Britain will continue to follow the European Union (EU) trade rules until it remains a member of the bloc, Britain&#39;s finance minister, Philip Hammond, said.

&quot;Britain remains a fully engaged member of EU,&quot; Hammond said.

He was responding to a question on Theresa May&#39;s visit to United States where she is expected to hold a meeting with her counterpart, President Donald Trump, drawing up a free trade deal that will link the two countries once the UK exits the European Union.

Theresa May will hold talks with Trump in a few hours from now where she is expected to lay the roadmap for the bilateral trade deal between the two countries.&nbsp;

&quot;Of course we want to strengthen our trade ties with the very many trade partners we have around the world. But we are very mindful of our obligations under the treaty and will follow them precisely,&quot; Philip Hammond told reporters arriving at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, Reuters reported.

May&#39;s visit has created a furore among EU members as negotiating independent trade deals outside of the 27-member bloc would amount to a violation of EU treaties.

On Wednesday, European Union&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that Britain was free to &quot;discuss&quot; its trade ties with the US but it remains bound by EU treaties as long as it is a part of the bloc, AFP reported.

Britain is expected to start negotiating a two-year-long exit route out of the bloc beginning March.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Theresa May and Donald Trump are expected to draw up a free trade deal today which will link US and Britain once it exits EU

Britain will continue to follow the European Union (EU) trade rules until it remains a member of the bloc, Britain's finance minister, Philip Hammond, said. "Britain remains a fully engaged member of EU," Hammond said. He was responding to a question on Theresa May's visit to United States where she is expected to hold a meeting with her counterpart, President Donald Trump, drawing up a free trade deal that will link the two countries once the UK exits the European Union. Theresa May will hold talks with Trump in a few hours from now where she is expected to lay the roadmap for the bilateral trade deal between the two countries. "Of course we want to strengthen our trade ties with the very many trade partners we have around the world. But we are very mindful of our obligations under the treaty and will follow them precisely," Philip Hammond told reporters arriving at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, Reuters reported. May's visit has created a furore among EU members as negotiating independent trade deals outside of the 27-member bloc would amount to a violation of EU treaties. On Wednesday, European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that Britain was free to "discuss" its trade ties with the US but it remains bound by EU treaties as long as it is a part of the bloc, AFP reported. Britain is expected to start negotiating a two-year-long exit route out of the bloc beginning March. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Britain's finance minister says will uphold EU rules on trade till it's a member

Optimistic anti-abortion&nbsp;advocates rallied in the US capital on Friday, with the White House throwing its weight behind the cause and Vice President Mike Pence hailing it as a &quot;historic&quot; time for the movement.

&quot;Life is winning in America. And today is a celebration of that progress,&quot; Pence told the many thousands gathered on the National Mall, noting that Republican lawmakers -- who are overwhelmingly &quot;pro-life&quot; -- hold majorities in both houses of Congress.

&quot;We&#39;ve come to a historic moment in the cause of life, and we must meet this moment with respect and compassion for every American.&quot;

The first vice president to ever address the March for Life, Pence vowed that President Donald Trump&#39;s administration &quot;will not grow weary, we will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and our posterity.&quot;

Trump tweeted that the march is &quot;so important. To all of you marching -- you have my full support!&quot;

The 44th annual anti-abortion&nbsp;march, billed as the world&#39;s largest pro-life rally, drew participants from all corners of the country exactly one week after Trump&#39;s inauguration.

&quot;The unborn babies don&#39;t have a voice and someone has to stand up for what&#39;s right,&quot; said Katelyn Goodwin, 17, from Birmingham, Alabama who arrived in Washington with her church youth group after a 15-hour bus ride.

&quot;If just one mother contemplating&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;will change her mind because of this march, then we&#39;ve done something good,&quot; Goodwin said, waving a life-sized cardboard cutout of the pope.

The crowd -- which included numerous school groups -- toted signs that said &quot;I am the pro-life generation,&quot; &quot;Defund Planned Parenthood&quot; and &quot;Babies can feel joy in the womb.&quot;

White House support

Trump has already cheered&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;foes just days into his presidency. On Monday, he signed a decree barring US federal funding for foreign NGOs that support&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;services.

Next Thursday, he will announce his choice to fill an empty seat on the Supreme Court, with his nominee widely expected to staunchly oppose&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;rights.

Trump, a businessman new to politics, had previously been &quot;pro-choice&quot; but has veered right on the issue over the years, even saying at one point during the campaign that women who have illegal abortions should be punished. He later walked back that statement.

His stance on&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;will be bolstered by Pence, a deeply conservative former governor of Indiana who promotes traditional family values and is anti-abortion.

Further showing the White House&#39;s support for the movement, Trump&#39;s influential senior aide Kellyanne Conway also addressed the rally.

&quot;Allow me to make it very clear -- we hear you. We see you. We respect you. And we look forward to working with you,&quot; she said.

Participants said they were not particularly political but rather driven by their strong beliefs.

&quot;I think people that normally just sat back and said, &#39;Yeah, I&#39;m pro-life&#39; are beginning to act on it a little more and be more vocal,&quot; said Annette Vaske, a Catholic high school teacher from Iowa.

&quot;They don&#39;t feel so threatened and intimidated. I think we just realized that there&#39;s more of us than we really think there are.&quot;

The march set off from the Washington Monument and ended with participants massing in front of the Supreme Court.

The march was happening days after the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized&nbsp;abortionin 1973.

If Trump appoints a second conservative justice to the high court during his tenure, the overturning of Roe v. Wade could become reality -- even though seven of 10 Americans oppose scrapping the decision that established the right to an&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;in the first three months of pregnancy, a study by the Pew Research Center found this month.

Abortion foes

Abortion&nbsp;opponents are also taking action at the local level, with US states enacting 338 restrictions on&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;between 2010 and 2016, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;rights.

&quot;This looming federal onslaught against a broad spectrum of reproductive health services,&quot; the institute said, &quot;threatens a massive rollback of women&#39;s health, rights and autonomy.&quot;

The March for Life came nearly a week after the Women&#39;s March in Washington, which brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to the US capital to oppose Trump&#39;s attacks on a progressive agenda, including access to&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;services.

Washington authorities do not provide crowd figures for these events.

However, 92 buses obtained permits for the main parking site of RFK Stadium for Friday, compared to 450 buses that requested permits for Trump&#39;s inauguration and 1,200 for the Women&#39;s March, the Washington Post reported.

(AFP)

The annual pro-life march got a shot in the arm when Donald trump tweeted he will 'restore a culture of life in America'

Optimistic anti-abortion advocates rallied in the US capital on Friday, with the White House throwing its weight behind the cause and Vice President Mike Pence hailing it as a "historic" time for the movement. "Life is winning in America. And today is a celebration of that progress," Pence told the many thousands gathered on the National Mall, noting that Republican lawmakers -- who are overwhelmingly "pro-life" -- hold majorities in both houses of Congress. "We've come to a historic moment in the cause of life, and we must meet this moment with respect and compassion for every American." The first vice president to ever address the March for Life, Pence vowed that President Donald Trump's administration "will not grow weary, we will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and our posterity." Trump tweeted that the march is "so important. To all of you marching -- you have my full support!" The 44th annual anti-abortion march, billed as the world's largest pro-life rally, drew participants from all corners of the country exactly one week after Trump's inauguration. "The unborn babies don't have a voice and someone has to stand up for what's right," said Katelyn Goodwin, 17, from Birmingham, Alabama who arrived in Washington with her church youth group after a 15-hour bus ride. "If just one mother contemplating abortion will change her mind because of this march, then we've done something good," Goodwin said, waving a life-sized cardboard cutout of the pope. The crowd -- which included numerous school groups -- toted signs that said "I am the pro-life generation," "Defund Planned Parenthood" and "Babies can feel joy in the womb." White House support Trump has already cheered abortion foes just days into his presidency. On Monday, he signed a decree barring US federal funding for foreign NGOs that support abortion services. Next Thursday, he will announce his choice to fill an empty seat on the Supreme Court, with his nominee widely expected to staunchly oppose abortion rights. Trump, a businessman new to politics, had previously been "pro-choice" but has veered right on the issue over the years, even saying at one point during the campaign that women who have illegal abortions should be punished. He later walked back that statement. His stance on abortion will be bolstered by Pence, a deeply conservative former governor of Indiana who promotes traditional family values and is anti-abortion. Further showing the White House's support for the movement, Trump's influential senior aide Kellyanne Conway also addressed the rally. "Allow me to make it very clear -- we hear you. We see you. We respect you. And we look forward to working with you," she said. Participants said they were not particularly political but rather driven by their strong beliefs. "I think people that normally just sat back and said, 'Yeah, I'm pro-life' are beginning to act on it a little more and be more vocal," said Annette Vaske, a Catholic high school teacher from Iowa. "They don't feel so threatened and intimidated. I think we just realized that there's more of us than we really think there are." The march set off from the Washington Monument and ended with participants massing in front of the Supreme Court. The march was happening days after the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortionin 1973. If Trump appoints a second conservative justice to the high court during his tenure, the overturning of Roe v. Wade could become reality -- even though seven of 10 Americans oppose scrapping the decision that established the right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, a study by the Pew Research Center found this month. Abortion foes Abortion opponents are also taking action at the local level, with US states enacting 338 restrictions on abortion between 2010 and 2016, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. "This looming federal onslaught against a broad spectrum of reproductive health services," the institute said, "threatens a massive rollback of women's health, rights and autonomy." The March for Life came nearly a week after the Women's March in Washington, which brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to the US capital to oppose Trump's attacks on a progressive agenda, including access to abortion services. Washington authorities do not provide crowd figures for these events. However, 92 buses obtained permits for the main parking site of RFK Stadium for Friday, compared to 450 buses that requested permits for Trump's inauguration and 1,200 for the Women's March, the Washington Post reported. (AFP)

US: Anti-abortion advocates rally in DC, with White House's blessing

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and US President Donald Trump sought to tone down diplomatic tensions over the Republican&#39;s planned border wall on Friday, agreeing to seek a resolution to the thorny dispute.

One day after the spat boiled over, with Pena Nieto cancelling a trip to Washington next week in response to Trump&#39;s insistence that his country pay for the barrier, the two leaders held an hour-long phone conversation.

Trump described the talks as &quot;very friendly&quot; while the two governments issued a nearly similar statement saying it was &quot;constructive and productive.&quot;

The discussion capped a week that saw relations between the neighboring nations plunge into the biggest diplomatic crisis in decades as Pena Nieto vowed that Mexico will never pay for the border barrier.

While Trump and Pena Nieto &quot;recognized their clear and very public differences&quot; about who should pay for the wall, they agreed to &quot;resolve these differences as part of a comprehensive discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relation,&quot; the statement said.

But the Mexican government&#39;s version statement included a line missing from the White House text: &quot;The presidents also agreed for now to no longer speak publicly about this controversial issue.&quot;

Trump and Pena Nieto spoke about the US trade deficit with Mexico, &quot;the importance of the friendship between our nations&quot; and the need for the neighbors to work together to curb drug and weapons trafficking, the statement said.

Beat us to a pulp

Speaking at a press conference during talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington, Trump said he had a &quot;very good relationship&quot; with Pena Nieto.

The US leader said he looked forward to renegotiating trade deals and other aspects of US relations with Mexico.

&quot;As you know, Mexico with the United States has outnegotiated us and beat us to a pulp through our past leaders. They&#39;ve made us look foolish,&quot; he said, noting that the US has a $60 billion trade deficit with Mexico.

Trump wants to renegotiate the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada.

Both Trump and Mexican officials have threatened to pull out of the pact if they fail to get a good deal.

&quot;We are going to be working on a fair relationship and a new relationship, but the United States cannot continue to lose,&quot; Trump said.

Before the phone call was made public, Trump had railed against Mexico on Twitter, saying the country &quot;has taken advantage of the US for long enough.&quot;

He complained about &quot;massive trade deficits&quot; and exclaimed that &quot;little help on the very weak border must change, NOW!&quot;

But he did not mention the wall payment.

Stiff tariff&nbsp;

The spat over the wall has created the biggest diplomatic rift since a drug cartel tortured and killed a US undercover agent in 1985.

Trump has angered Mexicans, perplexed economists and energized his nationalist political base by vowing to build a wall along the US frontier -- and then somehow to make Mexico pay for it.

Mexico&#39;s leaders have repeatedly said their country will never pay for the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border barrier that Trump says is needed to stop illegal immigrants and drug smugglers coming over.

Trump&#39;s response has been to ask the US Congress to find between $12-15 billion for construction and to help him find a way to recoup the money with some kind of tariff on Mexican imports.

His team have floated several ideas for how to do this. On Friday, for example, senior aide Kellyanne Conway told CBS television that a five to 20 percent tax may be imposed at the border.

On Thursday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggested that one option -- not necessarily the favored one -- would be a border adjustment tax of the kind favored by Republicans in the US Congress.

Visiting Washington on Thursday, Mexico&#39;s Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray scoffed at the notion, arguing that this would just pass the cost of the wall on to US consumers of Mexican goods.

Before Friday&#39;s phone call, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, who was with Videgaray in Washington this week, told the Televisa network that the two sides were &quot;at an impasse.&quot;

But the line of communication remains open, maintaining &quot;the possibility to find a solution,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and US President Donald Trump had an hour-long phone conversation to tone down rhetoric

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and US President Donald Trump sought to tone down diplomatic tensions over the Republican's planned border wall on Friday, agreeing to seek a resolution to the thorny dispute. One day after the spat boiled over, with Pena Nieto cancelling a trip to Washington next week in response to Trump's insistence that his country pay for the barrier, the two leaders held an hour-long phone conversation. Trump described the talks as "very friendly" while the two governments issued a nearly similar statement saying it was "constructive and productive." The discussion capped a week that saw relations between the neighboring nations plunge into the biggest diplomatic crisis in decades as Pena Nieto vowed that Mexico will never pay for the border barrier. While Trump and Pena Nieto "recognized their clear and very public differences" about who should pay for the wall, they agreed to "resolve these differences as part of a comprehensive discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relation," the statement said. But the Mexican government's version statement included a line missing from the White House text: "The presidents also agreed for now to no longer speak publicly about this controversial issue." Trump and Pena Nieto spoke about the US trade deficit with Mexico, "the importance of the friendship between our nations" and the need for the neighbors to work together to curb drug and weapons trafficking, the statement said. Beat us to a pulp Speaking at a press conference during talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington, Trump said he had a "very good relationship" with Pena Nieto. The US leader said he looked forward to renegotiating trade deals and other aspects of US relations with Mexico. "As you know, Mexico with the United States has outnegotiated us and beat us to a pulp through our past leaders. They've made us look foolish," he said, noting that the US has a $60 billion trade deficit with Mexico. Trump wants to renegotiate the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. Both Trump and Mexican officials have threatened to pull out of the pact if they fail to get a good deal. "We are going to be working on a fair relationship and a new relationship, but the United States cannot continue to lose," Trump said. Before the phone call was made public, Trump had railed against Mexico on Twitter, saying the country "has taken advantage of the US for long enough." He complained about "massive trade deficits" and exclaimed that "little help on the very weak border must change, NOW!" But he did not mention the wall payment. Stiff tariff The spat over the wall has created the biggest diplomatic rift since a drug cartel tortured and killed a US undercover agent in 1985. Trump has angered Mexicans, perplexed economists and energized his nationalist political base by vowing to build a wall along the US frontier -- and then somehow to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico's leaders have repeatedly said their country will never pay for the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border barrier that Trump says is needed to stop illegal immigrants and drug smugglers coming over. Trump's response has been to ask the US Congress to find between $12-15 billion for construction and to help him find a way to recoup the money with some kind of tariff on Mexican imports. His team have floated several ideas for how to do this. On Friday, for example, senior aide Kellyanne Conway told CBS television that a five to 20 percent tax may be imposed at the border. On Thursday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer suggested that one option -- not necessarily the favored one -- would be a border adjustment tax of the kind favored by Republicans in the US Congress. Visiting Washington on Thursday, Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray scoffed at the notion, arguing that this would just pass the cost of the wall on to US consumers of Mexican goods. Before Friday's phone call, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, who was with Videgaray in Washington this week, told the Televisa network that the two sides were "at an impasse." But the line of communication remains open, maintaining "the possibility to find a solution," he said. (AFP)

US, Mexico hold talks to mend fences after wall bluster

President Donald Trump hailed a &quot;most special relationship&quot; with Britain and threw his support behind Brexit Friday, as he hosted British Prime Minister Theresa May for his debut on the diplomatic stage.

At a tense moment in trans-Atlantic relations, Trump tried to recast the &quot;deep bond&quot; as a meeting of ideological minds: two countries embracing populist policies and taking an uncompromising view of the national interest.

Trump pointed to Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union as a &quot;wonderful thing&quot; and said: &quot;When it irons out, you&#39;re going to have your own identity, and you are going to have the people that you want in your country.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You&#39;re going to be able to make free trade deals without having somebody watching you and what you are doing,&quot; he added.

