, which China does not recognise.

China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist in a monk&#39;s robes, even though the Dalai Lama says he wants autonomy for his homeland, not outright independence.

There have been no formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama&#39;s representatives since 2010.

International rights groups and exiles say China stamps on the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans, accusations denied by Beijing. China says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward trans-Himalayan region.

Trump has been silent on Tibetan issues.

&quot;The main change is that the US approach on Tibet seems likely to become more transactional and therefore less consistent,&quot; said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University.

&quot;It seems set to become more a question of contingency, dependent on how he calculates his relationship with China at any one moment.&quot;

Earlier this week, Democratic US Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts called for a new US policy towards Tibet to safeguard the identity of the Tibetan people and hold China accountable for human rights abuses.

The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he is still hopeful that the United States will continue to support Tibetan issues and push for talks between the Dalai Lama&#39;s representatives and Beijing.

But he said they were prepared for any upsets.

&quot;We are Buddhists, we believe in impermanence. You just go with your karma and whatever happens, happens, because we have seen the worst, the occupation of our country,&quot; said Sangay, who is planning a trip to Washington at the end of May.

(Reuters)

The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence

When Donald Trump was elected in November, the Dalai Lama said he was keen to meet the incoming US president, but since then Trump has cozied up to China's leader Xi Jinping, making it less likely the man Beijing deems a separatist will get an invite to the White House anytime soon. The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence. But that has not deterred all the recent US presidents before Trump from meeting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The United States is widely seen as the last major Western power that has still held meetings with the Dalai Lama despite Beijing's objections that such encounters foment separatism. In past meetings, the US had consistently voiced support for the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China, and called for formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama and his representatives. A State Department spokeswoman and a White House official referred Reuters to the Dalai Lama's office when asked whether the Tibetan spiritual leader and his representatives had asked for a meeting with Trump and whether any such meetings were planned. The Chinese foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to a faxed request asking whether Beijing had asked Trump not to meet the Dalai Lama. "His Holiness was supposed to go (to the US) in April, but it was postponed," Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, told Reuters. That trip has been delayed until June due to a hectic schedule in the preceding months that had left the Dalai Lama physically exhausted, Sangay said, adding that Washington DC wouldn't be part of the June itinerary. The office of the Dalai Lama hasn't reached out to Trump to arrange a meeting yet, he said. The Dalai Lama is taking a more considered approach with regard to any meeting with Trump, said a source with knowledge of the thinking of the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. The unpredictable US president upset protocol in December when weeks before being sworn into office he took a telephone call from the leader of self-ruled Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province, only to last week rebuff Taiwanese suggestions of another call. In the interim, Trump has met and phoned Xi, and says he has built a strong relationship with the Chinese leader. He called Xi "a friend of mine" who was "doing an amazing job as a leader" in an interview with Reuters last week, and praised him for trying to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. In return, the Chinese president has invited Trump to visit China this year. In mid-2008, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama, to the anger of Beijing. Months later, the British Foreign Secretary at that time David Miliband ditched Britain's near century-long position on Tibet, describing it as an "anachronism", and explicitly recognised Tibet as part of China. Based on treaties signed at the turn of the 20th century by British-administered India and Tibet, Britain had previously said it would recognise China's "special position" in Tibet on the condition that Tibet was given significant autonomy. Silence from Trump Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". Nine years later, the Dalai Lama fled to India after an abortive uprising and set up a government in exile, which China does not recognise. China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist in a monk's robes, even though the Dalai Lama says he wants autonomy for his homeland, not outright independence. There have been no formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama's representatives since 2010. International rights groups and exiles say China stamps on the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans, accusations denied by Beijing. China says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward trans-Himalayan region. Trump has been silent on Tibetan issues. "The main change is that the US approach on Tibet seems likely to become more transactional and therefore less consistent," said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University. "It seems set to become more a question of contingency, dependent on how he calculates his relationship with China at any one moment." Earlier this week, Democratic US Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts called for a new US policy towards Tibet to safeguard the identity of the Tibetan people and hold China accountable for human rights abuses. The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he is still hopeful that the United States will continue to support Tibetan issues and push for talks between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Beijing. But he said they were prepared for any upsets. "We are Buddhists, we believe in impermanence. You just go with your karma and whatever happens, happens, because we have seen the worst, the occupation of our country," said Sangay, who is planning a trip to Washington at the end of May. (Reuters)

Dalai Lama to wait longer for White House invite as Trump cozies up to China's Xi

US President Donald Trump held his first-face-to-face meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday, and declared that they &quot;get along great,&quot; following an acrimonious phone call in January that strained ties between the two allies.

