The United States on Sunday threatened to impose sanctions on European companies that do business with Iran, as the remaining participants in the Iran nuclear accord stiffened their resolve to keep that agreement operational.

White House National Security adviser John Bolton said US&nbspsanctions on European companies that maintain business dealings with Iran were "possible," but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he remained hopeful Washington and its allies could strike a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

Bolton struck a more hawkish tone with his comments in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" program than Pompeo did when he was interviewed on "Fox News Sunday."

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-withdrawal-from-iran-deal-wasnt-aimed-at-the-europeans-136612">Withdrawal from Iran deal 'wasn't aimed at the Europeans'</a>

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump on May 8 announced that the United States was withdrawing from a 2015 deal negotiated by the Obama administration.

So far, China, France, Russia, Britain, the European Union and Iran remain in the accord, which placed controls on Iran's nuclear program and led to a relaxation of U.S. economic sanctions against Iran and companies doing business there.

Also read:&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-lift-sanctions-on-north-korea-if-it-meets-demands-says-pompeo-136599">US to lift sanctions on North Korea if it meets demands, says Pompeo</a>

Despite the US&nbspexit, Britain and Iran on Sunday expressed their commitment to ensuring that the accord is upheld, according to a statement released by British Prime Minister Theresa May's office.

And Germany said it will spend the next few months trying to persuade Washington to change its mind.

When asked whether the United States might impose sanctions on European companies that continue to do business with Iran, Bolton told CNN: "It's possible. It depends on the conduct of other governments."

Pompeo said he was "hopeful in the days and weeks ahead we can come up with a deal that really works, that really protects the world from Iranian bad behaviour, not just their nuclear program, but their missiles and their malign behavior as well."

'REGIME CHANGE'

The US&nbspwithdrawal from the Iran deal has upset Washington's European allies, cast uncertainty over global oil supplies and raised the risk of conflict in the Middle East.

Germany's minister for economic affairs, Peter Altmaier, said on Sunday that Berlin will try to "persuade the US&nbspgovernment to change its behaviour."

In an interview with ZDF public television, Altmaier noted the United States has set a 90-day deadline for foreign firms to comply with the return of sanctions and that this period can be used to convince Washington to change course.

Israel and Iran engaged in an extensive military exchange on the heels of Trump's decision to leave the deal. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron told Trump in a telephone call that he was worried about stability in the Middle East, according to Macron's office.

As a private citizen, Bolton in the past has suggested that the United States push for a change in Iran's government. But in an interview aired on the ABC's "This Week" program, Bolton said, "That's not the policy of the administration. The policy of the administration is to make sure that Iran never gets close to deliverable nuclear weapons."

In the CNN interview, Bolton did not respond directly when asked whether Trump might seek "regime change" in Iran, or whether the U.S. military would be ordered to make a preemptive strike against any Iranian nuclear facility.

"I'm not the national security decision-maker," Bolton said, adding that Trump "makes the decision and the advice that I give him is between us."

When pressed by CNN on whether the Trump administration would sanction European firms that continue to do business with Iran, Bolton said, "I think the Europeans will see that it's in their interest ultimately to come along with us."

Bolton said Europe was still digesting Trump's May 8 move.

"I think at the moment there's some feeling in Europe - they're really surprised we got out of it, really surprised at the reimposition of strict sanctions. I think that will sink in we'll see what happens then," Bolton said.

The US threatened to impose sanctions on European companies that do business with Iran even as the remaining participants in the Iran nuclear accord stiffened their resolve to keep the agreement operational

The United States on Sunday threatened to impose sanctions on European companies that do business with Iran, as the remaining participants in the Iran nuclear accord stiffened their resolve to keep that agreement operational. White House National Security adviser John Bolton said US&nbspsanctions on European companies that maintain business dealings with Iran were "possible," but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he remained hopeful Washington and its allies could strike a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Bolton struck a more hawkish tone with his comments in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" program than Pompeo did when he was interviewed on "Fox News Sunday." Also read: Withdrawal from Iran deal 'wasn't aimed at the Europeans' US&nbspPresident Donald Trump on May 8 announced that the United States was withdrawing from a 2015 deal negotiated by the Obama administration. So far, China, France, Russia, Britain, the European Union and Iran remain in the accord, which placed controls on Iran's nuclear program and led to a relaxation of U.S. economic sanctions against Iran and companies doing business there. Also read: US to lift sanctions on North Korea if it meets demands, says Pompeo Despite the US&nbspexit, Britain and Iran on Sunday expressed their commitment to ensuring that the accord is upheld, according to a statement released by British Prime Minister Theresa May's office. And Germany said it will spend the next few months trying to persuade Washington to change its mind. When asked whether the United States might impose sanctions on European companies that continue to do business with Iran, Bolton told CNN: "It's possible. It depends on the conduct of other governments." Pompeo said he was "hopeful in the days and weeks ahead we can come up with a deal that really works, that really protects the world from Iranian bad behaviour, not just their nuclear program, but their missiles and their malign behavior as well." 'REGIME CHANGE' The US&nbspwithdrawal from the Iran deal has upset Washington's European allies, cast uncertainty over global oil supplies and raised the risk of conflict in the Middle East. Germany's minister for economic affairs, Peter Altmaier, said on Sunday that Berlin will try to "persuade the US&nbspgovernment to change its behaviour." In an interview with ZDF public television, Altmaier noted the United States has set a 90-day deadline for foreign firms to comply with the return of sanctions and that this period can be used to convince Washington to change course. Israel and Iran engaged in an extensive military exchange on the heels of Trump's decision to leave the deal. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron told Trump in a telephone call that he was worried about stability in the Middle East, according to Macron's office. As a private citizen, Bolton in the past has suggested that the United States push for a change in Iran's government. But in an interview aired on the ABC's "This Week" program, Bolton said, "That's not the policy of the administration. The policy of the administration is to make sure that Iran never gets close to deliverable nuclear weapons." In the CNN interview, Bolton did not respond directly when asked whether Trump might seek "regime change" in Iran, or whether the U.S. military would be ordered to make a preemptive strike against any Iranian nuclear facility. "I'm not the national security decision-maker," Bolton said, adding that Trump "makes the decision and the advice that I give him is between us." When pressed by CNN on whether the Trump administration would sanction European firms that continue to do business with Iran, Bolton said, "I think the Europeans will see that it's in their interest ultimately to come along with us." Bolton said Europe was still digesting Trump's May 8 move. "I think at the moment there's some feeling in Europe - they're really surprised we got out of it, really surprised at the reimposition of strict sanctions. I think that will sink in we'll see what happens then," Bolton said.