May brushed aside deep-seated differences on issues from torture to Russia, to pursue a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at securing commitments on trade and mutual defense.

May conveyed an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for Trump to come to Britain for a state visit later this year.&nbsp;

The pair even briefly held hands as they walked down the West Wing colonnade.&nbsp;

Trump greeted May himself upon her arrival at the White House and then they went to the Oval Office, posing and shaking hands in front of a bust of Winston Churchill.&nbsp;

Behind closed doors, May was expected to give Trump an engraved quaich -- a ceremonial cup exchanged by Scottish highland chiefs -- in a nod to Trump&#39;s Scottish ancestry. His mother was born on the island of Lewis.

For First Lady Melania Trump, May was to gift a hamper of apple juice, damson plum jam, marmalade, Bakewell tarts and cranberry and white chocolate shortbread cookies.

But May also came with a diplomatic shopping list. Trans-Atlantic relations have been rocked by Trump&#39;s election and his willingness to rethink NATO, the UN and other foundation blocks of the liberal world order.

With Trump largely silent on these issues during a joint press conference, May conveyed what had been said in private.

&quot;We&#39;ve reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance,&quot; she said. &quot;Mr President, I think you confirmed that you were 100 percent behind NATO.&quot;

Much of Britain&#39;s military power, including its nuclear deterrent, depends on US equipment and systems.

In private, European diplomats worry about the influence of top Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who has made common cause with right-wing nationalists and populists in France, Britain and beyond.

Many in European capitals are conscious of the continent&#39;s previous embraces of nationalism -- the Balkan wars and the horrors of World War II, which left millions dead.

Post-Brexit trade

Trump&#39;s break with decades of US support for multilateral trade deals and his preference for bilateral accords did offer May one opening as she seeks to navigate Britain&#39;s complex exit from the European Union.

Faced with exit from the European single market, the British government is scrambling to secure bilateral deals around the world.&nbsp;

Trump nevertheless offered no firm commitment to negotiate a free trade agreement, but did say: &quot;We look forward to working closely with you as we strengthen our mutual ties and commerce, business and foreign affairs.&quot;

That could pose problems for May at home. Her decision to meet Trump just one week after his inauguration has caused considerable controversy.&nbsp;

Trump has been condemned by European politicians of all stripes for his comments about women, Muslims and the use of torture.

May was not helped Thursday when the White House misspelled her name multiple times when announcing her visit.

&#39;I think we are going to get along&#39;

The reserved daughter of a vicar had promised to be &quot;frank&quot; in her dealings with the unpredictable billionaire. The pair laughed off questions about their personal compatibility.

Trump joked that he was &quot;not as brash as you might think&quot; and, turning to May, said: &quot;I think we&#39;re going to get along very well.&quot;

Throughout the long US election campaign, Trump showed little interest in foreign policy except through the prism of his image at home and a pledge to put &quot;America First.&quot;

His first week in office has been marked by a war of words with Mexico over the building of a border wall, and his vow to make Mexico pay for it.

On Thursday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto called off a planned trip to Washington in protest. But the pair spoke by telephone on Friday and agreed to try to resolve their differences, the two sides said.

May arrived in the United States on Thursday and received a rapturous welcome from Republican lawmakers gathering in Philadelphia with a speech urging them to &quot;beware&quot; of Russia, and warning US allies to &quot;step up&quot; and play a greater role in global security.

On Friday, Trump said it was &quot;too early&quot; to talk about whether he might lift sanctions against Moscow. May took a much sterner line, saying the sanctions should continue.

(AFP)

The US president?reiterated his support for Britain's decision to leave the European Union, calling it a 'blessing to the world'

President Donald Trump hailed a "most special relationship" with Britain and threw his support behind Brexit Friday, as he hosted British Prime Minister Theresa May for his debut on the diplomatic stage. At a tense moment in trans-Atlantic relations, Trump tried to recast the "deep bond" as a meeting of ideological minds: two countries embracing populist policies and taking an uncompromising view of the national interest. Trump pointed to Britain's exit from the European Union as a "wonderful thing" and said: "When it irons out, you're going to have your own identity, and you are going to have the people that you want in your country." "You're going to be able to make free trade deals without having somebody watching you and what you are doing," he added. May brushed aside deep-seated differences on issues from torture to Russia, to pursue a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at securing commitments on trade and mutual defense. May conveyed an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for Trump to come to Britain for a state visit later this year. The pair even briefly held hands as they walked down the West Wing colonnade. Trump greeted May himself upon her arrival at the White House and then they went to the Oval Office, posing and shaking hands in front of a bust of Winston Churchill. Behind closed doors, May was expected to give Trump an engraved quaich -- a ceremonial cup exchanged by Scottish highland chiefs -- in a nod to Trump's Scottish ancestry. His mother was born on the island of Lewis. For First Lady Melania Trump, May was to gift a hamper of apple juice, damson plum jam, marmalade, Bakewell tarts and cranberry and white chocolate shortbread cookies. But May also came with a diplomatic shopping list. Trans-Atlantic relations have been rocked by Trump's election and his willingness to rethink NATO, the UN and other foundation blocks of the liberal world order. With Trump largely silent on these issues during a joint press conference, May conveyed what had been said in private. "We've reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance," she said. "Mr President, I think you confirmed that you were 100 percent behind NATO." Much of Britain's military power, including its nuclear deterrent, depends on US equipment and systems. In private, European diplomats worry about the influence of top Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who has made common cause with right-wing nationalists and populists in France, Britain and beyond. Many in European capitals are conscious of the continent's previous embraces of nationalism -- the Balkan wars and the horrors of World War II, which left millions dead. Post-Brexit trade Trump's break with decades of US support for multilateral trade deals and his preference for bilateral accords did offer May one opening as she seeks to navigate Britain's complex exit from the European Union. Faced with exit from the European single market, the British government is scrambling to secure bilateral deals around the world. Trump nevertheless offered no firm commitment to negotiate a free trade agreement, but did say: "We look forward to working closely with you as we strengthen our mutual ties and commerce, business and foreign affairs." That could pose problems for May at home. Her decision to meet Trump just one week after his inauguration has caused considerable controversy. Trump has been condemned by European politicians of all stripes for his comments about women, Muslims and the use of torture. May was not helped Thursday when the White House misspelled her name multiple times when announcing her visit. 'I think we are going to get along' The reserved daughter of a vicar had promised to be "frank" in her dealings with the unpredictable billionaire. The pair laughed off questions about their personal compatibility. Trump joked that he was "not as brash as you might think" and, turning to May, said: "I think we're going to get along very well." Throughout the long US election campaign, Trump showed little interest in foreign policy except through the prism of his image at home and a pledge to put "America First." His first week in office has been marked by a war of words with Mexico over the building of a border wall, and his vow to make Mexico pay for it. On Thursday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto called off a planned trip to Washington in protest. But the pair spoke by telephone on Friday and agreed to try to resolve their differences, the two sides said. May arrived in the United States on Thursday and received a rapturous welcome from Republican lawmakers gathering in Philadelphia with a speech urging them to "beware" of Russia, and warning US allies to "step up" and play a greater role in global security. On Friday, Trump said it was "too early" to talk about whether he might lift sanctions against Moscow. May took a much sterner line, saying the sanctions should continue. (AFP)

Trump, May renew 'most special US-UK relationship'

Anti-abortion activists are preparing to stage a major march in Washington on Friday to capitalise on right-wing political momentum and send an unequivocal message to their new powerful ally: Donald Trump.

The annual &quot;March for Life&quot; is set to take place six days after millions rallied in progressive women&#39;s marches in cities across the United States and around the world to warn the new president they will oppose attacks on their freedoms, including access to abortion.

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<h5>The annual &#39;March for Life&#39; is set to take place six days after millions rallied in progressive women&#39;s marches in cities across the United States and around the world to warn the new president they will oppose attacks on their freedoms, including access to abortion</h5>
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The 44th annual anti-abortion march&nbsp;billed as the world`s largest &quot;pro-life&quot; rally, is also expected to draw participants from all corners of the country exactly one week after Trump`s inauguration.

The Republican president predicted its turnout would be larger than the women&#39;s march in Washington the previous week.

&quot;They`ll have 300, 400, 500, 600,000 people,&quot; he told Republican lawmakers on Thursday.

&quot;You won`t even read about it,&quot; he added, taking a swipe at the mainstream news media that he routinely accuses of bias.

&quot;A lot of people are expecting it to be the largest March for Life in a long time,&quot; said Chris Gast, communications director for Right to Life of Michigan.&nbsp;

The city of Grand Rapids alone plans to send 12 busloads of people to Washington, he said.

The march will take place days after the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark US Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion in 1973.

Trump has already cheered abortion foes just days into his presidency. On Monday, he signed a decree barring US federal funding for foreign NGOs that support abortion.

Next Thursday, he is expected to announce his choice to fill an empty seat on the Supreme Court, a nominee who`s widely expected to staunchly oppose abortion rights.

Featured speakers at Friday`s event include vice President Mike Pence and Trump`s influential senior aide Kellyanne Conway.

The mother of four with a Catholic background will share the stage with Republican lawmakers, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and other religious leaders.

The march will end at the Capitol -- where Republicans hold the majority in both chambers -- but the activists` focus will be on the building opposite Congress: the Supreme Court.

If Trump appoints a second conservative Supreme Court justice during his White House tenure, their dream of overturning Roe v. Wade could become reality -- even though seven of 10 Americans oppose scrapping the high court decision that established the right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, a study by the Pew Research Center found this month.

Meanwhile, abortion opponents are taking action at the state and local levels, encouraged by the ascent of Pence, Trump`s nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions and other anti-abortion heavyweights.

US states enacted 338 restrictions on abortion between 2010 and 2016, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organisation that supports abortion rights.

Pro-choice advocates especially oppose Trump`s health secretary nominee Tom Price, who as a congressman consistently voted to block access and funding for abortion.

&quot;This looming federal onslaught against a broad spectrum of reproductive health services,&quot; the Guttmacher Institute said, &quot;threatens a massive rollback of women`s health, rights and autonomy.&quot;

(AFP)

Featured speakers on Friday include vice-president Mike Pence. The rally will take place in Washington

Anti-abortion activists are preparing to stage a major march in Washington on Friday to capitalise on right-wing political momentum and send an unequivocal message to their new powerful ally: Donald Trump. The annual "March for Life" is set to take place six days after millions rallied in progressive women's marches in cities across the United States and around the world to warn the new president they will oppose attacks on their freedoms, including access to abortion. The annual 'March for Life' is set to take place six days after millions rallied in progressive women's marches in cities across the United States and around the world to warn the new president they will oppose attacks on their freedoms, including access to abortion × The 44th annual anti-abortion march billed as the world`s largest "pro-life" rally, is also expected to draw participants from all corners of the country exactly one week after Trump`s inauguration. The Republican president predicted its turnout would be larger than the women's march in Washington the previous week. "They`ll have 300, 400, 500, 600,000 people," he told Republican lawmakers on Thursday. "You won`t even read about it," he added, taking a swipe at the mainstream news media that he routinely accuses of bias. "A lot of people are expecting it to be the largest March for Life in a long time," said Chris Gast, communications director for Right to Life of Michigan. The city of Grand Rapids alone plans to send 12 busloads of people to Washington, he said. The march will take place days after the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark US Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion in 1973. Trump has already cheered abortion foes just days into his presidency. On Monday, he signed a decree barring US federal funding for foreign NGOs that support abortion. Next Thursday, he is expected to announce his choice to fill an empty seat on the Supreme Court, a nominee who`s widely expected to staunchly oppose abortion rights. Featured speakers at Friday`s event include vice President Mike Pence and Trump`s influential senior aide Kellyanne Conway. The mother of four with a Catholic background will share the stage with Republican lawmakers, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and other religious leaders. The march will end at the Capitol -- where Republicans hold the majority in both chambers -- but the activists` focus will be on the building opposite Congress: the Supreme Court. If Trump appoints a second conservative Supreme Court justice during his White House tenure, their dream of overturning Roe v. Wade could become reality -- even though seven of 10 Americans oppose scrapping the high court decision that established the right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, a study by the Pew Research Center found this month. Meanwhile, abortion opponents are taking action at the state and local levels, encouraged by the ascent of Pence, Trump`s nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions and other anti-abortion heavyweights. US states enacted 338 restrictions on abortion between 2010 and 2016, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organisation that supports abortion rights. Pro-choice advocates especially oppose Trump`s health secretary nominee Tom Price, who as a congressman consistently voted to block access and funding for abortion. "This looming federal onslaught against a broad spectrum of reproductive health services," the Guttmacher Institute said, "threatens a massive rollback of women`s health, rights and autonomy." (AFP)

After women march against Trump, other camp to hold 'world's largest' anti-abortion rally

The Donald Trump administration&nbsp;thought about levying a 20 per cent tax on goods imported from Mexico to finance the wall that will be built along the border, before backtracking on the idea saying it is one of the many ideas being mulled.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer had said the proposed tax would raise $10 billion a year which would &quot;easily pay for the wall&quot;.

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<h5>Any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad,&#39; Senator Lindsay Graham tweeted</h5>
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But minutes later, the Trump administration rowed back on the idea amidst a fierce blowblack from politicians and the retail industry.

&quot;When you look at tariffs and repercussions you get from countries that you use your tariffs against, there is always the potential response for retaliation, which normally doesn&#39;t support good economic growth,&quot; said Republican Congressman Mark Meadows.

Senator Lindsay Graham was a little more colourful.

&quot;Any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad,&quot; he tweeted.

The idea is also fiercely opposed by big retailers like Walmart who would see the cost of their imported products go up.

And any such tariff would likely prompt legal action and retaliatory measures from Europe or others at the World Trade Organization.

If implemented, the latest plan of action is set to deepen the mistrust between the Trump administration and the Mexican government, and comes hours after President&nbsp;Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called off a visit to Washington set for next week.

While Mexico has refused point-blank to bankroll the wall, the Trump administration is adamant that Washington&#39;s southern neighbour will pay for the wall.

Trump Wednesday (January 25) insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed &quot;absolutely 100 per cent&quot;.

&quot;Ultimately it will come out of what&#39;s happening with Mexico, we&#39;re going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico,&quot;&nbsp;Trump had said in an interview to the ABC network.

On Wednesday,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;signed an executive order telling officials to begin to &quot;plan, design and construct a physical wall&quot; along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border, sticking to his controversial campaign pledge.

Trump&#39;s project is aimed at clamping down on illegal immigration from Mexico.&nbsp;

Trump says the wall would cost $8 billion, but other estimates suggest that it will cost almost double that amount.

&quot;A nation without borders is not a nation,&quot;&nbsp;Trump had said Wednesday as he&nbsp;visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders.

The building of the wall has split opinions in the US.&nbsp;Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to&nbsp;Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, underscoring the controversial nature of the decision.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The US president quickly backtracked on the idea amidst a fierce blowback from politicians and the retail industry

The Donald Trump administration thought about levying a 20 per cent tax on goods imported from Mexico to finance the wall that will be built along the border, before backtracking on the idea saying it is one of the many ideas being mulled. White House press secretary Sean Spicer had said the proposed tax would raise $10 billion a year which would "easily pay for the wall". Any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad,' Senator Lindsay Graham tweeted × But minutes later, the Trump administration rowed back on the idea amidst a fierce blowblack from politicians and the retail industry. "When you look at tariffs and repercussions you get from countries that you use your tariffs against, there is always the potential response for retaliation, which normally doesn't support good economic growth," said Republican Congressman Mark Meadows. Senator Lindsay Graham was a little more colourful. "Any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad," he tweeted. The idea is also fiercely opposed by big retailers like Walmart who would see the cost of their imported products go up. And any such tariff would likely prompt legal action and retaliatory measures from Europe or others at the World Trade Organization. If implemented, the latest plan of action is set to deepen the mistrust between the Trump administration and the Mexican government, and comes hours after President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called off a visit to Washington set for next week. While Mexico has refused point-blank to bankroll the wall, the Trump administration is adamant that Washington's southern neighbour will pay for the wall. Trump Wednesday (January 25) insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed "absolutely 100 per cent". "Ultimately it will come out of what's happening with Mexico, we're going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico," Trump had said in an interview to the ABC network. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order telling officials to begin to "plan, design and construct a physical wall" along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border, sticking to his controversial campaign pledge. Trump's project is aimed at clamping down on illegal immigration from Mexico. Trump says the wall would cost $8 billion, but other estimates suggest that it will cost almost double that amount. "A nation without borders is not a nation," Trump had said Wednesday as he visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders. The building of the wall has split opinions in the US. Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, underscoring the controversial nature of the decision. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump mulls 20% tax on imported Mexican goods to finance wall

US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American attorney Uttam Dhillon to a key White House position on ethics and compliance matters.

Dhillon, who served as Chief Oversight Counsel for the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, has been appointed as Special Assistant to the President.

In this position, he would be part of the legal team to serve under White House Counsel Donald F McGahn with respect to compliance and ethics matters.