&quot;They said we had a rough phone call. We didn&#39;t really have a rough phone call,&quot; Trump said in dinner remarks. &quot;It got a little bit testy. But that&#39;s okay.&quot;

Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum moored on Manhattan&#39;s West Side. Joined by their wives, the two leaders later attended a gala to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Turnbull was one of the first foreign leaders Trump spoke to after taking office on January 20. The Republican president became irritated that he was expected to honor an agreement made by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to accept as many as 1,250 refugees held in Australian processing centers on remote Pacific islands.

Trump had broken off what was supposed to be an hour-long call after 25 minutes and later tweeted that the refugee agreement was a &quot;dumb deal&quot; and vowed to study it. The call aroused criticism and raised questions about his diplomatic skills.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Australia in April and made clear that while Trump was not happy about the refugee agreement, the United States would honor it out of respect for Australia. Under the agreement, Australia is to resettle refugees from three Central American countries.

Thursday&#39;s get-together with Turnbull was delayed because of Trump&#39;s hastily arranged White House celebration with Republicans from the US House of Representatives after they narrowly passed a healthcare bill that would repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The measure has yet to come before the Senate.

Trump and Turnbull were all smiles as they answered questions about the January phone call and the refugee deal during a picture-taking session.

&quot;We get along great. We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have,&quot; Trump said.

Turnbull added: &quot;We can put the refugee deal behind you and move on.&quot;

Trump said the refugee deal had been &quot;worked out for a long time&quot; and that reporters had exaggerated the phone call.

&quot;We had a great call,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;I mean, we&#39;re not babies.&quot;

&quot;Young at heart,&quot; added Turnbull.

Trump vowed to visit Australia as president, calling it &quot;one of the great, great places&quot; and noted he had many friends there. One such friend, pro golfer Greg Norman, was among the attendees at the Intrepid dinner.

In dinner remarks after their meeting, Turnbull celebrated the unity of spirit that brought the two countries together against Japan in World War Two, and said Australia and the United States are united against North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programs and are fighting together in Afghanistan.

&quot;Today and together, we condemn and we resist North Korea&rsquo;s provocation,&quot; he said.

It was Trump&#39;s first trip back to New York, his home and where he made his name and fortune, since the former real estate executive moved into the White House in January.

His motorcade passed hundreds of protesters as it arrived at the Intrepid in the early evening. Trump did not plan to visit Trump Tower, his home in midtown Manhattan where his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and their young son Barron still live, but instead was to spend the weekend at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

(Reuters)

Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum

US President Donald Trump held his first-face-to-face meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday, and declared that they "get along great," following an acrimonious phone call in January that strained ties between the two allies. "They said we had a rough phone call. We didn't really have a rough phone call," Trump said in dinner remarks. "It got a little bit testy. But that's okay." Dressed in tuxedos as they prepared to attend a dinner, the two leaders met on board the USS Intrepid, a World War Two aircraft carrier that is now a museum moored on Manhattan's West Side. Joined by their wives, the two leaders later attended a gala to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Turnbull was one of the first foreign leaders Trump spoke to after taking office on January 20. The Republican president became irritated that he was expected to honor an agreement made by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to accept as many as 1,250 refugees held in Australian processing centers on remote Pacific islands. Trump had broken off what was supposed to be an hour-long call after 25 minutes and later tweeted that the refugee agreement was a "dumb deal" and vowed to study it. The call aroused criticism and raised questions about his diplomatic skills. Vice President Mike Pence visited Australia in April and made clear that while Trump was not happy about the refugee agreement, the United States would honor it out of respect for Australia. Under the agreement, Australia is to resettle refugees from three Central American countries. Thursday's get-together with Turnbull was delayed because of Trump's hastily arranged White House celebration with Republicans from the US House of Representatives after they narrowly passed a healthcare bill that would repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The measure has yet to come before the Senate. Trump and Turnbull were all smiles as they answered questions about the January phone call and the refugee deal during a picture-taking session. "We get along great. We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have," Trump said. Turnbull added: "We can put the refugee deal behind you and move on." Trump said the refugee deal had been "worked out for a long time" and that reporters had exaggerated the phone call. "We had a great call," he said, adding, "I mean, we're not babies." "Young at heart," added Turnbull. Trump vowed to visit Australia as president, calling it "one of the great, great places" and noted he had many friends there. One such friend, pro golfer Greg Norman, was among the attendees at the Intrepid dinner. In dinner remarks after their meeting, Turnbull celebrated the unity of spirit that brought the two countries together against Japan in World War Two, and said Australia and the United States are united against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and are fighting together in Afghanistan. "Today and together, we condemn and we resist North Korea’s provocation," he said. It was Trump's first trip back to New York, his home and where he made his name and fortune, since the former real estate executive moved into the White House in January. His motorcade passed hundreds of protesters as it arrived at the Intrepid in the early evening. Trump did not plan to visit Trump Tower, his home in midtown Manhattan where his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and their young son Barron still live, but instead was to spend the weekend at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Reuters)

