Protests against Trump&#39;s immigration ban broke out in the cities of Austin, Minneapolis and New York on Saturday. US authorities arrested hundreds of undocumented migrants this week in the first large-scale raids under President Donald Trump, triggering panic in immigrant communities nationwide, AFP reported. 
 
More than a hundred people gathered in Austin, Texas -- home to 100,000 &nbsp;unauthorized migrants -- &nbsp;late Friday to demonstrate against the crackdown by immigration enforcement officers in the last few weeks.

The average number of people detained per day has increased dramatically, going from four or five to 44 over the past two days, according to the Mexican Consulate, Reuters reported.

Demonstrators told Reuters that one operation, known as &quot;Cross Check&quot; which focuses on undocumented immigrants with criminal records, has resulted in a dragnet. &quot;We, as a community here have the right to gather and unite and fight for our rights,&quot; said one of the demonstrators protesting the operations collectively called Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE released the results of the operation, saying about 150 of the 160 foreign nationals arrested during the week had criminal histories, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/10/politics/democrats-question-ice-enforcement-raids/index.html">CNN reported</a>. &nbsp;CNN quoted a Homeland Security official as saying that 37 of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California this week as part of the enforcement crackdown have now been deported to Mexico.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump recently broadened the categories of people who could be targeted for immigration enforcement to anyone who had been charged with a crime, removing an Obama-era exception for people convicted of traffic misdemeanors.

In New York, which hosts the country&#39;s largest population of undocumented immigrants -- 1.15 million, according to Pew -- a few hundred people demonstrated near the immigration services office.

&nbsp;

Thousands protest in Minneapolis in solidarity with immigrants

Over a thousand people protested across Minneapolis on Saturday in a show of solidarity with immigrants and Muslims against what organisers of the event called &quot;state-sponsored hatred&quot;.

Organisers carried a banner with the words &quot;Love Embraces All&quot; as they led the March, called &nbsp;&quot;Walk of Love&quot;, through downtown Minneapolis just days before Valentine&#39;s Day. Others waved US flags, heart-shaped balloons and held up signs criticising US President Donald Trump&#39;s travel ban and views on immigration, Reuters reported.

The march, which began in downtown Minneapolis, closed down roads throughout the city and ended near a pedestrian bridge by the University of Minnesota. Several marches have recently taken place throughout the US to protest Trump&#39;s immigration policies. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The average number of people detained per day has increased dramatically from four or five to 44 over the past two days, the Mexican Consulate said

Protests against Trump's immigration ban broke out in the cities of Austin, Minneapolis and New York on Saturday. US authorities arrested hundreds of undocumented migrants this week in the first large-scale raids under President Donald Trump, triggering panic in immigrant communities nationwide, AFP reported. More than a hundred people gathered in Austin, Texas -- home to 100,000 unauthorized migrants -- late Friday to demonstrate against the crackdown by immigration enforcement officers in the last few weeks. The average number of people detained per day has increased dramatically, going from four or five to 44 over the past two days, according to the Mexican Consulate, Reuters reported. Demonstrators told Reuters that one operation, known as "Cross Check" which focuses on undocumented immigrants with criminal records, has resulted in a dragnet. "We, as a community here have the right to gather and unite and fight for our rights," said one of the demonstrators protesting the operations collectively called Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE released the results of the operation, saying about 150 of the 160 foreign nationals arrested during the week had criminal histories, CNN reported. CNN quoted a Homeland Security official as saying that 37 of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California this week as part of the enforcement crackdown have now been deported to Mexico. US President Donald Trump recently broadened the categories of people who could be targeted for immigration enforcement to anyone who had been charged with a crime, removing an Obama-era exception for people convicted of traffic misdemeanors. In New York, which hosts the country's largest population of undocumented immigrants -- 1.15 million, according to Pew -- a few hundred people demonstrated near the immigration services office. Thousands protest in Minneapolis in solidarity with immigrants Over a thousand people protested across Minneapolis on Saturday in a show of solidarity with immigrants and Muslims against what organisers of the event called "state-sponsored hatred". Organisers carried a banner with the words "Love Embraces All" as they led the March, called "Walk of Love", through downtown Minneapolis just days before Valentine's Day. Others waved US flags, heart-shaped balloons and held up signs criticising US President Donald Trump's travel ban and views on immigration, Reuters reported. The march, which began in downtown Minneapolis, closed down roads throughout the city and ended near a pedestrian bridge by the University of Minnesota. Several marches have recently taken place throughout the US to protest Trump's immigration policies. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Protests in US against crackdown by immigration enforcement officers

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a new executive order to overcome legal hurdles, a day after an appeals court refused to reinstate his travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries

The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court, AFP reported.

Trump said security concerns may dictate a quicker response and indicated that the action could come as early as next week.

&quot;The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order,&quot; he said, adding that any action would not come before next week. 
 
Earlier on Friday, the US President promised to introduce additional national security steps and expressed confidence his order would ultimately be upheld by the courts, Reuters reported. 
 
&quot;We are going to do whatever&#39;s necessary to keep our country safe,&quot; Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

&quot;We&#39;ll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You&#39;ll be seeing that sometime next week,&quot; he added, without providing specifics.

The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump&#39;s January 27 order in light of the actions by a federal judge in Seattle and an appeals court in San Francisco that put the directive on hold, an administration official said.

Trump&#39;s order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely. 
 
The Republican president then did not answer directly when he was asked whether he would sign a new travel ban.

He said his administration would also continue to go through the court process.

&quot;And ultimately I have no doubt that we&#39;ll win that particular case,&quot; he added, referring to Thursday&#39;s ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which upheld the lower court&#39;s suspension of his ban.

The administration could appeal the 9th Circuit ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as Friday.

NBC News reported that White House lawyers were working on a rewrite of Trump&#39;s executive order that could win federal court approval.

&quot;The administration is looking through all the options on how to move forward. But we&#39;d like to win the case in court,&quot; the administration official told Reuters.

Trump, who has repeatedly expressed frustration with the week-old court-mandated suspension, tweeted on Friday that the appeals court decision was &quot;disgraceful.&quot; &quot;SEE YOU IN COURT,&quot; he said in a Twitter post on Thursday after the ruling.

Thursday&#39;s ruling related only to whether to maintain the decision by US&nbsp;District Judge James Robart in Seattle to suspend the order, and did not resolve a lawsuit against the ban brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota. Those states have argued the ban violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a new executive order to overcome legal hurdles, a day after an appeals court refused to reinstate his travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries The US President also revealed he had no immediate plans to fight for his migrant ban at the Supreme Court, AFP reported. Trump said security concerns may dictate a quicker response and indicated that the action could come as early as next week. "The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order," he said, adding that any action would not come before next week. Earlier on Friday, the US President promised to introduce additional national security steps and expressed confidence his order would ultimately be upheld by the courts, Reuters reported. "We are going to do whatever's necessary to keep our country safe," Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "We'll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You'll be seeing that sometime next week," he added, without providing specifics. The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump's January 27 order in light of the actions by a federal judge in Seattle and an appeals court in San Francisco that put the directive on hold, an administration official said. Trump's order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely. The Republican president then did not answer directly when he was asked whether he would sign a new travel ban. He said his administration would also continue to go through the court process. "And ultimately I have no doubt that we'll win that particular case," he added, referring to Thursday's ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which upheld the lower court's suspension of his ban. The administration could appeal the 9th Circuit ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as Friday. NBC News reported that White House lawyers were working on a rewrite of Trump's executive order that could win federal court approval. "The administration is looking through all the options on how to move forward. But we'd like to win the case in court," the administration official told Reuters. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed frustration with the week-old court-mandated suspension, tweeted on Friday that the appeals court decision was "disgraceful." "SEE YOU IN COURT," he said in a Twitter post on Thursday after the ruling. Thursday's ruling related only to whether to maintain the decision by US District Judge James Robart in Seattle to suspend the order, and did not resolve a lawsuit against the ban brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota. Those states have argued the ban violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump says considering new executive order, additional security steps after setback to travel ban

President Donald&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;wall&rdquo; along the U.S.-Mexico border would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6 billion, and take more than three years to construct, based on a US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security internal report seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The report&rsquo;s estimated price-tag is much higher than a $12-billion figure cited by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;in his campaign and estimates as high as $15 billion from Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The report is expected to be presented to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly in coming days, although the administration will not necessarily take actions it recommends.

The plan lays out what it would take to seal the border in three phases of construction of fences and walls covering just over 1,250 miles (2,000 km) by the end of 2020.

With 654 miles (1,046 km) of the border already fortified, the new construction would extend almost the length of the entire border.

Many cost estimates and timelines have been floated since&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;campaigned on the promise of building a wall. The report seen by Reuters is the work of a group commissioned by Kelly as a final step before moving forward with requesting U.S. taxpayer funds from Congress and getting started on construction.

A DHS spokeswoman said the department does &quot;not comment on or confirm the potential existence of pre-decisional, deliberative documents.&quot;

A White House spokeswoman said it would be &ldquo;premature&rdquo; to comment on a report that has not officially been presented to the president.
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PHris8Dluns" width="480"></iframe></centre>

&nbsp;

The report said the first phase would be the smallest, targeting sections covering 26 miles (42 km) near San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas; and in Texas&#39;s Rio Grande Valley.

&nbsp;

The report assumes DHS would get funding from Congress by April or May, giving the department sufficient time to secure contractors and begin construction by September.&nbsp;Trumphas said Congress should fund the wall upfront, but that Mexico will reimburse U.S. taxpayers. Mexico has said it will not pay.

&nbsp;

Several US&nbsp;congressional delegations are visiting the border this month to assess funding needs, according to several people familiar with the travel plans.

&nbsp;

The report shows the U.S. government has begun seeking waivers to address environmental laws on building in some areas. It also shows the government has begun working with existing contractors and planning steel purchases for the project.

&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;told law enforcement officials on Wednesday, &quot;The wall is getting designed right now.&quot;

&nbsp;

The report accounted for the time and cost of acquiring private land, one reason for its steep price increase compared to estimates from&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and members of Congress.

&nbsp;

Bernstein Research, an investment research group that tracks material costs, has said that uncertainties around the project could drive its cost up to as much as $25 billion.

&nbsp;

The second phase of construction proposed in the report would cover 151 miles (242 km) of border in and around the Rio Grande Valley; Laredo, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas and Big Bend, Texas. The third phase would cover an unspecified 1,080 miles (1,728 km), essentially sealing off the entire U.S.-Mexico border.

&nbsp;

Barrirers to construction

&nbsp;

The report lays out costs to cover the border with barriers, but funding constraints and legal battles are likely to place limits on those plans.

&nbsp;

It also does not account for major physical barriers, like mountains, in areas where it would not be feasible to build.

&nbsp;

A source familiar with the plans said DHS may have to go to court to seek eminent domain in order to acquire some of the private land needed to cover the final and most ambitious phase.

&nbsp;

The first phase, estimated to cost only $360 million, could be a relatively easy way for&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to satisfy supporters eager to see him make good on his campaign promises to limit illegal migration. But the rest of the construction will be markedly more expensive, covering a much larger stretch of land, much of it privately owned or inaccessible by road.

&nbsp;

In addition to seeking eminent domain and environmental waivers, the U.S. government would also have to meet the requirements of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a U.S.-Mexico pact over shared waters. The report estimated that agreement alone could bring the cost from $11 million per mile to $15 million per mile in one area.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The cost?estimated in the report is much higher than the $12-billion figure cited by?Trump during his campaign

President Donald Trump’s “wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6 billion, and take more than three years to construct, based on a US Department of Homeland Security internal report seen by Reuters on Thursday. The report’s estimated price-tag is much higher than a $12-billion figure cited by Trump in his campaign and estimates as high as $15 billion from Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The report is expected to be presented to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly in coming days, although the administration will not necessarily take actions it recommends. The plan lays out what it would take to seal the border in three phases of construction of fences and walls covering just over 1,250 miles (2,000 km) by the end of 2020. With 654 miles (1,046 km) of the border already fortified, the new construction would extend almost the length of the entire border. Many cost estimates and timelines have been floated since Trump campaigned on the promise of building a wall. The report seen by Reuters is the work of a group commissioned by Kelly as a final step before moving forward with requesting U.S. taxpayer funds from Congress and getting started on construction. A DHS spokeswoman said the department does "not comment on or confirm the potential existence of pre-decisional, deliberative documents." A White House spokeswoman said it would be “premature” to comment on a report that has not officially been presented to the president. The report said the first phase would be the smallest, targeting sections covering 26 miles (42 km) near San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas; and in Texas's Rio Grande Valley. The report assumes DHS would get funding from Congress by April or May, giving the department sufficient time to secure contractors and begin construction by September. Trumphas said Congress should fund the wall upfront, but that Mexico will reimburse U.S. taxpayers. Mexico has said it will not pay. Several US congressional delegations are visiting the border this month to assess funding needs, according to several people familiar with the travel plans. The report shows the U.S. government has begun seeking waivers to address environmental laws on building in some areas. It also shows the government has begun working with existing contractors and planning steel purchases for the project. Trump told law enforcement officials on Wednesday, "The wall is getting designed right now." The report accounted for the time and cost of acquiring private land, one reason for its steep price increase compared to estimates from Trump and members of Congress. Bernstein Research, an investment research group that tracks material costs, has said that uncertainties around the project could drive its cost up to as much as $25 billion. The second phase of construction proposed in the report would cover 151 miles (242 km) of border in and around the Rio Grande Valley; Laredo, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas and Big Bend, Texas. The third phase would cover an unspecified 1,080 miles (1,728 km), essentially sealing off the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Barrirers to construction The report lays out costs to cover the border with barriers, but funding constraints and legal battles are likely to place limits on those plans. It also does not account for major physical barriers, like mountains, in areas where it would not be feasible to build. A source familiar with the plans said DHS may have to go to court to seek eminent domain in order to acquire some of the private land needed to cover the final and most ambitious phase. The first phase, estimated to cost only $360 million, could be a relatively easy way for Trump to satisfy supporters eager to see him make good on his campaign promises to limit illegal migration. But the rest of the construction will be markedly more expensive, covering a much larger stretch of land, much of it privately owned or inaccessible by road. In addition to seeking eminent domain and environmental waivers, the U.S. government would also have to meet the requirements of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a U.S.-Mexico pact over shared waters. The report estimated that agreement alone could bring the cost from $11 million per mile to $15 million per mile in one area. (Reuters)

Trump's border wall to cost $21.6 billion, will take 3.5 years to build: Report

A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to restore Donald Trump&#39;s controversial executive order closing US borders to refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, dealing the new president a major defeat.

&quot;We hold that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury,&quot; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled.

The three-judge panel unanimously denied the government&#39;s request to reinstate the measure on an emergency basis, meaning a lower court suspension of the travel ban put in place by a lower federal court stands for now.

Trump quickly reacted, defiantly vowing to pursue the battle, tweeting: &quot;SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!&quot;

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/829836231802515457">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The court held a contentious hearing on the matter on Tuesday, with the Justice Department lawyer representing the Trump administration insisting the controversial ban was justified for national security reasons.

The order, which was issued on January 27 with no prior warning, sparked travel chaos and was met with condemnation by immigration advocacy groups.

The ban was suspended nationwide on February 3 by a federal judge in Seattle, after two US states asked it to be overturned on grounds of religious discrimination and that it had caused &quot;irreparable injury&quot;.

Trump&#39;s decree summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.

Top administration officials have argued it is needed to keep out Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters migrating from Middle East hotspots, insisting time is needed to implement stricter vetting procedures.

The court in San Francisco said aspects of the public interest favoured both sides, highlighting the &quot;massive attention&quot; the case had drawn.&nbsp;

&quot;On the one hand, the public has a powerful interest in national security and in the ability of an elected president to enact policies,&quot; the ruling said.&nbsp;

&quot;And on the other, the public also has an interest in free flow of travel, in avoiding separation of families, and in freedom from discrimination.&quot;

Politicians on both sides of the aisle quickly reacted, with Republicans decrying the decision and Democrats hailing it.

&quot;Pres Trump ought to see the writing on the wall, abandon proposal, roll up his sleeves &amp; come up w/ a real, bipartisan plan to keep us safe,&quot; tweeted Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer.