Prior to joining Financial Services, Dhillon served as chief of the Department of Homeland Security&#39;s Office of Counter-narcotics Enforcement.

He previously worked as an Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice, Chief Counsel for the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Policy Director for the US House of Representatives Policy Committee, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles.

Dhillon graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987.

Other members of the team are Stefan C Passantino who has been commissioned to serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President along with Scott Gast and James D Schultz who have been commissioned to serve as Special Assistants to the President and Associate Counsel to the President.

&quot;The appointment of a team of this caliber reflects the importance of ethics compliance to the President and this administration,&quot; said White House Counsel Don McGahn.

 
&nbsp;

Uttam Dhillon will be part of the legal team on compliance and ethics

US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American attorney Uttam Dhillon to a key White House position on ethics and compliance matters. Dhillon, who served as Chief Oversight Counsel for the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, has been appointed as Special Assistant to the President. In this position, he would be part of the legal team to serve under White House Counsel Donald F McGahn with respect to compliance and ethics matters. Prior to joining Financial Services, Dhillon served as chief of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Counter-narcotics Enforcement. He previously worked as an Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice, Chief Counsel for the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Policy Director for the US House of Representatives Policy Committee, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles. Dhillon graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987. Other members of the team are Stefan C Passantino who has been commissioned to serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President along with Scott Gast and James D Schultz who have been commissioned to serve as Special Assistants to the President and Associate Counsel to the President. "The appointment of a team of this caliber reflects the importance of ethics compliance to the President and this administration," said White House Counsel Don McGahn.

Indian-American attorney Trump's choice for key White House post

President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;announced Wednesday he would seek a probe into non-existent&nbsp;voter fraud after claiming several million people voted illegally in the election that brought him to power.

&quot;I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on the results we will strengthen up voting procedures!&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;wrote on Twitter.

There is no public evidence of widespread illegal voting in the November election, and&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and the White House has yet to substantiate the president&#39;s claim.

Hours after&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;told congressional leaders that as many as five million people could have voted illegally, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said this belief was based &quot;on the studies he&#39;s seen&quot;. Spicer never named the studies.

&quot;I think the president has believed that for a while based on studies and information he has,&quot; Spicer said, adding that&nbsp;the Republican who claims to believe the election was rigged&nbsp;has&nbsp;confidence in the election&#39;s outcome.

Trump&nbsp;lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by around 2.9 million votes, but won the all-important state-weighted electoral college.

The president has previously cited a Pew report from 2012 that concluded more than &quot;1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters&quot;.&nbsp;That report did not provide evidence that dead people voted, or that others voted in their name.

Trump&nbsp;has also cited an Old Dominion University study which suggested 14 per cent of non-citizens said they were registered to vote.

That study has been dismissed as having flawed methodology, with a sample size of under 1,000 and no link between being registered to vote and actually voting.

The NAACP, which claims to be America&#39;s oldest and largest nonpartisan&nbsp;civil rights group founded in 1909, claims: &quot;This supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restriction that suppresses the votes of African-American and Latinos.&quot;

(With inputs from AFP)

The US president claims without evidence that as many as five million people could have voted illegally in last year's polls

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he would seek a probe into non-existent voter fraud after claiming several million people voted illegally in the election that brought him to power. "I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on the results we will strengthen up voting procedures!" Trump wrote on Twitter. There is no public evidence of widespread illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House has yet to substantiate the president's claim. Hours after Trump told congressional leaders that as many as five million people could have voted illegally, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said this belief was based "on the studies he's seen". Spicer never named the studies. "I think the president has believed that for a while based on studies and information he has," Spicer said, adding that the Republican who claims to believe the election was rigged has confidence in the election's outcome. Trump lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by around 2.9 million votes, but won the all-important state-weighted electoral college. The president has previously cited a Pew report from 2012 that concluded more than "1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters". That report did not provide evidence that dead people voted, or that others voted in their name. Trump has also cited an Old Dominion University study which suggested 14 per cent of non-citizens said they were registered to vote. That study has been dismissed as having flawed methodology, with a sample size of under 1,000 and no link between being registered to vote and actually voting. The NAACP, which claims to be America's oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights group founded in 1909, claims: "This supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restriction that suppresses the votes of African-American and Latinos." (With inputs from AFP)

Trump orders probe into US election voter fraud

By: Anchal Vohra

Jerusalem is the heart of Israel and Palestine and it beats at the Temple Mount, as Jews call it, or Haram esh-sharif, as Muslims refer to it. A confluence of the three biggest monotheistic religions, this is&nbsp;where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Issac before God&#39;s&nbsp;last second intervention. Crusaders turned&nbsp;it into a church. The third-most revered site in Islam, it is here that Allah asked the prophet to look at Kaaba. Hence, jurisdiction over this edifice is a highly sensitive matter. 
&nbsp; 
East Jerusalem is the home of the Dome of the Rock. In possession of the Western part, Israel annexed the East from Jordan in and since then, to keep the peace, Jordan manages Al Aqsa mosque&#39;s affairs through a waqf board. 
&nbsp; 
But now, Donald Trump says he will move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which in effect is America&rsquo;s strongest acknowledgment of Jerusalem being Israel&rsquo;s capital.

To find out what the Palestinians are thinking, I travelled to Ramallah, barely a fifteen&nbsp;minute&nbsp;drive from Jerusalem, but an hour-long wait at the check point.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A city within a city, the thick cement wall divides Israel from Palestine, and boards warn Israelis from entering the enemy territory. 
Inside, the wall is decorated with&nbsp;grafitti about&nbsp;the Palestinian movement and sketches of the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation leader, Yasser Arafat.&nbsp;

Jerusalem doesn&#39;t belong to Israel, says Abel Taqz, a member of the Palestinian People&#39;s Party, which played a big role in the first Palestinian intifada. Taqz is furious at Donald Trump for wanting to shift the embassy. He says this would end the peace process and the two-nation solution would lose all meaning. 
&nbsp; 
His room is decorated with revolutionary posters. One of them depicts a tree with long roots. Taqz explains, &quot;This shows our roots are deep.&quot; Taqz&#39;s intention is to let Trump know that Palestinians haven&#39;t forgotten their roots. The threat is a veiled concern. He fears the new American president may bring chaos upon the region. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;If Palestinian people lose hope of a two-state solution...And Israel is not willing to solve the problem and keep building settlements in Palestinian lands, it means there will be no hope for the people. And when people lose hope, anything can happen. Palestinian problem is the core issue of conflict in the Middle East and there is a danger of religious wars in the region. If Donald Trump supports Netanyahu&#39;s plans for a Jewish state, other islamic nations will support an Islamic state in Palestine. This will redirect the whole issue from political to a religious one and this can only result in a violent war, which will affect countries well beyond these two nations&quot;, he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Of the two parties, Fatah and Hamas, both agree that there will be violence if the US takes this step. But the ruling party, Fatah has a different plan to take on the might of the US. 
&nbsp; 
A party member Amin Shooman says, &quot;In Syria after Russia entered, it ended the war in Aleppo and everything is good now. We hope what happened in Syria, happens in West Bank and Putin stands with the Palestinians and demands from Trump that he doesn&#39;t move the embassy to Jerusalem.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Russia has already been trying to bring the two Palestinian factions,&nbsp;Fatah in Ramallah and Hamas in Gaza Strip,&nbsp;together. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Fayez Warda, a Hamas leader who has been arrested several times both by the Israelis and Fatah, says, &ldquo;Our view of Russia is different from America. We look at Russia as a friend and they are holding reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
It is evident Russia is being seen as a formidable power in the region. After the Syrian success, the Palestinians want Russia to play a much bigger role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Palestinian parties want Russia to take on Israel and the US on its behalf. Will Russia give in to the dream of regional hegemony or use this as leverage to crack a deal with the United States for economic purposes?&nbsp;

Trump called Netanyahu within days of taking power and even though he held on to the announcement of moving the embassy, soon after the phone call Israel restarted work on settlements in east Jerusalem.

(WION)

Donald Trump says he will move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, making Hamas and Fatah very angry

By: Anchal Vohra Jerusalem is the heart of Israel and Palestine and it beats at the Temple Mount, as Jews call it, or Haram esh-sharif, as Muslims refer to it. A confluence of the three biggest monotheistic religions, this is where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Issac before God's last second intervention. Crusaders turned it into a church. The third-most revered site in Islam, it is here that Allah asked the prophet to look at Kaaba. Hence, jurisdiction over this edifice is a highly sensitive matter. East Jerusalem is the home of the Dome of the Rock. In possession of the Western part, Israel annexed the East from Jordan in and since then, to keep the peace, Jordan manages Al Aqsa mosque's affairs through a waqf board. But now, Donald Trump says he will move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which in effect is America’s strongest acknowledgment of Jerusalem being Israel’s capital. To find out what the Palestinians are thinking, I travelled to Ramallah, barely a fifteen minute drive from Jerusalem, but an hour-long wait at the check point. A city within a city, the thick cement wall divides Israel from Palestine, and boards warn Israelis from entering the enemy territory. Inside, the wall is decorated with grafitti about the Palestinian movement and sketches of the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation leader, Yasser Arafat. Jerusalem doesn't belong to Israel, says Abel Taqz, a member of the Palestinian People's Party, which played a big role in the first Palestinian intifada. Taqz is furious at Donald Trump for wanting to shift the embassy. He says this would end the peace process and the two-nation solution would lose all meaning. His room is decorated with revolutionary posters. One of them depicts a tree with long roots. Taqz explains, "This shows our roots are deep." Taqz's intention is to let Trump know that Palestinians haven't forgotten their roots. The threat is a veiled concern. He fears the new American president may bring chaos upon the region. "If Palestinian people lose hope of a two-state solution...And Israel is not willing to solve the problem and keep building settlements in Palestinian lands, it means there will be no hope for the people. And when people lose hope, anything can happen. Palestinian problem is the core issue of conflict in the Middle East and there is a danger of religious wars in the region. If Donald Trump supports Netanyahu's plans for a Jewish state, other islamic nations will support an Islamic state in Palestine. This will redirect the whole issue from political to a religious one and this can only result in a violent war, which will affect countries well beyond these two nations", he said. Of the two parties, Fatah and Hamas, both agree that there will be violence if the US takes this step. But the ruling party, Fatah has a different plan to take on the might of the US. A party member Amin Shooman says, "In Syria after Russia entered, it ended the war in Aleppo and everything is good now. We hope what happened in Syria, happens in West Bank and Putin stands with the Palestinians and demands from Trump that he doesn't move the embassy to Jerusalem." Russia has already been trying to bring the two Palestinian factions, Fatah in Ramallah and Hamas in Gaza Strip, together. Fayez Warda, a Hamas leader who has been arrested several times both by the Israelis and Fatah, says, “Our view of Russia is different from America. We look at Russia as a friend and they are holding reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.” It is evident Russia is being seen as a formidable power in the region. After the Syrian success, the Palestinians want Russia to play a much bigger role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Palestinian parties want Russia to take on Israel and the US on its behalf. Will Russia give in to the dream of regional hegemony or use this as leverage to crack a deal with the United States for economic purposes? Trump called Netanyahu within days of taking power and even though he held on to the announcement of moving the embassy, soon after the phone call Israel restarted work on settlements in east Jerusalem. (WION)

Ramallah warns of a religious war, rakes up Russia

Ninety Somalis and two Kenyans landed at the at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Wednesday following deportation from the United States, media reports said.

The deportation was confirmed by Kenyan government spokesman Eric Kiraithe but he did not know why they were expelled.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have details of their deportation but it is true there are 90 Somalis and two Kenyans who arrived at JKIA after deportation from the US,&rdquo; said Kiraithe, Kenya&#39;s <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000231219/two-kenyans-90-somalis-deported-from-us-under-unclear-circumstances" target="_blank">The Standard</a> reported.

The travellers were accompanied by American security officers, <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/90-Somalis-deported-from-the-US-/1056-3786982-4twk1t/" target="_blank">media report</a><a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/90-Somalis-deported-from-the-US-/1056-3786982-4twk1t/">ed</a>&nbsp;security sources at the airport as saying.

According to a security officer at the airport, American security officers who accompanied the men said the deportation was a result of President Donald Trump&#39;s policy, reported <a href="http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/01/25/95-somalis-two-kenyans-deported-from-us-after-trump-policy_c1494579" target="_blank">The Star</a>.

The Somalis were flown to Mogadishu following their arrival in Nairobi.

US President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday that included a temporary ban on most refugees and suspended visas for Syrian citizens and six other West Asian and African countries.

Trump signed an executive order on Thursday for the building of a wall along the Mexican border. Trump&#39;s decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to take&nbsp;on&nbsp;national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-signs-order-to-build-wall-along-mexico-border-11693" target="_blank">ban refugees from Muslim-majority countries</a>.

The building of the wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump&#39;s campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being&nbsp;&quot;racist&quot;.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Kenyan government spokesman Eric Kiraithe confirmed the deportation, but said he did not know why they were expelled

Ninety Somalis and two Kenyans landed at the at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Wednesday following deportation from the United States, media reports said. The deportation was confirmed by Kenyan government spokesman Eric Kiraithe but he did not know why they were expelled. “I don’t have details of their deportation but it is true there are 90 Somalis and two Kenyans who arrived at JKIA after deportation from the US,” said Kiraithe, Kenya's The Standard reported. The travellers were accompanied by American security officers, media reported security sources at the airport as saying. According to a security officer at the airport, American security officers who accompanied the men said the deportation was a result of President Donald Trump's policy, reported The Star. The Somalis were flown to Mogadishu following their arrival in Nairobi. US President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday that included a temporary ban on most refugees and suspended visas for Syrian citizens and six other West Asian and African countries. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday for the building of a wall along the Mexican border. Trump's decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to take on national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to ban refugees from Muslim-majority countries. The building of the wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump's campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being "racist". (WION with inputs from AFP)

90 Somalis, 2 Kenyans deported from US without reason

An unverified,&nbsp;anonymous whistle blower account, purporting to be a Republican mid-level staffer in the White House, described what they say is really going on inside&nbsp;Donald Trump&#39;s administration, before the account&nbsp;was quickly pulled from&nbsp;Twitter.&nbsp;

WION asked Twitter why the account was removed, and has not yet received a response. We will update if this changes.

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Team <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter">@Twitter</a>, why was the account&nbsp;@WhiteHouseLeak&nbsp;removed from Twitter? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteHouseLeak?src=hash">#WhiteHouseLeak</a> <a href="https://t.co/8QrjECy6XE">pic.twitter.com/8QrjECy6XE</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/824497054999343105">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Before the account was removed, all 37 Tweets were&nbsp;screengrabbed:

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Well the @WhiteHouseLeak account got shut down... But not before I screen grabbed every post... <a href="https://t.co/XLyUpverKX">pic.twitter.com/XLyUpverKX</a>
&mdash; MC Rantz Hoseley (@MysteryCr8tve) <a href="https://twitter.com/MysteryCr8tve/status/824450267877777408">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Among&nbsp;the important WhiteHouseLeak&nbsp;claims:

<ul>
	<li>Trump believes that WikiLeaks is &quot;on his side&quot;, and wants to leak &quot;directly&quot; to them&nbsp;&quot;to corner his opponents&quot;.</li>
	<li>Trump&#39;s chief of staff Reince Priebus would have resigned if it wasn&#39;t for the personal intervention&nbsp;of&nbsp;Paul Ryan.</li>
	<li>Trump has &quot;No idea&quot; how to fix Obamacare. &quot;He still doesn&#39;t know what a high risk pool is.&quot;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&quot;Deadly serious&quot;, Trump wants to send in the National Guard.</li>
	<li>Trump only wanted to investigate voter fraud in&nbsp;states he lost.</li>
	<li>Mike Pence has been swearing in nominees because several want distance from Trump, and do not want to be pictured with him.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

(WION)

Someone claiming to be a Republican mid-level staffer at the White House posted 37 Tweets about what they say is really happening inside

An unverified, anonymous whistle blower account, purporting to be a Republican mid-level staffer in the White House, described what they say is really going on inside Donald Trump's administration, before the account was quickly pulled from Twitter. WION asked Twitter why the account was removed, and has not yet received a response. We will update if this changes. Team @Twitter, why was the account @WhiteHouseLeak removed from Twitter? #WhiteHouseLeak pic.twitter.com/8QrjECy6XE — WION (@WIONews) January 26, 2017 × Before the account was removed, all 37 Tweets were screengrabbed: Well the @WhiteHouseLeak account got shut down... But not before I screen grabbed every post... pic.twitter.com/XLyUpverKX — MC Rantz Hoseley (@MysteryCr8tve) January 26, 2017 × Among the important WhiteHouseLeak claims: Trump believes that WikiLeaks is "on his side", and wants to leak "directly" to them "to corner his opponents". Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus would have resigned if it wasn't for the personal intervention of Paul Ryan. Trump has "No idea" how to fix Obamacare. "He still doesn't know what a high risk pool is." "Deadly serious", Trump wants to send in the National Guard. Trump only wanted to investigate voter fraud in states he lost. Mike Pence has been swearing in nominees because several want distance from Trump, and do not want to be pictured with him. (WION)

Alleged White House whistle-blower tweets about Trump's administration, account is removed

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designed to start fulfilling his campaign pledge to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. The stated goal of this gargantuan project is to keep out undocumented migrants, drugs and criminals. Here is a look at the feasibility of erecting such a barrier.