US threatens sanctions on European companies doing business with Iran

As the three American <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/singapore-emerging-as-likely-option-for-trump-kim-summit-us-official-135819">prisoners released by North Korea</a> arrived in Alaska today, US President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night saying he was looking forward to greeting the "hostages" - who he termed as "no longer".

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Looking forward to greeting the Hostages (no longer) at 2:00 A.M.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/994346538028675072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Americans were handed over to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his talks with President Trump next month.

"I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump had tweeted earlier.

A plane carrying the three men took off to at Andrews air base on Wednesday evening after a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

President Trump had said he would be meeting the freed Americans at the Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday morning.

The Americans - &nbspKim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk - were in good health, Pompeo had said earlier.

The move by North Korea is being seen as a "goodwill gesture" is part of the groundwork as Trump and Kim prepare to meet for summit talks in June, although the US president is yet to announce the venue of his meeting.

A plane carrying the three men took off to at Andrews air base on Wednesday evening after a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

As the three American prisoners released by North Korea arrived in Alaska today, US President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night saying he was looking forward to greeting the "hostages" - who he termed as "no longer". Looking forward to greeting the Hostages (no longer) at 2:00 A.M. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2018 × The Americans were handed over to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his talks with President Trump next month. "I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump had tweeted earlier. A plane carrying the three men took off to at Andrews air base on Wednesday evening after a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. President Trump had said he would be meeting the freed Americans at the Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday morning. The Americans - &nbspKim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk - were in good health, Pompeo had said earlier. The move by North Korea is being seen as a "goodwill gesture" is part of the groundwork as Trump and Kim prepare to meet for summit talks in June, although the US president is yet to announce the venue of his meeting.

Watch: Trump prepares to meet US prisoners freed by North Korea

As the three American <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/singapore-emerging-as-likely-option-for-trump-kim-summit-us-official-135819">prisoners released by North Korea</a> arrived in Alaska today, US President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night saying he was looking forward to greeting the "hostages" - who he termed as "no longer".

&nbsp

The Americans were handed over to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his talks with President Trump next month.

"I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump had tweeted earlier.

A plane carrying the three men took off to at Andrews air base on Wednesday evening after a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

President Trump had said he would be meeting the freed Americans at the Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday morning.

The Americans - &nbspKim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk - were in good health, Pompeo had said earlier.

The move by North Korea is being seen as a "goodwill gesture" is part of the groundwork as Trump and Kim prepare to meet for summit talks in June, although the US president is yet to announce the venue of his meeting.

As the three American prisoners released by North Korea arrived in Alaska today, US President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night saying he was looking forward to greeting the "hostages" - who he termed as "no longer".

As the three American prisoners released by North Korea arrived in Alaska today, US President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night saying he was looking forward to greeting the "hostages" - who he termed as "no longer". The Americans were handed over to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his talks with President Trump next month. "I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump had tweeted earlier. A plane carrying the three men took off to at Andrews air base on Wednesday evening after a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. President Trump had said he would be meeting the freed Americans at the Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday morning. The Americans - &nbspKim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk - were in good health, Pompeo had said earlier. The move by North Korea is being seen as a "goodwill gesture" is part of the groundwork as Trump and Kim prepare to meet for summit talks in June, although the US president is yet to announce the venue of his meeting.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that three Americans detained by North Korea have been released and are on their way home with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-chief-diplomat-heading-to-pyongyang-to-prepare-summit-informs-president-trump-135590">Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a>.

"I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Trump said he will greet Pompeo and the Americans when they land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) Thursday morning. "Very exciting!" he wrote on Twitter.

The fate of Korean-Americans Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-chul had been among a number of delicate issues in the run-up to the first-ever meeting of US&nbsp;and North Korean leaders.

Trump sent Pompeo to Pyongyang to accompany the men home following US calls for Kim to free them as a gesture of goodwill and sincerity before the US-North Korea meeting, which is expected to take place in late May or early June.

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Secretary Pompeo and his “guests” will be landing at Andrews Air Force Base at 2:00 A.M. in the morning. I will be there to greet them. Very exciting!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/994194233111273472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Trump said he will greet Pompeo and the Americans when they land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) Thursday morning. 'Very exciting!' he wrote on Twitter

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that three Americans detained by North Korea have been released and are on their way home with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. Trump said he will greet Pompeo and the Americans when they land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT) Thursday morning. "Very exciting!" he wrote on Twitter. The fate of Korean-Americans Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-chul had been among a number of delicate issues in the run-up to the first-ever meeting of US and North Korean leaders. Trump sent Pompeo to Pyongyang to accompany the men home following US calls for Kim to free them as a gesture of goodwill and sincerity before the US-North Korea meeting, which is expected to take place in late May or early June. Secretary Pompeo and his “guests” will be landing at Andrews Air Force Base at 2:00 A.M. in the morning. I will be there to greet them. Very exciting! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2018 ×

Pompeo returning from North Korea with three US detainees: Trump

Ahead of her Senate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-nominee-gina-haspel-faces-us-senate-hurdle-in-bid-to-lead-cia-35745">intelligence committee appearance</a> on Wednesday, Gina Haspel who was picked by Trump to be the next CIA chief has reportedly informed the White House that she may not attend the confirmation hearing over her intelligence records which allegedly involves "waterboarding" technique which is condemned as torture.

A US media report said she has told the White House that she may step aside from the hearing than be subjected to hard grilling by the Senate committee who are reportedly set to ask several uncomfortable questions about her tenure in the CIA.

However, the White House has apparently said she will not withdraw. Haspel, 61, would become the first woman CIA chief if she confirmed by the Senate committee.

The White House reportedly wanted to hear her version ahead of Senate confirmation hearing with several controversial topics set to be&nbsp;discussed.

Haspel's work in the CIA has been shrouded in mystery. She is widely believed to have used waterboarding techniques as a brutal form of interrogation on at least two terror suspects.

The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture".

Although Republicans hold a narrow majority, her confirmation could become a close affair with several questions being raised about her work and techniques she followed during her time as a field officer in the aftermath of 9/11.