(AFP)

Citizens from the seven Muslim-majority countries will continue to be able to travel to the US, despite Trump's immigration order

A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to restore Donald Trump's controversial executive order closing US borders to refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, dealing the new president a major defeat. "We hold that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury," the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled. The three-judge panel unanimously denied the government's request to reinstate the measure on an emergency basis, meaning a lower court suspension of the travel ban put in place by a lower federal court stands for now. Trump quickly reacted, defiantly vowing to pursue the battle, tweeting: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017 × The court held a contentious hearing on the matter on Tuesday, with the Justice Department lawyer representing the Trump administration insisting the controversial ban was justified for national security reasons. The order, which was issued on January 27 with no prior warning, sparked travel chaos and was met with condemnation by immigration advocacy groups. The ban was suspended nationwide on February 3 by a federal judge in Seattle, after two US states asked it to be overturned on grounds of religious discrimination and that it had caused "irreparable injury". Trump's decree summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely. Top administration officials have argued it is needed to keep out Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters migrating from Middle East hotspots, insisting time is needed to implement stricter vetting procedures. The court in San Francisco said aspects of the public interest favoured both sides, highlighting the "massive attention" the case had drawn. "On the one hand, the public has a powerful interest in national security and in the ability of an elected president to enact policies," the ruling said. "And on the other, the public also has an interest in free flow of travel, in avoiding separation of families, and in freedom from discrimination." Politicians on both sides of the aisle quickly reacted, with Republicans decrying the decision and Democrats hailing it. "Pres Trump ought to see the writing on the wall, abandon proposal, roll up his sleeves & come up w/ a real, bipartisan plan to keep us safe," tweeted Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer. (AFP)

US appeals court refuses to reinstate Trump's travel ban

US President Donald Trump offered Japan assurances Friday that mutual defense agreements cover the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyus.

After repeatedly questioning defense pacts, Trump signed off on a joint statement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that reaffirms America&#39;s security guarantee.

The pair said they &quot;oppose any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan&#39;s administration of these islands&quot; -- comments that are sure to rile Beijing. &nbsp;

China warned the US it was risking instability in Asia after Trump&#39;s new defense secretary vowed to back Japan in any military clash over the disputed island chain.

China, which is also involved in a widening dispute with several Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea, accused Washington of stirring up trouble. 
 
(AFP)

The comments are sure to rile China which claims the Senkaku Islands as the Diaoyus

US President Donald Trump offered Japan assurances Friday that mutual defense agreements cover the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyus. After repeatedly questioning defense pacts, Trump signed off on a joint statement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that reaffirms America's security guarantee. The pair said they "oppose any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan's administration of these islands" -- comments that are sure to rile Beijing. China warned the US it was risking instability in Asia after Trump's new defense secretary vowed to back Japan in any military clash over the disputed island chain. China, which is also involved in a widening dispute with several Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea, accused Washington of stirring up trouble. (AFP)

US, Japan say defence agreements apply to disputed Senkaku islands with China

The dollar stood atop large gains early on Friday after soaring broadly overnight on comments by US President Donald Trump that he would announce the most ambitious tax reform plan since the Reagan era in the next few weeks.

The dollar had enjoyed a big surge after Trump won the US elections in November on pledges to inject the economy with large-scale fiscal stimulus. But the &quot;Trump rally&quot; had faded over the past few weeks with more focus on the new president&#39;s protectionist trade rhetoric and his support for a weaker dollar.

The dollar index against a basket of major currencies was up 0.1 per cent at 100.710, its highest in three days. The index was poised to rise 0.8 per cent on the week.

The US currency received a boost as Trump promised a &quot;phenomenal&quot; tax plan in a White House meeting on Thursday with airline executives, although he did not offer specifics other than citing the need to a lower tax burden on businesses.

The euro was steady at $1.0657 after losing 0.4 percent the previous day. The common currency was on track to shed more than 1 percent on the week, during which it was dogged by perceived political risks facing the euro zone.

The dollar extended its overnight rally and edged up to a nine-day high of 113.665 yen.

The greenback soared 1.2 per cent against the yen the previous day as US Treasury yields rose sharply in the wake of Trump&#39;s comments. Treasury yields had until Thursday declined steadily to multi-week lows, pushing the dollar to a 10-week trough of 111.590 yen.

&quot;Recently, the dollar has been caught between uncertainty towards Bank of Japan policy and US-Japan currency diplomacy on one hand, and hopes for US tax reform on the other. The dollar&#39;s surge was straightforward reaction to developments in the latter,&quot; said Shusuke Yamada, chief Japan FX strategist at BOA Merrill Lynch.

Market focus turned to the two-day summit between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe starting later on Friday.

Of concern to rejuvenated dollar bulls is the possibility of Trump reiterating his opposition to a strong dollar, and the financial markets are paying particular attention to how much currency policies are discussed at the summit.

Trump and his top trade adviser Peter Navarro criticised Germany, Japan and China last week, saying the trading partners were engaged in devaluing their currencies to the disadvantage of the United States.

&quot;Currency policy may not be a dominant topic at the summit, and that would be positive for the dollar,&quot; Yamada at BOA Merrill Lynch said.

A senior US official said while currency manipulation could come up in the talks, it was not at the top of Trump&#39;s list of topics at the summit.

Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar inched up 0.1 per cent to $0.7189, stabilising somewhat after sliding 1.1 per cent the previous day as the country&#39;s central bank extinguished hopes that a rate hike would happen sooner rather than later.&nbsp;

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The 'Trump rally' had faded over the past few weeks with more focus on the new president's protectionist trade rhetoric

The dollar stood atop large gains early on Friday after soaring broadly overnight on comments by US President Donald Trump that he would announce the most ambitious tax reform plan since the Reagan era in the next few weeks. The dollar had enjoyed a big surge after Trump won the US elections in November on pledges to inject the economy with large-scale fiscal stimulus. But the "Trump rally" had faded over the past few weeks with more focus on the new president's protectionist trade rhetoric and his support for a weaker dollar. The dollar index against a basket of major currencies was up 0.1 per cent at 100.710, its highest in three days. The index was poised to rise 0.8 per cent on the week. The US currency received a boost as Trump promised a "phenomenal" tax plan in a White House meeting on Thursday with airline executives, although he did not offer specifics other than citing the need to a lower tax burden on businesses. The euro was steady at $1.0657 after losing 0.4 percent the previous day. The common currency was on track to shed more than 1 percent on the week, during which it was dogged by perceived political risks facing the euro zone. The dollar extended its overnight rally and edged up to a nine-day high of 113.665 yen. The greenback soared 1.2 per cent against the yen the previous day as US Treasury yields rose sharply in the wake of Trump's comments. Treasury yields had until Thursday declined steadily to multi-week lows, pushing the dollar to a 10-week trough of 111.590 yen. "Recently, the dollar has been caught between uncertainty towards Bank of Japan policy and US-Japan currency diplomacy on one hand, and hopes for US tax reform on the other. The dollar's surge was straightforward reaction to developments in the latter," said Shusuke Yamada, chief Japan FX strategist at BOA Merrill Lynch. Market focus turned to the two-day summit between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe starting later on Friday. Of concern to rejuvenated dollar bulls is the possibility of Trump reiterating his opposition to a strong dollar, and the financial markets are paying particular attention to how much currency policies are discussed at the summit. Trump and his top trade adviser Peter Navarro criticised Germany, Japan and China last week, saying the trading partners were engaged in devaluing their currencies to the disadvantage of the United States. "Currency policy may not be a dominant topic at the summit, and that would be positive for the dollar," Yamada at BOA Merrill Lynch said. A senior US official said while currency manipulation could come up in the talks, it was not at the top of Trump's list of topics at the summit. Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar inched up 0.1 per cent to $0.7189, stabilising somewhat after sliding 1.1 per cent the previous day as the country's central bank extinguished hopes that a rate hike would happen sooner rather than later. (Reuters)

Wall Street at record high after Trump's promise of 'phenomenal' tax plan

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding &quot;One China&quot; policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan.

Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China&#39;s position that Taiwan is part of &quot;One China&quot;.

The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20.

A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat.

&quot;President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our &#39;One China&#39; policy,&quot; the statement said.

The statement marked a return to a more traditional US&nbsp;policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the &quot;One China&quot; policy was up for negotiation.

The two sides also signalled that with the &quot;One China&quot; issue resolved, they could have more normal relations.

&quot;Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest,&quot; the statement said.

In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump&#39;s upholding of the &quot;One China&quot; policy.

&quot;I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high,&quot; the statement cited Xi as saying.

The White House described the call as &quot;extremely cordial&quot; with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples.

&quot;They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes,&quot; the statement said.

(Reuters)

'President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy,' a White House statement said

US President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding "One China" policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan. Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of "One China". The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20. A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat. "President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy," the statement said. The statement marked a return to a more traditional US policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the "One China" policy was up for negotiation. The two sides also signalled that with the "One China" issue resolved, they could have more normal relations. "Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest," the statement said. In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump's upholding of the "One China" policy. "I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high," the statement cited Xi as saying. The White House described the call as "extremely cordial" with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples. "They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes," the statement said. (Reuters)

Trump backs 'One China' policy in first call with China's Xi Jinping

A key suspect in the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur&nbsp;was arrested from Nepal&#39;s Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday&nbsp;after he was deported from Dubai.&nbsp;

A special team comprising of Nepal police captured Samshul Hoda along with three others.&nbsp;

During interrogation, Brij Kishor Giri, Ashish Singh and Umesh Kumar Kurmi, provided leads about the Indore-Patna Express derailment which left 150 dead.&nbsp;

The three belong to Kalaiya district in southern Nepal.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pashupati Upadhyaya said, &quot;We have heard that Hoda is wanted in a railway accident that took place in Kanpur last year killing 150 people.&quot;

&quot;Nepal Police will also work in close coordination with the Indian Police for Hoda&#39;s alleged involvement in criminal activities in India.&quot;

Hoda is believed to be an ISI agent after three people arrested by the Bihar police said they were working for the Pakistan intelligence agency to carry out attacks on Indian railways.&nbsp;

The Bihar police said&nbsp;the three were paid Rs three lakh (approx. $4,500) by a Nepali man who had links to Hoda.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Spot gold was down 0.4 per cent at $1,225.42 per ounce by 0326 GMT. On Wednesday, it touched its highest since November 11 at $1,244.67

A key suspect in the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur was arrested from Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday after he was deported from Dubai. A special team comprising of Nepal police captured Samshul Hoda along with three others. During interrogation, Brij Kishor Giri, Ashish Singh and Umesh Kumar Kurmi, provided leads about the Indore-Patna Express derailment which left 150 dead. The three belong to Kalaiya district in southern Nepal. Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pashupati Upadhyaya said, "We have heard that Hoda is wanted in a railway accident that took place in Kanpur last year killing 150 people." "Nepal Police will also work in close coordination with the Indian Police for Hoda's alleged involvement in criminal activities in India." Hoda is believed to be an ISI agent after three people arrested by the Bihar police said they were working for the Pakistan intelligence agency to carry out attacks on Indian railways. The Bihar police said the three were paid Rs three lakh (approx. $4,500) by a Nepali man who had links to Hoda. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Gold falls on Trump tax pledge, US rate hike expectations

&ldquo;The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.&rdquo;&nbsp;

This is the neatly balanced phrase (which first appeared in an article in The Atlantic by writer Salena Zito) that became the world&rsquo;s favourite explanation for &ldquo;the Trump phenomenon.&rdquo;&nbsp;

It was trotted out again and again by television pundits and columnists in the weeks of soul-searching after the election that turned a phenomenon into a President-elect.&nbsp;

For Donald Trump&rsquo;s opponents, it became a mantra of hope as they tried to process the aftermath of his victory.&nbsp;

The new president would beef up existing infrastructure on the Mexican border, not build an actual wall made of bricks and mortar. He would tighten up US immigration policy, not actually ban all Muslims.&nbsp;

But after the first three weeks of the Trump administration, many are asking if they should have taken him literally after all.&nbsp;

Just two weeks before polling day last year, Trump gave a speech outlining his &ldquo;contract for the American voter&rdquo; in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln stood in the same spot to deliver his now immortal Gettysburg Address.&nbsp;

In the speech, Trump made a series of specific promises about what he would do on his first day in office. He may have been exaggerating the exact timeline, but he has stuck very close to that script over his first three weeks in office.&nbsp;

In Gettysburg, he pledged to put in place funding for the Mexico border wall in his first 100 days in office.&nbsp;

On trade, he said he would renegotiate the NAFTA deal and pull the US out of the TPP.&nbsp;

He also promised to clear roadblocks to energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone Pipeline.&nbsp;

And most controversially of all, he promised to &ldquo;suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur.&rdquo;&nbsp;

That commitment became reality when Trump signed an executive order banning entry into the US by citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries including Iraq and Iran.&nbsp;

The other pledges have either been delivered, with the US officially pulling out of the TPP, or are in the works, as with the order for immediate construction of the Mexico border wall.&nbsp;

The courts will decide if the highly contentious travel ban is upheld in the medium term, but Trump&rsquo;s record in terms of delivering on campaign promises is so far very strong indeed.&nbsp;

This record is simultaneously validating the votes of his supporters and putting fear into the hearts of his opponents.&nbsp;

Meanwhile the situation leaves the US media and political analysts in completely uncharted waters. On an almost daily basis, the White House are caught playing fast and loose with the facts.&nbsp;

Just this week, the president&rsquo;s counsellor, Kellyanne Conway invoked several terror attacks including the &ldquo;Bowling Green massacre&rdquo; to defend the controversial travel ban. But fact-checkers quickly confirmed that the so-called massacre at Bowling Green never took place.&nbsp;

So even though nobody can accuse Trump of not doing almost exactly what he said he would do, &ldquo;alternative facts&rdquo; are replacing the truth as justification for those very policies.&nbsp;

As the new administration approaches the end of its first month in charge, Trump&rsquo;s supporters are applauding a president who they say is delivering what he promised.&nbsp;

His opponents, meanwhile, are learning fast that they must take the words of their new president both seriously and literally.

(WION)

Trump?s first three weeks in office are steadily dismantling the received logic about whether his campaign promises would become reality

“The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.” This is the neatly balanced phrase (which first appeared in an article in The Atlantic by writer Salena Zito) that became the world’s favourite explanation for “the Trump phenomenon.” It was trotted out again and again by television pundits and columnists in the weeks of soul-searching after the election that turned a phenomenon into a President-elect. For Donald Trump’s opponents, it became a mantra of hope as they tried to process the aftermath of his victory. The new president would beef up existing infrastructure on the Mexican border, not build an actual wall made of bricks and mortar. He would tighten up US immigration policy, not actually ban all Muslims. But after the first three weeks of the Trump administration, many are asking if they should have taken him literally after all. Just two weeks before polling day last year, Trump gave a speech outlining his “contract for the American voter” in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln stood in the same spot to deliver his now immortal Gettysburg Address. In the speech, Trump made a series of specific promises about what he would do on his first day in office. He may have been exaggerating the exact timeline, but he has stuck very close to that script over his first three weeks in office. In Gettysburg, he pledged to put in place funding for the Mexico border wall in his first 100 days in office. On trade, he said he would renegotiate the NAFTA deal and pull the US out of the TPP. He also promised to clear roadblocks to energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone Pipeline. And most controversially of all, he promised to “suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur.” That commitment became reality when Trump signed an executive order banning entry into the US by citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries including Iraq and Iran. The other pledges have either been delivered, with the US officially pulling out of the TPP, or are in the works, as with the order for immediate construction of the Mexico border wall. The courts will decide if the highly contentious travel ban is upheld in the medium term, but Trump’s record in terms of delivering on campaign promises is so far very strong indeed. This record is simultaneously validating the votes of his supporters and putting fear into the hearts of his opponents. Meanwhile the situation leaves the US media and political analysts in completely uncharted waters. On an almost daily basis, the White House are caught playing fast and loose with the facts. Just this week, the president’s counsellor, Kellyanne Conway invoked several terror attacks including the “Bowling Green massacre” to defend the controversial travel ban. But fact-checkers quickly confirmed that the so-called massacre at Bowling Green never took place. So even though nobody can accuse Trump of not doing almost exactly what he said he would do, “alternative facts” are replacing the truth as justification for those very policies. As the new administration approaches the end of its first month in charge, Trump’s supporters are applauding a president who they say is delivering what he promised. His opponents, meanwhile, are learning fast that they must take the words of their new president both seriously and literally. (WION)

US learns to take Donald Trump both seriously and literally?

Mexican Formula One driver Sergio &quot;Checo&quot; Perez joined on Thursday a campaign by the Mexico Grand Prix opposing US President Donald Trump&#39;s plan to build a border wall.

The racetrack&#39;s Twitter account shows a photo of the Force India driver under a banner that reads &quot;#BridgesNotWalls&quot; at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez speedway along with people holding the Mexican flag.

&quot;It represents many Mexican motorsport fans&#39; views currently, it&#39;s a call to action inviting fans to build bridges, not barriers,&quot; the Grand Prix organizers said in a statement that does not mention Trump&#39;s name but is clearly directed at his wall plans.

Trump has angered Mexicans and caused a diplomatic row by vowing to make their country pay for the massive border barrier.

In November, Perez dropped one of his sponsors, sunglasses maker Hawkers, after a message mocking Mexicans appeared on the company&#39;s Twitter account&nbsp;following Trump&#39;s election.

Another Mexican sports star, veteran national team skipper Rafael Marquez, fired a Twitter volley at Trump last month, writing that &quot;No wall can stop us if we believe in ourselves.&quot;

Marquez posted the phrase next to a video of him firing home a trademark freekick from his days playing with Barcelona.