&nbsp;

How much would it cost?

Billions. But exactly how much is not known.

Part of the 2,000 mile (3,200 kilometre) border -- 653 miles of it, to be exact -- already features fencing that blocks people and/or vehicles. But just building 413 more miles of fencing would cost $11.4 billion, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-profit research and rights group that quoted an estimate by US Customs and Border Protection.

Trump himself has been vague about the cost. His estimates have ranged from $4 billion to &quot;around $10 billion.&quot; But architects and engineers have said it would cost much, much more.

In an article entitled &quot;Bad Math Props up Trump&#39;s Border Wall,&quot; MIT Technology Review estimated late last year that a 1,000 mile steel and concrete wall would cost $27 to $40 billion.

The review put it this way: &quot;Set aside the questions of whether it&#39;s wise to put a wall along the US-Mexico border or who should pay for it. It simply can&#39;t be done at the price Donald Trump has claimed.&quot;

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This is most obviously a boondoggle. Watch for who profits. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpCrimeFamily?src=hash">#TrumpCrimeFamily</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnTlgM0aTf">https://t.co/hnTlgM0aTf</a>
&mdash; meta (@metaquest) <a href="https://twitter.com/metaquest/status/824433697159942144">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Where would he get the money from?

This is not very clear, either. &nbsp;For now, the White House can only divert existing funds toward the project. The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply new money if the wall is to be anywhere near completed. And Trump&#39;s party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence.

Trump&#39;s executive order instructs Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to: &quot;Identify and, to the extent permitted by law, allocate all sources of Federal funds for the planning, designing, and constructing of a physical wall along the southern border.&quot;

It also requests that he: &quot;Project and develop long-term funding requirements for the wall, including preparing Congressional budget requests for the current and upcoming fiscal years.&quot;

&quot;There are a lot of funding mechanisms that can be used,&quot; White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday.

&quot;At this point his goal is to get the project started as quickly as possible using funds and resources that the department currently has, and then to move forward and work with congress on an appropriations schedule,&quot; Spicer said.

Trump has vowed repeatedly to make Mexico pay for the wall, perhaps by dipping into the remittances that Mexican migrants send home. These totalled $25 billion last year. But Mexico has categorically ruled out paying for the wall or reimbursing the United States for it.

&nbsp;

What would it be like?

Trump&#39;s executive order defines the proposed wall as &quot;a contiguous, physical wall or other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier&quot;.

At one point Trump had called for prefabricated concrete panels reinforced with steel rods, heavy materials that present immense logistical challenges: paving roads for access, building multiple sites for pouring concrete and hiring armies of workers over several years.

The wall would require foundations deep enough to ensure stability and discourage tunneling. Again, that means lots of money.&nbsp;

A 40-foot concrete wall using a &quot;post and panel&quot; system sunk 10 feet below ground would cost at least $26 billion, according to Todd Sternfeld, CEO of a Texas company that makes precast concrete fence and barrier products.

&nbsp;

Other obstacles to the wall

Take the Rio Grande River, for instance. It forms the natural border between Mexico and Texas. Laws prohibit construction that would impede flood management or interfere with the sharing of resources.&nbsp;And a treaty bars either country from diverting any flow of water.

What is more, Trump cannot just do as he pleases with the land along the border because much of it is privately owned. So building a wall would entail messy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments.

&nbsp;

Do Americans like the idea?

They seem divided by the wall. A Morning Consult/Politico poll released Wednesday said 47 per cent of voters support building a wall, with 45 per cent against.

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Shout out to the protesters flooding NYC&#39;s Washington Square to protest Trump&#39;s US-Mexico border wall &amp; mass deportations<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoBanNoWall?src=hash">#NoBanNoWall</a> <a href="https://t.co/8DRTb3mZuY">pic.twitter.com/8DRTb3mZuY</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Riley (@JonRiley7) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRiley7/status/824440777040203776">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Critics say the wall proposal is pointless because, among other things, most drugs smuggled into the United States pass through legal entry points and are not transported through the desert.

And if the goal is to keep out unauthorized migrants, that flow is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America.

(AFP)

Will the wall along the Mexican border be a panacea to all ills or will it be an expensive blunder?

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designed to start fulfilling his campaign pledge to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. The stated goal of this gargantuan project is to keep out undocumented migrants, drugs and criminals. Here is a look at the feasibility of erecting such a barrier. How much would it cost? Billions. But exactly how much is not known. Part of the 2,000 mile (3,200 kilometre) border -- 653 miles of it, to be exact -- already features fencing that blocks people and/or vehicles. But just building 413 more miles of fencing would cost $11.4 billion, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-profit research and rights group that quoted an estimate by US Customs and Border Protection. Trump himself has been vague about the cost. His estimates have ranged from $4 billion to "around $10 billion." But architects and engineers have said it would cost much, much more. In an article entitled "Bad Math Props up Trump's Border Wall," MIT Technology Review estimated late last year that a 1,000 mile steel and concrete wall would cost $27 to $40 billion. The review put it this way: "Set aside the questions of whether it's wise to put a wall along the US-Mexico border or who should pay for it. It simply can't be done at the price Donald Trump has claimed." This is most obviously a boondoggle. Watch for who profits. #TrumpCrimeFamily https://t.co/hnTlgM0aTf — meta (@metaquest) January 26, 2017 × Where would he get the money from? This is not very clear, either. For now, the White House can only divert existing funds toward the project. The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply new money if the wall is to be anywhere near completed. And Trump's party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence. Trump's executive order instructs Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to: "Identify and, to the extent permitted by law, allocate all sources of Federal funds for the planning, designing, and constructing of a physical wall along the southern border." It also requests that he: "Project and develop long-term funding requirements for the wall, including preparing Congressional budget requests for the current and upcoming fiscal years." "There are a lot of funding mechanisms that can be used," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday. "At this point his goal is to get the project started as quickly as possible using funds and resources that the department currently has, and then to move forward and work with congress on an appropriations schedule," Spicer said. Trump has vowed repeatedly to make Mexico pay for the wall, perhaps by dipping into the remittances that Mexican migrants send home. These totalled $25 billion last year. But Mexico has categorically ruled out paying for the wall or reimbursing the United States for it. What would it be like? Trump's executive order defines the proposed wall as "a contiguous, physical wall or other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier". At one point Trump had called for prefabricated concrete panels reinforced with steel rods, heavy materials that present immense logistical challenges: paving roads for access, building multiple sites for pouring concrete and hiring armies of workers over several years. The wall would require foundations deep enough to ensure stability and discourage tunneling. Again, that means lots of money. A 40-foot concrete wall using a "post and panel" system sunk 10 feet below ground would cost at least $26 billion, according to Todd Sternfeld, CEO of a Texas company that makes precast concrete fence and barrier products. Other obstacles to the wall Take the Rio Grande River, for instance. It forms the natural border between Mexico and Texas. Laws prohibit construction that would impede flood management or interfere with the sharing of resources. And a treaty bars either country from diverting any flow of water. What is more, Trump cannot just do as he pleases with the land along the border because much of it is privately owned. So building a wall would entail messy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments. Do Americans like the idea? They seem divided by the wall. A Morning Consult/Politico poll released Wednesday said 47 per cent of voters support building a wall, with 45 per cent against. Shout out to the protesters flooding NYC's Washington Square to protest Trump's US-Mexico border wall & mass deportations#NoBanNoWall pic.twitter.com/8DRTb3mZuY — Jonathan Riley (@JonRiley7) January 26, 2017 × Critics say the wall proposal is pointless because, among other things, most drugs smuggled into the United States pass through legal entry points and are not transported through the desert. And if the goal is to keep out unauthorized migrants, that flow is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America. (AFP)

All you need to know about Trump's wall

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is expected to order a review that could lead to the reinstatement of a CIA program to hold terrorist suspects in secret overseas &quot;black site&quot; prisons that used interrogation techniques often condemned as torture, two US&nbsp;officials said on Wednesday.

The black sites were used to detain suspects who were captured in the &quot;war on terrorism&quot; launched by former President George W&nbsp;Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The now defunct program&#39;s Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, which included simulated drowning known as &quot;water boarding&quot;, were criticised around the world. Former President Barack Obama and other senior US&nbsp;officials denounced water boarding as torture.

The officials said Trump is expected to issue an executive order in the next few days. It would call for a high-level review into &quot;whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States&nbsp;and whether the CIA should run the facilities,&quot; according to a copy of the draft published by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/white-house-draft-order-calls-for-review-on-use-of-cia-black-sites-overseas/2017/01/25/e4318970-e310-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.e98a6f4272c5">Washington Post</a>.

&quot;There is widespread opposition in Congress, in US&nbsp;intelligence agencies and within the military to reopening black sites and revisiting the use of harsh interrogation techniques, according to the serving officers. I think this will be a step backward and I&#39;m not alone in thinking that, what he -- the path he&#39;s going down is wrong. It is not about our values as a country and don&#39;t ask me; just ask John McCain and others,&quot; said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California.

&quot;The President can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America,&quot; Senator John McCain, a Republican, said in a statement.

Asked about the issues, Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said the draft was not a White House document.

The CIA black sites were located in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand and Afghanistan. In 2006, Bush ended the use of harsh interrogation techniques and closed all the blacks sites except for one in Kabul.

Trump&#39;s draft order also would authorise a review of interrogation techniques that US&nbsp;officials could use on terrorism suspects, and keep open the detention center at the US&nbsp;naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and send new prisoners there.

Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a &quot;hell of a lot worse&quot;.

The draft on the Washington Post web site says that, &quot;No person in the custody of the United States shall at any time be subjected to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as proscribed by US&nbsp;law&quot;.

However, the Justice Department under Trump could issue an interpretation of US&nbsp;law that allows for the use of harsh interrogation techniques as occurred in the so-called &quot;Torture Memos&quot; drafted under the Bush administration in 2002 and subsequently withdrawn.

(Reuters)

Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a 'hell of a lot worse'

US President Donald Trump is expected to order a review that could lead to the reinstatement of a CIA program to hold terrorist suspects in secret overseas "black site" prisons that used interrogation techniques often condemned as torture, two US officials said on Wednesday. The black sites were used to detain suspects who were captured in the "war on terrorism" launched by former President George W Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The now defunct program's Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, which included simulated drowning known as "water boarding", were criticised around the world. Former President Barack Obama and other senior US officials denounced water boarding as torture. The officials said Trump is expected to issue an executive order in the next few days. It would call for a high-level review into "whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States and whether the CIA should run the facilities," according to a copy of the draft published by the Washington Post. "There is widespread opposition in Congress, in US intelligence agencies and within the military to reopening black sites and revisiting the use of harsh interrogation techniques, according to the serving officers. I think this will be a step backward and I'm not alone in thinking that, what he -- the path he's going down is wrong. It is not about our values as a country and don't ask me; just ask John McCain and others," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. "The President can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America," Senator John McCain, a Republican, said in a statement. Asked about the issues, Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said the draft was not a White House document. The CIA black sites were located in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand and Afghanistan. In 2006, Bush ended the use of harsh interrogation techniques and closed all the blacks sites except for one in Kabul. Trump's draft order also would authorise a review of interrogation techniques that US officials could use on terrorism suspects, and keep open the detention center at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and send new prisoners there. Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a "hell of a lot worse". The draft on the Washington Post web site says that, "No person in the custody of the United States shall at any time be subjected to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as proscribed by US law". However, the Justice Department under Trump could issue an interpretation of US law that allows for the use of harsh interrogation techniques as occurred in the so-called "Torture Memos" drafted under the Bush administration in 2002 and subsequently withdrawn. (Reuters)

Trump could reinstate CIA's secret 'black site' prisons: US officials

Mexican opposition figures urged President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday to cancel next week&#39;s meeting with US President Donald Trump to protest his wall while everyday Mexicans voiced concern about tighter border security.

&quot;The announcement of @realDonaldTrump&#39;s wall before the visit of @EPN (Pena Nieto) is an affront to Mexico,&quot; Margarita Zavala, a potential 2018 presidential candidate of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), wrote on Twitter.

&quot;The visit must be reconsidered,&quot; Zavala said hours before Trump&#39;s announcement, adding in Spanish a hashtag that translates to &quot;no to the wall&quot;.

Making good on a campaign promise, Trump ordered work to begin on designing and building the wall as Mexico&#39;s foreign and economy ministers were in Washington to prepare Pena Nieto&#39;s own visit on January 31. Their meetings continue on Thursday.

The US leader repeated his vow to make Mexico reimburse the cost of building the massive barrier across the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometre) stretch.

Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo warned on Tuesday that Mexico could pull out of negotiations with the Trump administration if it insists on making his government pay for the wall, including by tapping remittances that migrants send home.

Pena Nieto&#39;s spokesman, Eduardo Sanchez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The last time Pena Nieto met with Trump, things did not go well for the Mexican leader.

Pena Nieto came under massive criticism at home for hosting the Republican billionaire during the US presidential election in August even though Trump had called Mexican migrants &quot;rapists&quot; and drug runners.

Now, he is under pressure to avoid meeting Trump again, with Senator Miguel Barbosa, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), saying Pena Nieto should not negotiate &quot;under pressure&quot; or let Trump &quot;impose his conditions&quot;.

Barbosa described the wall and measures against &quot;sanctuary&quot; US cities that protect migrants from deportation as &quot;acts of aggression against Mexico, against Latin America, against the world, against freedom&quot;.

Fellow PRD Senator Armando Rios Piter called the wall announcement a &quot;hostile act&quot; that should prompt Pena Nieto to scrap his trip.

&nbsp;

Mexicans worry about tighter border

At the busy border crossing in the northwestern city of Tijuana, Julian Tamayo was sitting in a long line of cars with his wife and daughter to go to the US city of San Diego, where he works.

&quot;Many of the (border) guards are very despotic and arrogant, and Trump is giving them carte blanche to be even more so,&quot; Tamayo, 49, told AFP.

Hector Renteria, a 29-year-old architecture student who was also waiting to cross the border, said the wall is not useful because migrants will &quot;find other ways to cross&quot; illegally. Renteria worried that the wall will &quot;affect traffic more and (border) checks will be stricter&quot;.

&nbsp;

Fox&#39;s F-bomb

Other political stalwarts urged Pena Nieto to stand up to Trump during his visit.

Two-time presidential election runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador exhorted Pena Nieto to lodge a complaint against the US government at the United Nations for &quot;violation of human rights and racial discrimination&quot;.

He said Pena Nieto should go to Washington to deliver the complaint to Trump and to &quot;fight for freedom, not beg for it&quot;.

Pena Nieto vowed on Monday that there would be &quot;neither confrontation nor submission&quot; in the negotiations with the Trump administration, which will include trade, immigration and other issues.

Former president Vicente Fox, meanwhile, used an expletive yet again on Twitter to tell the White House&#39;s spokesman that Mexico will not pay for the wall.

&quot;Sean Spicer, I&#39;ve said this to realDonaldTrump and now I&#39;ll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall,&quot; Fox thundered.

(AFP)

The Mexican opposition has called the wall construction an 'affront' and urged President Pena Nieto to dump the meeting with Trump

Mexican opposition figures urged President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday to cancel next week's meeting with US President Donald Trump to protest his wall while everyday Mexicans voiced concern about tighter border security. "The announcement of @realDonaldTrump's wall before the visit of @EPN (Pena Nieto) is an affront to Mexico," Margarita Zavala, a potential 2018 presidential candidate of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), wrote on Twitter. "The visit must be reconsidered," Zavala said hours before Trump's announcement, adding in Spanish a hashtag that translates to "no to the wall". Making good on a campaign promise, Trump ordered work to begin on designing and building the wall as Mexico's foreign and economy ministers were in Washington to prepare Pena Nieto's own visit on January 31. Their meetings continue on Thursday. The US leader repeated his vow to make Mexico reimburse the cost of building the massive barrier across the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometre) stretch. Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo warned on Tuesday that Mexico could pull out of negotiations with the Trump administration if it insists on making his government pay for the wall, including by tapping remittances that migrants send home. Pena Nieto's spokesman, Eduardo Sanchez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The last time Pena Nieto met with Trump, things did not go well for the Mexican leader. Pena Nieto came under massive criticism at home for hosting the Republican billionaire during the US presidential election in August even though Trump had called Mexican migrants "rapists" and drug runners. Now, he is under pressure to avoid meeting Trump again, with Senator Miguel Barbosa, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), saying Pena Nieto should not negotiate "under pressure" or let Trump "impose his conditions". Barbosa described the wall and measures against "sanctuary" US cities that protect migrants from deportation as "acts of aggression against Mexico, against Latin America, against the world, against freedom". Fellow PRD Senator Armando Rios Piter called the wall announcement a "hostile act" that should prompt Pena Nieto to scrap his trip. Mexicans worry about tighter border At the busy border crossing in the northwestern city of Tijuana, Julian Tamayo was sitting in a long line of cars with his wife and daughter to go to the US city of San Diego, where he works. "Many of the (border) guards are very despotic and arrogant, and Trump is giving them carte blanche to be even more so," Tamayo, 49, told AFP. Hector Renteria, a 29-year-old architecture student who was also waiting to cross the border, said the wall is not useful because migrants will "find other ways to cross" illegally. Renteria worried that the wall will "affect traffic more and (border) checks will be stricter". Fox's F-bomb Other political stalwarts urged Pena Nieto to stand up to Trump during his visit. Two-time presidential election runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador exhorted Pena Nieto to lodge a complaint against the US government at the United Nations for "violation of human rights and racial discrimination". He said Pena Nieto should go to Washington to deliver the complaint to Trump and to "fight for freedom, not beg for it". Pena Nieto vowed on Monday that there would be "neither confrontation nor submission" in the negotiations with the Trump administration, which will include trade, immigration and other issues. Former president Vicente Fox, meanwhile, used an expletive yet again on Twitter to tell the White House's spokesman that Mexico will not pay for the wall. "Sean Spicer, I've said this to realDonaldTrump and now I'll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall," Fox thundered. (AFP)

Trump's border wall decision hacks off Mexicans

There is a lot of talk in America right now on immigration, borders and crime. But let&#39;s look at some statistics to see if these issues really deserve their prominent place in the country&rsquo;s national discourse.