Former President George Bush had authorized the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation Program after the 2001, September 11th terror attacks on the New York trade towers and the Pentagon.

Haspel is due to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture".

Ahead of her Senate intelligence committee appearance on Wednesday, Gina Haspel who was picked by Trump to be the next CIA chief has reportedly informed the White House that she may not attend the confirmation hearing over her intelligence records which allegedly involves "waterboarding" technique which is condemned as torture. A US media report said she has told the White House that she may step aside from the hearing than be subjected to hard grilling by the Senate committee who are reportedly set to ask several uncomfortable questions about her tenure in the CIA. However, the White House has apparently said she will not withdraw. Haspel, 61, would become the first woman CIA chief if she confirmed by the Senate committee. The White House reportedly wanted to hear her version ahead of Senate confirmation hearing with several controversial topics set to be discussed. Haspel's work in the CIA has been shrouded in mystery. She is widely believed to have used waterboarding techniques as a brutal form of interrogation on at least two terror suspects. The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture". Although Republicans hold a narrow majority, her confirmation could become a close affair with several questions being raised about her work and techniques she followed during her time as a field officer in the aftermath of 9/11. Former President George Bush had authorized the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation Program after the 2001, September 11th terror attacks on the New York trade towers and the Pentagon. Haspel is due to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

CIA nominee Gina Haspel tried to withdraw over 'torture' allegation: Report

Turkey will retaliate if the United States enacts a proposed law that would halt weapons sales to the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said&nbsp;on Sunday.

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives released details&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;of a $717 billion annual defence policy bill, including a measure to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey.

In an interview, Cavusoglu said the measures in the bill were wrong, illogical and not fitting between the NATO allies.

"If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate," Cavusoglu said. "What needs to be done is the US&nbsp;needs to let go of this."

The proposed US&nbsp;National Defense Authorization Act, which is several steps from becoming law, would ask the Defense Department to provide Congress with a report on the relationship between the United States and Turkey and would block the sale of major defence equipment until the report was complete.

Turkey plans to buy more than 100 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets and is also in talks with Washington over the purchase of Patriot missiles.

Turkey signed an agreement with Russia in December to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries as part of Ankara's plans to boost its defence capabilities amid threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria and Iraq.

The move to buy S-400s, which are incompatible with the NATO systems, has unnerved NATO member countries, which are already wary of Moscow's military presence in the Middle East, prompting NATO officials to warn Turkey of unspecified consequences.

Cavusoglu dismissed the warnings, saying Turkey's relations and agreements with Russia were not an alternative to its ties with the West and accused the United States of trying to control Turkey's actions.

"Turkey is not a country under your orders, it is an independent country... Speaking to such a country from above, dictating what it can and cannot buy, is not a correct approach and does not fit our alliance," he said.

Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues in recent months, including US&nbsp;policy in Syria and a number of legal cases against Turkish and US&nbsp;nationals being held in the two countries.

Last month, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Cavusoglu that the United States was seriously concerned over Ankara's decision to buy the Russian S-400 missile batteries.

Cavusoglu said he would visit the United States next week to meet Pompeo, but added a specific date had not been set yet.

Turkey plans to buy more than 100 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets and is also in talks with Washington over the purchase of Patriot missiles

Turkey will retaliate if the United States enacts a proposed law that would halt weapons sales to the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday. Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives released details on Friday of a $717 billion annual defence policy bill, including a measure to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey. In an interview, Cavusoglu said the measures in the bill were wrong, illogical and not fitting between the NATO allies. "If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate," Cavusoglu said. "What needs to be done is the US needs to let go of this." The proposed US National Defense Authorization Act, which is several steps from becoming law, would ask the Defense Department to provide Congress with a report on the relationship between the United States and Turkey and would block the sale of major defence equipment until the report was complete. Turkey plans to buy more than 100 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets and is also in talks with Washington over the purchase of Patriot missiles. Turkey signed an agreement with Russia in December to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries as part of Ankara's plans to boost its defence capabilities amid threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria and Iraq. The move to buy S-400s, which are incompatible with the NATO systems, has unnerved NATO member countries, which are already wary of Moscow's military presence in the Middle East, prompting NATO officials to warn Turkey of unspecified consequences. Cavusoglu dismissed the warnings, saying Turkey's relations and agreements with Russia were not an alternative to its ties with the West and accused the United States of trying to control Turkey's actions. "Turkey is not a country under your orders, it is an independent country... Speaking to such a country from above, dictating what it can and cannot buy, is not a correct approach and does not fit our alliance," he said. Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues in recent months, including US policy in Syria and a number of legal cases against Turkish and US nationals being held in the two countries. Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Cavusoglu that the United States was seriously concerned over Ankara's decision to buy the Russian S-400 missile batteries. Cavusoglu said he would visit the United States next week to meet Pompeo, but added a specific date had not been set yet.

Turkey says it will retaliate if the United States halts weapons sales

North Korea must commit to dismantling its nuclear weapons programme, new US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday during a swearing-in ceremony at the State Department where he was strongly endorsed by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

It was Trump's first visit to the State Department, where he was greeted by loud applause from several hundred people gathered in the Benjamin Franklin state dining room.

"That's more spirit than I've heard from the State Department in a long time," Trump joked, praising Pompeo's credentials and record as CIA director.

Trump fired his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, in March after public disagreements over North Korea, Iran and Russia. The department had been sidelined on major foreign policy issues and shaken by the resignation of senior diplomats.

"I have no doubt that you will make America proud as our nation's chief diplomat," Trump told Pompeo before Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath in a ceremonial swearing in.

Pompeo, who secretly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the Easter weekend, said North Korea must commit to immediately dismantling its weapons programme, adding that efforts to denuclearize Pyongyang were still in the "beginning stages" and the outcomes "unknown."

"We are committed to the permanent, verifiable, irreversible dismantling of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction programme and to do so without delay," he said as Trump prepares for a historic meeting with Kim to convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear missile programme.

In a statement later marking North Korea Freedom Week, the State Department said it was gravely concerned about human rights abuses by what it called one of the most repressive and abusive governments in the world.

"We remain gravely concerned and deeply troubled by these abuses," the department said. "In tandem with the maximum pressure campaign, we will continue to press for accountability for those responsible."