(AFP)

Trump has angered Mexicans and caused a diplomatic row by vowing to make their country pay for the massive border barrier

Mexican Formula One driver Sergio "Checo" Perez joined on Thursday a campaign by the Mexico Grand Prix opposing US President Donald Trump's plan to build a border wall. The racetrack's Twitter account shows a photo of the Force India driver under a banner that reads "#BridgesNotWalls" at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez speedway along with people holding the Mexican flag. "It represents many Mexican motorsport fans' views currently, it's a call to action inviting fans to build bridges, not barriers," the Grand Prix organizers said in a statement that does not mention Trump's name but is clearly directed at his wall plans. Trump has angered Mexicans and caused a diplomatic row by vowing to make their country pay for the massive border barrier. In November, Perez dropped one of his sponsors, sunglasses maker Hawkers, after a message mocking Mexicans appeared on the company's Twitter account following Trump's election. Another Mexican sports star, veteran national team skipper Rafael Marquez, fired a Twitter volley at Trump last month, writing that "No wall can stop us if we believe in ourselves." Marquez posted the phrase next to a video of him firing home a trademark freekick from his days playing with Barcelona. (AFP)

F1: Mexico's Sergio Perez opposes Trump's wall plan

NBA superstar Stephen Curry stepped gamely into the political fray on Wednesday, responding to Under Armour apparel company chief Kevin Plank&#39;s description of US President Donald Trump as a &quot;real asset&quot; to the country.

&quot;I agree with that description, if you remove the &#39;et&#39; from asset,&quot; Curry told the Mercury News when asked about the comments from Plank.

Curry is the key endorser of Under Armour&#39;s line of basketball gear. He&#39;s under contract with the firm through 2024, and acknowledged he was surprised to hear Plank&#39;s comment, made in an interview this week with CNBC.

Curry, who endorsed Hillary Clinton in the bitter US presidential election, told the Mercury News he had spoken to &quot;countless people&quot; at Under Armour.&nbsp;

He said he was reassured by a statement released by Plank on Wednesday, clarifying the remarks in which he said having &quot;such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country&quot;.

In the statement, Plank said Under Armour has long been committed to supporting American jobs and manufacturing, but stressed the Baltimore-based firm was committed to diversity.

&quot;We have teammates from different religions, races, nationality, genders and sexual orientations; different ages, life experiences and opinions,&quot; the statement said. &quot;This is the core of our company.&quot;

Curry said he wouldn&#39;t rule out a departure from the company that manufactures his signature basketball shoe.

&quot;If I&nbsp;can say the leadership is not in line with my core values, then there is no amount of money, there is no platform I wouldn&#39;t jump off if it wasn&#39;t in line with who I am,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;So that&#39;s a decision I will make every single day when I wake up.&quot;

(AFP)

Stephen Curry, a key endorser of the apparel company, says he he was surprised by the company chief's praise for Trump

NBA superstar Stephen Curry stepped gamely into the political fray on Wednesday, responding to Under Armour apparel company chief Kevin Plank's description of US President Donald Trump as a "real asset" to the country. "I agree with that description, if you remove the 'et' from asset," Curry told the Mercury News when asked about the comments from Plank. Curry is the key endorser of Under Armour's line of basketball gear. He's under contract with the firm through 2024, and acknowledged he was surprised to hear Plank's comment, made in an interview this week with CNBC. Curry, who endorsed Hillary Clinton in the bitter US presidential election, told the Mercury News he had spoken to "countless people" at Under Armour. He said he was reassured by a statement released by Plank on Wednesday, clarifying the remarks in which he said having "such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country". In the statement, Plank said Under Armour has long been committed to supporting American jobs and manufacturing, but stressed the Baltimore-based firm was committed to diversity. "We have teammates from different religions, races, nationality, genders and sexual orientations; different ages, life experiences and opinions," the statement said. "This is the core of our company." Curry said he wouldn't rule out a departure from the company that manufactures his signature basketball shoe. "If I can say the leadership is not in line with my core values, then there is no amount of money, there is no platform I wouldn't jump off if it wasn't in line with who I am," he said. "So that's a decision I will make every single day when I wake up." (AFP)

Under Armour says Trump's an asset, NBA star Curry's response: 'Remove 'et' from it'

United States President Donald Trump has attacked retail chain Nordstrom for dropping his daughter Ivanka&#39;s clothing line.

The US fashion retailer earlier decided to junk Ivanka Trump&#39;s line of shoes and clothing due to poor sales, following massive calls for boycott for selling Trump&#39;s products.

But Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his disapproval: &quot;My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by&nbsp;Nordstrom.&nbsp;She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!&quot;

Unlike other companies he has attacked on Twitter, including Lockheed, Boeing and Ford,&nbsp;Nordstrom&nbsp;stock had gained nearly one percent in the early afternoon.

Although the fashion chain hasn&#39;t responded to Trump&#39;s attack, it had said last week that the decision was made purely on commercial grounds.

&quot;In this case, based on the brand&#39;s performance, we&#39;ve decided not to buy it for this season,&quot; the company said, noting the phase-out was part of its regular review of the 2,000 brands it sells.

Nordstrom&nbsp;was one of several retailers that faced boycott calls for selling Trump family products or supporting the campaign.

Anti-Trump activists created &quot;Grab Your Wallet&quot; after the election to enlist consumers in boycotts to protest Trump&#39;s agenda, which also has been met by waves of demonstrations inside and outside the United States.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Nordstrom had earlier dropped Ivanka Trump's line of shoes and clothing owing to poor sales

United States President Donald Trump has attacked retail chain Nordstrom for dropping his daughter Ivanka's clothing line. The US fashion retailer earlier decided to junk Ivanka Trump's line of shoes and clothing due to poor sales, following massive calls for boycott for selling Trump's products. But Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his disapproval: "My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!" Unlike other companies he has attacked on Twitter, including Lockheed, Boeing and Ford, Nordstrom stock had gained nearly one percent in the early afternoon. Although the fashion chain hasn't responded to Trump's attack, it had said last week that the decision was made purely on commercial grounds. "In this case, based on the brand's performance, we've decided not to buy it for this season," the company said, noting the phase-out was part of its regular review of the 2,000 brands it sells. Nordstrom was one of several retailers that faced boycott calls for selling Trump family products or supporting the campaign. Anti-Trump activists created "Grab Your Wallet" after the election to enlist consumers in boycotts to protest Trump's agenda, which also has been met by waves of demonstrations inside and outside the United States. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump attacks retail chain for dropping daughter's clothing line

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe may have exhausted legal options to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline project after the company building it won federal permission to tunnel under the Missouri River, the leader of the Native American tribe told Reuters on Wednesday.

&quot;We&#39;re running out of options, but that doesn&#39;t mean that it&#39;s over,&quot; David Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told Reuters. &quot;We&#39;re still going to continue to look at all legal options available to us.&quot;

According to Reuters, legal experts have agreed that the tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion project led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, which could now begin operation as soon as June.

On Wednesday the US Army said it had granted the final permit for the pipeline after an order from President Donald Trump to step up the project,

The permit was the last bureaucratic hurdle to the pipeline&#39;s completion.

Wayne D&#39;Angelo, an energy and environmental lawyer with Kelley Drye &amp; Warren in Washington, told Reuters he believed the Trump administration was on &quot;pretty solid legal ground&quot;.

The tribe would have to prove a very difficult standard: that approval for the pipeline was &quot;arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion or inconsistent with the record before the agency&quot;, D&#39;Angelo said.

The army owns the land through its Corps of Engineers and according to his federal disclosures form, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-revives-two-controversial-oil-pipeline-projects-11651">Trump holds stock in the company</a> building the Dakota Access oil pipeline, CBS reports. While the amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is modest compared to the rest of Trump&#39;s&nbsp;portfolio, estimated at between $15,000 and $50,000, he also owns between $100,000 and $250,000 in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access, CBS reports.

On Wednesday, around &nbsp;350 people came together in lower Manhattan, hoisting signs like&nbsp;&quot;Water is Life,&quot; &quot;Dump Trump&quot; and &quot;Respect Native Sovereignty&quot;.

&quot;This isn&#39;t just a Native American problem, this isn&#39;t just an issue over race, this goes way beyond that,&quot;&nbsp;Matene Strikefirst, a member of the tribe of Ojibwe and Dakota, told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;We need to get over our dependence on fossil fuels; we need to ensure drinking water for everyone.&quot; Another 100 protesters denounced Trump&nbsp;outside the White House,

&quot;We know there is going to be bloodshed,&quot; said Eryn Wise, spokeswoman for the International Indigenous Youth Council, Reuters reported. &quot;This is cultural genocide,&quot; said Linda Black Elk, a resident of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation told Reuters.

The 1,885-kilometre&nbsp;line is being built to move crude from the shale oilfields of North Dakota to Illinois en route to the Gulf of Mexico, where many US&nbsp;refineries are located. Native American tribes and climate activists fear it will desecrate sacred sites and endanger drinking water.

Thousands of people, including high-profile politicians and celebrities have protested against the pipeline in the last few months.&nbsp;Large protest camps popped up near the site, triggering violent clashes and about 600 arrests.

Those protesting against the pipeline had their hopes high after the Obama administration delayed the completion of the pipeline pending a review of tribal concerns and ordered an environmental study in December.

Trump, however,&nbsp;issued an order on January 24, to expedite Dakota Access Pipeline, four days after taking office. He also&nbsp;revived another multibillion-dollar oil artery, Keystone XL which the Obama administration had blocked&nbsp;in 2015.

Despite months of high-profile protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline--where protesters were shot by police with rubber bullets, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with water in freezing temperatures--Donald Trump claimed that &quot;nobody showed up to fight it&quot;.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V0uoiNbPkPI" width="560"></iframe>

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Legal experts suggest the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion pipeline project

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe may have exhausted legal options to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline project after the company building it won federal permission to tunnel under the Missouri River, the leader of the Native American tribe told Reuters on Wednesday. "We're running out of options, but that doesn't mean that it's over," David Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told Reuters. "We're still going to continue to look at all legal options available to us." According to Reuters, legal experts have agreed that the tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion project led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, which could now begin operation as soon as June. On Wednesday the US Army said it had granted the final permit for the pipeline after an order from President Donald Trump to step up the project, The permit was the last bureaucratic hurdle to the pipeline's completion. Wayne D'Angelo, an energy and environmental lawyer with Kelley Drye & Warren in Washington, told Reuters he believed the Trump administration was on "pretty solid legal ground". The tribe would have to prove a very difficult standard: that approval for the pipeline was "arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion or inconsistent with the record before the agency", D'Angelo said. The army owns the land through its Corps of Engineers and according to his federal disclosures form, Trump holds stock in the company building the Dakota Access oil pipeline, CBS reports. While the amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is modest compared to the rest of Trump's portfolio, estimated at between $15,000 and $50,000, he also owns between $100,000 and $250,000 in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access, CBS reports. On Wednesday, around 350 people came together in lower Manhattan, hoisting signs like "Water is Life," "Dump Trump" and "Respect Native Sovereignty". "This isn't just a Native American problem, this isn't just an issue over race, this goes way beyond that," Matene Strikefirst, a member of the tribe of Ojibwe and Dakota, told Reuters. "We need to get over our dependence on fossil fuels; we need to ensure drinking water for everyone." Another 100 protesters denounced Trump outside the White House, "We know there is going to be bloodshed," said Eryn Wise, spokeswoman for the International Indigenous Youth Council, Reuters reported. "This is cultural genocide," said Linda Black Elk, a resident of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation told Reuters. The 1,885-kilometre line is being built to move crude from the shale oilfields of North Dakota to Illinois en route to the Gulf of Mexico, where many US refineries are located. Native American tribes and climate activists fear it will desecrate sacred sites and endanger drinking water. Thousands of people, including high-profile politicians and celebrities have protested against the pipeline in the last few months. Large protest camps popped up near the site, triggering violent clashes and about 600 arrests. Those protesting against the pipeline had their hopes high after the Obama administration delayed the completion of the pipeline pending a review of tribal concerns and ordered an environmental study in December. Trump, however, issued an order on January 24, to expedite Dakota Access Pipeline, four days after taking office. He also revived another multibillion-dollar oil artery, Keystone XL which the Obama administration had blocked in 2015. Despite months of high-profile protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline--where protesters were shot by police with rubber bullets, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with water in freezing temperatures--Donald Trump claimed that "nobody showed up to fight it". (WION with inputs from Reuters)

North Dakota: Running out of options to stop pipeline, says Standing Rock Sioux leader

The US Senate confirmed&nbsp;Jeff Sessions as attorney general Wednesday, despite vitriolic debate over his civil rights record and whether he can serve as the nation&#39;s top law enforcement officer independent from President Donald Trump.

Lawmakers greenlighted Senator Sessions as the 84th US attorney general on a mostly party-line vote of 52 to 47, with just one Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia&nbsp;joining the Republican majority. Sessions voted present, and when the tally was announced many senators broke into extended applause for their colleague.

Manchin&#39;s daughter is the CEO of <a href="http://time.com/4475626/epipen-price-pharmaceutical-crisis/" target="_blank">Mylan</a>, the pharmaceutical company being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for&nbsp;creating legislation that expanded the availability of their product,&nbsp;EpiPens, or epinephrine injectors. Manchin was the lone Democrat to approve&nbsp;Sessions, and now Sessions will control the Justice Department investigating his daughter.

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Joe Manchin daughter is being investigated by the justice department.. ???? Jeff Sessions will make it go bye-bye. 
 
Anymore more questions?? <a href="https://t.co/LTg7jey6CN">pic.twitter.com/LTg7jey6CN</a>
&mdash; ???&zwj;??D.C.Rob ???&zwj;?? (@DCRobMan) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCRobMan/status/829504542442127362">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sessions was a US attorney for the southern district of Alabama from 1981 to 1993, before serving two years as the state&#39;s attorney general. He won a seat in the US Senate in 1996. But in 1986 his career was almost derailed when a US Senate panel rejected his nomination for a judgeship amid concerns over past comments he made about blacks, and over remarks that appeared sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan.

There were <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ag-nominee-sessions-questioned-by-senate-committee-as-protesters-shout-wear-kkk-hoods-11125" target="_blank">major protests </a>across America over the appointment of Sessions. On Tuesday&nbsp;senators broke into fiercely personal debate, which saw the Democrat Elizabeth Warren barred from speaking after she was deemed to have broken chamber rules on decorum. Warren had tried to read a 1986 letter by Coretta Scott King, the widow&nbsp;of civil rights hero Martin Luther King,&nbsp;denouncing the civil rights record of Jeff Sessions when he was .&nbsp;

Trump has harangued Democrats for slow-walking his nominees, blasting their obstruction as a &quot;disgrace&quot;.

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Congratulations to our new Attorney General, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSessions">@SenatorSessions</a>! <a href="https://t.co/e0buP1K83z">pic.twitter.com/e0buP1K83z</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/829496507841789952">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He appeared particularly angered by the delay on Sessions, who as attorney general would wield enormous power regarding the administration of justice, including on the issue of voting rights.

Sessions, widely seen as an inspiration for Trump&#39;s anti-immigration policies, is just the sixth of 15 cabinet members to be confirmed, in addition to the cabinet-rank positions of CIA director and US ambassador to the United Nations.

Sessions will take charge of the Justice Department and its 113,000 employees, including the 93 US attorneys throughout the country.

He steps in amid a swirling legal debate over Trump&#39;s most controversial White House action to date, an executive order temporarily blocking all refugee arrivals and immigration from seven mainly Muslim countries. Sessions, 70, a staunch Trump supporter became a pivotal figure in his campaign and transition team. &nbsp;

The notorious white supremacist David Duke applauded Trump&#39;s decision to appoint Jeff Sessions.

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Bannon, Flynn, Sessions -- Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites!
&mdash; David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/799624219831058432">November 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(AFP)

Republicans voted for Sessions 52 to 47, with just one Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia?breaking ranks and voting for him

The US Senate confirmed Jeff Sessions as attorney general Wednesday, despite vitriolic debate over his civil rights record and whether he can serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer independent from President Donald Trump. Lawmakers greenlighted Senator Sessions as the 84th US attorney general on a mostly party-line vote of 52 to 47, with just one Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia joining the Republican majority. Sessions voted present, and when the tally was announced many senators broke into extended applause for their colleague. Manchin's daughter is the CEO of Mylan, the pharmaceutical company being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for creating legislation that expanded the availability of their product, EpiPens, or epinephrine injectors. Manchin was the lone Democrat to approve Sessions, and now Sessions will control the Justice Department investigating his daughter. Joe Manchin daughter is being investigated by the justice department.. ???? Jeff Sessions will make it go bye-bye. Anymore more questions?? pic.twitter.com/LTg7jey6CN — ???‍??D.C.Rob ???‍?? (@DCRobMan) February 9, 2017 × Sessions was a US attorney for the southern district of Alabama from 1981 to 1993, before serving two years as the state's attorney general. He won a seat in the US Senate in 1996. But in 1986 his career was almost derailed when a US Senate panel rejected his nomination for a judgeship amid concerns over past comments he made about blacks, and over remarks that appeared sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan. There were major protests across America over the appointment of Sessions. On Tuesday senators broke into fiercely personal debate, which saw the Democrat Elizabeth Warren barred from speaking after she was deemed to have broken chamber rules on decorum. Warren had tried to read a 1986 letter by Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil rights hero Martin Luther King, denouncing the civil rights record of Jeff Sessions when he was . Trump has harangued Democrats for slow-walking his nominees, blasting their obstruction as a "disgrace". Congratulations to our new Attorney General, @SenatorSessions! pic.twitter.com/e0buP1K83z — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017 × He appeared particularly angered by the delay on Sessions, who as attorney general would wield enormous power regarding the administration of justice, including on the issue of voting rights. Sessions, widely seen as an inspiration for Trump's anti-immigration policies, is just the sixth of 15 cabinet members to be confirmed, in addition to the cabinet-rank positions of CIA director and US ambassador to the United Nations. Sessions will take charge of the Justice Department and its 113,000 employees, including the 93 US attorneys throughout the country. He steps in amid a swirling legal debate over Trump's most controversial White House action to date, an executive order temporarily blocking all refugee arrivals and immigration from seven mainly Muslim countries. Sessions, 70, a staunch Trump supporter became a pivotal figure in his campaign and transition team. The notorious white supremacist David Duke applauded Trump's decision to appoint Jeff Sessions. Bannon, Flynn, Sessions -- Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites! — David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) November 18, 2016 × (AFP)

US Senate confirms Sessions as attorney general

The Donald Trump administration might halve the number of green cards or permanent residency that the US issues every year.