Criminal deportation under Obama

Over the last five years, criminal deportations by US Immigration and Customs enforcement investigations have steadily dropped, down 44 per cent since 2011 according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), citing figures released by the US Justice Department.

The TRAC says that in 2016, a total of 12,761 such prosecutions were carried out compared to 21,662 in 2011. It also claims that immigration matters accounted for 53.2 per cent of the total number of prosecutions in 2016. Drug prosecutions accounted for 30.6 per cent. But most recorded cases were of illegal re-entry, illegal smuggling of people into the United States or harbouring them in the country. The crimes, which Obama deported immigrants for, were overwhelmingly non-violent.

What Trump wants

Before taking office, in an interview with the CBS TV programme &quot;60 Minutes&quot;, Donald Trump said deportation of criminal immigrants will top his agenda.

&ldquo;What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate,&rdquo; he said.

Post the swearing-in, the Trump administration seems to keep the narrative going. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during his first press briefing, said the following on immigration: &quot;The focus is going to be on people who have done harm to our country.&quot;

Trump made several promises on his first day in office. This included deporting &quot;criminals&quot;, stopping all federal funding for &quot;sanctuary cities&rdquo;, taking steps to build a wall along the Mexican border.

Further, in an executive order, President Trump is now set to impose a temporary ban and a suspension of visas from Syria and six other West Asian and African countries.

Truth versus hype

While immigration was one of the hotly debated subjects in the US election campaign, there is nothing new in Trump&rsquo;s promise.

Back in November 2014, Former US President Barack Obama announced that immigration officials would put deportation of criminals at the top of their agenda, saying, &quot;we&rsquo;re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security&quot;.

Criminals who threatened national security, border security or public safety were made top priorities for immigration enforcement, after a memo from the then Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. 
Even when the state machinery was devoted to act against &#39;criminal immigrants&#39;, deportations post-criminal conviction fell by 17 per cent.

This raises the question: Does America really have more than two million undocumented immigrants charged in criminal cases like Trump says? An estimate from the Migration Policy Institute says no. Such cases number 820,000.

Today&rsquo;s developments are in line with the proposals and promises made by Trump during his presidential campaign. He had slammed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s proposal to increase the arrival rate of Syrian refugees, saying he would impose extreme vetting of visa applicants.

But, if numbers are to be trusted, Trump&rsquo;s estimates should be taken with a pinch of salt. May be a lump will be good. &nbsp;

(WION)

Is the talk about these issues really justified? Well, a little bit of number crunching shows a different picture

There is a lot of talk in America right now on immigration, borders and crime. But let's look at some statistics to see if these issues really deserve their prominent place in the country’s national discourse. Criminal deportation under Obama Over the last five years, criminal deportations by US Immigration and Customs enforcement investigations have steadily dropped, down 44 per cent since 2011 according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), citing figures released by the US Justice Department. The TRAC says that in 2016, a total of 12,761 such prosecutions were carried out compared to 21,662 in 2011. It also claims that immigration matters accounted for 53.2 per cent of the total number of prosecutions in 2016. Drug prosecutions accounted for 30.6 per cent. But most recorded cases were of illegal re-entry, illegal smuggling of people into the United States or harbouring them in the country. The crimes, which Obama deported immigrants for, were overwhelmingly non-violent. What Trump wants Before taking office, in an interview with the CBS TV programme "60 Minutes", Donald Trump said deportation of criminal immigrants will top his agenda. “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate,” he said. Post the swearing-in, the Trump administration seems to keep the narrative going. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during his first press briefing, said the following on immigration: "The focus is going to be on people who have done harm to our country." Trump made several promises on his first day in office. This included deporting "criminals", stopping all federal funding for "sanctuary cities”, taking steps to build a wall along the Mexican border. Further, in an executive order, President Trump is now set to impose a temporary ban and a suspension of visas from Syria and six other West Asian and African countries. Truth versus hype While immigration was one of the hotly debated subjects in the US election campaign, there is nothing new in Trump’s promise. Back in November 2014, Former US President Barack Obama announced that immigration officials would put deportation of criminals at the top of their agenda, saying, "we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security". Criminals who threatened national security, border security or public safety were made top priorities for immigration enforcement, after a memo from the then Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. Even when the state machinery was devoted to act against 'criminal immigrants', deportations post-criminal conviction fell by 17 per cent. This raises the question: Does America really have more than two million undocumented immigrants charged in criminal cases like Trump says? An estimate from the Migration Policy Institute says no. Such cases number 820,000. Today’s developments are in line with the proposals and promises made by Trump during his presidential campaign. He had slammed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s proposal to increase the arrival rate of Syrian refugees, saying he would impose extreme vetting of visa applicants. But, if numbers are to be trusted, Trump’s estimates should be taken with a pinch of salt. May be a lump will be good. (WION)

Data never lies: Take Trump's talk on immigrants, deportation and criminality with a pinch of salt

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for the building of a wall along the Mexican border, as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge.

Trump also said that Mexico would reimburse the cost it takes to build the 2,000-mile wall, though earlier he had admitted that getting the Latin American country to pay for the barrier would be &quot;complicated&quot;.

Trump&#39;s decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to taken on border and national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to ban refugess from Muslim-majority countries.

Building of wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump&#39;s campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being a &quot;racist&quot; move.

Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to&nbsp;Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, undercsoring the controversial nature of the decision.

&quot;A nation without borders is not a nation,&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said&nbsp;as he&nbsp;visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders.

Detractors of the move point out that building the wall would be an expensive mistake. While Trump say it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be double of that.

Critics also say the move would prove futile as the flow of unauthorised migrants&nbsp;is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America.

And how the Trump administration plans to stump out billions of dollars to build the wall is also another stumbling block.

Despite the high octane rhetoric,&nbsp;Trump&#39;s action was piecemeal; looking to identify existing funds that could be diverted toward the project.

The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply billions of dollars more if the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;is to be anywhere near completed.

Trump&#39;s party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence, so cuts to existing programs would likely be required.

Trump&nbsp;also ordered a survey of the border to be completed within 180 days.

Much of the land needed to build the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;would have to be seized from private citizens in Texas, the state of Texas or tribal authorities.

That could lead to lengthy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments.

Will Mexico pay?

Trump has promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed &quot;absolutely 100 per cent&quot;.

&quot;Ultimately it will come out of what&#39;s happening with Mexico, we&#39;re going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico,&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;told ABC earlier Wednesday.

Trump&nbsp;aides have weighed hiking border tariffs or border transit costs as one way to &quot;make Mexico pay.&quot;&nbsp;

Another threat is to finance the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;by tapping into remittances that Mexican migrants send home, which last year amounted to $25 billion.

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and the country&#39;s economy minister are currently in Washington to prepare a visit by President Enrique Pena Nieto scheduled for January 31.

&quot;There are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start,&quot; Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network in Mexico just ahead of the trip.

Asked whether his country would walk away from talks if the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;and remittances are an issue, Guajardo said: &quot;Absolutely.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He?is also expected to sign measures targeting US "sanctuary" cities, where local officials don't round up people for deportation

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for the building of a wall along the Mexican border, as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge. Trump also said that Mexico would reimburse the cost it takes to build the 2,000-mile wall, though earlier he had admitted that getting the Latin American country to pay for the barrier would be "complicated". Trump's decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to taken on border and national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to ban refugess from Muslim-majority countries. Building of wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump's campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being a "racist" move. Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, undercsoring the controversial nature of the decision. "A nation without borders is not a nation," Trump said as he visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders. Detractors of the move point out that building the wall would be an expensive mistake. While Trump say it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be double of that. Critics also say the move would prove futile as the flow of unauthorised migrants is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America. And how the Trump administration plans to stump out billions of dollars to build the wall is also another stumbling block. Despite the high octane rhetoric, Trump's action was piecemeal; looking to identify existing funds that could be diverted toward the project. The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply billions of dollars more if the wall is to be anywhere near completed. Trump's party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence, so cuts to existing programs would likely be required. Trump also ordered a survey of the border to be completed within 180 days. Much of the land needed to build the wall would have to be seized from private citizens in Texas, the state of Texas or tribal authorities. That could lead to lengthy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments. Will Mexico pay? Trump has promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed "absolutely 100 per cent". "Ultimately it will come out of what's happening with Mexico, we're going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico," Trump told ABC earlier Wednesday. Trump aides have weighed hiking border tariffs or border transit costs as one way to "make Mexico pay." Another threat is to finance the wall by tapping into remittances that Mexican migrants send home, which last year amounted to $25 billion. Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and the country's economy minister are currently in Washington to prepare a visit by President Enrique Pena Nieto scheduled for January 31. "There are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start," Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network in Mexico just ahead of the trip. Asked whether his country would walk away from talks if the wall and remittances are an issue, Guajardo said: "Absolutely." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Donald Trump signs order to build wall along Mexico border

US President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to bring federal intervention to bear in Chicago to quell the &quot;carnage&quot; of gun violence plaguing America&#39;s third-largest city unless local officials can curb the murder rate on their own.

Trump appeared to be seising on a story published by the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-weekend-shootings-violence-chicago-2016-20170123-story.html">Chicago Tribune </a>on Monday reporting at least 228 people were shot in the city so far this year, up 5.5 per cent from the same period last January, with at least 42 homicides to date, an increase of 23.5 per cent.

A Chicago Police Department spokesman, Frank Giancamilli, disputed the Tribune&#39;s numbers, saying there were 182 shootings in the city from January 1 to January 23, &quot;which is exactly flat from last year&quot;. He said homicides have numbered 38 to date, compared with 33 for this time in 2016.&nbsp;

Still, the Tribune said its latest figures put the city on track to exceed last January&#39;s 50 homicides, the most for that month in at least 16 years. Chicago&#39;s homicide toll for 2016 as a whole reached 762 killings, the most in 20 years.

&quot;If Chicago doesn&#39;t fix the horrible &#39;carnage&#39; going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!&quot; the president said in a Twitter post.

It was not clear what Trump meant by &quot;the Feds,&quot; or what kind of unilateral government intervention he could order to address the issue.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson responded by saying he was &quot;more than willing to work&quot; in partnership with US law enforcement and to help &quot;boost federal prosecution rates for gun crimes in Chicago&quot;.

Civil rights leader Rev&nbsp;Jesse Jackson said in a Twitter post: &quot;We need a plan, not a threat. We need jobs, not jails.&quot;

Urban violence, drug trafficking and poverty were recurring themes in Trump&#39;s campaign appearances, and he periodically has cited Chicago as an example of rising inner city crime, which ticked up nationally in 2016 after a two-decade decline.

Speaking in his inauguration address about drugs and crime that &quot;have stolen too many lives,&quot; Trump declared: &quot;This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.&quot;

Chicago, with a population of 2.7 million, posted more shootings and homicides last year than any other US city, according to FBI and Chicago police data, and its murder clearance rate, a measure of solved and closed cases, is one of the country&#39;s lowest.

On January 2, Trump tweeted about Chicago&#39;s effort to lower its murder rate, saying: &quot;If Mayor can&#39;t do it he must ask for Federal help!&quot;

A spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to Trump&#39;s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, said then that the mayor welcomed the prospect of working with Trump and that the two men had previously spoken together on the issue.

(Reuters)

The Chicago Tribune reported that at least 228 people were shot in Chicago this year, up 5.5% from the same period last year

US President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to bring federal intervention to bear in Chicago to quell the "carnage" of gun violence plaguing America's third-largest city unless local officials can curb the murder rate on their own. Trump appeared to be seising on a story published by the Chicago Tribune on Monday reporting at least 228 people were shot in the city so far this year, up 5.5 per cent from the same period last January, with at least 42 homicides to date, an increase of 23.5 per cent. A Chicago Police Department spokesman, Frank Giancamilli, disputed the Tribune's numbers, saying there were 182 shootings in the city from January 1 to January 23, "which is exactly flat from last year". He said homicides have numbered 38 to date, compared with 33 for this time in 2016. Still, the Tribune said its latest figures put the city on track to exceed last January's 50 homicides, the most for that month in at least 16 years. Chicago's homicide toll for 2016 as a whole reached 762 killings, the most in 20 years. "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible 'carnage' going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!" the president said in a Twitter post. It was not clear what Trump meant by "the Feds," or what kind of unilateral government intervention he could order to address the issue. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson responded by saying he was "more than willing to work" in partnership with US law enforcement and to help "boost federal prosecution rates for gun crimes in Chicago". Civil rights leader Rev Jesse Jackson said in a Twitter post: "We need a plan, not a threat. We need jobs, not jails." Urban violence, drug trafficking and poverty were recurring themes in Trump's campaign appearances, and he periodically has cited Chicago as an example of rising inner city crime, which ticked up nationally in 2016 after a two-decade decline. Speaking in his inauguration address about drugs and crime that "have stolen too many lives," Trump declared: "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now." Chicago, with a population of 2.7 million, posted more shootings and homicides last year than any other US city, according to FBI and Chicago police data, and its murder clearance rate, a measure of solved and closed cases, is one of the country's lowest. On January 2, Trump tweeted about Chicago's effort to lower its murder rate, saying: "If Mayor can't do it he must ask for Federal help!" A spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, said then that the mayor welcomed the prospect of working with Trump and that the two men had previously spoken together on the issue. (Reuters)

Trump threatens Chicago: Rein in gun 'carnage' or prepare for federal intervention

Donald Trump has banned employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from speaking with reporters and from giving social media updates, the <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/01/24/trump-orders-epa-media-blackout/">Associated Press</a> reports.

<article about="/policy/energy-environment/315876-trump-bans-epa-employees-from-giving-social-media-updates" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document">
The EPA is headed by Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/12/14/perry-would-bring-oil-industry-ties-to-energy-department/">Salon reports</a> is closely connected to the Texas oil industry, including corporate roles in two petroleum companies pushing to build the 1,200-mile crude oil pipeline in North Dakota that has launched fierce backlash. Trump also has ties to a company building the pipeline. Yesterday the piple was&nbsp;approved.&nbsp;This approval officially reversed&nbsp;Obama&#39;s position, and overturned&nbsp;what environmentalists considered to be a triumph after months-long protests, where demonstrators&nbsp;were<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dakota-pipeline-protests/dakota-pipeline-protesters-authorities-clash-temperatures-drop-n686581"> soaked by officials with hoses</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;cold winter weather,&nbsp;attacked by dogs and shot at with rubber bullets.

Before he was tasked with leading it, Perry&nbsp;publicly called for the EPA to be <a href="http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/12/13/13936210/rick-perry-energy-department-trump">abolished</a>. Trump&#39;s pick&nbsp;for the director of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has challenged EPA policy in court, The Hill reports.&nbsp;

The ban against the EPA comes as other agency staff report being barred&nbsp;from communicating with&nbsp;the general public and with members of Congress, <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/315876-trump-bans-epa-employees-from-giving-social-media-updates">The Hill reports</a>.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
EPA memo says agency is not allowed to issue press releases, add new content on websites, or post on social media - Huffington Post <a href="https://t.co/3lJSk5BoFi">pic.twitter.com/3lJSk5BoFi</a>
&mdash; BNO News (@BNONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/823952590111121410">January 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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This is only the latest chill felt by federal employees since October.

In the days soon after the 2016 US election, the Trump team <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-invoke-140-year-old-law-that-could-reduce-federal-employees-wage-to-1-10998">reportedly</a> sought the names of individual federal employees who worked on climate change projects, and in January House Republicans revived an obscure law called the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-invoke-140-year-old-law-that-could-reduce-federal-employees-wage-to-1-10998"> Holman Rule</a>, which allows the government to reduce the salary of federal employees to a crippling $1.