Listing major challenges ahead, Pompeo said the United States was deciding on next steps of a "flawed" nuclear deal with Iran and confronting Moscow's "acts of aggression".

"My team and I will be unrelenting in confronting those threats," said Pompeo. "We will deploy tough diplomacy when necessary to put the interest of the American people first," he added.

Pompeo sought to quickly put his mark on his new role as secretary of state by rushing off to meet allies in Europe and the Middle East moments after he was confirmed on Thursday.

In his talks with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Pompeo emphasized Russian aggression and pushed for higher defence spending.

In the Middle East, he warned of Iran's "malign behaviour" as he discussed changes to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

He stressed that the United States had not decided whether to withdraw from the deal struck with Iran and six major powers including France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China.

It was Trump's first visit to the State Department, where he was greeted by loud applause from several hundred people gathered in the Benjamin Franklin state dining room

North Korea must commit to dismantling its nuclear weapons programme, new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday during a swearing-in ceremony at the State Department where he was strongly endorsed by US President Donald Trump. It was Trump's first visit to the State Department, where he was greeted by loud applause from several hundred people gathered in the Benjamin Franklin state dining room. "That's more spirit than I've heard from the State Department in a long time," Trump joked, praising Pompeo's credentials and record as CIA director. Trump fired his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, in March after public disagreements over North Korea, Iran and Russia. The department had been sidelined on major foreign policy issues and shaken by the resignation of senior diplomats. "I have no doubt that you will make America proud as our nation's chief diplomat," Trump told Pompeo before Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath in a ceremonial swearing in. Pompeo, who secretly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the Easter weekend, said North Korea must commit to immediately dismantling its weapons programme, adding that efforts to denuclearize Pyongyang were still in the "beginning stages" and the outcomes "unknown." "We are committed to the permanent, verifiable, irreversible dismantling of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction programme and to do so without delay," he said as Trump prepares for a historic meeting with Kim to convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear missile programme. In a statement later marking North Korea Freedom Week, the State Department said it was gravely concerned about human rights abuses by what it called one of the most repressive and abusive governments in the world. "We remain gravely concerned and deeply troubled by these abuses," the department said. "In tandem with the maximum pressure campaign, we will continue to press for accountability for those responsible." Listing major challenges ahead, Pompeo said the United States was deciding on next steps of a "flawed" nuclear deal with Iran and confronting Moscow's "acts of aggression". "My team and I will be unrelenting in confronting those threats," said Pompeo. "We will deploy tough diplomacy when necessary to put the interest of the American people first," he added. Pompeo sought to quickly put his mark on his new role as secretary of state by rushing off to meet allies in Europe and the Middle East moments after he was confirmed on Thursday. In his talks with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Pompeo emphasized Russian aggression and pushed for higher defence spending. In the Middle East, he warned of Iran's "malign behaviour" as he discussed changes to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He stressed that the United States had not decided whether to withdraw from the deal struck with Iran and six major powers including France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China.

North Korea must denuclearise: Pompeo

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying a "two-party solution" was likely in his first extensive comments on peace efforts since taking the job last week.

"With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome," he said at a news conference in Jordan after a visit to Israel.

"The Israelis and Palestinians need to have political engagement. We urge the Palestinians to return to that political dialogue," he added.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution, if the two sides agree, although he has stopped sort of re-asserting a U.S. commitment to eventual Palestinian statehood, a longtime bedrock of US&nbsppolicy. The White House is preparing a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Some 70 years after the creation of Israel, prospects for a Palestinian state appear dim. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were based on the 1993 Oslo accords that envisaged a two-state solution.

Those talks have been stalled for years and Israel has built more settlements in the occupied territories, which it seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Israel has refused any right of return for Palestinians who were expelled or fled and became refugees after the country declared independence in 1948, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians in recent weeks who were protesting in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel to demand the return of refugees and their descendents. Israel says it is protecting its borders.

Palestinians have rejected U.S. peace-making efforts since Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy to the city, wanted by Palestinians as capital of their own state.

VIOLENCE

Amman was Pompeo's last stop before he returns to Washington DC, where he has not yet entered the State Department. Moments after being sworn in as Secretary of State on Thursday, Pompeo immediately left for a meeting in Brussels, followed by a visit to allies in the Middle East.

"(The Mideast peace) is an incredible priority for the United States to provide whatever assistance we can to allow the two parties to come to a resolution on this incredibly long standing and important conflict," Pompeo said, standing alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

Pompeo also made his first comments on the violence along the Israel-Gaza Strip border, where Israeli forces have killed 42 Palestinians since protests began on March 30 and injured some 2,000 by gunfire. No serious casualties have been reported on the Israeli side.

"We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves," he said.

The Palestinians say Israel has used excessive force, and its use of live fire has drawn international criticism.

Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling stones and rolling burning tires, or trying to lay explosives, come too close to the border fence.

Turning to Syria, he said the United States was "in perfect accord" with Jordan on Syria, including the preservation of a "de-escalation zone" in the south.

Pompeo said: "We believe there are many countries, including the United States, who will play an important political role in achieving the de-escalation and ultimate political resolution in Syria".

'With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome,' Pompeo said

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying a "two-party solution" was likely in his first extensive comments on peace efforts since taking the job last week. "With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome," he said at a news conference in Jordan after a visit to Israel. "The Israelis and Palestinians need to have political engagement. We urge the Palestinians to return to that political dialogue," he added. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution, if the two sides agree, although he has stopped sort of re-asserting a U.S. commitment to eventual Palestinian statehood, a longtime bedrock of US&nbsppolicy. The White House is preparing a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Some 70 years after the creation of Israel, prospects for a Palestinian state appear dim. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were based on the 1993 Oslo accords that envisaged a two-state solution. Those talks have been stalled for years and Israel has built more settlements in the occupied territories, which it seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has refused any right of return for Palestinians who were expelled or fled and became refugees after the country declared independence in 1948, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians in recent weeks who were protesting in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel to demand the return of refugees and their descendents. Israel says it is protecting its borders. Palestinians have rejected U.S. peace-making efforts since Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy to the city, wanted by Palestinians as capital of their own state. VIOLENCE Amman was Pompeo's last stop before he returns to Washington DC, where he has not yet entered the State Department. Moments after being sworn in as Secretary of State on Thursday, Pompeo immediately left for a meeting in Brussels, followed by a visit to allies in the Middle East. "(The Mideast peace) is an incredible priority for the United States to provide whatever assistance we can to allow the two parties to come to a resolution on this incredibly long standing and important conflict," Pompeo said, standing alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Pompeo also made his first comments on the violence along the Israel-Gaza Strip border, where Israeli forces have killed 42 Palestinians since protests began on March 30 and injured some 2,000 by gunfire. No serious casualties have been reported on the Israeli side. "We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves," he said. The Palestinians say Israel has used excessive force, and its use of live fire has drawn international criticism. Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling stones and rolling burning tires, or trying to lay explosives, come too close to the border fence. Turning to Syria, he said the United States was "in perfect accord" with Jordan on Syria, including the preservation of a "de-escalation zone" in the south. Pompeo said: "We believe there are many countries, including the United States, who will play an important political role in achieving the de-escalation and ultimate political resolution in Syria".