At the moment, the current waiting time for a person to get his green card ranges from 10 to 35 years. But if bill goes through, the waiting time could further increase.

The bill, hoever, does not focus on H1-B visas.

If the bill is legislated, only minor children and spouses of permanent card holders could apply for permanent residency.

That would ration the issuance of green cards from the current rate of one million to around 500,000.

The bill, titled RAISE Act, which has been proposed by&nbsp;Republican senator Tom Cotton and Democrat David Perdue, intends to &quot;promote higher wages&quot; for Americans.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time our immigration system started working for American workers,&rdquo; Cotton said.

&ldquo;My bill today would be a first and modest down payment by getting a handle on green cards because we give out a million a year and the vast majority of those are unrelated to unemployment and they let in low-skilled and unskilled workers. That needs to change,&rdquo; he said in an interview with the far-right website&nbsp;Breitbart News.

This comes days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned travellers and refugess from seven Muslim-dominated&nbsp;nations -- Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen -- from entering the country.

(WION)

If the bill is passed, only minor children and spouses of permanent card holders could apply for green card

The Donald Trump administration might halve the number of green cards or permanent residency that the US issues every year. At the moment, the current waiting time for a person to get his green card ranges from 10 to 35 years. But if bill goes through, the waiting time could further increase. The bill, hoever, does not focus on H1-B visas. If the bill is legislated, only minor children and spouses of permanent card holders could apply for permanent residency. That would ration the issuance of green cards from the current rate of one million to around 500,000. The bill, titled RAISE Act, which has been proposed by Republican senator Tom Cotton and Democrat David Perdue, intends to "promote higher wages" for Americans. “It’s time our immigration system started working for American workers,” Cotton said. “My bill today would be a first and modest down payment by getting a handle on green cards because we give out a million a year and the vast majority of those are unrelated to unemployment and they let in low-skilled and unskilled workers. That needs to change,” he said in an interview with the far-right website Breitbart News. This comes days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned travellers and refugess from seven Muslim-dominated nations -- Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen -- from entering the country. (WION)

Trump administration backs bill halving issuance of green cards

The parents of the two backpackers killed in Australia slammed US President Donald Trump for including their death on a list of supposedly<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-white-house-list-of-78-terrorist-attacks-it-claims-media-ignored-ignores-terrorism-by-white-people-12130" target="_blank"> under-reported terrorist attacks</a>.&nbsp;

British backpackers Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and Tom Jackson, 30, were stabbed to death last year.&nbsp;They were killed by Frenchman Smail Ayad at a backpacker hostel in Queensland. He had shouted &quot;Allahu Akbar&quot; (God is greatest) during the attack.&nbsp;

&quot;The possibility of Mia and Tom&#39;s deaths being consequent to an Islamic terror attack was discounted in the early stages of the police investigation,&quot; Ayliffe said.&nbsp;The police had ruled out any terror links.&nbsp;

Trump earlier this week had accused &quot;dishonest&quot; media of failing to report on attacks by radical Islamists, amid the controversial travel ban imposed on seven Muslim-majority countries.&nbsp;

The White House later circulated a list of 78 incidents saying they were &quot;executed or inspired by&quot; the Islamic State group and that they did not get any media attention.&nbsp;

Mia&#39;s mother, Rosie Ayliffe wrote an open letter to Donald Trump saying it was wrong to link her daughter&#39;s death with radical jihadists.&nbsp;

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> An open letter regarding the deaths of the heroic Tom Jackson and my daughter, Mia Ayliffe-Chung: <a href="https://t.co/e4oK5eey0H">pic.twitter.com/e4oK5eey0H</a>
&mdash; Rosie Ayliffe (@RosieAyliffe) <a href="https://twitter.com/RosieAyliffe/status/828912495205240832">February 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Rosie Ayliffe said, &quot;any fool can shout Allahu Akbar as they commit a crime&quot;. When she travelled in Islamic countries, she said she &quot;encountered nothing but respect and hospitality&quot;.

&quot;This vilification of whole nation states and their people based on religion is a terrifying reminder of the horror that can ensue when we allow ourselves to be led by ignorant people into darkness and hatred,&quot; she added in the letter.

&quot;My daughter&#39;s death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people.&quot;

Tom&#39;s father Les Jackson also hit back at Trump, saying &quot;he and his advisors know full well--or could easily verify--that Tom and Mia died not as the result of an act of terror but rather through the actions of a disturbed individual.&quot;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realdonaldtrump</a> has sought to politicise my son&rsquo;s murder in his campaign of persecution and hatred. Here&rsquo;s what I think&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/fpetXZyfdw">pic.twitter.com/fpetXZyfdw</a>
&mdash; Les Jackson (@les_jackson) <a href="https://twitter.com/les_jackson/status/829016869646585858">February 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

'My daughter's death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people'

The parents of the two backpackers killed in Australia slammed US President Donald Trump for including their death on a list of supposedly under-reported terrorist attacks. British backpackers Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and Tom Jackson, 30, were stabbed to death last year. They were killed by Frenchman Smail Ayad at a backpacker hostel in Queensland. He had shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack. "The possibility of Mia and Tom's deaths being consequent to an Islamic terror attack was discounted in the early stages of the police investigation," Ayliffe said. The police had ruled out any terror links. Trump earlier this week had accused "dishonest" media of failing to report on attacks by radical Islamists, amid the controversial travel ban imposed on seven Muslim-majority countries. The White House later circulated a list of 78 incidents saying they were "executed or inspired by" the Islamic State group and that they did not get any media attention. Mia's mother, Rosie Ayliffe wrote an open letter to Donald Trump saying it was wrong to link her daughter's death with radical jihadists. .@realDonaldTrump An open letter regarding the deaths of the heroic Tom Jackson and my daughter, Mia Ayliffe-Chung: pic.twitter.com/e4oK5eey0H — Rosie Ayliffe (@RosieAyliffe) February 7, 2017 × Rosie Ayliffe said, "any fool can shout Allahu Akbar as they commit a crime". When she travelled in Islamic countries, she said she "encountered nothing but respect and hospitality". "This vilification of whole nation states and their people based on religion is a terrifying reminder of the horror that can ensue when we allow ourselves to be led by ignorant people into darkness and hatred," she added in the letter. "My daughter's death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people." Tom's father Les Jackson also hit back at Trump, saying "he and his advisors know full well--or could easily verify--that Tom and Mia died not as the result of an act of terror but rather through the actions of a disturbed individual." @realdonaldtrump has sought to politicise my son’s murder in his campaign of persecution and hatred. Here’s what I think… pic.twitter.com/fpetXZyfdw — Les Jackson (@les_jackson) February 7, 2017 × (WION with inputs from AFP)

Parents of murdered backpackers slam Trump's terror list

Comedienne Rosie O&#39;Donnell says that if asked she will be onboard to play US President Donald Trump&#39;s chief strategist Steve Bannon on &quot;Saturday Night Live&quot; (SNL).

SNL is a decades-old late night comedy show that airs on Saturday nights. It&#39;s a fixture of mainstream&nbsp;American late night&nbsp;television and pop culture.

In a series of tweets, the 54-year-old actress rose up to the task to play the said character if situation arises. &quot;...I am here to serve - Alec has Trump - Melissa has Spice - I would need a few days to prepare - so if called - I will be ready,&quot; Rosie tweeted.

She also wrote, &quot;#BannoninChief&quot; and later tweeted, &quot;available ? if called I will serve!!!&quot;

This development took place after one of the users asked her if she would be ready for it, after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/melissa-mccarthy-steals-show-on-snl-impersonating-white-house-press-secretary-12077" target="_blank">Melissa McCarthy</a> playing White House press secretary, Sean Spicer to the T.

Bannon is currently being portrayed as the Grim Reaper on SNL.

Donald Trump has had an ongoing feud with Rosie O&#39;Donnell for years. She has, correctly, said that <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/07/politics/donald-trump-rosie-odonnell-feud/" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> is &quot;not a self-made man&quot;, and called him a &quot;snake oil salesman.&quot; She has&nbsp;claimed, also correctly, that he went bankrupt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Responding to the claims of bankruptcy,&nbsp;Trump said: &quot;I&#39;ll most likely sue her for making those false statements -- and it&#39;ll be fun. Rosie&#39;s a loser. A real loser. I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie.&quot;

<a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/140437/president-steve-bannon-starting-get-donald-trumps-nerves">Amid reports</a> in Western media that Steve Bannon is controlling President Trump, and that Trump is &quot;rattled&quot; to be perceived as not fully in charge, Bannon being played by sworn enemy O&#39;Donnell has real pontential to anger Donald Trump.

Trump has criticised&nbsp;SNL repeatedly in Tweets, especially Alec Baldwin&#39;s impersonation&nbsp;of Trump.&nbsp;

Trump was blasted for being a misogynist and a sexual predator after an audio clip emerged of him bragging about grabbing women &quot;by the pussy&quot;, and women around the world have taken a prominent role in protesting against him. The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/womens-march-see-more-than-a-million-people-protest-against-trump-177" target="_blank">Women&#39;s March</a> was attended by millions of people around the world.

There were reports that the Melissa McCarthy impression didn&#39;t just anger Trump because of the way it depicted Spicer, but because <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/02/07/president-trump-disliked-melissa-mccarthys-sean-spicer-performance-on-snl-because-shes-a-woman/" target="_blank">McCarthy is a woman</a>. This&nbsp;is giving people on social media ideas.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/CheriJacobus">@CheriJacobus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Rosie">@Rosie</a> <a href="https://t.co/qXNxFFGkhM">pic.twitter.com/qXNxFFGkhM</a>
&mdash; President Bannon (@IM_Prez_Bannon) <a href="https://twitter.com/IM_Prez_Bannon/status/828814393395838976">February 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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You know that if Rosie O&#39;Donnell does play Steve Bannon, Trump and millions of other people will be watching that episode.

(With inputs from PTI)

Trump would watch this episode. He is rattled that Bannon is perceived to be controlling the White House, and also hates O'Donnell and 'SNL'

Comedienne Rosie O'Donnell says that if asked she will be onboard to play US President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). SNL is a decades-old late night comedy show that airs on Saturday nights. It's a fixture of mainstream American late night television and pop culture. In a series of tweets, the 54-year-old actress rose up to the task to play the said character if situation arises. "...I am here to serve - Alec has Trump - Melissa has Spice - I would need a few days to prepare - so if called - I will be ready," Rosie tweeted. She also wrote, "#BannoninChief" and later tweeted, "available ? if called I will serve!!!" This development took place after one of the users asked her if she would be ready for it, after Melissa McCarthy playing White House press secretary, Sean Spicer to the T. Bannon is currently being portrayed as the Grim Reaper on SNL. Donald Trump has had an ongoing feud with Rosie O'Donnell for years. She has, correctly, said that Donald Trump is "not a self-made man", and called him a "snake oil salesman." She has claimed, also correctly, that he went bankrupt. Responding to the claims of bankruptcy, Trump said: "I'll most likely sue her for making those false statements -- and it'll be fun. Rosie's a loser. A real loser. I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie." Amid reports in Western media that Steve Bannon is controlling President Trump, and that Trump is "rattled" to be perceived as not fully in charge, Bannon being played by sworn enemy O'Donnell has real pontential to anger Donald Trump. Trump has criticised SNL repeatedly in Tweets, especially Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Trump. Trump was blasted for being a misogynist and a sexual predator after an audio clip emerged of him bragging about grabbing women "by the pussy", and women around the world have taken a prominent role in protesting against him. The Women's March was attended by millions of people around the world. There were reports that the Melissa McCarthy impression didn't just anger Trump because of the way it depicted Spicer, but because McCarthy is a woman. This is giving people on social media ideas. @CheriJacobus @Rosie pic.twitter.com/qXNxFFGkhM — President Bannon (@IM_Prez_Bannon) February 7, 2017 × You know that if Rosie O'Donnell does play Steve Bannon, Trump and millions of other people will be watching that episode. (With inputs from PTI)

Rosie O'Donnell wants to appear as Steve Bannon on 'SNL'

US authorities said on Tuesday they will approve a permit to complete the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline.

The decision comes after months of protests by Native Americans and their supporters led the Obama administration to nix plans to build the pipeline close to native grounds.&nbsp;

But President Donald Trump supported the 1,172-mile (1,886-kilometre) oil pipeline, which would snake through four US states, and ordered officials to reconsider. &nbsp;

The Army Corps of Engineers, which has approval authority, said on Tuesday that it had &quot;completed a presidential-directed review&quot; and planned to grant permission for the pipeline to cross government land at the Missouri River and man-made Lake Oahe reservoir -- the final sticking point, which will effectively allow the last stretch of the pipeline to be completed. &nbsp;

The reservoir is the drinking water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which objects to the pipeline&#39;s routes. The tribe vowed to challenge The Army&#39;s decision in court, and called on supporters to head to Washington on March 10 for &quot;a Native Nations march&quot;. &nbsp;

&quot;We ask that our allies join us in demanding that Congress demand a fair and accurate process,&quot; tribe chairman Dave Archambault said in a statement. &quot;Our fight is no longer at the North Dakota site itself. Our fight is with Congress and the Trump administration.&quot; &nbsp;

The Dakota Access pipeline would connect the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota to an existing crude oil terminal near Patoka, Illinois.

In addition to the risk to its water, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe had also claimed the project endangered areas with sacred historic sites and artefacts.&nbsp;Additionally, it claimed that it was not appropriately consulted during the process&nbsp;and that a proper environmental review was required.

Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline&#39;s operator, has denied the tribe&#39;s claims, saying the pipeline is safer than the current transport methods of rail and truck, and that archaeological experts it hired had failed to find sacred artefacts along the pipeline route.

&nbsp;

Opponents vow to fight on

North Dakota leaders who have supported the project promptly backed the Army&#39;s decision. &quot;This is a key step toward the completion of this important infrastructure project, which has faced months of politically-driven delays,&quot; North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum in a statement. &nbsp;

North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, who also praised The Army&#39;s decision, said the acrimonious process had nevertheless raised some questions.

&quot;Going forward, we need to review the permitting process to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard and that a fair, certain and legal process has been followed,&quot; Hoeven said. &nbsp;

The pipeline has been the subject of intense protests in North Dakota and around the country, galvanising hundreds of Native American tribes, environmental groups and their supporters.

Protesters had also camped on land near the pipeline&#39;s path just north of the tribe&#39;s reservation in order to physically block its completion -- at times clashing violently with authorities.

Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network -- a group that had a strong presence at the North Dakota protest, charged that The Army&#39;s decision on Tuesday went against protocol and the established legal process.

&quot;It disregards more than 100,000 comments already submitted as part of the not-yet-completed environmental review process,&quot; Goldtooth said.