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Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women&#39;s program staff at State? This is why. <a href="https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG">https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG</a>
&mdash; Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) <a href="https://twitter.com/megancarpentier/status/817147618363117569">January 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The EPA has also frozen grant programs,<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-imposes-freeze-on-epa-grants-and-contracts"> ProPublica reports.</a>

There were other bans, too: <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/dinograndoni/trump-usda">BuzzFeed </a>reports&nbsp;that the Department of Agriculture told its employees not to share information about research or Tweet under the agency&#39;s name, while the Department of Health and Human Services was also told not to speak to public officials, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-communication-freeze_us_58878b3ae4b0441a8f7114e2?p0jpp58ohp6ekx1or">Huffington Post reports.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Republicans work to curb&nbsp;public protests

Days after the pro-women, anti-Trump&nbsp;Women&#39;s March--where Americans in over 500 US cities&nbsp;took part&nbsp;in what might be the largest ever demonstration in American history, and were joined by millions from around the world--Republicans have made several proposals&nbsp;targeting protesters.&nbsp;

While&nbsp;peaceful assembly&nbsp;is protected by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/peaceful-assembly/us.php">the&nbsp;American Constitution</a>,&nbsp;the&nbsp;protection is not absolute.&nbsp;Republicans appear to be trying to bend it as much as possible.

For example, in Minnesota--where&nbsp;police shot and killed a 32-year-old&nbsp;black man, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/16/philando-castile-shooting-manslaughter-police-jeronimo-yanez">Philando Castile</a>--Black Lives Matter&nbsp;protesters set&nbsp;up encampments and&nbsp;took to the highway to&nbsp;shutdown traffic, MPR News reports. In the days immediately following the police shooting&nbsp;dozens of protesters were arrested, though the charges were dropped;&nbsp;Police say it cost more than $1 million in officer overtime and some damages, according to the report.

Republican Nick Zerwas pushed for bills to make it easier for prosecutors to charge protesters for blocking highways, resulting in a gross misdemeanour charge carrying&nbsp;up to a year in jail. Another proposed&nbsp;change would&nbsp;allow&nbsp;police departments to sue convicted protesters for the costs of demonstrating.&nbsp;

&quot;At some point, the rule of law has to matter. I think it&#39;s time to show there is accountability,&quot; Zerwas&nbsp;said. The&nbsp;proposals&nbsp;could be brought about with more Republican power in the Capitol this year.

If approved, protesters would have to pay out of their own pocket for protesting, so long as police&nbsp;convicted them of&nbsp;protesting. This would incentivise police to convict protesters, and the threat of jail or fines would likely discourage protesting in general.

Meanwhile in Chicago, the city&nbsp;has&nbsp;paid<a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/07/17/city-to-pay-out-3-75-million-to-family-of-man-killed-by-police/">&nbsp;$500 million&nbsp;for judgements and settlements </a>related to police misconduct in the last ten years, ChicagoCBS reports. This money, paid to victims of police brutality or to&nbsp;family members of people killed by the police, would be funded by the public.

(WION)

&nbsp;
</article>

Together, these undermine both the Constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly and, also, the natural world

Donald Trump has banned employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from speaking with reporters and from giving social media updates, the Associated Press reports. The EPA is headed by Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who Salon reports is closely connected to the Texas oil industry, including corporate roles in two petroleum companies pushing to build the 1,200-mile crude oil pipeline in North Dakota that has launched fierce backlash. Trump also has ties to a company building the pipeline. Yesterday the piple was approved. This approval officially reversed Obama's position, and overturned what environmentalists considered to be a triumph after months-long protests, where demonstrators were soaked by officials with hoses during cold winter weather, attacked by dogs and shot at with rubber bullets. Before he was tasked with leading it, Perry publicly called for the EPA to be abolished. Trump's pick for the director of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, has challenged EPA policy in court, The Hill reports. The ban against the EPA comes as other agency staff report being barred from communicating with the general public and with members of Congress, The Hill reports. EPA memo says agency is not allowed to issue press releases, add new content on websites, or post on social media - Huffington Post pic.twitter.com/3lJSk5BoFi — BNO News (@BNONews) January 24, 2017 × This is only the latest chill felt by federal employees since October. In the days soon after the 2016 US election, the Trump team reportedly sought the names of individual federal employees who worked on climate change projects, and in January House Republicans revived an obscure law called the Holman Rule, which allows the government to reduce the salary of federal employees to a crippling $1. Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women's program staff at State? This is why. https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG — Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) January 5, 2017 × The EPA has also frozen grant programs, ProPublica reports. There were other bans, too: BuzzFeed reports that the Department of Agriculture told its employees not to share information about research or Tweet under the agency's name, while the Department of Health and Human Services was also told not to speak to public officials, the Huffington Post reports. Republicans work to curb public protests Days after the pro-women, anti-Trump Women's March--where Americans in over 500 US cities took part in what might be the largest ever demonstration in American history, and were joined by millions from around the world--Republicans have made several proposals targeting protesters. While peaceful assembly is protected by the American Constitution, the protection is not absolute. Republicans appear to be trying to bend it as much as possible. For example, in Minnesota--where police shot and killed a 32-year-old black man, Philando Castile--Black Lives Matter protesters set up encampments and took to the highway to shutdown traffic, MPR News reports. In the days immediately following the police shooting dozens of protesters were arrested, though the charges were dropped; Police say it cost more than $1 million in officer overtime and some damages, according to the report. Republican Nick Zerwas pushed for bills to make it easier for prosecutors to charge protesters for blocking highways, resulting in a gross misdemeanour charge carrying up to a year in jail. Another proposed change would allow police departments to sue convicted protesters for the costs of demonstrating. "At some point, the rule of law has to matter. I think it's time to show there is accountability," Zerwas said. The proposals could be brought about with more Republican power in the Capitol this year. If approved, protesters would have to pay out of their own pocket for protesting, so long as police convicted them of protesting. This would incentivise police to convict protesters, and the threat of jail or fines would likely discourage protesting in general. Meanwhile in Chicago, the city has paid $500 million for judgements and settlements related to police misconduct in the last ten years, ChicagoCBS reports. This money, paid to victims of police brutality or to family members of people killed by the police, would be funded by the public. (WION)

Trump silences environmental agency, Republicans propose bills to curb protesting

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other West Asian&nbsp;and African countries, according to several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter.

In addition to Syria, Trump&#39;s orders are expected to temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees. Another order will block visas from being issued to those from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.

The restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security can make the vetting process more rigorous.

Stephen Legomsky, a former chief counsel at US&nbsp;Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration, said the president has the authority to limit refugee admissions and the issuance of visas to specific countries if it is determined to be in the public&rsquo;s interest.

&ldquo;From a legal standpoint, it would be exactly within his legal rights,&rdquo; said Legomsky, who now is a professor at Washington University School of Law in St&nbsp;Louis. &ldquo;But from a policy standpoint it would be terrible idea because there is such an urgent humanitarian need right now for refugees.&rdquo;

The Republican president was expected to sign the orders at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, whose responsibilities include immigration and border security.

On the campaign trail, Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he said would protect Americans from jihadist attacks. Many Trump supporters decried former President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the country&#39;s civil war would carry out attacks.

Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, US&nbsp;Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose emigres could pose a threat rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific religion.

Detractors could launch legal challenges to the moves if all the countries subject to the ban are Muslim-majority nations, said immigration expert Hiroshi Motomura at UCLA School of Law. Legal arguments could claim the executive orders discriminate against a particular religion, which would be unconstitutional, he said.

&quot;His comments during the campaign and a number of people on his team focused very much on religion as the target,&quot; Motomura said.

To block entry from the designated countries, Trump is likely to instruct the State Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations, according to sources familiar with the visa process. He could also instruct Customs and Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from entering the United States.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that the State and Homeland Security departments would work on the vetting process once Trump&#39;s nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson, is installed.

(Reuters)

Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he said would protect Americans from jihadist attacks

US President Donald Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other West Asian and African countries, according to several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter. In addition to Syria, Trump's orders are expected to temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees. Another order will block visas from being issued to those from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified. The restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security can make the vetting process more rigorous. Stephen Legomsky, a former chief counsel at US Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration, said the president has the authority to limit refugee admissions and the issuance of visas to specific countries if it is determined to be in the public’s interest. “From a legal standpoint, it would be exactly within his legal rights,” said Legomsky, who now is a professor at Washington University School of Law in St Louis. “But from a policy standpoint it would be terrible idea because there is such an urgent humanitarian need right now for refugees.” The Republican president was expected to sign the orders at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, whose responsibilities include immigration and border security. On the campaign trail, Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he said would protect Americans from jihadist attacks. Many Trump supporters decried former President Barack Obama's decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the country's civil war would carry out attacks. Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, US Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose emigres could pose a threat rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific religion. Detractors could launch legal challenges to the moves if all the countries subject to the ban are Muslim-majority nations, said immigration expert Hiroshi Motomura at UCLA School of Law. Legal arguments could claim the executive orders discriminate against a particular religion, which would be unconstitutional, he said. "His comments during the campaign and a number of people on his team focused very much on religion as the target," Motomura said. To block entry from the designated countries, Trump is likely to instruct the State Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations, according to sources familiar with the visa process. He could also instruct Customs and Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from entering the United States. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that the State and Homeland Security departments would work on the vetting process once Trump's nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson, is installed. (Reuters)

Trump set to restrict immigration, visa holders from Syria and six other West Asian and African countries

United States President Donald Trump has decided to unpick environmental legislation by reviving two controversial oil pipeline projects. The 70-year-old gave his nod to the projects which were stonewalled by the Obama admiistration over environmental grounds.

The two projects, Keystone XL and especially the Dakota Access Pipeline, were condemned by the public for the risk it carried for the local communities. In Keystone XL&#39;s case, Environment Canada found industry chemicals seeping the ground water.

According to his federal disclosures form,<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trumps-stock-in-dakota-access-oil-pipeline-raises-concerns/"> Trump holds stock</a> in the company building the Dakota Access oil pipeline, CBS reports. While the amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners&nbsp;is modest compared to the rest of his 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.

Trump has refused to place his assets in a blind trust, handing over control of his business empire to his sons.&nbsp;

The opposition in Dakota Access Pipeline was primarily twofold: The project would damage sacred burial sites and contaminate the water in the region. Thousands of Native Americans had camped in freezing winter temperatures to block the oleoduct&#39;s planned route last year.

The standoff -- which included some 2,000 military veterans who joined the protest -- prompted violent clashes with law enforcement as well as sympathetic demonstrations nationwide.

But Trump on Monday said: &quot;I am very insistent that if we are going to build pipelines in the United States the pipes should be made in the United States.&quot;

&quot;We want to build the pipe, put a lot of steel workers back to work.&quot;

Keystone XL 1,179-mile (1,900 kilometre)&nbsp;Alberta-Nebraska section of the project.

The Dakota project is a&nbsp;1,172-mile (1,886-kilometre) oil&nbsp;pipeline, which&nbsp;would snake through four US states, from North Dakota to Illinois.

Since being sworn in on Friday, Trump has begun rolling out an orthodox conservative agenda, despite a campaign often out of kilter with Republican party ideology.

He has moved to curb funding for abortions, embraced Israel, frozen government hiring and now sought to unwind environmental legislation.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

Opponents claim the Dakota pipeline will damage sacred burial sites and contaminate water. Trump holds stock in the company building it

United States President Donald Trump has decided to unpick environmental legislation by reviving two controversial oil pipeline projects. The 70-year-old gave his nod to the projects which were stonewalled by the Obama admiistration over environmental grounds. The two projects, Keystone XL and especially the Dakota Access Pipeline, were condemned by the public for the risk it carried for the local communities. In Keystone XL's case, Environment Canada found industry chemicals seeping the ground water. 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 his 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. Trump has refused to place his assets in a blind trust, handing over control of his business empire to his sons. The opposition in Dakota Access Pipeline was primarily twofold: The project would damage sacred burial sites and contaminate the water in the region. Thousands of Native Americans had camped in freezing winter temperatures to block the oleoduct's planned route last year. The standoff -- which included some 2,000 military veterans who joined the protest -- prompted violent clashes with law enforcement as well as sympathetic demonstrations nationwide. But Trump on Monday said: "I am very insistent that if we are going to build pipelines in the United States the pipes should be made in the United States." "We want to build the pipe, put a lot of steel workers back to work." Keystone XL 1,179-mile (1,900 kilometre) Alberta-Nebraska section of the project. The Dakota project is a 1,172-mile (1,886-kilometre) oil pipeline, which would snake through four US states, from North Dakota to Illinois. Since being sworn in on Friday, Trump has begun rolling out an orthodox conservative agenda, despite a campaign often out of kilter with Republican party ideology. He has moved to curb funding for abortions, embraced Israel, frozen government hiring and now sought to unwind environmental legislation. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Donald Trump revives two controversial oil pipeline projects

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the decision by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to move ahead on the Keystone XL pipeline project at a news conference Tuesday.

At the news conference in Calgary, Trudeau said he has spoken twice to Trump since he has become President. He said he welcomed the news that the US&nbsp;would move ahead on the pipeline. &quot;I&#39;ve been on the record for many years supporting it because it leads to economic growth and good jobs for Albertans,&quot; Trudeau said.

Trump campaigned on promises to increase domestic energy production and before taking office indicated he supported and re-starting the Keystone XL project, which was rejected in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama.

When asked about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trudeau said, &quot;The relationship between Canada and the United States is particular and unique in regards to any two countries in the world,&quot; he said.

He noted, &quot;the discussions are very positive. But we know that there is&nbsp;much to discuss.&nbsp;We will continue to be engaged in a constructive thoughtful way with the new administration as I follow through on my primary job which is to ensure prosperity and security for Canadians.&quot;

On Sunday, Trump said he planned talks to begin renegotiating NAFTA, under which Canada and Mexico send most of their exports to the United States.

Officials familiar with diplomatic contacts between Mexico and Canada say there has been no talk of creating a joint front against the United States over NAFTA on the grounds that such a move would raise tensions and be counterproductive.

When Trudeau was asked if he thinks Trump is a misogynist, Trudeau responded by saying, &quot;I am pleased to have a constructive working relationship with the new administration.&quot; He added, &quot;It is the job of the Canadian prime minister to have a constructive working relationship with the President of the United States and that`s exactly what I intend to do.&quot;

Trudeau said no date has been set for him to meet with his American counterpart.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

'I've been on the record for many years supporting it because it leads to economic growth and good jobs for Albertans'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the decision by US President Donald Trump to move ahead on the Keystone XL pipeline project at a news conference Tuesday. At the news conference in Calgary, Trudeau said he has spoken twice to Trump since he has become President. He said he welcomed the news that the US would move ahead on the pipeline. "I've been on the record for many years supporting it because it leads to economic growth and good jobs for Albertans," Trudeau said. Trump campaigned on promises to increase domestic energy production and before taking office indicated he supported and re-starting the Keystone XL project, which was rejected in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama. When asked about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trudeau said, "The relationship between Canada and the United States is particular and unique in regards to any two countries in the world," he said. He noted, "the discussions are very positive. But we know that there is much to discuss. We will continue to be engaged in a constructive thoughtful way with the new administration as I follow through on my primary job which is to ensure prosperity and security for Canadians." On Sunday, Trump said he planned talks to begin renegotiating NAFTA, under which Canada and Mexico send most of their exports to the United States. Officials familiar with diplomatic contacts between Mexico and Canada say there has been no talk of creating a joint front against the United States over NAFTA on the grounds that such a move would raise tensions and be counterproductive. When Trudeau was asked if he thinks Trump is a misogynist, Trudeau responded by saying, "I am pleased to have a constructive working relationship with the new administration." He added, "It is the job of the Canadian prime minister to have a constructive working relationship with the President of the United States and that`s exactly what I intend to do." Trudeau said no date has been set for him to meet with his American counterpart. (Reuters)

Canadian PM Trudeau welcomes Trump's decision to revive controversial Keystone XL pipeline

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the decision by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to move ahead on the Keystone XL pipeline project at a news conference Tuesday.

At the news conference in Calgary, Trudeau said he has spoken twice to Trump since he has become President. He said he welcomed the news that the US&nbsp;would move ahead on the pipeline. &quot;I&#39;ve been on the record for many years supporting it because it leads to economic growth and good jobs for Albertans,&quot; Trudeau said.

Trump campaigned on promises to increase domestic energy production and before taking office indicated he supported and re-starting the Keystone XL project, which was rejected in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama.

When asked about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trudeau said, &quot;The relationship between Canada and the United States is particular and unique in regards to any two countries in the world,&quot; he said. He noted, &quot;the discussions are very positive. But we know that there is&nbsp;much to discuss.&nbsp;We will continue to be engaged in a constructive thoughtful way with the new administration as I follow through on my primary job which is to ensure prosperity and security for Canadians.&quot;

On Sunday, Trump said he planned talks to begin renegotiating NAFTA, under which Canada and Mexico send most of their exports to the United States. 
Officials familiar with diplomatic contacts between Mexico and Canada say there has been no talk of creating a joint front against the United States over NAFTA on the grounds that such a move would raise tensions and be counterproductive.