Pompeo says US open to 'two-party solution' for Israeli-Palestinian conflict

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a hastily-arranged visit to the Middle East as the United States aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran.

The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two days after Pompeo was sworn-in comes as President Donald Trump is set to decide whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that is still supported by European powers.

"We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy advisor travelling with Pompeo, told reporters.

Hook said a salvo of ballistic missiles fired into Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi movement that killed a man earlier on Saturday had been provided by Tehran.

"Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said.

The 2015 deal that limits Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief does not cover its missile programme.

Trump has called it the "worst deal ever" and threatened to re-impose sanctions unless Britain, France and Germany agree to fix it. Resuming sanctions would likely kill the deal.

Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said Trump had not taken a decision on whether to abandon the deal but was not likely to stick to it without substantial changes.

"There's been no decision, so the team is working and I am sure we will have lots of conversations to deliver what the president has made clear," Pompeo told a news conference.

Earlier this week French President Emmanuel Macron called on Trump not to abandon the deal, although he later acknowledged he thought he would pull out.

The Trump administration is also currently reviewing the U.S. role in fighting Islamic State in Syria’s seven-year conflict. Trump has called on Gulf countries to provide funding and troops to stabilize areas once controlled by the group in Syria.

Pompeo was one of the first Trump administration officials to visit Saudi Arabia early in his tenure as CIA director.

In Riyadh, Pompeo was greeted on the tarmac by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He is expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman during the visit.

The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two days after Pompeo was sworn-in comes as President Donald Trump is set to decide whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that is still supported by European powers.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a hastily-arranged visit to the Middle East as the United States aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran. The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two days after Pompeo was sworn-in comes as President Donald Trump is set to decide whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that is still supported by European powers. "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy advisor travelling with Pompeo, told reporters. Hook said a salvo of ballistic missiles fired into Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi movement that killed a man earlier on Saturday had been provided by Tehran. "Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said. The 2015 deal that limits Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief does not cover its missile programme. Trump has called it the "worst deal ever" and threatened to re-impose sanctions unless Britain, France and Germany agree to fix it. Resuming sanctions would likely kill the deal. Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said Trump had not taken a decision on whether to abandon the deal but was not likely to stick to it without substantial changes. "There's been no decision, so the team is working and I am sure we will have lots of conversations to deliver what the president has made clear," Pompeo told a news conference. Earlier this week French President Emmanuel Macron called on Trump not to abandon the deal, although he later acknowledged he thought he would pull out. The Trump administration is also currently reviewing the U.S. role in fighting Islamic State in Syria’s seven-year conflict. Trump has called on Gulf countries to provide funding and troops to stabilize areas once controlled by the group in Syria. Pompeo was one of the first Trump administration officials to visit Saudi Arabia early in his tenure as CIA director. In Riyadh, Pompeo was greeted on the tarmac by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He is expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman during the visit.

Mike Pompeo starts Mideast tour with call for new Iran sanctions

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Saudi capital on Saturday&nbspfor the first leg of his trip to the Middle East where Iran is likely to be on the agenda.

The former CIA director who was sworn in as Rex Tillerson's replacement on Thursday was greeted by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and other Saudi officials at King Salman Air Base in Riyadh.

The State Department says Pompeo will also visit Jordan and Israel during the weekend after attending a NATO meeting on Friday in Brussels.

Pompeo picked those three Middle East stops "because of all that is going on," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump will decide by May 12 whether to restore US&nbspeconomic sanctions on Tehran, which would be a severe blow to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six major powers.

The former CIA director who was sworn in as Rex Tillerson's replacement on Thursday was greeted by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and other Saudi officials at King Salman Air Base in Riyadh

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Saudi capital on Saturday&nbspfor the first leg of his trip to the Middle East where Iran is likely to be on the agenda. The former CIA director who was sworn in as Rex Tillerson's replacement on Thursday was greeted by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and other Saudi officials at King Salman Air Base in Riyadh. The State Department says Pompeo will also visit Jordan and Israel during the weekend after attending a NATO meeting on Friday in Brussels. Pompeo picked those three Middle East stops "because of all that is going on," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump will decide by May 12 whether to restore US&nbspeconomic sanctions on Tehran, which would be a severe blow to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six major powers.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets Saudi leaders on first leg of Mideast trip

New US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump has not taken a decision on whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal but was not likely to keep to it without substantial changes.

"There's been no decision, so the team is working and I am sure we will have lots of conversations to deliver what the president has made clear," Pompeo told a news conference after a NATO meeting of foreign ministers.&nbsp

"Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal," Pompeo said.

New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump has not taken a decision on whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal but was not likely to keep to it without substantial changes

New US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump has not taken a decision on whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal but was not likely to keep to it without substantial changes. "There's been no decision, so the team is working and I am sure we will have lots of conversations to deliver what the president has made clear," Pompeo told a news conference after a NATO meeting of foreign ministers. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal," Pompeo said.

No Trump decision on Iran nuclear deal yet: Mike Pompeo

The US&nbsp;Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's secretary of state on Thursday, and the former CIA director set off immediately on a trip to meet key allies in Europe and the Middle East.

Pompeo, a former Army officer who was a Republican congressman, is regarded as a Trump loyalist with hawkish world views.

Pompeo is already deeply involved in diplomacy. Trump sent him to North Korea three weeks ago to meet with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, ahead of a summit with the US&nbsp;president to address Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

Moments after Pompeo was sworn in, the State Department said he would visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel during the weekend after attending a NATO meeting on Friday in Brussels.