Trump and Australia's Turnbull meet after acrimonious phone call

The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to repeal major parts of Obamacare and replace it with a Republican healthcare plan, handing President Donald Trump his biggest legislative victory but setting up a tough fight in the Senate.

With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House, sending it to the Senate for consideration. No Democrat&nbsp;voted for the bill.

The bill&#39;s passage represented a vital step toward fulfilling a top Trump campaign pledge and a seven-year Republican quest to dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature healthcare law. But the effort now faces new hurdles in the Senate, where the House bill will have difficulty gaining Republican support.

Thursday&#39;s vote was also a political victory for House Speaker Paul Ryan, demonstrating his ability to pull together a fractured Republican caucus after two failed attempts this year to win consensus on the healthcare legislation.

Democrats are hoping that the Republicans&#39; vote to repeal Obamacare will spark a voter backlash in next year&#39;s midterm congressional elections.

Some 20 million Americans gained healthcare coverage under Obama&#39;s 2010 Affordable Care Act, which has recently gathered support in public opinion polls. But Republicans have long attacked it, seeing the programme as government overreach and complaining that it drives up healthcare costs.

The Republican bill, known formally as the American Health Care Act, aims to repeal most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It would slash funding for Medicaid, the programme that provides insurance for the poor, and roll back much of Medicaid&#39;s expansion. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House

The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to repeal major parts of Obamacare and replace it with a Republican healthcare plan, handing President Donald Trump his biggest legislative victory but setting up a tough fight in the Senate. With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House, sending it to the Senate for consideration. No Democrat voted for the bill. The bill's passage represented a vital step toward fulfilling a top Trump campaign pledge and a seven-year Republican quest to dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law. But the effort now faces new hurdles in the Senate, where the House bill will have difficulty gaining Republican support. Thursday's vote was also a political victory for House Speaker Paul Ryan, demonstrating his ability to pull together a fractured Republican caucus after two failed attempts this year to win consensus on the healthcare legislation. Democrats are hoping that the Republicans' vote to repeal Obamacare will spark a voter backlash in next year's midterm congressional elections. Some 20 million Americans gained healthcare coverage under Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act, which has recently gathered support in public opinion polls. But Republicans have long attacked it, seeing the programme as government overreach and complaining that it drives up healthcare costs. The Republican bill, known formally as the American Health Care Act, aims to repeal most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It would slash funding for Medicaid, the programme that provides insurance for the poor, and roll back much of Medicaid's expansion. (Reuters)

US House of Representatives passes healthcare bill in big win for Trump

Donald Trump on Thursday announced his first foreign trip as president will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican -- the spiritual centers of Islam, Judaism and Catholicism.

Trump will add the three stops to an already announced visit to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily later this month.

&quot;My first foreign trip as president of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome,&quot; Trump said in a Rose Garden announcement.

Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world.

There, Trump will meet with leaders from across in the Gulf and &nbsp;broader Middle East in the hope of curbing jihadi terror groups and Iran&#39;s growing regional clout.

&quot;Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam,&quot; said Trump, who has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia.

Trump said in Saudi Arabia he would &quot;begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries.&quot;

The aim, one senior administration official said, was to reverse a trend &quot;of America&#39;s disengagement from the world and some of its biggest problems.&quot;

During president Barack Obama&#39;s tenure relations with the Gulf States, and Saudi Arabia in particular, were strained over his administration&#39;s engagement with Iran.

Trump&#39;s administration -- which includes generals who have had bitter personal experience with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon -- has vowed to push back against Iranian influence across the region.

Peacemaker

The visit also comes as Trump wades into Middle East peacemaking,&nbsp;trying to reach a deal between Israel and the Palestinians,&nbsp;a goal that has eluded his predecessors and countless diplomats.

Trump is expected to meet both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the trip.

A senior aide did not rule out the possibility of a presidential stop in the West Bank, but that is likely to be contingent on security and Abbas taking concrete steps toward peace.&nbsp;

Trump on Wednesday hosted Abbas at the White House, pledging to help end the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

&quot;It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years,&quot; Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado.