(AFP)

Obama cancelled it after months of fierce protesting by Native Americans and their allies. But Donald Trump supports the pipline

US authorities said on Tuesday they will approve a permit to complete the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline. The decision comes after months of protests by Native Americans and their supporters led the Obama administration to nix plans to build the pipeline close to native grounds. But President Donald Trump supported the 1,172-mile (1,886-kilometre) oil pipeline, which would snake through four US states, and ordered officials to reconsider. The Army Corps of Engineers, which has approval authority, said on Tuesday that it had "completed a presidential-directed review" and planned to grant permission for the pipeline to cross government land at the Missouri River and man-made Lake Oahe reservoir -- the final sticking point, which will effectively allow the last stretch of the pipeline to be completed. The reservoir is the drinking water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which objects to the pipeline's routes. The tribe vowed to challenge The Army's decision in court, and called on supporters to head to Washington on March 10 for "a Native Nations march". "We ask that our allies join us in demanding that Congress demand a fair and accurate process," tribe chairman Dave Archambault said in a statement. "Our fight is no longer at the North Dakota site itself. Our fight is with Congress and the Trump administration." The Dakota Access pipeline would connect the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota to an existing crude oil terminal near Patoka, Illinois. In addition to the risk to its water, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe had also claimed the project endangered areas with sacred historic sites and artefacts. Additionally, it claimed that it was not appropriately consulted during the process and that a proper environmental review was required. Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline's operator, has denied the tribe's claims, saying the pipeline is safer than the current transport methods of rail and truck, and that archaeological experts it hired had failed to find sacred artefacts along the pipeline route. Opponents vow to fight on North Dakota leaders who have supported the project promptly backed the Army's decision. "This is a key step toward the completion of this important infrastructure project, which has faced months of politically-driven delays," North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum in a statement. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, who also praised The Army's decision, said the acrimonious process had nevertheless raised some questions. "Going forward, we need to review the permitting process to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard and that a fair, certain and legal process has been followed," Hoeven said. The pipeline has been the subject of intense protests in North Dakota and around the country, galvanising hundreds of Native American tribes, environmental groups and their supporters. Protesters had also camped on land near the pipeline's path just north of the tribe's reservation in order to physically block its completion -- at times clashing violently with authorities. Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network -- a group that had a strong presence at the North Dakota protest, charged that The Army's decision on Tuesday went against protocol and the established legal process. "It disregards more than 100,000 comments already submitted as part of the not-yet-completed environmental review process," Goldtooth said. (AFP)

US authorities to approve Dakota Access Pipeline permit

Yesterday the White House officially released a list of 78 terrorist attacks&nbsp;carried out by Islamic State (IS) supporters--in the US&nbsp;and abroad, between September 2014 to December 2016--claiming that these attacks were not&nbsp;reported, or were&nbsp;under-reported, in the media. Why did the White House publish such a document?

The list was&nbsp;distributed hours after Trump&nbsp;had accused the media of downplaying terrorist attacks, <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318190-cnn-gets-wh-list-of-terror-attacks-media-ignored" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reports.&nbsp;&quot;And in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn&#39;t want to report it,&quot; Trump said. He&nbsp;suggested that the media buried stories of terrorist&nbsp;attacks for ulterior motives. &quot;They have their own reasons, and you understand that,&quot; he said, without providing&nbsp;evidence.&nbsp;

Some of the attacks on the White House list have received major&nbsp;coverage in America, despite Trump&#39;s claim. But also included on the list were&nbsp;smaller strikes&nbsp;overseas that got less.

&nbsp;

Justifying the Muslim ban

The list comes as Trump has been panned, by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-speaker-opposes-letting-trump-address-parliament-12121" target="_blank">lawmakers </a>and by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/womens-march-protesters-flood-washington-to-protest-trump-administration-11544" target="_blank">millions</a>&nbsp;around the world,&nbsp;for a severe&nbsp;&quot;travel ban&quot; imposed on seven majority Muslim countries. Rudy Giulianni went on live TV to explain that Trump himself originally called this executive order a &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rudy-giuliani-told-trump-how-to-make-muslim-ban-legal-11841" target="_blank">Muslim ban</a>&quot;, even as his administration publicly contests that nomenclature. But presumably the White House is publishing this list to make it appear like the Muslim ban is founded on rationale, not prejudice. The list is also aimed&nbsp;normalising Trump&#39;s&nbsp;world view.

Publishing a catalogue of Islamic terrorism&nbsp;is parallel to an earlier&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;pledge to&nbsp;publish a weekly list of crimes committed by <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/26/trump-plans-to-shame-sanctuary-cities-by-publishing-a-weekly-list-of-crimes-committed-by-undocumented-immigrants/" target="_blank">undocumented immigrants</a>&nbsp;in sanctuary cities. <a href="http://www.thefader.com/2017/01/26/trump-crimes-committed-immigrants-nazi" target="_blank">Critics </a>pointed out that this bore a resemblance to the list of crimes commited by Jewish people, kept&nbsp;by&nbsp;the Institute for Reseach on the Jewish Question in <a href="http://www.thefader.com/2017/01/26/trump-crimes-committed-immigrants-nazi" target="_blank">Nazi Germany</a>.

Highlighting the criminality of minorities is not designed to improve public safety, but to falsely create this&nbsp;appearance.&nbsp;Further, it is designed to make people hate and fear minorities, and to make it appear like fear and hate are sensible.

&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s silence speaks loudly

Last week, Alexandre Bissonnette,&nbsp;a 27-year-old caucasian Francophone&nbsp;from Quebec City, murdered six Muslims&nbsp;and injured eight more in a shooting spree inside a mosque.&nbsp;Canadians&nbsp;of all persuasions were shocked and saddened, but Trump sent condolences to &quot;the Prime Minister and people of Canada&quot;, rather than single out Muslims&nbsp;for support in a time of grief and fear. But the man for whom wishing&nbsp;&quot;Happy holidays&quot; instead of &quot;Merry Christmas&quot; is a sin warranting multiple twitter rants was unusually silent on social media. Initially there were murmurs that&nbsp;the killer was heard saying &quot;Allah Akbar!&quot; before unleashing carnage. This did not happen. Actually, far from this, Bissonnette liked &quot;Donald Trump&quot; on Facebook, and now former classmates say he&nbsp;&quot;really like Trump and had a permanent grudge against the left&quot;.

More, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said: &quot;We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms...It&#39;s a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant and why the president is taking steps to be pro-active, rather re-active, when it comes to our nation&#39;s safety and security.&quot; Thus,&nbsp;mass murder perpetrated by a white French-Canadian&nbsp;against Muslim Canadians&nbsp;is warped and recast as evidence supposedly supporting the need to ban Muslims from entering America. Spicer&#39;s response, which is essentially articulating&nbsp;Trump&#39;s world view,&nbsp;is&nbsp;objectively incoherent.

&nbsp;

Stigmatising Muslims amid&nbsp;general disinformation from&nbsp;White House 

The Trump administration&#39;s Islamophobia&nbsp;also comes amid a torrent from them&nbsp;of general disinformation.&nbsp;White House spokesperson Kellyanne Conway was broadly criticised&nbsp;for coining&nbsp;the Orwellian term &quot;alternative facts&quot;&nbsp;to justify Sean Spicer&#39;s palpably false claim&nbsp;that the media&nbsp;misrepresented the crowd size at Trump&#39;s presidential inauguration.&nbsp;Reports are emerging&nbsp;of the White House shutting down a range of ordinary&nbsp;communication for various&nbsp;imporant agencies.&nbsp;Trump just recently&nbsp;dismissed as &quot;Fake News&quot; any poll that reflects <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/06/media/donald-trump-poll-denialism/" target="_blank">negatively </a>against&nbsp;him.

That the White House is actively&nbsp;dissemenating lies and shutting down open communication does not mean the media covering Trump is perfect!&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/democrats-confront-lefty-fake-news?utm_term=.oeBZJy8ZA#.ro6GLr7GM" target="_blank">BuzzFeed </a>published criticism of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/democrats-confront-lefty-fake-news" target="_blank">Fake News</a> with a liberal bent, as some Trump critics sensationalise half-truths,&nbsp;publish factually wrong information or outright fabrications.&nbsp;But the White House&#39;s criticism of the media seems to exist independently of media errors, and is designed to&nbsp;accomplish at least two goals. The first is to create fear by both&nbsp;stigmatising&nbsp;minorities and to paint the state of the country as being in&nbsp;&quot;<a href="http://www.vox.com/a/president-trump-inauguration-speech-transcript-annotations" target="_blank">carnage</a>&quot; that requires&nbsp;a strongman leader to fix.&nbsp;The second is to discredit the media, not because they are sometimes inaccurate, but specifically because&nbsp;they are&nbsp;accurate.

&nbsp;

The White House&#39;s bias

The White House&nbsp;publishing a&nbsp;list of terrorism attacks is hardly the first time politicians have tried to manipulate the media into getting&nbsp;headlines they desire. The criticism is not merely that they&#39;re shaping the story, it&#39;s that their framing is biased: It stigmatises&nbsp;Muslim citizens by associating Muslims in general with terrorism, and ignores terrorism&nbsp;committed by white people.

A 2015 article by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/06/18/white_extremist_murders_killed_at_least_60_in_u_s_since_1995.html" target="_blank">Ben Mathis-Lilley at Slate</a>&nbsp;corrects&nbsp;this record by publishing a&nbsp;list of terrorist attacks&nbsp;committed by white Americans on&nbsp;United States soil.<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/06/18/white_extremist_murders_killed_at_least_60_in_u_s_since_1995.html" target="_blank"> &quot;White extremists&quot;</a> have killed at least 60 people in 23 deadly attacks since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Trump claims that any&nbsp;failure to utter<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72SbL2SJt-4" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>&quot;Radical Islamist terrorism&quot; is&nbsp;dangerous&nbsp;political correctness. Esssentially&nbsp;Trump,&nbsp;and he&#39;s far from alone in this, believes that liberals are so overeagerly tolerant&nbsp;that in their misguided&nbsp;effort to be inclusive&nbsp;that they ignore flagrant,&nbsp;fatal&nbsp;threats in their midst.

This mindset presupposes that Muslims are uniquely and inherently dangerous, a bogus presumption which leads to two negative outcomes:&nbsp;A&nbsp;hostile environment for millions of peaceful Muslims, and a society unguarded against the&nbsp;real but officially unacknowledged&nbsp;danger of white terrorism, swallowed up as it is in the hysteria surounding a&nbsp;real but exaggerated threat&nbsp;posed by&nbsp;Islamic terrorism.

It also fails to take into account what should be a unifying and heartening truth,&nbsp;that&nbsp;people of every religion and skin colour actually agree:&nbsp;Islamic terrorism is very bad! Muslims are disproportionately the victims of terrorism. Islamic State is in predominantly Muslim countries&nbsp;killing thousands of people, destroying&nbsp;ancient sites&nbsp;and committing various other atrocities. Most of the people&nbsp;fighting against Islamic State are&nbsp;Muslims. Nobody likes Islamic State!

If Trump&#39;s only&nbsp;interest is keeping Americans safe, why is he silent about the threat posed by white terrorists? Trump says that if a leader is unwilling to&nbsp;say &quot;Radical Islamist terrorism&quot; aloud,&nbsp;they are incapable of protecting their society. They are soft on terror.&nbsp;But there is a class of terrorism about which Trump&nbsp;is glaringly,&nbsp;hypocritically silent.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s&nbsp;silence is both dividing Americans and putting them&nbsp;at risk.

Who he systematically criticises and systematically ignores reveals much.

As a private citizen Trump was free to tweet how he liked,&nbsp;but he is issuing&nbsp;official White House communications now. His pledge to put America&nbsp;first must apply equally for&nbsp;all Americans. This balance is required both&nbsp;when keeping Americans safe&nbsp;and when condemning American murderers, too.&nbsp;

(WION)

Trump is actively stigmatising Muslims and vilifying the media, and in the process ignoring many real threats to America

Yesterday the White House officially released a list of 78 terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic State (IS) supporters--in the US and abroad, between September 2014 to December 2016--claiming that these attacks were not reported, or were under-reported, in the media. Why did the White House publish such a document? The list was distributed hours after Trump had accused the media of downplaying terrorist attacks, The Hill reports. "And in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it," Trump said. He suggested that the media buried stories of terrorist attacks for ulterior motives. "They have their own reasons, and you understand that," he said, without providing evidence. Some of the attacks on the White House list have received major coverage in America, despite Trump's claim. But also included on the list were smaller strikes overseas that got less. Justifying the Muslim ban The list comes as Trump has been panned, by lawmakers and by millions around the world, for a severe "travel ban" imposed on seven majority Muslim countries. Rudy Giulianni went on live TV to explain that Trump himself originally called this executive order a "Muslim ban", even as his administration publicly contests that nomenclature. But presumably the White House is publishing this list to make it appear like the Muslim ban is founded on rationale, not prejudice. The list is also aimed normalising Trump's world view. Publishing a catalogue of Islamic terrorism is parallel to an earlier Trump pledge to publish a weekly list of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities. Critics pointed out that this bore a resemblance to the list of crimes commited by Jewish people, kept by the Institute for Reseach on the Jewish Question in Nazi Germany. Highlighting the criminality of minorities is not designed to improve public safety, but to falsely create this appearance. Further, it is designed to make people hate and fear minorities, and to make it appear like fear and hate are sensible. Trump's silence speaks loudly Last week, Alexandre Bissonnette, a 27-year-old caucasian Francophone from Quebec City, murdered six Muslims and injured eight more in a shooting spree inside a mosque. Canadians of all persuasions were shocked and saddened, but Trump sent condolences to "the Prime Minister and people of Canada", rather than single out Muslims for support in a time of grief and fear. But the man for whom wishing "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is a sin warranting multiple twitter rants was unusually silent on social media. Initially there were murmurs that the killer was heard saying "Allah Akbar!" before unleashing carnage. This did not happen. Actually, far from this, Bissonnette liked "Donald Trump" on Facebook, and now former classmates say he "really like Trump and had a permanent grudge against the left". More, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said: "We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms...It's a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant and why the president is taking steps to be pro-active, rather re-active, when it comes to our nation's safety and security." Thus, mass murder perpetrated by a white French-Canadian against Muslim Canadians is warped and recast as evidence supposedly supporting the need to ban Muslims from entering America. Spicer's response, which is essentially articulating Trump's world view, is objectively incoherent. Stigmatising Muslims amid general disinformation from White House The Trump administration's Islamophobia also comes amid a torrent from them of general disinformation. White House spokesperson Kellyanne Conway was broadly criticised for coining the Orwellian term "alternative facts" to justify Sean Spicer's palpably false claim that the media misrepresented the crowd size at Trump's presidential inauguration. Reports are emerging of the White House shutting down a range of ordinary communication for various imporant agencies. Trump just recently dismissed as "Fake News" any poll that reflects negatively against him. That the White House is actively dissemenating lies and shutting down open communication does not mean the media covering Trump is perfect! BuzzFeed published criticism of Fake News with a liberal bent, as some Trump critics sensationalise half-truths, publish factually wrong information or outright fabrications. But the White House's criticism of the media seems to exist independently of media errors, and is designed to accomplish at least two goals. The first is to create fear by both stigmatising minorities and to paint the state of the country as being in "carnage" that requires a strongman leader to fix. The second is to discredit the media, not because they are sometimes inaccurate, but specifically because they are accurate. The White House's bias The White House publishing a list of terrorism attacks is hardly the first time politicians have tried to manipulate the media into getting headlines they desire. The criticism is not merely that they're shaping the story, it's that their framing is biased: It stigmatises Muslim citizens by associating Muslims in general with terrorism, and ignores terrorism committed by white people. A 2015 article by Ben Mathis-Lilley at Slate corrects this record by publishing a list of terrorist attacks committed by white Americans on United States soil. "White extremists" have killed at least 60 people in 23 deadly attacks since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Trump claims that any failure to utter "Radical Islamist terrorism" is dangerous political correctness. Esssentially Trump, and he's far from alone in this, believes that liberals are so overeagerly tolerant that in their misguided effort to be inclusive that they ignore flagrant, fatal threats in their midst. This mindset presupposes that Muslims are uniquely and inherently dangerous, a bogus presumption which leads to two negative outcomes: A hostile environment for millions of peaceful Muslims, and a society unguarded against the real but officially unacknowledged danger of white terrorism, swallowed up as it is in the hysteria surounding a real but exaggerated threat posed by Islamic terrorism. It also fails to take into account what should be a unifying and heartening truth, that people of every religion and skin colour actually agree: Islamic terrorism is very bad! Muslims are disproportionately the victims of terrorism. Islamic State is in predominantly Muslim countries killing thousands of people, destroying ancient sites and committing various other atrocities. Most of the people fighting against Islamic State are Muslims. Nobody likes Islamic State! If Trump's only interest is keeping Americans safe, why is he silent about the threat posed by white terrorists? Trump says that if a leader is unwilling to say "Radical Islamist terrorism" aloud, they are incapable of protecting their society. They are soft on terror. But there is a class of terrorism about which Trump is glaringly, hypocritically silent. Trump's silence is both dividing Americans and putting them at risk. Who he systematically criticises and systematically ignores reveals much. As a private citizen Trump was free to tweet how he liked, but he is issuing official White House communications now. His pledge to put America first must apply equally for all Americans. This balance is required both when keeping Americans safe and when condemning American murderers, too. (WION)

OPINION: White House list of 78 terrorist attacks it claims media ignored ignores terrorism by white people

The United States Senate confirmed billionaire heiress Betsy DeVos as the next secretary of education Tuesday, after Vice President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote on the deeply controversial nomination.

The confirmation means President Donald Trump will now have five of his 15 cabinet members in place more then two weeks into his administration, along with the CIA director and US ambassador to the United Nations, which are cabinet-rank positions.

The chamber deadlocked at 50-50, with two Republicans breaking ranks to oppose DeVos, a champion of using taxpayer monies to help fund privately run schools.

&quot;The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the nomination is confirmed,&quot; Pence said.