When Trudeau was asked if he thinks Trump is a misogynist, Trudeau responded by saying, &quot;I am pleased to have a constructive working relationship with the new administration.&quot; He added, &quot;It is the job of the Canadian prime minister to have a constructive working relationship with the President of the United States and that`s exactly what I intend to do.&quot;

Trudeau said no date has been set for him to meet with his American counterpart.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime MInister Narendra Modi, the White House.

Modi becomes the fifth foreign leader Trump has spoken to since he was sworn in.

Trump phoned&nbsp;Modi at 11.30 pm (Indian Standard Time) and 1.30 pm in Washington.

Reports suggest&nbsp;Trump has invited&nbsp;India&#39;s Modi to US &#39;this year&#39;.

&quot;The two discussed opportunities to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India in broad areas such as the economy and defence&quot;, according to a readout of the call.

An official said on condition of anonymity that they had &#39;a great conversation&#39;, according to the Hindustan Times.

After Trump surprised the world with his unexpected US election victory on November 8, Modi was among the first five world leaders to have congratulated the 70-year-old billionaire.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said

US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime MInister Narendra Modi, the White House. Modi becomes the fifth foreign leader Trump has spoken to since he was sworn in. Trump phoned Modi at 11.30 pm (Indian Standard Time) and 1.30 pm in Washington. Reports suggest Trump has invited India's Modi to US 'this year'. "The two discussed opportunities to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India in broad areas such as the economy and defence", according to a readout of the call. An official said on condition of anonymity that they had 'a great conversation', according to the Hindustan Times. After Trump surprised the world with his unexpected US election victory on November 8, Modi was among the first five world leaders to have congratulated the 70-year-old billionaire. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump invites Modi to US 'this year'

The US Senate confirmed Representative Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump&#39;s CIA director on Monday, after a delay tied to some lawmakers&#39; worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of certain interrogation techniques widely considered torture.

Sixty-six senators backed Pompeo and 32 voted against. All the opposition was from Democrats, except for Senator Rand Paul, a leading Republican advocate for strict control of surveillance. Shortly afterwards, Pompeo was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.

Some senators felt Pompeo, 53, had not pledged strongly enough to allow only the use of interrogation techniques included in the Army Field Manual, as required by law, rather than return to waterboarding and other &quot;enhanced interrogation techniques&quot;, or EITs, used by the CIA in the years after the September 11 attacks.

Trump&#39;s predecessor, Barack Obama, signed an executive order in 2009 banning waterboarding - a form of simulated drowning - and other EITs, which are denounced by many lawmakers and rights groups as torture.

In response to written questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he was open to changing policy under certain circumstances. &quot;I will consult with experts... on whether the Army Field Manual uniform application is an impediment to gathering vital intelligence to protect the country,&quot; Pompeo wrote.

Trump promised during his presidential campaign to bring back waterboarding and &quot;a hell of a lot worse&quot;.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden spoke for more than an hour in the Senate in opposition to Pompeo&#39;s nomination, saying he had provided inconsistent answers on surveillance and interrogation tactics, making it impossible to know how he would implement policy at the CIA.

Wyden cited an op-ed Pompeo co-authored last year that called for restarting the bulk collection of domestic telephone metadata and combining it with financial and lifestyle information into one searchable database.

He accused Pompeo of having proposed &quot;the most sweeping new surveillance program I have ever heard of&quot;.

Paul wrote in an op-ed: &quot;I voted against the new CIA Director because I worry that his desire for security will trump his defence of liberty.&quot;

Most Republicans called Pompeo, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, an excellent choice.

Senator John McCain, a leader of the fight for legislation barring the use of the rough interrogation methods, said: &quot;I have no reason to doubt Congressman Pompeo&rsquo;s word.&quot;

McCain added: &quot;I fully support his confirmation. Going forward, I will continue to closely monitor this issue, and use my oversight powers to ensure the law is obeyed.&quot;

(Reuters)

The delay was tied to some lawmakers' worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of torture

The US Senate confirmed Representative Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's CIA director on Monday, after a delay tied to some lawmakers' worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of certain interrogation techniques widely considered torture. Sixty-six senators backed Pompeo and 32 voted against. All the opposition was from Democrats, except for Senator Rand Paul, a leading Republican advocate for strict control of surveillance. Shortly afterwards, Pompeo was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence. Some senators felt Pompeo, 53, had not pledged strongly enough to allow only the use of interrogation techniques included in the Army Field Manual, as required by law, rather than return to waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques", or EITs, used by the CIA in the years after the September 11 attacks. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, signed an executive order in 2009 banning waterboarding - a form of simulated drowning - and other EITs, which are denounced by many lawmakers and rights groups as torture. In response to written questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he was open to changing policy under certain circumstances. "I will consult with experts... on whether the Army Field Manual uniform application is an impediment to gathering vital intelligence to protect the country," Pompeo wrote. Trump promised during his presidential campaign to bring back waterboarding and "a hell of a lot worse". Democratic Senator Ron Wyden spoke for more than an hour in the Senate in opposition to Pompeo's nomination, saying he had provided inconsistent answers on surveillance and interrogation tactics, making it impossible to know how he would implement policy at the CIA. Wyden cited an op-ed Pompeo co-authored last year that called for restarting the bulk collection of domestic telephone metadata and combining it with financial and lifestyle information into one searchable database. He accused Pompeo of having proposed "the most sweeping new surveillance program I have ever heard of". Paul wrote in an op-ed: "I voted against the new CIA Director because I worry that his desire for security will trump his defence of liberty." Most Republicans called Pompeo, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, an excellent choice. Senator John McCain, a leader of the fight for legislation barring the use of the rough interrogation methods, said: "I have no reason to doubt Congressman Pompeo’s word." McCain added: "I fully support his confirmation. Going forward, I will continue to closely monitor this issue, and use my oversight powers to ensure the law is obeyed." (Reuters)

After delay, US Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as CIA director

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Monday reinstated a global gag rule that bans US-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected, but nonetheless dismayed women&#39;s rights advocates.

The rule, which affects both American and non-American&nbsp;non-governmental organisations working abroad, is one that incoming presidents have used to signal their positions on abortion rights. It was created under US&nbsp;President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

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<h5>The global gag rule has been associated with an increase in unsafe abortions and we expect that Trump&#39;s global gag rule will cost women their lives,&#39; said Serra Sippel, president of the Centre for Health and Gender Equity in Washington</h5>
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Trump, an abortion opponent, signed the reinstatement directive at a ceremony in the White House on his fourth day in office. Former President Barack Obama had lifted the gag rule in 2009 when he took office.

&quot;Women&#39;s health and rights are now one of the first casualties of the Trump administration,&quot; said Serra Sippel, president of the Centre for Health and Gender Equity in Washington. &quot;The global gag rule has been associated with an increase in unsafe abortions and we expect that Trump&#39;s global gag rule will cost women their lives,&quot; she said.

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If you&#39;re wondering what patriarchy looks like: A group of white men watch as Trump reinstates the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GlobalGagRule?src=hash">#GlobalGagRule</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZV1OX41ziF">pic.twitter.com/ZV1OX41ziF</a>
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Reinstatement of the gag rule, formally the Mexico City policy, comes just two days after, according to organisers&#39; unofficial estimations,&nbsp;five<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/women-around-the-world-march-against-trump-11558"> million&nbsp;people</a> marched in cities around the world in a show of unity for women&#39;s rights, among them abortion access.

The far-reaching gag rule affects groups getting funding from the US&nbsp;Agency for International Development (USAID), even if they use separate money for abortion services, counseling or referrals, advocates note.

&quot;It is appalling to dictate to civil society groups and health care providers how they can spend their own money and force them to withhold from women critical information about and access to the full range of reproductive health care,&quot; said Nancy Northup, president of the US-based Center for Reproductive Rights.

The policy puts groups that provide women&#39;s health care in an &quot;untenable position&quot;, said Brian Dixon of Population Connection Action Fund. They can either accept the restriction to keep their funding or they can reject the restriction and lose their funding, Dixon said. &quot;Either choice hurts the women that rely on them.&quot;

Following the rule&#39;s inception in 1984, former President Bill Clinton revoked it when he took office in 1993 and former President George W&nbsp;Bush reinstated it in 2001.

&quot;Life-saving global health funding should not be a political football,&quot; said Ann Starrs, head of the Guttmacher Institute, a leading reproductive rights group.

There is no evidence the rule reduces abortion, she said. &quot;In fact, by targeting funding for overseas family planning programs, it may well have the opposite effect by making it harder for many women to avoid unintended pregnancy, which in turn would increase recourse to unsafe procedures by women who cannot access safe&nbsp;abortioncare,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Even foreign organisations across the world funded by USAID will no longer be able to talk about abortion, let alone provide the service

US President Donald Trump on Monday reinstated a global gag rule that bans US-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected, but nonetheless dismayed women's rights advocates. The rule, which affects both American and non-American non-governmental organisations working abroad, is one that incoming presidents have used to signal their positions on abortion rights. It was created under US President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The global gag rule has been associated with an increase in unsafe abortions and we expect that Trump's global gag rule will cost women their lives,' said Serra Sippel, president of the Centre for Health and Gender Equity in Washington × Trump, an abortion opponent, signed the reinstatement directive at a ceremony in the White House on his fourth day in office. Former President Barack Obama had lifted the gag rule in 2009 when he took office. "Women's health and rights are now one of the first casualties of the Trump administration," said Serra Sippel, president of the Centre for Health and Gender Equity in Washington. "The global gag rule has been associated with an increase in unsafe abortions and we expect that Trump's global gag rule will cost women their lives," she said. If you're wondering what patriarchy looks like: A group of white men watch as Trump reinstates the #GlobalGagRule pic.twitter.com/ZV1OX41ziF — Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) January 23, 2017 × Reinstatement of the gag rule, formally the Mexico City policy, comes just two days after, according to organisers' unofficial estimations, five million people marched in cities around the world in a show of unity for women's rights, among them abortion access. The far-reaching gag rule affects groups getting funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), even if they use separate money for abortion services, counseling or referrals, advocates note. "It is appalling to dictate to civil society groups and health care providers how they can spend their own money and force them to withhold from women critical information about and access to the full range of reproductive health care," said Nancy Northup, president of the US-based Center for Reproductive Rights. The policy puts groups that provide women's health care in an "untenable position", said Brian Dixon of Population Connection Action Fund. They can either accept the restriction to keep their funding or they can reject the restriction and lose their funding, Dixon said. "Either choice hurts the women that rely on them." Following the rule's inception in 1984, former President Bill Clinton revoked it when he took office in 1993 and former President George W Bush reinstated it in 2001. "Life-saving global health funding should not be a political football," said Ann Starrs, head of the Guttmacher Institute, a leading reproductive rights group. There is no evidence the rule reduces abortion, she said. "In fact, by targeting funding for overseas family planning programs, it may well have the opposite effect by making it harder for many women to avoid unintended pregnancy, which in turn would increase recourse to unsafe procedures by women who cannot access safe abortioncare," she said. (Reuters)

Trump reinstates rule restricting abortions around the world

US President Donald Trump met with a dozen American manufacturers at the White House on Monday, pledging to slash regulations and cut corporate taxes, but warning them he would impose taxes on imports if they move production outside the country.

Trump, who took office on Friday, promised to bring manufacturing plants back to the United States - an issue he said helped him win the November 8 election - and has not hesitated to call out by name companies that he thinks should bring outsourced production back home.

He asked the group of chief executives from companies including Ford, Dell Technologies, Tesla and others to make recommendations in 30 days to stimulate manufacturing, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris told reporters.

Trump, a Republican who took over from former Democratic President Barack Obama, was expected to sign executive orders later on Monday to renegotiate the free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and to formally withdraw the United States from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The new president told the CEOs that he would like to cut corporate taxes to the 15 per cent to 20 per cent range, down from current statutory levels of 35 per cent - a pledge that will require cooperation from the Republican-led US Congress. But he said business leaders have told him that reducing regulations is even more important.

&quot;We think we can cut regulations by 75 per cent. Maybe more,&quot; Trump told business leaders.

&quot;When you want to expand your plant, or when Mark wants to come in and build a big massive plant, or when Dell wants to come in and do something monstrous and special &ndash; you&#39;re going to have your approvals really fast,&rdquo; Trump said, referring to Mark Fields, CEO of Ford, who sat around the boardroom-style table in the Roosevelt Room.

The meeting ran longer than expected. Trump left briefly to attend to a phone call, and then reconvened the CEOs in the Oval Office, Liveris said.

Fields said he was encouraged by the tone.

&quot;I know I come out with a lot of confidence that the president is very, very serious on making sure that the United States economy is going to be strong and have policies - tax, regulatory or trade - to drive that,&quot; he said.

Trump told the executives that companies were welcome to negotiate with governors to move production between states, but said those businesses that choose to move factories outside the country would pay a price.

&quot;We are going to be imposing a very major border tax on the product when it comes in,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;A company that wants to fire all of its people in the United States, and build some factory someplace else, and then thinks that that product is going to just flow across the border into the United States - that&rsquo;s not going to happen,&quot; he said.

Liveris said the CEOs discussed the border tax &quot;quite a bit&quot; with Trump, explaining &quot;the sorts of industry that might be helped or hurt by that.&quot;

&quot;Look: I would take the president at his word here. He&#39;s not going to do anything to harm competitiveness. He&#39;s going to actually make us all more competitive,&quot; Liveris said.

Trump was scheduled to hold a meeting later on Monday with labor leaders and US&nbsp;workers, the White House said.

Between winning the presidential election in November and taking office, Trump hosted a number of US&nbsp;CEOs in meetings in New York, including business leaders from defense, technology and other sectors. He also met with leaders of several labor unions, including the AFL-CIO.

Trump, a real estate developer who had never previously held elected office, has particularly focused on manufacturing, lamenting during his inaugural address on Friday about &quot;rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation&quot; and vowing to boost US industries over foreign ones.

(Reuters)

Trump told CEOs that he would like to cut corporate taxes by between 15-20% and regulations by 75%, or 'maybe more'

US President Donald Trump met with a dozen American manufacturers at the White House on Monday, pledging to slash regulations and cut corporate taxes, but warning them he would impose taxes on imports if they move production outside the country. Trump, who took office on Friday, promised to bring manufacturing plants back to the United States - an issue he said helped him win the November 8 election - and has not hesitated to call out by name companies that he thinks should bring outsourced production back home. He asked the group of chief executives from companies including Ford, Dell Technologies, Tesla and others to make recommendations in 30 days to stimulate manufacturing, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris told reporters. Trump, a Republican who took over from former Democratic President Barack Obama, was expected to sign executive orders later on Monday to renegotiate the free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and to formally withdraw the United States from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership. The new president told the CEOs that he would like to cut corporate taxes to the 15 per cent to 20 per cent range, down from current statutory levels of 35 per cent - a pledge that will require cooperation from the Republican-led US Congress. But he said business leaders have told him that reducing regulations is even more important. "We think we can cut regulations by 75 per cent. Maybe more," Trump told business leaders. "When you want to expand your plant, or when Mark wants to come in and build a big massive plant, or when Dell wants to come in and do something monstrous and special – you're going to have your approvals really fast,” Trump said, referring to Mark Fields, CEO of Ford, who sat around the boardroom-style table in the Roosevelt Room. The meeting ran longer than expected. Trump left briefly to attend to a phone call, and then reconvened the CEOs in the Oval Office, Liveris said. Fields said he was encouraged by the tone. "I know I come out with a lot of confidence that the president is very, very serious on making sure that the United States economy is going to be strong and have policies - tax, regulatory or trade - to drive that," he said. Trump told the executives that companies were welcome to negotiate with governors to move production between states, but said those businesses that choose to move factories outside the country would pay a price. "We are going to be imposing a very major border tax on the product when it comes in," Trump said. "A company that wants to fire all of its people in the United States, and build some factory someplace else, and then thinks that that product is going to just flow across the border into the United States - that’s not going to happen," he said. Liveris said the CEOs discussed the border tax "quite a bit" with Trump, explaining "the sorts of industry that might be helped or hurt by that." "Look: I would take the president at his word here. He's not going to do anything to harm competitiveness. He's going to actually make us all more competitive," Liveris said. Trump was scheduled to hold a meeting later on Monday with labor leaders and US workers, the White House said. Between winning the presidential election in November and taking office, Trump hosted a number of US CEOs in meetings in New York, including business leaders from defense, technology and other sectors. He also met with leaders of several labor unions, including the AFL-CIO. Trump, a real estate developer who had never previously held elected office, has particularly focused on manufacturing, lamenting during his inaugural address on Friday about "rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation" and vowing to boost US industries over foreign ones. (Reuters)

Trump ready to cut corporate tax, slash regulations

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil Corp&nbsp;Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson, narrowly won approval from a Senate committee on Monday but is expected to win confirmation from the full Senate.