From there Trump will travel to the Vatican, where he will be received by Pope Francis on May 24.

Trump&#39;s attendance of a NATO summit in Brussels will be closely watched. The new president has demanded allies pay more for collective security, but has backed away from his early declarations that the alliance is &quot;obsolete.&quot;

A G7 summit in Sicily will offer Trump the chance to sit down face-to-face with leaders of the world&#39;s largest economies. 
 
(AFP)

Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world

Donald Trump on Thursday announced his first foreign trip as president will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican -- the spiritual centers of Islam, Judaism and Catholicism. Trump will add the three stops to an already announced visit to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily later this month. "My first foreign trip as president of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome," Trump said in a Rose Garden announcement. Aides described the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia first as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world. There, Trump will meet with leaders from across in the Gulf and broader Middle East in the hope of curbing jihadi terror groups and Iran's growing regional clout. "Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam," said Trump, who has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia. Trump said in Saudi Arabia he would "begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries." The aim, one senior administration official said, was to reverse a trend "of America's disengagement from the world and some of its biggest problems." During president Barack Obama's tenure relations with the Gulf States, and Saudi Arabia in particular, were strained over his administration's engagement with Iran. Trump's administration -- which includes generals who have had bitter personal experience with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon -- has vowed to push back against Iranian influence across the region. Peacemaker The visit also comes as Trump wades into Middle East peacemaking, trying to reach a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, a goal that has eluded his predecessors and countless diplomats. Trump is expected to meet both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the trip. A senior aide did not rule out the possibility of a presidential stop in the West Bank, but that is likely to be contingent on security and Abbas taking concrete steps toward peace. Trump on Wednesday hosted Abbas at the White House, pledging to help end the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. From there Trump will travel to the Vatican, where he will be received by Pope Francis on May 24. Trump's attendance of a NATO summit in Brussels will be closely watched. The new president has demanded allies pay more for collective security, but has backed away from his early declarations that the alliance is "obsolete." A G7 summit in Sicily will offer Trump the chance to sit down face-to-face with leaders of the world's largest economies. (AFP)

Trump announces trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday laid the blame for her defeat in last year&#39;s White House race squarely at the feet of FBI director James Comey and Russia`s Vladimir Putin, saying they had &quot;scared off&quot; voters.

The Democrat, speaking at a charity luncheon in New York, said she took &quot;absolute personal responsibility&quot; for a series of campaign blunders that contributed to her loss to Donald Trump.

But she pointed a finger at Russian hacking and interference and at the Federal Bureau of Investigation director, who revealed just before the November 8 election he was re-opening a probe into Clinton`s use of a personal email server while serving as secretary of state.

&quot;I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey&#39;s letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off,&quot; Clinton said.

&quot;If the election had been on October 27, I`d be your president.&quot;

Trump responded hours later with a pair of snarky tweets, attacking Clinton and saying the Russia affair was a Democratic ploy to justify her loss to him.

In January the US intelligence community announced it had concluded Russia interfered in the election -- and that Putin himself ordered a campaign to undermine the US democratic process and harm Clinton`s electability in order to help Trump win.

Clinton described the Russian president as someone who was &quot;not a member of my fan club&quot;.

&quot;He certainly interfered in our election and it was clear he hurt me and helped my opponent,&quot; she said. 
Clinton pointed to the release of an old video tape on October 7 on which Trump is heard crudely discussing groping women, and how &quot;within an hour or two&quot; of the tapes` release, the Russian theft of Clinton staffers` emails was made public on WikiLeaks.

&quot;What a coincidence. You just can&#39;t make this stuff up,&quot; she said.

Clinton`s remarks -- which echoed CIA comments branding WikiLeaks a &quot;hostile intelligence service&quot; abetted by the likes of Russia -- were the most extensive and direct about her loss since the shock result last year.

&quot;The reason why I believe we lost were the intervening events in the last 10 days,&quot; she said.Political analysts widely consider that Clinton fell short in part because she failed to mobilize the coalition of non-whites, young voters, single women and college-educated whites who propelled Barack Obama to victory in 2008 and 2012.

She was also faulted for not spending enough campaign time in traditionally Democratic strongholds Michigan and Wisconsin, states which fell to Trump on election day.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Democrats have focused on Russian hacking -- and alleged cooperation between Moscow and Trump associates -- to mask their bitter defeat.

&quot;Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election,&quot; he tweeted Tuesday night after Clinton spoke. &quot;Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?&quot;

Trump also said Clinton had gotten off easy because the FBI chose not to charge her over the email case.

&quot;FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony...&quot; Trump wrote in another tweet.