It was the first time a sitting vice president has voted to break a tie for a cabinet pick.

Afterward, Pence tweeted that the confirmation was &quot;a vote for every child having a chance at a world-class education.&quot;

Contentious pick

Her nomination has proven to be the most contentious of Trump&#39;s picks.

Pence&#39;s vote was needed to save DeVos, who had triggered an outpouring of frustration and anger when Trump nominated the 59-year-old political scion from Michigan late last year.

Two moderate Senate Republicans, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, bucked Trump and opposed his pick, citing her lack of qualifications for the post that oversees thousands of schools, millions of school children and curriculum standards.

Democrats were unable to convince another Republican to defect despite intense lobbying efforts that culminated with an all-night Democratic talk-a-thon late Monday into Tuesday on the Senate floor.

Senator Patty Murray said DeVos&#39;s performance at last month&#39;s confirmation hearing &quot;underscored how unprepared she is to serve as secretary of education.&quot;

Murray, a former pre-school teacher, added: &quot;There are open questions about her financial entanglements... and lack of understanding about basic education issues.&quot;

DeVos, a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, never attended public school or worked in the public school system.

Supporters praise the businesswoman and philanthropist as a fierce advocate of school choice, a US movement that seeks to use tax credits and vouchers to allow parents to opt out of the public school system in favor of privately managed charter schools for their children.

Attorney general nominee next

Republican Senator Rob Portman said DeVos would not rule with a heavy hand from Washington.

&quot;She strongly supports local control of education and has pledged not to impose her own views on states and local school districts, but rather to allow them -- along with parents -- to make the decisions that best fit the needs of their children,&quot; Portman said.

Trump rallied Republicans with a pre-vote tweet: &quot;Senate Dems protest to keep the failed status quo. Betsy DeVos is a reformer, and she is going to be a great Education Sec. for our kids!&quot;

The president has strongly criticized Democrats for opposing his cabinet nominations, saying they should be &quot;ashamed of themselves&quot; for slow-walking the process.

One nominee that Democrats have pushed back sharply against is one of the Senate&#39;s own, US attorney general nominee Senator Jeff Sessions, an early Trump backer during the presidential campaign.

Sessions endured a contentious hearing, during which Democrats questioned his civil rights record and his&nbsp;opposition to immigration.

But on Tuesday, his colleagues voted to advance his nomination, setting up a confirmation vote likely for later this week.

DeVos is less well known than Sessions. But she is a fixture in the education world, having served on the boards of not-for-profit groups that support school choice.

&quot;Parents no longer believe that a one-size-fits-all model of learning meets the needs of every child, and they know other options exist -- whether magnet, virtual, charter, home, religious, or any combination thereof,&quot; she said at her confirmation hearing.&nbsp;

Devout Christian beliefs are a hallmark of the DeVos clan, and Betsy has fought hard to carve out broader space for religion in the education world.

Until her nomination she chaired the American Federation for Children, the DeVos family&#39;s umbrella organization that supports advancement of school choice outside of Michigan.

&quot;Our work in Michigan was so successful that some of our friends in the movement began to say, &#39;We really need to do this nationally,&#39;&quot; DeVos said in a 2013 interview with the Philanthropy Roundtable.

&quot;And I said, &#39;Yes, I think we do.&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

With the chamber tied at 50-50, Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote on the deeply controversial nomination

The United States Senate confirmed billionaire heiress Betsy DeVos as the next secretary of education Tuesday, after Vice President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote on the deeply controversial nomination. The confirmation means President Donald Trump will now have five of his 15 cabinet members in place more then two weeks into his administration, along with the CIA director and US ambassador to the United Nations, which are cabinet-rank positions. The chamber deadlocked at 50-50, with two Republicans breaking ranks to oppose DeVos, a champion of using taxpayer monies to help fund privately run schools. "The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the nomination is confirmed," Pence said. It was the first time a sitting vice president has voted to break a tie for a cabinet pick. Afterward, Pence tweeted that the confirmation was "a vote for every child having a chance at a world-class education." Contentious pick Her nomination has proven to be the most contentious of Trump's picks. Pence's vote was needed to save DeVos, who had triggered an outpouring of frustration and anger when Trump nominated the 59-year-old political scion from Michigan late last year. Two moderate Senate Republicans, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, bucked Trump and opposed his pick, citing her lack of qualifications for the post that oversees thousands of schools, millions of school children and curriculum standards. Democrats were unable to convince another Republican to defect despite intense lobbying efforts that culminated with an all-night Democratic talk-a-thon late Monday into Tuesday on the Senate floor. Senator Patty Murray said DeVos's performance at last month's confirmation hearing "underscored how unprepared she is to serve as secretary of education." Murray, a former pre-school teacher, added: "There are open questions about her financial entanglements... and lack of understanding about basic education issues." DeVos, a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, never attended public school or worked in the public school system. Supporters praise the businesswoman and philanthropist as a fierce advocate of school choice, a US movement that seeks to use tax credits and vouchers to allow parents to opt out of the public school system in favor of privately managed charter schools for their children. Attorney general nominee next Republican Senator Rob Portman said DeVos would not rule with a heavy hand from Washington. "She strongly supports local control of education and has pledged not to impose her own views on states and local school districts, but rather to allow them -- along with parents -- to make the decisions that best fit the needs of their children," Portman said. Trump rallied Republicans with a pre-vote tweet: "Senate Dems protest to keep the failed status quo. Betsy DeVos is a reformer, and she is going to be a great Education Sec. for our kids!" The president has strongly criticized Democrats for opposing his cabinet nominations, saying they should be "ashamed of themselves" for slow-walking the process. One nominee that Democrats have pushed back sharply against is one of the Senate's own, US attorney general nominee Senator Jeff Sessions, an early Trump backer during the presidential campaign. Sessions endured a contentious hearing, during which Democrats questioned his civil rights record and his opposition to immigration. But on Tuesday, his colleagues voted to advance his nomination, setting up a confirmation vote likely for later this week. DeVos is less well known than Sessions. But she is a fixture in the education world, having served on the boards of not-for-profit groups that support school choice. "Parents no longer believe that a one-size-fits-all model of learning meets the needs of every child, and they know other options exist -- whether magnet, virtual, charter, home, religious, or any combination thereof," she said at her confirmation hearing. Devout Christian beliefs are a hallmark of the DeVos clan, and Betsy has fought hard to carve out broader space for religion in the education world. Until her nomination she chaired the American Federation for Children, the DeVos family's umbrella organization that supports advancement of school choice outside of Michigan. "Our work in Michigan was so successful that some of our friends in the movement began to say, 'We really need to do this nationally,'" DeVos said in a 2013 interview with the Philanthropy Roundtable. "And I said, 'Yes, I think we do.'" (AFP)

US vice president breaks deadlock to vote for new secretary of education

United States President Donald Trump criticised those against the controversial travel ban imposed on seven Muslim-dominated countries.

The 70-year-old also trained his guns on the media for trying to downplay the threat posed by travellers and refugess from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq and Yemen.

While the ban was suspended by a Seattle court on Friday, the US government appears unwavering its efforts to implement the executive order signed by Trump on January 27 despite two new polls showing that a majority of Americans are against the imposition of the ban.

Trump took to Twitter to slam the national media: &quot;Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election.&nbsp;Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting.&quot;

He also spoke about the risks involved in letting Muslims from the seven countries enter the country.&nbsp;

&quot;Radical Islamic terrorists are determined to strike our homeland as they did on 9/11, as they did from Boston to Orlando to San Bernardino, and all across Europe,&quot; the president later told military personnel.

Incidentally, none of the 9/11 attackers had any connection to the seven countries that have been blackballed by the current administration.

The legal battle has moved to San Francisco, where a US court of appeals gave the administration until Monday evening to submit a brief defending the decision.

Mounting opposition

Trump&#39;s decree slapped a blanket ban on entry for nationals of the seven mainly-Muslim countries for 90 days and barred all refugees for 120 days.&nbsp;Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.

The president says the ban is needed to tighten US security against foreign terror threats, citing the September 11, 2001 attacks despite the hijackers having no links to the named countries.

But Friday in Seattle, a federal district judge ordered the temporary nationwide suspension of the president&#39;s order, allowing the many travellers who were suddenly barred from US soil to start trickling back in.

The appeals court in San Francisco on Sunday refused to overrule the federal judge, and ordered the Trump administration to present a brief by 2300 GMT on Monday.

The attorneys general for the states of Washington and Minnesota, which won the temporary stay of the ban, have asked the appeals court to refuse to reinstate it. They were backed Monday in a court brief filed by 16 other US states.

And in an additional blow, a slew of Silicon Valley giants led by Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter have filed a legal brief in support of the lawsuit.

The 97 companies speaking out against Trump&#39;s travel ban said it harms recruiting and retention of talent, threatens business operations, and hampers their ability to attract investment to the United States.

A group of prominent Democrats including former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright added their voices to the criticism on Monday, in a filing to the San Francisco appeals court.

&quot;Reinstating the executive order would wreak havoc on innocent lives and deeply held American values,&quot; they said.

Specifically, the Democrats said Trump&#39;s travel ban could endanger US troops in the field, disrupt counterterrorism cooperation and feed Islamic State group propaganda.

Arrivals

Spicer insisted the administration was &quot;absolutely not&quot; thinking about withdrawing its order. On Trump&#39;s plan to introduce extreme vetting at US borders, he said: &quot;Once we win the case, it will go right back into action.&quot;

But top Republicans have also shown renewed signs of discomfort with the president as the controversy escalates, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chiding Trump on Sunday for attacking the judge who suspended the ban.

&quot;I think it is best to avoid criticizing judges individually,&quot; he said on CNN.

Trump had blasted Judge James Robart in a series of angry tweets.

&quot;Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!&quot;

With the ban suspended, travelers from the targeted countries holding valid visas have begun arriving on American soil.&nbsp;

In New York, 33-year-old Sudanese doctor Kamal Fadlalla rejoiced -- after a week blocked in his home country, he was back in the Big Apple with friends and colleagues.

&quot;It feels great,&quot; Fadlalla told AFP on Sunday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. &quot;It was a tough week actually.&quot;

Iranian graduate student Sara Yarjani, who was initially deported under Trump&#39;s order, arrived in Los Angeles.

&quot;I am so grateful to all the lawyers and others that helped me,&quot; she said tearfully.

The State Department has said visa holders from the seven countries are allowed to travel to the US as long as their documents have not been &quot;physically canceled&quot;.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The Trump administration is keen to reinstate the ban on Muslims despite fresh polls showing the public to be against the idea

United States President Donald Trump criticised those against the controversial travel ban imposed on seven Muslim-dominated countries. The 70-year-old also trained his guns on the media for trying to downplay the threat posed by travellers and refugess from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq and Yemen. While the ban was suspended by a Seattle court on Friday, the US government appears unwavering its efforts to implement the executive order signed by Trump on January 27 despite two new polls showing that a majority of Americans are against the imposition of the ban. Trump took to Twitter to slam the national media: "Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting." He also spoke about the risks involved in letting Muslims from the seven countries enter the country. "Radical Islamic terrorists are determined to strike our homeland as they did on 9/11, as they did from Boston to Orlando to San Bernardino, and all across Europe," the president later told military personnel. Incidentally, none of the 9/11 attackers had any connection to the seven countries that have been blackballed by the current administration. The legal battle has moved to San Francisco, where a US court of appeals gave the administration until Monday evening to submit a brief defending the decision. Mounting opposition Trump's decree slapped a blanket ban on entry for nationals of the seven mainly-Muslim countries for 90 days and barred all refugees for 120 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely. The president says the ban is needed to tighten US security against foreign terror threats, citing the September 11, 2001 attacks despite the hijackers having no links to the named countries. But Friday in Seattle, a federal district judge ordered the temporary nationwide suspension of the president's order, allowing the many travellers who were suddenly barred from US soil to start trickling back in. The appeals court in San Francisco on Sunday refused to overrule the federal judge, and ordered the Trump administration to present a brief by 2300 GMT on Monday. The attorneys general for the states of Washington and Minnesota, which won the temporary stay of the ban, have asked the appeals court to refuse to reinstate it. They were backed Monday in a court brief filed by 16 other US states. And in an additional blow, a slew of Silicon Valley giants led by Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter have filed a legal brief in support of the lawsuit. The 97 companies speaking out against Trump's travel ban said it harms recruiting and retention of talent, threatens business operations, and hampers their ability to attract investment to the United States. A group of prominent Democrats including former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright added their voices to the criticism on Monday, in a filing to the San Francisco appeals court. "Reinstating the executive order would wreak havoc on innocent lives and deeply held American values," they said. Specifically, the Democrats said Trump's travel ban could endanger US troops in the field, disrupt counterterrorism cooperation and feed Islamic State group propaganda. Arrivals Spicer insisted the administration was "absolutely not" thinking about withdrawing its order. On Trump's plan to introduce extreme vetting at US borders, he said: "Once we win the case, it will go right back into action." But top Republicans have also shown renewed signs of discomfort with the president as the controversy escalates, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chiding Trump on Sunday for attacking the judge who suspended the ban. "I think it is best to avoid criticizing judges individually," he said on CNN. Trump had blasted Judge James Robart in a series of angry tweets. "Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!" With the ban suspended, travelers from the targeted countries holding valid visas have begun arriving on American soil. In New York, 33-year-old Sudanese doctor Kamal Fadlalla rejoiced -- after a week blocked in his home country, he was back in the Big Apple with friends and colleagues. "It feels great," Fadlalla told AFP on Sunday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. "It was a tough week actually." Iranian graduate student Sara Yarjani, who was initially deported under Trump's order, arrived in Los Angeles. "I am so grateful to all the lawyers and others that helped me," she said tearfully. The State Department has said visa holders from the seven countries are allowed to travel to the US as long as their documents have not been "physically canceled". (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump attacks media for downplaying Islamist terror threat

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays&nbsp;as&nbsp;massive voter fraud in the 2016 election.

No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president&#39;s claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/26/fact-check-trumps-bogus-voter-fraud-claims-revisited/97080242/" target="_blank">non-existent</a>, USA Today reports.

In fact US intelligence claims&nbsp;that Russia&nbsp;meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence&#39;s investigation will address Russia&#39;s involvement.

But Trump listed the ways he says he believes&nbsp;voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News&#39;s Bill O&#39;Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The fraud was apparent, Trump said, &quot;when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s really a bad situation. It&#39;s really bad,&quot; Trump said. Trump&#39;s own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, &quot;to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we&#39;re going to look at it very, very carefully&quot;.

&nbsp;

Voter fraud vs&nbsp;voter suppression

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Washington Post&rsquo;s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans.

Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting&nbsp;he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/donald-trump-congress-democrats.html">New York Times </a>article claims that Trump, who in business and politics&nbsp;is always conscious of his&nbsp;brand and reputation,&nbsp;was angry about&nbsp;reports that correctly claimed that&nbsp;Clinton earned about 2.8&nbsp;million more votes than Trump.

Despite Trump&#39;s claim that he won the election in a &quot;landslide&quot;, he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Proof confirms that the voter fraud Trump claims happened basically does not exist. Critics claim Trump is trying to suppress voting rights

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays as massive voter fraud in the 2016 election. No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president's claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually non-existent, USA Today reports. In fact US intelligence claims that Russia meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence's investigation will address Russia's involvement. But Trump listed the ways he says he believes voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News's Bill O'Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday. The fraud was apparent, Trump said, "when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls." "It's really a bad situation. It's really bad," Trump said. Trump's own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, "to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we're going to look at it very, very carefully". Voter fraud vs voter suppression The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent. “The Washington Post’s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,” he said. He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans. Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. A New York Times article claims that Trump, who in business and politics is always conscious of his brand and reputation, was angry about reports that correctly claimed that Clinton earned about 2.8 million more votes than Trump. Despite Trump's claim that he won the election in a "landslide", he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump to create commission investigating non-existent voter fraud

Melissa McCarthy, the American actress from&nbsp;Ghostbusters and Bridesmaids, stole the show on Saturday Night Live this weekend in her portrayal of White House press secretary Sean Spicer, even overshadowing Alec Baldwin&#39;s return as&nbsp;Donald Trump.

Sean Spicer has a tough job, trying to explain Donald Trump&#39;s actions to the media.

Spicer does not make this job look easy. He made headlines after the first press conference of Trump&#39;s presidency was devoted to attacking the media for accurately portraying the crowd size at Trump&#39;s presidential&nbsp;inauguration as being vastly smaller than Obama&#39;s.

Defending Trump entails making enormous gaps of logic in an angry manner, and McCarthy had this in spades.

It can be dangerous to do comedy on the topic of Trump:&nbsp;There&#39;s a risk of laughing off something dangerous, or appearing eager to simply get attention by covering a&nbsp;trending topic.&nbsp;But McCarthy got big laughs portraying the absurdity of this presidency&nbsp;without diminishing it as a&nbsp;threat.&nbsp;That is truly hard to pull off.