Pompeo picked those three Middle East stops “because of all that is going on,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

Iran is likely to be on the agenda on the Middle East leg of his trip. Trump will decide by May 12 whether to restore US&nbsp;economic sanctions on Tehran, which would be a severe blow to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six major powers.

Pompeo is to meet with Saudi King Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an Jordanian King Abdullah, Nauert said.

Senators in the Republican-controlled chamber voted 57-42 in favour of Pompeo, who had faced resistance from Democrats worried about his reputation for hawkishness and past harsh statements about homosexuality and Islam.

Six Democrats and one independent who normally votes with Democrats backed Pompeo. No Republican voted no.

Pompeo will be forced to quickly address a wide array of other international challenges, including long conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Chinese expansionism in Asia and Russian assertiveness.

Washington is working with European allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the possibility of toughening the nuclear agreement with Iran.

CIA record

Pompeo's supporters said he did well during 15 months leading the CIA, and said the country badly needed a leader at the State Department. Staffing at State was slashed and many positions left unfilled under his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, a former oil executive who was Trump's first secretary of state.

Trump, who abruptly fired Tillerson last month, welcomed Pompeo's confirmation, saying in a statement, "Having a patriot of Mike's immense talent, energy, and intellect leading the Department of State will be an incredible asset for our country at this critical time in history."

Pompeo, who became one of Trump's closest advisers while at the CIA, faced stiff opposition from Democrats, who worried he might be too closely aligned with the president.

While in Congress, Pompeo opposed the Iran nuclear accord. He once suggested the answer to Tehran's nuclear programme - which Iran has always said was for peaceful means only - was 2,000 bombing sorties.

Senator Ben Cardin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that attitude, and Pompeo's backing for Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement if it cannot be changed, were among reasons he opposed him.

"That's not diplomacy, and that's certainly not working with our European allies," Cardin said.

Pompeo said during his confirmation hearing he was open to fixing, rather than blowing apart, the pact, which the West believes is essential to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb.

Trump picked the CIA's deputy director, Gina Haspel, to replace Pompeo as head of the spy agency. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman to hold the post.

Pompeo had avoided being the first nominee for secretary of state ever rejected by the Foreign Relations Committee only when Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had vowed to oppose him, shifted position minutes before the panel voted on Monday.&nbsp;

None of the 10 Democrats on the 21-member committee supported him.

The vote for Pompeo was almost the same as for Tillerson, who was approved by 56-43, then an unusually close margin for a cabinet position.

Pompeo, a former Army officer who was a Republican congressman, is regarded as a Trump loyalist with hawkish world views.

The US Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's secretary of state on Thursday, and the former CIA director set off immediately on a trip to meet key allies in Europe and the Middle East. Pompeo, a former Army officer who was a Republican congressman, is regarded as a Trump loyalist with hawkish world views. Pompeo is already deeply involved in diplomacy. Trump sent him to North Korea three weeks ago to meet with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, ahead of a summit with the US president to address Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Moments after Pompeo was sworn in, the State Department said he would visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel during the weekend after attending a NATO meeting on Friday in Brussels. Pompeo picked those three Middle East stops “because of all that is going on,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. Iran is likely to be on the agenda on the Middle East leg of his trip. Trump will decide by May 12 whether to restore US economic sanctions on Tehran, which would be a severe blow to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six major powers. Pompeo is to meet with Saudi King Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an Jordanian King Abdullah, Nauert said. Senators in the Republican-controlled chamber voted 57-42 in favour of Pompeo, who had faced resistance from Democrats worried about his reputation for hawkishness and past harsh statements about homosexuality and Islam. Six Democrats and one independent who normally votes with Democrats backed Pompeo. No Republican voted no. Pompeo will be forced to quickly address a wide array of other international challenges, including long conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Chinese expansionism in Asia and Russian assertiveness. Washington is working with European allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the possibility of toughening the nuclear agreement with Iran. CIA record Pompeo's supporters said he did well during 15 months leading the CIA, and said the country badly needed a leader at the State Department. Staffing at State was slashed and many positions left unfilled under his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, a former oil executive who was Trump's first secretary of state. Trump, who abruptly fired Tillerson last month, welcomed Pompeo's confirmation, saying in a statement, "Having a patriot of Mike's immense talent, energy, and intellect leading the Department of State will be an incredible asset for our country at this critical time in history." Pompeo, who became one of Trump's closest advisers while at the CIA, faced stiff opposition from Democrats, who worried he might be too closely aligned with the president. While in Congress, Pompeo opposed the Iran nuclear accord. He once suggested the answer to Tehran's nuclear programme - which Iran has always said was for peaceful means only - was 2,000 bombing sorties. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that attitude, and Pompeo's backing for Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement if it cannot be changed, were among reasons he opposed him. "That's not diplomacy, and that's certainly not working with our European allies," Cardin said. Pompeo said during his confirmation hearing he was open to fixing, rather than blowing apart, the pact, which the West believes is essential to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Trump picked the CIA's deputy director, Gina Haspel, to replace Pompeo as head of the spy agency. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman to hold the post. Pompeo had avoided being the first nominee for secretary of state ever rejected by the Foreign Relations Committee only when Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had vowed to oppose him, shifted position minutes before the panel voted on Monday. None of the 10 Democrats on the 21-member committee supported him. The vote for Pompeo was almost the same as for Tillerson, who was approved by 56-43, then an unusually close margin for a cabinet position.

Mike Pompeo becomes US secretary of state as North Korea, Middle East issues await

The US Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's secretary of state on Thursday, putting the former CIA director in a pivotal role to handle U.S. foreign policy challenges such as North Korea and Iran.

Pompeo, a former Army officer who was a Republican congressman, is regarded as a Trump loyalist with hawkish world views.

He is already deeply involved in diplomacy. Trump sent Pompeo to North Korea three weeks ago to meet with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, ahead of a summit with the U.S. president to address Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Senators voted 57-42 in favour of Pompeo, who had faced stiff resistance from Democrats worried about his reputation for hawkishness and past harsh statements about homosexuality and Islam.

Pompeo will be forced quickly to address a wide array of other international challenges, including long conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Chinese expansionism in Asia and Russian assertiveness.

Washington is also working with European allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to decide whether to toughen an international nuclear agreement with Iran.