In her interview Clinton blamed &quot;everybody but herself,&quot; Republican congressman Jeff Duncan said on Twitter.

The 69-year-old former first lady, US senator and secretary of state has spent decades in the public spotlight.

&quot;I&#39;m now back to being an active citizen and part of the resistance,&quot; she said, referring to the informal movement opposed to the Republican president.

Clinton is writing a book about her experiences, to be released later this year, and said it has been a &quot;painful process&quot; to relive the campaign and the mistakes she made.

&quot;You`ll read my confession and my request for absolution,&quot; she said.

(AFP)

The Democrat, speaking at a charity luncheon in New York, said she took "absolute personal responsibility" for a series of campaign blunders that contributed to her loss to Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday laid the blame for her defeat in last year's White House race squarely at the feet of FBI director James Comey and Russia`s Vladimir Putin, saying they had "scared off" voters. The Democrat, speaking at a charity luncheon in New York, said she took "absolute personal responsibility" for a series of campaign blunders that contributed to her loss to Donald Trump. But she pointed a finger at Russian hacking and interference and at the Federal Bureau of Investigation director, who revealed just before the November 8 election he was re-opening a probe into Clinton`s use of a personal email server while serving as secretary of state. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off," Clinton said. "If the election had been on October 27, I`d be your president." Trump responded hours later with a pair of snarky tweets, attacking Clinton and saying the Russia affair was a Democratic ploy to justify her loss to him. In January the US intelligence community announced it had concluded Russia interfered in the election -- and that Putin himself ordered a campaign to undermine the US democratic process and harm Clinton`s electability in order to help Trump win. Clinton described the Russian president as someone who was "not a member of my fan club". "He certainly interfered in our election and it was clear he hurt me and helped my opponent," she said. Clinton pointed to the release of an old video tape on October 7 on which Trump is heard crudely discussing groping women, and how "within an hour or two" of the tapes` release, the Russian theft of Clinton staffers` emails was made public on WikiLeaks. "What a coincidence. You just can't make this stuff up," she said. Clinton`s remarks -- which echoed CIA comments branding WikiLeaks a "hostile intelligence service" abetted by the likes of Russia -- were the most extensive and direct about her loss since the shock result last year. "The reason why I believe we lost were the intervening events in the last 10 days," she said.Political analysts widely consider that Clinton fell short in part because she failed to mobilize the coalition of non-whites, young voters, single women and college-educated whites who propelled Barack Obama to victory in 2008 and 2012. She was also faulted for not spending enough campaign time in traditionally Democratic strongholds Michigan and Wisconsin, states which fell to Trump on election day. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Democrats have focused on Russian hacking -- and alleged cooperation between Moscow and Trump associates -- to mask their bitter defeat. "Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," he tweeted Tuesday night after Clinton spoke. "Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump also said Clinton had gotten off easy because the FBI chose not to charge her over the email case. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony..." Trump wrote in another tweet. In her interview Clinton blamed "everybody but herself," Republican congressman Jeff Duncan said on Twitter. The 69-year-old former first lady, US senator and secretary of state has spent decades in the public spotlight. "I'm now back to being an active citizen and part of the resistance," she said, referring to the informal movement opposed to the Republican president. Clinton is writing a book about her experiences, to be released later this year, and said it has been a "painful process" to relive the campaign and the mistakes she made. "You`ll read my confession and my request for absolution," she said. (AFP)

Hillary Clinton blames FBI and Putin for defeat in presidential election

President Donald Trump took the unusual step of advocating a shutdown of the US government Tuesday, after 
Republicans and Democrats reached a budget deal that ignored key White House demands.

After Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut 
environmental spending, the embattled president lashed out, saying maybe the government should not be 
funded at all.

Previous shutdowns have cost the US economy tens of billions of dollars and seen federal services grind to a 
halt, as thousands of non-essential personnel are temporarily laid off.

Trump&#39;s outburst came amid a rocky few days for his young presidency.

His latest crack at health care reform is also faltering in Congress and a series of presidential media interviews 
have roiled markets, allies and -- thanks to controversial comments about the American Civil War -- some 
historians.

But Trump appeared especially angered by the perception that the White House and the Republican majority on 
Capitol Hill had been rolled in a deal with Democrats to fund the government until September.

&quot;Our country needs a good &#39;shutdown&#39; in September to fix mess!&quot; Trump tweeted, lamenting the need for 
bipartisan compromise. 
 
Trump also called for a change in rules that require 60 votes in the Senate to pass such measures -- a threshold 
that makes party compromise necessary.