Watch the full performance here.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBf9bSNYje8" width="560"></iframe>

(WION)

McCarthy used rage and enormous gaps in logic to accurately portray Sean Spicer, the man who for a living defends Donald Trump

Melissa McCarthy, the American actress from Ghostbusters and Bridesmaids, stole the show on Saturday Night Live this weekend in her portrayal of White House press secretary Sean Spicer, even overshadowing Alec Baldwin's return as Donald Trump. Sean Spicer has a tough job, trying to explain Donald Trump's actions to the media. Spicer does not make this job look easy. He made headlines after the first press conference of Trump's presidency was devoted to attacking the media for accurately portraying the crowd size at Trump's presidential inauguration as being vastly smaller than Obama's. Defending Trump entails making enormous gaps of logic in an angry manner, and McCarthy had this in spades. It can be dangerous to do comedy on the topic of Trump: There's a risk of laughing off something dangerous, or appearing eager to simply get attention by covering a trending topic. But McCarthy got big laughs portraying the absurdity of this presidency without diminishing it as a threat. That is truly hard to pull off. Watch the full performance here. (WION)

Melissa McCarthy steals show on 'SNL' impersonating White House press secretary

From London and Paris to New York and Washington, thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in American and European cities to protest US President Donald Trump&#39;s travel ban, even as it was suspended by a federal judge.

The biggest demonstration by far took place in the British capital, where an estimated 10,000 people turned out, chanting &quot;Theresa May: Shame on You&quot; to denounce the British prime minister&#39;s support for the new US leader.

Brandishing placards declaring &quot;No to scapegoating Muslims&quot; and &quot;Socialism not Trumpism,&quot; the protesters moved from the US embassy toward May&#39;s Downing Street office.

In an executive order issued on January 27, Trump slapped a blanket ban on nationals of seven mainly Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- barring their entry to the United States for 90 days.

Refugees were also barred from entry for 120 days, except those from Syria, who were blocked indefinitely.

However, on Friday, a US federal judge suspended the ban, a move which the Republican president -- who took office on January 20 -- condemned and vowed to fight.

&#39;Dump Trump&#39;

On the other side of the Atlantic, about 3,000 people demonstrated in New York, Trump&#39;s home town where protests against the property magnate-turned-world leader are near-daily.

Activists and supporters gathered outside the historic Stonewall Inn, a landmark of the gay rights movement in New York&#39;s Greenwich Village, to show support for Muslims and others affected by Trump&#39;s immigration order.

Democratic Senate minority leader Charles Schumer led the crowd -- which carried rainbow flags and Americans flags -- in cheers of &quot;Dump Trump.&quot;

In Washington, hundreds marched from the White House to Capitol Hill to show their solidarity.

&quot;Donald, Donald can&#39;t you see, we don&#39;t want you in DC,&quot; chanted the demonstrators in the largely Democratic-leaning US capital.

Many waved homemade signs with slogans like &quot;Love knows no borders&quot; and &quot;Will swap Trump for 1,000 refugees.&quot;

&quot;I was born and raised here and for the first time in my life, I don&#39;t feel safe,&quot; said Abu Bakkar, 26, whose parents are originally from Pakistan.

The Department of Defense consultant said the new president &quot;has revealed hate that&#39;s been underground for so long. He has divided one of the greatest countries in the world.&quot;

Anti-Trump petition

In Britain, more than 1.8 million people have signed a petition saying Trump should not be afforded a formal state visit because it would embarrass Queen Elizabeth II.

&quot;We&#39;re going to bring this capital to a halt on the day he comes over. We are going to make it impossible for him to have a state visit,&quot; Chris Nineham, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, told AFP.

The Guardian newspaper said around 10,000 people attended the London protest, while organizers claimed 40,000.

Elsewhere in Europe, about 1,000 people turned out in both Paris and Berlin, while smaller gatherings of several hundred people took place in provincial British cities including Manchester and Birmingham.

&quot;We are here to say we don&#39;t accept hate,&quot; said 20-year-old American Michael Jacobs, co-organizer of the Paris rally, surrounded by signs saying &quot;Refugees are welcome!&quot;

In Berlin, protesters rallied in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

&quot;I hope they will change something, but I am really disappointed,&quot; said Mahsa Zamani, a 26-year-old Iranian medical student who had been due to head to a Florida hospital for an internship.

&quot;It is still discrimination, and I don&#39;t know if I really feel like going even if they are changing (the rules).&quot;

On Saturday evening, hundreds of protesters were planning to march near Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago club and vacation home in Florida, though police were expected to keep them far from the property.

(AFP)

Cities across Europe and America have stridently condemned Donald Trump's immigration ban decision

From London and Paris to New York and Washington, thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in American and European cities to protest US President Donald Trump's travel ban, even as it was suspended by a federal judge. The biggest demonstration by far took place in the British capital, where an estimated 10,000 people turned out, chanting "Theresa May: Shame on You" to denounce the British prime minister's support for the new US leader. Brandishing placards declaring "No to scapegoating Muslims" and "Socialism not Trumpism," the protesters moved from the US embassy toward May's Downing Street office. In an executive order issued on January 27, Trump slapped a blanket ban on nationals of seven mainly Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- barring their entry to the United States for 90 days. Refugees were also barred from entry for 120 days, except those from Syria, who were blocked indefinitely. However, on Friday, a US federal judge suspended the ban, a move which the Republican president -- who took office on January 20 -- condemned and vowed to fight. 'Dump Trump' On the other side of the Atlantic, about 3,000 people demonstrated in New York, Trump's home town where protests against the property magnate-turned-world leader are near-daily. Activists and supporters gathered outside the historic Stonewall Inn, a landmark of the gay rights movement in New York's Greenwich Village, to show support for Muslims and others affected by Trump's immigration order. Democratic Senate minority leader Charles Schumer led the crowd -- which carried rainbow flags and Americans flags -- in cheers of "Dump Trump." In Washington, hundreds marched from the White House to Capitol Hill to show their solidarity. "Donald, Donald can't you see, we don't want you in DC," chanted the demonstrators in the largely Democratic-leaning US capital. Many waved homemade signs with slogans like "Love knows no borders" and "Will swap Trump for 1,000 refugees." "I was born and raised here and for the first time in my life, I don't feel safe," said Abu Bakkar, 26, whose parents are originally from Pakistan. The Department of Defense consultant said the new president "has revealed hate that's been underground for so long. He has divided one of the greatest countries in the world." Anti-Trump petition In Britain, more than 1.8 million people have signed a petition saying Trump should not be afforded a formal state visit because it would embarrass Queen Elizabeth II. "We're going to bring this capital to a halt on the day he comes over. We are going to make it impossible for him to have a state visit," Chris Nineham, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, told AFP. The Guardian newspaper said around 10,000 people attended the London protest, while organizers claimed 40,000. Elsewhere in Europe, about 1,000 people turned out in both Paris and Berlin, while smaller gatherings of several hundred people took place in provincial British cities including Manchester and Birmingham. "We are here to say we don't accept hate," said 20-year-old American Michael Jacobs, co-organizer of the Paris rally, surrounded by signs saying "Refugees are welcome!" In Berlin, protesters rallied in front of the Brandenburg Gate. "I hope they will change something, but I am really disappointed," said Mahsa Zamani, a 26-year-old Iranian medical student who had been due to head to a Florida hospital for an internship. "It is still discrimination, and I don't know if I really feel like going even if they are changing (the rules)." On Saturday evening, hundreds of protesters were planning to march near Trump's Mar-a-Lago club and vacation home in Florida, though police were expected to keep them far from the property. (AFP)

From London to Paris to New York, thousands converge for anti-Trump protests

On the long and winding road to resettling as a refugee in the United States, the last eight days have brought their share of frustration, hope, relief and uncertainty.

After a federal judge late on Friday temporarily lifted the ban barring the entry of refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely, the US&nbsp;State Department said on Saturday that officials &quot;expect some refugees to arrive Monday&quot;.

Refugees do not usually enter on weekends, an official said, as the department hews to a strict set of rules on how their admissions are processed.

Other travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries affected by President Donald Trump&#39;s week-old curb on immigration can rework their flights after the judge&#39;s order, as long as they have valid visas.

Refugees fleeing war, hunger and persecution have less autonomy. Advocates working on their behalf urged the government to move quickly on admitting them.

International Refugee Assistance Project Director Becca Heller called for &quot;the instant resumption of the US&nbsp;Refugee Admissions Program to immediately take the most vulnerable refugees out of harm&#39;s way&quot;.

During the week of the ban, the government admitted 843 refugees -- but no Syrian refugees, government figures show. Officials previously told Reuters that they were &quot;in transit&quot; and had already been cleared for resettlement before the ban took effect.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Lawrence Bartlett, the State Department&rsquo;s director of refugee resettlement, wrote in a department email that officials were working to rebook travel for refugees who had previously been scheduled to leave for the United States over a three-week period ending February 17.

A United Nations spokesman, Leonard Doyle, told the newspaper about 2,000 refugees were ready to travel.

For refugee families, they are trying to keep expectations in check and hope they do not end up back where they started.

Ayham Oubeid, a Syrian living in Cleveland, has been waiting for over a year for his brother George&#39;s family to come to the United States as refugees. His brother, who has health issues, is living in Dubai on a work visa that covers him, his six-year-old daughter and five-months pregnant wife.

George left his job and moved the family out of their apartment when he was told they would be resettled in the United States on February 13. But the family&#39;s plane tickets were cancelled when Trump announced the temporary ban. Without George&rsquo;s job, the family could lose the work visa and be sent back to Syria in the midst of its deadly civil war.

Upon hearing of the judge&#39;s ruling from Friday, Oubeid called George. He was careful not to be too hopeful, knowing the judge&#39;s order could be overturned.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t want to get excited. I don&rsquo;t want my brother to get excited. Because it was hard for him when he lost everything and was told he couldn&#39;t come,&quot; Oubeid said.

(Reuters)

Travellers affected by the immigration ban can rework their flights after the federal judge's order, as long as they have valid visas

On the long and winding road to resettling as a refugee in the United States, the last eight days have brought their share of frustration, hope, relief and uncertainty. After a federal judge late on Friday temporarily lifted the ban barring the entry of refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely, the US State Department said on Saturday that officials "expect some refugees to arrive Monday". Refugees do not usually enter on weekends, an official said, as the department hews to a strict set of rules on how their admissions are processed. Other travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries affected by President Donald Trump's week-old curb on immigration can rework their flights after the judge's order, as long as they have valid visas. Refugees fleeing war, hunger and persecution have less autonomy. Advocates working on their behalf urged the government to move quickly on admitting them. International Refugee Assistance Project Director Becca Heller called for "the instant resumption of the US Refugee Admissions Program to immediately take the most vulnerable refugees out of harm's way". During the week of the ban, the government admitted 843 refugees -- but no Syrian refugees, government figures show. Officials previously told Reuters that they were "in transit" and had already been cleared for resettlement before the ban took effect. The New York Times reported on Saturday that Lawrence Bartlett, the State Department’s director of refugee resettlement, wrote in a department email that officials were working to rebook travel for refugees who had previously been scheduled to leave for the United States over a three-week period ending February 17. A United Nations spokesman, Leonard Doyle, told the newspaper about 2,000 refugees were ready to travel. For refugee families, they are trying to keep expectations in check and hope they do not end up back where they started. Ayham Oubeid, a Syrian living in Cleveland, has been waiting for over a year for his brother George's family to come to the United States as refugees. His brother, who has health issues, is living in Dubai on a work visa that covers him, his six-year-old daughter and five-months pregnant wife. George left his job and moved the family out of their apartment when he was told they would be resettled in the United States on February 13. But the family's plane tickets were cancelled when Trump announced the temporary ban. Without George’s job, the family could lose the work visa and be sent back to Syria in the midst of its deadly civil war. Upon hearing of the judge's ruling from Friday, Oubeid called George. He was careful not to be too hopeful, knowing the judge's order could be overturned. "I don’t want to get excited. I don’t want my brother to get excited. Because it was hard for him when he lost everything and was told he couldn't come," Oubeid said. (Reuters)

US expects to resume refugee admissions on Monday

A German tourist attraction that features miniature models of various parts of the world has put up a wall around the United States, in a dig at President Donald Trump&#39;s plan to build a full-sized one on the border with Mexico.

The display at Miniature Wonderland, which Trip Advisor rates as the top destination in the city of Hamburg, is a hit with tourists, including some from the United States, who are usually drawn by its vast model railway.

Visitors on Friday could be seen peering over a miniature concrete wall topped with razor wire to look at sites such as a tiny Mount Rushmore and a Las Vegas skyline.

The slogan &quot;Let the world be great again&quot; was scribbled on the wall, a reference to Trump&#39;s election slogan &quot;Make America Great Again&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t want to tell anyone what to think. Everybody should look at that wall, and then decide regardless of whether they are on the left, right or centre,&quot; said Gerrit Braun, co-founder of Miniatur Wunderland.

&quot;The main thing is that the people think about it.&quot;

Ryan Ott, a tourist from the United States, said: &quot;I think it&#39;s a good use of humour, which is what the world needs, I think, right now to help cope with what&#39;s happening in our country.&quot;

(Reuters)

Miniature Wonderland in an apparent dig at US President Donald Trump built a concrete wall topped with razor wire around the US model

A German tourist attraction that features miniature models of various parts of the world has put up a wall around the United States, in a dig at President Donald Trump's plan to build a full-sized one on the border with Mexico. The display at Miniature Wonderland, which Trip Advisor rates as the top destination in the city of Hamburg, is a hit with tourists, including some from the United States, who are usually drawn by its vast model railway. Visitors on Friday could be seen peering over a miniature concrete wall topped with razor wire to look at sites such as a tiny Mount Rushmore and a Las Vegas skyline. The slogan "Let the world be great again" was scribbled on the wall, a reference to Trump's election slogan "Make America Great Again". "I don't want to tell anyone what to think. Everybody should look at that wall, and then decide regardless of whether they are on the left, right or centre," said Gerrit Braun, co-founder of Miniatur Wunderland. "The main thing is that the people think about it." Ryan Ott, a tourist from the United States, said: "I think it's a good use of humour, which is what the world needs, I think, right now to help cope with what's happening in our country." (Reuters)

German mini-world park builds wall around US model

James Robart?ordered a temporary, nationwide halt to President Trump's ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries

US President Donald Trump lashed out Saturday at a court ruling suspending his controversial ban on travellers from seven Muslim countries, dismissing it as "ridiculous" and vowing to get it overturned. The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017 × A US federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary, nationwide halt to President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, in the most severe legal blow to the controversial measure. The restraining order issued by Seattle US District Judge James Robart is valid nationwide pending a full review of a complaint filed by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. "The constitution prevailed today," Ferguson said, describing the judge's decision as historic. "No one is above the law — not even the president." "It is not the loudest voice that prevails in a courtroom, it's the constitution," he added, pointing out that Robart was appointed by Republican president George W. Bush. But the White House quickly hit back, making clear it was ready for a drawn-out battle. It initially denounced the decision as "outrageous" but later removed the word from its statement. "At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file (for) an emergency stay of this order and defend the executive order of the president, which we believe is lawful and appropriate," a statement said. "The president's order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people."Friday's ruling was not the first to challenge the travel ban, but it was the most sweeping as it effectively vacated the main tenets of the order. Ferguson said the order technically means that anyone with a valid visa must be allowed entry into the country by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). But it was unclear whether the Trump administration would succeed in challenging it, leaving travellers in limbo over their legal status. Ferguson had filed a suit to invalidate key provisions of Trump's executive order which bars Syrian refugees indefinitely and blocks citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entry into the US for 90 days. Refugees from countries other than Syria are barred from entry for 120 days. The State Department said Friday that up to 60,000 people from the seven targeted countries had their visas cancelled as a result of the order. A Justice Department attorney, however, told a court hearing in Virginia that about 100,000 visas had been revoked. The State Department was still studying the federal judge's order as of late Friday. "We are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and our legal teams to determine how this affects our operations. We will announce any changes affecting travellers to the United States as soon as that information is available," the department said in a statement.Trump's executive order created chaos at airports across the United States and beyond as some travellers were detained or deported, prompting an uproar by rights groups and immigration attorneys. Several hundred people of all ages and backgrounds demonstrated in New York for a second consecutive evening on Friday, denouncing Trump's travel ban. They staged their rally in Queens, the New York borough where the president was born. Washington Governor Jay Inslee welcomed Friday's ruling by Robart as a "tremendous victory" but warned that the battle to overturn Trump's order was far from over. "There is still more to do," he said in a statement. "The fight isn't yet won. But we should feel heartened by today's victory and more resolute than ever that we are fighting on the right side of history." Senator Chuck Schumer, the leader of the minority Democrats in the upper house of Congress, urged Trump to repeal his order "once and for all." "This ruling is a victory for the constitution and for all of us who believe this un-American executive order will not make us safer," he said in a statement. In his suit — which the state of Minnesota joined — Ferguson said the president's ban violated the constitutional rights of immigrants and their families and specifically targeted Muslims. However federal attorneys representing the Trump administration argued that as president, he had broad powers and was within his right to issue an order that protects Americans. The White House argues the ban is aimed at preventing terror attacks such as those in San Bernardino and Orlando. Critics, however, say Trump's immigration freeze is arbitrary and point out it doesn't include any countries — such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Pakistan — whose nationals have been involved in deadly terror attacks against Americans. "The Department of Justice has taken the position that the president has unfettered discretion as to determine who comes in and does not come into the United States and that's not the law, thankfully," said Gadeir Abbas, an attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has filed its own lawsuit challenging Trump's travel ban. (AFP)

Trump vows to overturn Seattle judge ruling on travel ban

Uber Technologies Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick quit President Donald Trump&#39;s business advisory group amid mounting pressure from activists and employees who oppose the administration&#39;s immigration policies.