The US&nbsp;Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11-10 to approve Tillerson, with every committee Republican backing Tillerson and every Democrat opposing his nomination. His backing by the committee had been in doubt until earlier on Monday, when Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a committee member, said he planned to back Tillerson.

His confirmation vote in the 100-member Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-seat majority, is not expected before next week.

Rubio said he was troubled by Tillerson&#39;s comments during his confirmation hearing regarding Russia as well as other countries, but that he ultimately decided he would vote to approve the nominee in deference to Trump, as well as to fill a critical top job.

Democrats who voted against Tillerson said their concerns included fears that he might move to lift sanctions on Russia, where he did business for years as an Exxon executive, questions about his views on human rights and unhappiness that he would not promise to recuse himself from matters related to Exxon during his entire term as the top US&nbsp;diplomat.

Tillerson said during his hearing that he would recuse himself only for the one year required by law. Tillerson also angered some lawmakers during the hearing by saying he did not know that Exxon Mobil had lobbied against Russian sanctions while he was running the company.

John McCain was among the Republicans who voted for Tillerson.&nbsp;Earlier this week the Republican senator said he was&nbsp;&quot;very cautious&quot; about his decision to vote for Tilerson, but said he was reassured after talking with him about Russia and what his job was as secretary of state, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mccain-graham-will-vote-yes-tillerson-despite-skepticism-n710551">ABC reports.</a>

&quot;Listen, this wasn&#39;t an easy call, but I believe when there&#39;s doubt, the incoming president gets the benefit of the doubt,&quot;McCain said.

Earlier in January McCain vowed to fight for stronger sanctions against Russia, and appeared to be locked in a war against Trump, as it was he who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/10/fbi-chief-given-dossier-by-john-mccain-alleging-secret-trump-russia-contacts">passed the&nbsp;dossier </a>to FBI director James Comey, alleging Trump has secret contacts with Russia. &quot;He and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals,&quot; the dossier claimed.&nbsp;

It also alleged: &quot;FSB has compromised Trump through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him.&quot; Putin called this claim a &quot;complete fabrication and utter nonsense&quot;.

Senator Ben Cardin, the committee&#39;s ranking Democrat, said Tillerson&#39;s &quot;business orientation&quot; and responses at his hearing &quot;could compromise his ability as secretary of state to forcefully promote the values and ideals that have defined our country and our leading role in the world for more than 200 years.&quot;

(With inputs from Reuters)

Every Democrat opposed Trump's controversial choice, worried over Tillerson's views on human rights and his relations with Russia

US President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson, narrowly won approval from a Senate committee on Monday but is expected to win confirmation from the full Senate. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11-10 to approve Tillerson, with every committee Republican backing Tillerson and every Democrat opposing his nomination. His backing by the committee had been in doubt until earlier on Monday, when Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a committee member, said he planned to back Tillerson. His confirmation vote in the 100-member Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-seat majority, is not expected before next week. Rubio said he was troubled by Tillerson's comments during his confirmation hearing regarding Russia as well as other countries, but that he ultimately decided he would vote to approve the nominee in deference to Trump, as well as to fill a critical top job. Democrats who voted against Tillerson said their concerns included fears that he might move to lift sanctions on Russia, where he did business for years as an Exxon executive, questions about his views on human rights and unhappiness that he would not promise to recuse himself from matters related to Exxon during his entire term as the top US diplomat. Tillerson said during his hearing that he would recuse himself only for the one year required by law. Tillerson also angered some lawmakers during the hearing by saying he did not know that Exxon Mobil had lobbied against Russian sanctions while he was running the company. John McCain was among the Republicans who voted for Tillerson. Earlier this week the Republican senator said he was "very cautious" about his decision to vote for Tilerson, but said he was reassured after talking with him about Russia and what his job was as secretary of state, ABC reports. "Listen, this wasn't an easy call, but I believe when there's doubt, the incoming president gets the benefit of the doubt,"McCain said. Earlier in January McCain vowed to fight for stronger sanctions against Russia, and appeared to be locked in a war against Trump, as it was he who passed the dossier to FBI director James Comey, alleging Trump has secret contacts with Russia. "He and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals," the dossier claimed. It also alleged: "FSB has compromised Trump through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him." Putin called this claim a "complete fabrication and utter nonsense". Senator Ben Cardin, the committee's ranking Democrat, said Tillerson's "business orientation" and responses at his hearing "could compromise his ability as secretary of state to forcefully promote the values and ideals that have defined our country and our leading role in the world for more than 200 years." (With inputs from Reuters)

Trump's pick for state secretary Rex Tillerson narrowly approved by Senate committee

Wall Street stocks finished slightly lower Monday as the new US President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;signaled he would take a tough line on&nbsp;international trade.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s first order of business Monday was to sign an executive order officially withdrawing from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;also has also announced plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and his chief spokesman said the new president would not hesitate to confront China over the South China Sea.&nbsp;

US stocks rallied hard after&nbsp;Trump&#39;s surprise election win in the hopes he would lower taxes and reduce regulation, a promise he renewed on Monday. But markets have been worried the tough talk could lead to a trade war.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;lost 0.1 percent to close at 19,799.85.

The broad-based S&amp;P 500 dropped 0.3 percent to 2,265.20, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index&nbsp;slipped less than 0.1 percent to 5,552.94.

Qualcomm plunged 12.7&nbsp;percent following news it was sued by Apple for&nbsp;abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties, echoing charges filed days earlier by US antitrust regulators.&nbsp;Qualcomm rejected the claims and said Apple was mischaracterizing its practices.

Aetna dropped 2.7 percent and Humana gained 2.2 percent after a US judge blocked Aetna&#39;s proposed $37 billion takeover of its rival on antitrust grounds. Aetna would be forced to pay Humana $1 billion if the deal dies.

McDonald&#39;s shed 0.7 percent after reporting a slight dip in fourth-quarter earnings following 1.3 percent drop in US comparable sales. Sales in China, Japan and some other overseas markets offset the decline.

Energy shares were generally in retreat with lower oil prices, along with most pharmaceutical&nbsp;stocks. But some technology stocks pushed higher, including Google parent Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla Motors.

(AFP)

Trump signed an executive order officially withdrawing from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership on Monday

Wall Street stocks finished slightly lower Monday as the new US President Donald Trump signaled he would take a tough line on international trade. Trump's first order of business Monday was to sign an executive order officially withdrawing from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump also has also announced plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and his chief spokesman said the new president would not hesitate to confront China over the South China Sea. US stocks rallied hard after Trump's surprise election win in the hopes he would lower taxes and reduce regulation, a promise he renewed on Monday. But markets have been worried the tough talk could lead to a trade war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1 percent to close at 19,799.85. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.3 percent to 2,265.20, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped less than 0.1 percent to 5,552.94. Qualcomm plunged 12.7 percent following news it was sued by Apple for abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties, echoing charges filed days earlier by US antitrust regulators. Qualcomm rejected the claims and said Apple was mischaracterizing its practices. Aetna dropped 2.7 percent and Humana gained 2.2 percent after a US judge blocked Aetna's proposed $37 billion takeover of its rival on antitrust grounds. Aetna would be forced to pay Humana $1 billion if the deal dies. McDonald's shed 0.7 percent after reporting a slight dip in fourth-quarter earnings following 1.3 percent drop in US comparable sales. Sales in China, Japan and some other overseas markets offset the decline. Energy shares were generally in retreat with lower oil prices, along with most pharmaceutical stocks. But some technology stocks pushed higher, including Google parent Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla Motors. (AFP)

Wall Street stocks dip amid Trump's tough talk on trade

US President Donald Trump&#39;s new national security adviser, Michael Flynn&nbsp;has come under the scanner of US counterintelligence agents for communication links with Russian officials, the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-eyes-michael-flynns-links-to-russia-1485134942">Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;reported Sunday.&nbsp;

It was unclear what the findings were and if the&nbsp;investigation was still under way, the WSJ reported.&nbsp;

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Reports also claim that Flynn spoke to Russia&#39;s ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, several times the day before former president Barack Obama announced strict measures over Russia&#39;s alleged cyber attacks, interfering in the November 8 election. &nbsp;

Flynn&#39;s acceptance of payment from Russian news agency RT to attend a gala event in Moscow raised eyebrows last year. He was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. &nbsp;

White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended Flynn, saying he had spoken with Kislyak on Christmas wishing him Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.&nbsp;

The national security adviser is not formally part of the cabinet but is one of the most influential advisers to the President.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

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It was unclear what the findings were and if the?investigation was still under way, the Wall Street Journal reported

US President Donald Trump's new national security adviser, Michael Flynn has come under the scanner of US counterintelligence agents for communication links with Russian officials, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. It was unclear what the findings were and if the investigation was still under way, the WSJ reported. Flynn's acceptance of payment from Russian news agency RT to attend a gala event in Moscow raised eyebrows last years. He was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin × Reports also claim that Flynn spoke to Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, several times the day before former president Barack Obama announced strict measures over Russia's alleged cyber attacks, interfering in the November 8 election. Flynn's acceptance of payment from Russian news agency RT to attend a gala event in Moscow raised eyebrows last year. He was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended Flynn, saying he had spoken with Kislyak on Christmas wishing him Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The national security adviser is not formally part of the cabinet but is one of the most influential advisers to the President. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump's national security adviser probed for Russia links: WSJ

Israel approved hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem Sunday, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to speak to US President Donald Trump for the first time since his inauguration.

But a potentially explosive plan to annex a large West Bank Jewish settlement near Jerusalem unilaterally was shelved until after Netanyahu and Trump meet face-to-face.

&quot;This evening there will be a telephone conversation between President Trump and myself,&quot; Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

&quot;There are many issues between us, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the situation in Syria and the Iranian threat.&quot;

The White House confirmed that such a call was scheduled, but did not give further details.

Trump has pledged strong support for Israel and vowed during his campaign to recognise Jerusalem as the country&#39;s capital despite the city&#39;s contested status.

Israeli right-wing politicians have welcomed his election, with hardliners who oppose a Palestinian state hoping it will allow them to move forward with their long-held goal of annexing most of the West Bank.

The United States is Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid, but former president Barack Obama grew frustrated with Israeli settlement building.

He declined to veto a December 23 UN Security Council resolution condemning settlements. Trump had called for the resolution to be vetoed.

&#39;We can finally build&#39;

In an initial move following Trump&#39;s inauguration, Israeli officials on Sunday approved building permits for 566 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem.

&quot;The rules of the game have changed with Donald Trump&#39;s arrival as president,&quot; Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turjeman told AFP.

&quot;We no longer have our hands tied as in the time of Barack Obama. Now we can finally build.&quot;

The Palestinian presidency condemned the move, calling it a violation of the UN resolution.

A draft bill to annex the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank had been on the agenda for approval by a ministerial committee legislation on Sunday.

Such a move could badly damage prospects for a two-state solution.

But the inner circle of senior ministers known as the security cabinet blocked it for the time being, a member said.

&quot;What was decided was to wait for the meeting which will certainly take place within a few weeks,&quot; Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli public radio.

&quot;Then we shall have another (ministerial) debate on the matter,&quot; he said.

Annexing Maale Adumim unilaterally would set off alarm bells globally, with many warning that it would be another step towards dividing the occupied West Bank between north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state difficult to achieve.

But for some Israeli ministers who oppose a Palestinian state, that is precisely the point.

&quot;We have to tell the American administration what we want and not wait for orders from the administration,&quot; Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told Israel&#39;s army radio.

&#39;Block east Jerusalem&#39;&nbsp;

Maale Adumim, in a strategic location east of Jerusalem, has some 37,000 residents.

Some peace proposals have envisioned it becoming part of Israel in land swaps agreed with the Palestinians, but not unilaterally.

It was unclear whether the annexation proposal would apply to another key area called E1, located between the settlement and east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel views the entire city as its capital.

Settlements watchdog Ir Amim said &quot;the annexation of Maale Adumim and E1 will block east Jerusalem on its eastern side, swallow up its last development reserves and deepen the detachment from the West Bank.

&quot;Given Maale Adumim&#39;s critical location in the heart of the West Bank, the international community has for years been following with special concern all developments in this area, seen as a touchstone for the viability of a two-state solution.&quot;

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967, and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law.

Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, with another 200,000 in east Jerusalem. In comparison, around 2.9 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

(AFP)

The approval hours before Prime Minister Netanyahu was to speak to US President Trump for the first time since his inauguration

Israel approved hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem Sunday, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to speak to US President Donald Trump for the first time since his inauguration. But a potentially explosive plan to annex a large West Bank Jewish settlement near Jerusalem unilaterally was shelved until after Netanyahu and Trump meet face-to-face. "This evening there will be a telephone conversation between President Trump and myself," Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "There are many issues between us, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the situation in Syria and the Iranian threat." The White House confirmed that such a call was scheduled, but did not give further details. Trump has pledged strong support for Israel and vowed during his campaign to recognise Jerusalem as the country's capital despite the city's contested status. Israeli right-wing politicians have welcomed his election, with hardliners who oppose a Palestinian state hoping it will allow them to move forward with their long-held goal of annexing most of the West Bank. The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid, but former president Barack Obama grew frustrated with Israeli settlement building. He declined to veto a December 23 UN Security Council resolution condemning settlements. Trump had called for the resolution to be vetoed. 'We can finally build' In an initial move following Trump's inauguration, Israeli officials on Sunday approved building permits for 566 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem. "The rules of the game have changed with Donald Trump's arrival as president," Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turjeman told AFP. "We no longer have our hands tied as in the time of Barack Obama. Now we can finally build." The Palestinian presidency condemned the move, calling it a violation of the UN resolution. A draft bill to annex the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank had been on the agenda for approval by a ministerial committee legislation on Sunday. Such a move could badly damage prospects for a two-state solution. But the inner circle of senior ministers known as the security cabinet blocked it for the time being, a member said. "What was decided was to wait for the meeting which will certainly take place within a few weeks," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli public radio. "Then we shall have another (ministerial) debate on the matter," he said. Annexing Maale Adumim unilaterally would set off alarm bells globally, with many warning that it would be another step towards dividing the occupied West Bank between north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state difficult to achieve. But for some Israeli ministers who oppose a Palestinian state, that is precisely the point. "We have to tell the American administration what we want and not wait for orders from the administration," Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told Israel's army radio. 'Block east Jerusalem' Maale Adumim, in a strategic location east of Jerusalem, has some 37,000 residents. Some peace proposals have envisioned it becoming part of Israel in land swaps agreed with the Palestinians, but not unilaterally. It was unclear whether the annexation proposal would apply to another key area called E1, located between the settlement and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel views the entire city as its capital. Settlements watchdog Ir Amim said "the annexation of Maale Adumim and E1 will block east Jerusalem on its eastern side, swallow up its last development reserves and deepen the detachment from the West Bank. "Given Maale Adumim's critical location in the heart of the West Bank, the international community has for years been following with special concern all developments in this area, seen as a touchstone for the viability of a two-state solution." Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967, and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law. Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, with another 200,000 in east Jerusalem. In comparison, around 2.9 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. (AFP)

Israel approves hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem

Pope Francis on Saturday warned against populism, saying it could lead to the election of &quot;saviours&quot; like Hitler.

In an hour-long interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais conducted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as US president, the pontiff also condemned the idea of using walls and barbed wire to keep out foreigners.

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&quot;Of course crises provoke fears and worries,&quot; he said but added that for him &quot;the example of populism in the European sense of the word is Germany in 1933&quot;.

&quot;Germany... was looking for a leader, someone who would give her back her identity and there was a little man named Adolf Hitler who said &#39;I can do it&#39;.&quot;

&quot;Hitler did not steal power,&quot; the pope said. &quot;He was elected by his people and then he destroyed his people.&quot;

The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with &quot;walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity,&quot; he said.

&quot;The case of Germany is classic,&quot; he said, adding that Hitler gave them a &quot;deformed identity and we know what it produced.&quot;

Pope Francis however underscored that it was too early to pass judgement on Trump.

&quot;Let&#39;s see. Let&#39;s see what he does and then we will evaluate,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

The comments were made to Spanish newspaper El Pais as Donald Trump was being sworn in as president of the US

Pope Francis on Saturday warned against populism, saying it could lead to the election of "saviours" like Hitler. In an hour-long interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais conducted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as US president, the pontiff also condemned the idea of using walls and barbed wire to keep out foreigners. The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with 'walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity' × "Of course crises provoke fears and worries," he said but added that for him "the example of populism in the European sense of the word is Germany in 1933". "Germany... was looking for a leader, someone who would give her back her identity and there was a little man named Adolf Hitler who said 'I can do it'." "Hitler did not steal power," the pope said. "He was elected by his people and then he destroyed his people." The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with "walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity," he said. "The case of Germany is classic," he said, adding that Hitler gave them a "deformed identity and we know what it produced." Pope Francis however underscored that it was too early to pass judgement on Trump. "Let's see. Let's see what he does and then we will evaluate," he said. (AFP)

Pope warns against populism, 'saviours' like Hitler

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