&quot;The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the 
Senate which are not there! We... either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 
51%,&quot; Trump tweeted. 
&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/859392449181093888">May 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good &quot;shutdown&quot; in September to fix mess!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/859393829505552385">May 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

That would substantially change US politics, making budgets more partisan and poisoning what is left of inter- 
party cooperation.

His view appeared to be backed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who said: &quot;I think the Democrats 
cleaned our clock. There are things in this bill that I just don&#39;t understand. This was not winning from the 
Republican point of view.&quot;

&nbsp;Reversal? 
 
Trump could, if he wished, veto the Republican-Democrat deal, which is still being finalised in Congress and&nbsp;has yet to land on his desk.

But in later Rose Garden comments, Trump appeared once more to embrace the agreement, calling it a &quot;clear 
win&quot; for the American people and a &quot;victory under the radar&quot; for Republicans.

&quot;We didn&#39;t do any touting like the Democrats did,&quot; Trump said, flanked by a trophy-winning Air Force sports 
team.

Echoing Republican allies, Trump described the deal as &quot;a very important thing for the men and women of the 
United States military.&quot;

The $1.2 trillion agreement would increase military spending by $25 billion, or 4.5 percent, above fiscal year 
2016 levels.

It also funds an authorized 2.1 per cent pay raise for the military.

Republicans have also hailed the $1.5 billion in funding for non-wall security efforts along the nearly 2,000-mile 
(3,218-kilometer) border with Mexico.&nbsp;

Democrats decried Trump&#39;s call for a shutdown.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said &quot;bipartisanship is best summed up by the Rolling Stones, &#39;you 
can&#39;t always get what you want.&#39;&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Trump advocated the shutdown after fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut environmental spending

President Donald Trump took the unusual step of advocating a shutdown of the US government Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats reached a budget deal that ignored key White House demands. After Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut environmental spending, the embattled president lashed out, saying maybe the government should not be funded at all. Previous shutdowns have cost the US economy tens of billions of dollars and seen federal services grind to a halt, as thousands of non-essential personnel are temporarily laid off. Trump's outburst came amid a rocky few days for his young presidency. His latest crack at health care reform is also faltering in Congress and a series of presidential media interviews have roiled markets, allies and -- thanks to controversial comments about the American Civil War -- some historians. But Trump appeared especially angered by the perception that the White House and the Republican majority on Capitol Hill had been rolled in a deal with Democrats to fund the government until September. "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" Trump tweeted, lamenting the need for bipartisan compromise. Trump also called for a change in rules that require 60 votes in the Senate to pass such measures -- a threshold that makes party compromise necessary. "The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We... either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%," Trump tweeted. The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 × either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 × That would substantially change US politics, making budgets more partisan and poisoning what is left of inter- party cooperation. His view appeared to be backed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who said: "I think the Democrats cleaned our clock. There are things in this bill that I just don't understand. This was not winning from the Republican point of view." Reversal? Trump could, if he wished, veto the Republican-Democrat deal, which is still being finalised in Congress and has yet to land on his desk. But in later Rose Garden comments, Trump appeared once more to embrace the agreement, calling it a "clear win" for the American people and a "victory under the radar" for Republicans. "We didn't do any touting like the Democrats did," Trump said, flanked by a trophy-winning Air Force sports team. Echoing Republican allies, Trump described the deal as "a very important thing for the men and women of the United States military." The $1.2 trillion agreement would increase military spending by $25 billion, or 4.5 percent, above fiscal year 2016 levels. It also funds an authorized 2.1 per cent pay raise for the military. Republicans have also hailed the $1.5 billion in funding for non-wall security efforts along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,218-kilometer) border with Mexico. Democrats decried Trump's call for a shutdown. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said "bipartisanship is best summed up by the Rolling Stones, 'you can't always get what you want.'" (AFP)

Miffed Trump advocates US government shutdown

President Donald Trump announced that he has signed an executive order creating a new technology council to &quot;transform and modernise&quot; the US government&#39;s information technology systems.

A White House official confirmed on Monday that about 20 technology chief executives will attend meetings at the White House in early June to talk about improving government information technology.

&quot;Americans deserve better digital services from their Government. To effectuate this policy, the federal government must transform and modernize its information technology and how it uses and delivers digital services,&quot; Trump&#39;s executive order dated April 28 said.

Trump has held a number of meetings with top tech chief executives since becoming president, including Apple, Facebook, Alphabet, IBM, Microsoft, and Tesla.

In March, Trump signed a separate order to overhaul the federal government. Trump tapped Jared Kushner in March to lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations.