Critics included Uber drivers, many of whom are immigrants themselves.

&quot;Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that,&quot; Kalanick, who had planned to attend a meeting of the group on Friday, said in an email to staff that was seen by Reuters.

Uber spokeswoman Chelsea Kohler later confirmed that he had left the group.

Social media campaigns had targeted Uber, urging users to delete accounts and opt for rival Lyft. Uber has been emailing users who deleted their accounts to say it shares their concerns and will compensate drivers affected by the ban.

Kalanick said he spoke briefly to Trump about the immigration order &quot;and its issues for our community&quot; and told the president he would not join the economic council.

The CEO came under increasing pressure to leave the council after Trump issued an executive order temporarily barring people from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States.

&quot;There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that. The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America,&quot; he wrote in a note to employees. &quot;Families are being separated, people are stranded overseas and there&rsquo;s a growing fear the US is no longer a place that welcomes immigrants.&quot;

The White House said in a statement Thursday evening that did not mention Uber that Trump &quot;understands the importance of an open dialogue with fellow business leaders to discuss how to best make our nation&#39;s economy stronger.&quot;

The move could put pressure on other CEOs expected to attend a meeting with Trump on Friday. General Motors said its chief executive would attend, while Walt Disney said earlier Thursday its chief executive would not attend because of a long-planned board meeting.

Others expected to take part include the CEOs of JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co, Blackstone Group LP, IBM Corp and Wal-Mart Stores. Others that are part of the council include Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk, PepsiCo Inc CEO Indra Nooyi and Boston Consulting Group CEO Rich Lesser.

Musk said he would attend the meeting. &quot;In tomorrow&#39;s meeting, I and others will express our objections to the recent executive order on immigration and offer suggestions for changes to the policy,&quot; he said in a tweet on Thursday. 
Kalanick&#39;s departure could signal a growing rift between technology companies and Washington.

&quot;There is a battle brewing between Trump and Silicon Valley,&quot; said Neeraj Agrawal, general partner at Battery Ventures. &quot;They (the Trump administration) clearly don&#39;t value the economic activity generated by tech.&quot; 
Microsoft Corp on Thursday said it proposed a modification of Trump&#39;s travel limits.

Technology companies including Microsoft, Google owner Alphabet, Apple and Amazon.com Inc have opposed Trump&rsquo;s order, arguing that they rely on workers from around the world.

Amazon and Expedia have filed court documents supporting a legal challenge to the order by the Washington state attorney general.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Travis Kalanick left the council after Trump issued immigration policies

Uber Technologies Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick quit President Donald Trump's business advisory group amid mounting pressure from activists and employees who oppose the administration's immigration policies. Critics included Uber drivers, many of whom are immigrants themselves. "Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that," Kalanick, who had planned to attend a meeting of the group on Friday, said in an email to staff that was seen by Reuters. Uber spokeswoman Chelsea Kohler later confirmed that he had left the group. Social media campaigns had targeted Uber, urging users to delete accounts and opt for rival Lyft. Uber has been emailing users who deleted their accounts to say it shares their concerns and will compensate drivers affected by the ban. Kalanick said he spoke briefly to Trump about the immigration order "and its issues for our community" and told the president he would not join the economic council. The CEO came under increasing pressure to leave the council after Trump issued an executive order temporarily barring people from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States. "There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that. The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America," he wrote in a note to employees. "Families are being separated, people are stranded overseas and there’s a growing fear the US is no longer a place that welcomes immigrants." The White House said in a statement Thursday evening that did not mention Uber that Trump "understands the importance of an open dialogue with fellow business leaders to discuss how to best make our nation's economy stronger." The move could put pressure on other CEOs expected to attend a meeting with Trump on Friday. General Motors said its chief executive would attend, while Walt Disney said earlier Thursday its chief executive would not attend because of a long-planned board meeting. Others expected to take part include the CEOs of JPMorgan Chase & Co, Blackstone Group LP, IBM Corp and Wal-Mart Stores. Others that are part of the council include Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk, PepsiCo Inc CEO Indra Nooyi and Boston Consulting Group CEO Rich Lesser. Musk said he would attend the meeting. "In tomorrow's meeting, I and others will express our objections to the recent executive order on immigration and offer suggestions for changes to the policy," he said in a tweet on Thursday. Kalanick's departure could signal a growing rift between technology companies and Washington. "There is a battle brewing between Trump and Silicon Valley," said Neeraj Agrawal, general partner at Battery Ventures. "They (the Trump administration) clearly don't value the economic activity generated by tech." Microsoft Corp on Thursday said it proposed a modification of Trump's travel limits. Technology companies including Microsoft, Google owner Alphabet, Apple and Amazon.com Inc have opposed Trump’s order, arguing that they rely on workers from around the world. Amazon and Expedia have filed court documents supporting a legal challenge to the order by the Washington state attorney general. (Reuters)

Uber CEO quits Trump's business advisory group

The US government is expected to impose sanctions on Iran as tensions between the two countries spiked after&nbsp;US claims that&nbsp;Iran test-fired a ballistic missile. The sanctions are likely to be levied on individuals or entities linked to Iran&#39;s missile program and will be taken under existing presidential powers, AFP reported.

Tehran slammed the US warnings as &quot;provocative&quot; on Thursday. Iran has not confirmed or denied that the ballistic missile testing took place. The spokesman for Iran&#39;s foreign ministry,&nbsp;<a href="http://en.mehrnews.com/news/123184/Missile-test-Iran-s-absolute-right" target="_blank">Bahram Ghasemi, said</a>,&nbsp;&ldquo;regardless of authenticity and nature of these reports, it is a principal policy for Iran to test ballistic missiles in full compliance with the country&rsquo;s basic rights and international commitments&rdquo;.

Responding to a question by a journalist on whether military action is off the table, Trump replied: &quot;Nothing is off the table.&quot;&nbsp;Earlier, the president had tweeted that Iran has been &quot;formally put on notice&quot; after it test-fired a ballistic missile.

The US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, on Wednesday, had excoriated Iran for its &quot;destabilising behaviour&quot; in the West Asias region.&nbsp;Newly appointed US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, on Tuesday, had termed Iran&#39;s missile test as &quot;absolutely unacceptable&quot;.

Tension between the US and Iran is on the rise after Trump&#39;s election as the US president as the president during his election campaign had constantly threatened that he would tear up the 2015 international nuclear agreemnet with Iran. 
&nbsp; 
Iran is among the seven countries that have been put on the immigration ban list. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Earlier, the president had said Iran had been 'formally put on notice' after test-launching a ballistic missile

The US government is expected to impose sanctions on Iran as tensions between the two countries spiked after US claims that Iran test-fired a ballistic missile. The sanctions are likely to be levied on individuals or entities linked to Iran's missile program and will be taken under existing presidential powers, AFP reported. Tehran slammed the US warnings as "provocative" on Thursday. Iran has not confirmed or denied that the ballistic missile testing took place. The spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, Bahram Ghasemi, said, “regardless of authenticity and nature of these reports, it is a principal policy for Iran to test ballistic missiles in full compliance with the country’s basic rights and international commitments”. Responding to a question by a journalist on whether military action is off the table, Trump replied: "Nothing is off the table." Earlier, the president had tweeted that Iran has been "formally put on notice" after it test-fired a ballistic missile. The US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, on Wednesday, had excoriated Iran for its "destabilising behaviour" in the West Asias region. Newly appointed US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, on Tuesday, had termed Iran's missile test as "absolutely unacceptable". Tension between the US and Iran is on the rise after Trump's election as the US president as the president during his election campaign had constantly threatened that he would tear up the 2015 international nuclear agreemnet with Iran. Iran is among the seven countries that have been put on the immigration ban list. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump administration mulls sanctions against Iran

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered a review of key reforms enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, in the first step towards scaling back toughened regulations on the banking industry.

&quot;Today we are signing core principles for regulating the United States financial system,&quot; Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed two executive orders aimed at scrapping parts of the so-called Dodd-Frank law.

The 2010 law aimed to curb the actions of the finance sector that led to the &quot;Great Recession&quot;, but critics claim it created red tape that stifles the industry.

The move gives the upper hand to opponents of the landmark legislation who have long battled attempts to rein in Wall Street excesses.

It was quickly denounced by Senator Chuck Schumer, the leader of the minority Democrats in the upper house of Congress, who vowed to fight to prevent the law&#39;s undoing.

&quot;President Trump promised to stand up to the big banks, now he&#39;s letting them write the rules of the road,&quot; he said in a statement. Like Trump, Schumer hails from New York State, home to the financial industry&#39;s largest global hub.

The mammoth Dodd-Frank legislation was adopted after a systemic crisis in the global financial system caused by the failure of widely traded but complex derivatives backed by pour-quality mortgages.

The resulting taxpayer bailout of failing banks and financial institutions deemed &quot;too big to fail&quot;, or so large their collapse could cause widespread economic harm, provoked lasting public outrage.

The Dodd-Frank rules required banks to demonstrate their solid financial grounding, refrain from certain risky transactions and significantly expanded the role securities regulators play in overseeing the investment industry.

(AFP)

'Today we are signing core principles for regulating the United States financial system,' Trump said

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered a review of key reforms enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, in the first step towards scaling back toughened regulations on the banking industry. "Today we are signing core principles for regulating the United States financial system," Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed two executive orders aimed at scrapping parts of the so-called Dodd-Frank law. The 2010 law aimed to curb the actions of the finance sector that led to the "Great Recession", but critics claim it created red tape that stifles the industry. The move gives the upper hand to opponents of the landmark legislation who have long battled attempts to rein in Wall Street excesses. It was quickly denounced by Senator Chuck Schumer, the leader of the minority Democrats in the upper house of Congress, who vowed to fight to prevent the law's undoing. "President Trump promised to stand up to the big banks, now he's letting them write the rules of the road," he said in a statement. Like Trump, Schumer hails from New York State, home to the financial industry's largest global hub. The mammoth Dodd-Frank legislation was adopted after a systemic crisis in the global financial system caused by the failure of widely traded but complex derivatives backed by pour-quality mortgages. The resulting taxpayer bailout of failing banks and financial institutions deemed "too big to fail", or so large their collapse could cause widespread economic harm, provoked lasting public outrage. The Dodd-Frank rules required banks to demonstrate their solid financial grounding, refrain from certain risky transactions and significantly expanded the role securities regulators play in overseeing the investment industry. (AFP)

Trump orders review of Dodd-Frank law

US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;labelled a refugee swap deal with&nbsp;Australia &quot;dumb&quot; on Thursday after a Washington Post report of an acrimonious telephone call with Australia&#39;s prime minister threatened a rare rift in ties between the two staunch allies.

The Post reported that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;described the resettlement plan as &quot;the worst deal ever&quot; and accused&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;of trying to export the &quot;next Boston bombers&quot;. It said the call had been scheduled to last an hour but&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;cut it short after 25 minutes when&nbsp;Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried to turn to subjects such as Syria.

Turnbull told reporters the call with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;at the weekend had been frank and candid but refused to give further details.

&quot;I do stand up for&nbsp;Australia. My job is to defend&nbsp;Australian interests,&quot; Turnbull said in Melbourne.

Turnbull refused to confirm the Post report that&nbsp;Trump, who had earlier spoken to world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, had angrily told him that the call was &quot;the worst so far&quot;.

Political analysts said such acrimony was unprecedented, surpassing even the difficult relations between former US&nbsp;President Richard Nixon and then&nbsp;Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who pulled&nbsp;Australian troops out of the Vietnam War.

&quot;Even that was always done in the language of foreign policy niceties,&quot; said Harry Phillips, a political analyst of 40 years&#39;&nbsp;experience at Edith Cowan and Curtin universities in Perth.

As reports of the conversation hit headlines on both sides of the world,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;tweeted shortly before midnight in Washington: &quot;Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from&nbsp;Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal.&quot;

That threw more confusion over the status of the controversial deal&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;agreed with former President Barack Obama late last year for the United States to resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in offshore processing camps on Pacific islands in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

In return,&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;would resettle refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Repercussions

The swap deal is at odds with&nbsp;Trump&#39;s executive order last week that suspended the US&nbsp;refugee programme and restricted entry to the United States for travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Many of those being held in the&nbsp;Australian detention centres, which have drawn harsh criticism from the United Nations and rights groups, have fled violence in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer and the US&nbsp;Embassy in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;have both said&nbsp;Trump would honour the deal. In several media appearances after&nbsp;Trump&#39;s tweet, Turnbull reiterated that he believed the deal stood.

&quot;He is saying that this is not a deal he would have made, but the question is will he honour that commitment? He has already given it,&quot; Turnbull said. &quot;I make&nbsp;Australia&rsquo;s case frankly, powerfully, forthrightly and hopefully persuasively when I deal with other leaders.&quot;

The apparent breakdown between Washington and Canberra that has developed over the resettlement deal could have serious repercussions.

Australia&nbsp;and the United States are among the five nations that make up the Five Eyes group, the world&#39;s leading intelligence-sharing network.

The United States also plans to send extra military aircraft to&nbsp;Australia&#39;s tropical north this year as part of a US&nbsp;Marines deployment that will bolster its military presence close to the disputed South China Sea.

Australia&nbsp;is also one of 10 US&nbsp;allies purchasing Lockheed Martin&#39;s F-35 fighter jet programme.

The Post quoted unidentified senior US&nbsp;officials briefed on the conversation between&nbsp;Trump and Turnbull. It also quoted the official read-out from the call, which emphasised &quot;the enduring strength and closeness of the US-Australia&nbsp;relationship that is critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally&quot;.

It also said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had boasted to Turnbull about the size of his election victory.

(Reuters)

Trump's acrimonious telephone call with Australia's prime minister has threatened a rare rift in ties between the two staunch allies

US President Donald Trump labelled a refugee swap deal with Australia "dumb" on Thursday after a Washington Post report of an acrimonious telephone call with Australia's prime minister threatened a rare rift in ties between the two staunch allies. The Post reported that Trump described the resettlement plan as "the worst deal ever" and accused Australia of trying to export the "next Boston bombers". It said the call had been scheduled to last an hour but Trump cut it short after 25 minutes when Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried to turn to subjects such as Syria. Turnbull told reporters the call with Trump at the weekend had been frank and candid but refused to give further details. "I do stand up for Australia. My job is to defend Australian interests," Turnbull said in Melbourne. Turnbull refused to confirm the Post report that Trump, who had earlier spoken to world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, had angrily told him that the call was "the worst so far". Political analysts said such acrimony was unprecedented, surpassing even the difficult relations between former US President Richard Nixon and then Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who pulled Australian troops out of the Vietnam War. "Even that was always done in the language of foreign policy niceties," said Harry Phillips, a political analyst of 40 years' experience at Edith Cowan and Curtin universities in Perth. As reports of the conversation hit headlines on both sides of the world, Trump tweeted shortly before midnight in Washington: "Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal." That threw more confusion over the status of the controversial deal Australia agreed with former President Barack Obama late last year for the United States to resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in offshore processing camps on Pacific islands in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. In return, Australia would resettle refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Repercussions The swap deal is at odds with Trump's executive order last week that suspended the US refugee programme and restricted entry to the United States for travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Many of those being held in the Australian detention centres, which have drawn harsh criticism from the United Nations and rights groups, have fled violence in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. White House spokesman Sean Spicer and the US Embassy in Australia have both said Trump would honour the deal. In several media appearances after Trump's tweet, Turnbull reiterated that he believed the deal stood. "He is saying that this is not a deal he would have made, but the question is will he honour that commitment? He has already given it," Turnbull said. "I make Australia’s case frankly, powerfully, forthrightly and hopefully persuasively when I deal with other leaders." The apparent breakdown between Washington and Canberra that has developed over the resettlement deal could have serious repercussions. Australia and the United States are among the five nations that make up the Five Eyes group, the world's leading intelligence-sharing network. The United States also plans to send extra military aircraft to Australia's tropical north this year as part of a US Marines deployment that will bolster its military presence close to the disputed South China Sea. Australia is also one of 10 US allies purchasing Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet programme. The Post quoted unidentified senior US officials briefed on the conversation between Trump and Turnbull. It also quoted the official read-out from the call, which emphasised "the enduring strength and closeness of the US-Australia relationship that is critical for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally". It also said Trump had boasted to Turnbull about the size of his election victory. (Reuters)

Trump calls refugee swap deal with Australia 'dumb'

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