Pompeo narrowly avoided a historic rebuke by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Pompeo, who became one of Trump's closest advisers during his 15 months at the CIA, faced stiff opposition from Democrats, who worried he might be too closely aligned with the president.

While in Congress, Pompeo was an outspoken opponent of the Iran nuclear accord.

But he said during his confirmation hearing that he was open to fixing, rather than blowing apart, the pact, which the West believes is key to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb.

Trump picked the CIA's deputy director, Gina Haspel, to replace Pompeo as head of the spy agency. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman to hold the post.

Pompeo avoided being the first nominee for secretary of state ever rejected by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee only when Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had vowed to oppose him, announced his support minutes before the committee voted on Monday after pressure from the party.

While in Congress, Pompeo was an outspoken opponent of the Iran nuclear accord.

The US Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's secretary of state on Thursday, putting the former CIA director in a pivotal role to handle U.S. foreign policy challenges such as North Korea and Iran. Pompeo, a former Army officer who was a Republican congressman, is regarded as a Trump loyalist with hawkish world views. He is already deeply involved in diplomacy. Trump sent Pompeo to North Korea three weeks ago to meet with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, ahead of a summit with the U.S. president to address Pyongyang's nuclear program. Senators voted 57-42 in favour of Pompeo, who had faced stiff resistance from Democrats worried about his reputation for hawkishness and past harsh statements about homosexuality and Islam. Pompeo will be forced quickly to address a wide array of other international challenges, including long conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Chinese expansionism in Asia and Russian assertiveness. Washington is also working with European allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to decide whether to toughen an international nuclear agreement with Iran. Pompeo narrowly avoided a historic rebuke by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Pompeo, who became one of Trump's closest advisers during his 15 months at the CIA, faced stiff opposition from Democrats, who worried he might be too closely aligned with the president. While in Congress, Pompeo was an outspoken opponent of the Iran nuclear accord. But he said during his confirmation hearing that he was open to fixing, rather than blowing apart, the pact, which the West believes is key to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Trump picked the CIA's deputy director, Gina Haspel, to replace Pompeo as head of the spy agency. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman to hold the post. Pompeo avoided being the first nominee for secretary of state ever rejected by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee only when Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had vowed to oppose him, announced his support minutes before the committee voted on Monday after pressure from the party.

US Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as US secretary of state

Refuting earlier reports of Rusia could host meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said it will not offer to host any such meeting.

Trump has said he is trying to set up a meeting with Kim to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Lavrov was quoted as saying by RIA that the meeting would be a step away from a military resolution of the situation.

In December there were media reports that said that&nbspRussia could host talks between the United States and North Korea if Moscow is asked to do so.

“We are open to contacts and ready to provide a venue (for talks) if necessary,” news agency RIA quoted Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Burmistrov as saying. “We are ready to take part in such meetings if we are invited.”

On Wednesday the White House has said that Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have not spoken directly but the US president confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at "very high levels" to prepare for a historic meeting between them.

The Washington Post reported that CIA director Mike Pompeo had met Kim on a secret trip to the North over the first weekend of April, shortly after he was nominated to be secretary of state.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Russian will not offer to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday, according to the RIA news agency

Refuting earlier reports of Rusia could host meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said it will not offer to host any such meeting. Trump has said he is trying to set up a meeting with Kim to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Lavrov was quoted as saying by RIA that the meeting would be a step away from a military resolution of the situation. In December there were media reports that said that&nbspRussia could host talks between the United States and North Korea if Moscow is asked to do so. “We are open to contacts and ready to provide a venue (for talks) if necessary,” news agency RIA quoted Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Burmistrov as saying. “We are ready to take part in such meetings if we are invited.” On Wednesday the White House has said that Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have not spoken directly but the US president confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at "very high levels" to prepare for a historic meeting between them. The Washington Post reported that CIA director Mike Pompeo had met Kim on a secret trip to the North over the first weekend of April, shortly after he was nominated to be secretary of state. (With inputs from Reuters)

Russia says will not offer to host Trump meeting with North Korea's Kim: RIA

U.S. Secretary of State nominee and CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a secret visit to North Korea over the Easter weekend and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

Pompeo's trip made him the most senior U.S. official ever known to have met with Kim and provided the strongest sign yet to Trump's willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader.

Pompeo's conversations fueled Trump’s belief that productive negotiations were possible with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but far from guaranteed, according to a U.S. senior official briefed on the trip.

The visit, a second U.S. official said, was arranged by South Korean intelligence chief Suh Hoon with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, and was intended to assess whether Kim was prepared to hold serious talks.&nbsp;

Pompeo, one of Trump's most trusted advisers, returned to report that it was worth continuing to pursue the possibility of a summit, but added that no site had been selected from lists of options, and consequently no logistical arrangements had been made so far, the second official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump said earlier on Tuesday the United States was engaged in direct talks at "extremely high levels" with North Korea to try to set up a summit between him and Kim.

He sowed some confusion by suggesting he had been speaking to Kim directly, but later clarified by saying: "Let's leave it a little bit short of the highest level."

Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders added: "The president said the administration has had talks at the highest levels and added that they were not with him directly.”

Asked about Pompeo, she said: “The administration does not comment on the CIA director’s travel.”

Pompeo told his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of secretary of state this week he was optimistic a course could be set at a Trump-Kim summit for a diplomatic outcome with North Korea, but added that no one was under any illusion that a comprehensive deal could be reached at that meeting.

Pompeo said the aim of the summit would be “an agreement ... such that the North Korean leadership will step away from its efforts to hold America at risk with nuclear weapons” and that Pyongyang should not expect rewards until it takes irreversible steps.

Pompeo's trip made him the most senior U.S. official to visit North Korea since then-intelligence chief James Clapper in 2014.

The news came after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened two days of talks at the president's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump said he believed there was a lot of goodwill in the diplomatic push with North Korea, but added it was possible the summit - first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June - may not happen.

Efforts to arrange the unprecedented meeting have helped ease tensions over Pyongyang's development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. Kim has agreed to discuss denuclearization, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.

"I really believe there’s a lot of goodwill a lot of good things are happening," Trump told reporters.

"As I always say, we’ll see what happens, because ultimately it’s the end result that matters, not the fact that we’re thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting."

MEETING SITE?

Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, said U.S. officials were looking at five locations for a meeting. Asked if any of those were in the United States, Trump replied: "No."