Officially called the American Technology Council, Chris Liddell will be its director. He is the White House director of strategic initiatives, and former Microsoft and General Motors chief financial officer.

A 2016 US Government Accountability Office report publicly estimated the US government spends more than $80 billion in IT annually, but said spending has fallen by $7.3 billion since 2010. In 2015, there were at least 7,000 separate IT investments by the US government, the report said.

The $80 billion figure does not include Defense Department classified IT systems; and 58 independent executive branch agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the report said.

The GAO report said US government IT investments &quot;are becoming increasingly obsolete: many use outdated software languages and hardware parts that are unsupported.&quot;

The report found some agencies are using systems that have components that are at least 50 years old. &quot;The Department of Defense uses 8-inch floppy disks in a legacy system that coordinates the operational functions of the nation&rsquo;s nuclear forces,&quot; the report said.

The report said the Defense Department plans to update the system by the end of September.

The Treasury Department&#39;s business master file of tax data pertaining to individual business income taxpayers dates back to the 1950s and using an antiquated computer language &quot;and operates on an IBM mainframe.&quot;

The council is chaired by Trump and includes the defense secretary, homeland security secretary, budget director and director of national intelligence.

(Reuters)

About 20 technology chief executives will attend meetings at the White House in early June to talk about improving government information technology

President Donald Trump announced that he has signed an executive order creating a new technology council to "transform and modernise" the US government's information technology systems. A White House official confirmed on Monday that about 20 technology chief executives will attend meetings at the White House in early June to talk about improving government information technology. "Americans deserve better digital services from their Government. To effectuate this policy, the federal government must transform and modernize its information technology and how it uses and delivers digital services," Trump's executive order dated April 28 said. Trump has held a number of meetings with top tech chief executives since becoming president, including Apple, Facebook, Alphabet, IBM, Microsoft, and Tesla. In March, Trump signed a separate order to overhaul the federal government. Trump tapped Jared Kushner in March to lead a White House Office of American Innovation to leverage business ideas and potentially privatise some government functions as the White House pushes to shrink government, cut federal employees and eliminate regulations. Officially called the American Technology Council, Chris Liddell will be its director. He is the White House director of strategic initiatives, and former Microsoft and General Motors chief financial officer. A 2016 US Government Accountability Office report publicly estimated the US government spends more than $80 billion in IT annually, but said spending has fallen by $7.3 billion since 2010. In 2015, there were at least 7,000 separate IT investments by the US government, the report said. The $80 billion figure does not include Defense Department classified IT systems; and 58 independent executive branch agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the report said. The GAO report said US government IT investments "are becoming increasingly obsolete: many use outdated software languages and hardware parts that are unsupported." The report found some agencies are using systems that have components that are at least 50 years old. "The Department of Defense uses 8-inch floppy disks in a legacy system that coordinates the operational functions of the nation’s nuclear forces," the report said. The report said the Defense Department plans to update the system by the end of September. The Treasury Department's business master file of tax data pertaining to individual business income taxpayers dates back to the 1950s and using an antiquated computer language "and operates on an IBM mainframe." The council is chaired by Trump and includes the defense secretary, homeland security secretary, budget director and director of national intelligence. (Reuters)

Trump creating new tech group to ?transform and modernise? US govt

Hasan Minhaj, an American comedian of Indian heritage, roasted United States President Donald Trump at this year&#39;s White House Correspondents&#39; Dinner.

Though Trump decided to skip the event, and in hindsight a wise decision, Minhaj chose to take scathing potshots at the president.

Following are some of the biting remarks aimed at Trump.

&quot;I would say it is an honour to be here, but that would be an alternative fact. It is not. No one wanted to do this. So of course it lands in the hands of an immigrant.

Don Rickles died just so you wouldn&#39;t ask him to do this gig, all right? RIP to Don Rickles, the only Donald with skin thick enough to take a joke like that.&quot;

Minhaj, who is a senior correspondent for The Daily Show, also revealed that he was asked to not make fun of the current administration.

But he decided to flay Trump and his team as he did not want to be one of those immigrants who wanted to &quot;fit in&quot;.

&quot; We have to address the elephant that&#39;s not in the room: the leader of our country is not here. And that&#39;s because he lives in Moscow; it is a very long flight. It would be hard for Vlad to make it. Vlad can&#39;t just make it on a Saturday. As for the other guy, I think he&#39;s in Pennsylvania because he can&#39;t take a joke.

There was also another elephant in the room, but Donald Trump junior shot it and cut off its tail.&quot;

&quot;[Donald Trump] tweets at 3am&nbsp;sober. Who is tweeting at 3am&nbsp;sober? Donald Trump, because it&#39;s 10am&nbsp;in Russia. Those are business hours.&quot;

He also imbued sarcasm in his nearly 26-minute long speech which especially came to the fore when he saw logic and comfort in watching Trump play golf instead of being present at the White House.

&quot;A lot of people in the media say that Donald Trump goes golfing too much &ndash; which raises a very important question: Why do you care? Do you want to know what he&#39;s not doing when he&#39;s golfing? Being President. Let the man putt-putt. The longer you keep him distracted, the longer we&#39;re not at war with North Korea.&quot;

Minhaj trained his gun at White House chief strategist &nbsp;Steve Bannon as well, proving no-one in the Trump camp was beyond derision.

&quot;Now a lot of people think Steve Bannon is the reason Donald Trump dog whistles to racists. And that is just not true. Ask Steve Bannon.&quot;

&quot;Is Steve Bannon here? I do not see Steve Bannon. I do not see Steve Bannon,&quot; he asked increasingly emphasizing his words for effect. &quot;Not see Steve Bannon. Not see Steve Bannon. Nazi Steve Bannon.&quot;

He further said: &quot;This has been one of the strangest events I&#39;ve ever done in my life. I&#39;m being honest with you. I feel like I&#39;m a tribute in&nbsp; The Hunger Games.&nbsp;If this goes poorly, Steve Bannon gets to eat me.&quot;

Trump, who became the first president to skip the correspondents&#39;&nbsp;dinner since Ronald Reagan did in 1981, was addressing an election campaign-styled speech in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to mark his 100th day in office.

The 70-year-old president took time out to take a dig at the dinner.

&quot;A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation&rsquo;s capital right now.

And I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington&rsquo;s swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right?&quot;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Of6PLJbMnxE" width="560"></iframe>

(Video courtesy: Global News, YouTube)

(WION) 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Minhaj, who is a reporter for The Daily Show, used the platform to roast the US president

Hasan Minhaj, an American comedian of Indian heritage, roasted United States President Donald Trump at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner. Though Trump decided to skip the event, and in hindsight a wise decision, Minhaj chose to take scathing potshots at the president. Following are some of the biting remarks aimed at Trump. "I would say it is an honour to be here, but that would be an alternative fact. It is not. No one wanted to do this. So of course it lands in the hands of an immigrant. Don Rickles died just so you wouldn't ask him to do this gig, all right? RIP to Don Rickles, the only Donald with skin thick enough to take a joke like that." Minhaj, who is a senior correspondent for The Daily Show, also revealed that he was asked to not make fun of the current administration. But he decided to flay Trump and his team as he did not want to be one of those immigrants who wanted to "fit in". " We have to address the elephant that's not in the room: the leader of our country is not here. And that's because he lives in Moscow; it is a very long flight. It would be hard for Vlad to make it. Vlad can't just make it on a Saturday. As for the other guy, I think he's in Pennsylvania because he can't take a joke. There was also another elephant in the room, but Donald Trump junior shot it and cut off its tail." "[Donald Trump] tweets at 3am sober. Who is tweeting at 3am sober? Donald Trump, because it's 10am in Russia. Those are business hours." He also imbued sarcasm in his nearly 26-minute long speech which especially came to the fore when he saw logic and comfort in watching Trump play golf instead of being present at the White House. "A lot of people in the media say that Donald Trump goes golfing too much – which raises a very important question: Why do you care? Do you want to know what he's not doing when he's golfing? Being President. Let the man putt-putt. The longer you keep him distracted, the longer we're not at war with North Korea." Minhaj trained his gun at White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as well, proving no-one in the Trump camp was beyond derision. "Now a lot of people think Steve Bannon is the reason Donald Trump dog whistles to racists. And that is just not true. Ask Steve Bannon." "Is Steve Bannon here? I do not see Steve Bannon. I do not see Steve Bannon," he asked increasingly emphasizing his words for effect. "Not see Steve Bannon. Not see Steve Bannon. Nazi Steve Bannon." He further said: "This has been one of the strangest events I've ever done in my life. I'm being honest with you. I feel like I'm a tribute in The Hunger Games. If this goes poorly, Steve Bannon gets to eat me." Trump, who became the first president to skip the correspondents' dinner since Ronald Reagan did in 1981, was addressing an election campaign-styled speech in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to mark his 100th day in office. The 70-year-old president took time out to take a dig at the dinner. "A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation’s capital right now. And I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington’s swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right?" (Video courtesy: Global News, YouTube) (WION)

Indian-American comedian Hasan Minhaj flays Trump at White House Correspondents' Dinner

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