A U.S. official said sites in Southeast Asia and Europe were among those under discussion. Kim has rarely left North Korea.

Speculation has centered on a range of sites including Pyongyang, the demilitarized zone between the Koreas, Stockholm, Geneva and Mongolia.

Talks between Trump and Abe are largely focused on the prospective summit as Japan seeks a U.S. commitment that any denuclearization deal with Kim will include not just long-range missiles but those that could be aimed at Japan.

Reflecting the closeness of their ties, the Trump-Abe meetings included a walk around the carefully manicured grounds of the beachfront club and dinner on the patio with their wives. A round of golf was planned for Wednesday.

"For the North Korean issue, I’d like to underscore the importance of achieving the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization, as well as the abandonment of missile programs of North Korea," Abe told Trump.

Abe also obtained an agreement from Trump to bring up the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, a highly emotive issue for the Japanese.

'IT'S POSSIBLE THINGS WON'T GO WELL'

Trump stressed that he and Abe were united.

"Japan and ourselves are locked, and we are very unified on the subject of North Korea," he said.

Trump said it was possible diplomatic efforts to arrange a Kim summit would fall short and if it did not happen, the United States and its allies would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions.

"It’s possible things won’t go well and we won’t have the meetings and we’ll just continue to go on this very strong path we have taken," he said.

Trump also backed efforts between South Korea and the North aimed at ending a state of war that has existed between the two countries since 1953.

"People don’t realize the Korean War has not ended. It’s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. Subject to a deal, they have my blessing and they do have my blessing to discuss that," he said.

TRADE AGENDA

Trump and Abe could use a successful summit to give themselves a political boost at home. Trump has been hounded by controversies linked to an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and Abe is struggling with declining popularity because of scandals over suspected cronyism.

Trump has forged close ties with Abe during his 15 months in power and the two have bonded over rounds of golf during Abe's last visit to Florida more than a year ago and Trump's visit to Tokyo last November.

Japan fears Trump will try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics. Tokyo is eager to avoid being pushed into talks on a two-way free trade agreement aimed not only at market access but at currency policies, something South Korea recently accepted when it renegotiated a trade deal with the United States.

Another irritant on trade is that Japan has not been given an exemption to tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the United States, unlike the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

Pompeo travelled over the Easter weekend to discuss a planned summit with US President Donald Trump, who had said earlier that the US was talking to North Korea at 'extremely high levels'

U.S. Secretary of State nominee and CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a secret visit to North Korea over the Easter weekend and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Pompeo's trip made him the most senior U.S. official ever known to have met with Kim and provided the strongest sign yet to Trump's willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader. Pompeo's conversations fueled Trump’s belief that productive negotiations were possible with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but far from guaranteed, according to a U.S. senior official briefed on the trip. The visit, a second U.S. official said, was arranged by South Korean intelligence chief Suh Hoon with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, and was intended to assess whether Kim was prepared to hold serious talks. Pompeo, one of Trump's most trusted advisers, returned to report that it was worth continuing to pursue the possibility of a summit, but added that no site had been selected from lists of options, and consequently no logistical arrangements had been made so far, the second official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump said earlier on Tuesday the United States was engaged in direct talks at "extremely high levels" with North Korea to try to set up a summit between him and Kim. He sowed some confusion by suggesting he had been speaking to Kim directly, but later clarified by saying: "Let's leave it a little bit short of the highest level." Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders added: "The president said the administration has had talks at the highest levels and added that they were not with him directly.” Asked about Pompeo, she said: “The administration does not comment on the CIA director’s travel.” Pompeo told his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of secretary of state this week he was optimistic a course could be set at a Trump-Kim summit for a diplomatic outcome with North Korea, but added that no one was under any illusion that a comprehensive deal could be reached at that meeting. Pompeo said the aim of the summit would be “an agreement ... such that the North Korean leadership will step away from its efforts to hold America at risk with nuclear weapons” and that Pyongyang should not expect rewards until it takes irreversible steps. Pompeo's trip made him the most senior U.S. official to visit North Korea since then-intelligence chief James Clapper in 2014. The news came after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened two days of talks at the president's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said he believed there was a lot of goodwill in the diplomatic push with North Korea, but added it was possible the summit - first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June - may not happen. Efforts to arrange the unprecedented meeting have helped ease tensions over Pyongyang's development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. Kim has agreed to discuss denuclearization, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. "I really believe there’s a lot of goodwill a lot of good things are happening," Trump told reporters. "As I always say, we’ll see what happens, because ultimately it’s the end result that matters, not the fact that we’re thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting." MEETING SITE? Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, said U.S. officials were looking at five locations for a meeting. Asked if any of those were in the United States, Trump replied: "No." A U.S. official said sites in Southeast Asia and Europe were among those under discussion. Kim has rarely left North Korea. Speculation has centered on a range of sites including Pyongyang, the demilitarized zone between the Koreas, Stockholm, Geneva and Mongolia. Talks between Trump and Abe are largely focused on the prospective summit as Japan seeks a U.S. commitment that any denuclearization deal with Kim will include not just long-range missiles but those that could be aimed at Japan. Reflecting the closeness of their ties, the Trump-Abe meetings included a walk around the carefully manicured grounds of the beachfront club and dinner on the patio with their wives. A round of golf was planned for Wednesday. "For the North Korean issue, I’d like to underscore the importance of achieving the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization, as well as the abandonment of missile programs of North Korea," Abe told Trump. Abe also obtained an agreement from Trump to bring up the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, a highly emotive issue for the Japanese. 'IT'S POSSIBLE THINGS WON'T GO WELL' Trump stressed that he and Abe were united. "Japan and ourselves are locked, and we are very unified on the subject of North Korea," he said. Trump said it was possible diplomatic efforts to arrange a Kim summit would fall short and if it did not happen, the United States and its allies would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions. "It’s possible things won’t go well and we won’t have the meetings and we’ll just continue to go on this very strong path we have taken," he said. Trump also backed efforts between South Korea and the North aimed at ending a state of war that has existed between the two countries since 1953. "People don’t realize the Korean War has not ended. It’s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. Subject to a deal, they have my blessing and they do have my blessing to discuss that," he said. TRADE AGENDA Trump and Abe could use a successful summit to give themselves a political boost at home. Trump has been hounded by controversies linked to an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and Abe is struggling with declining popularity because of scandals over suspected cronyism. Trump has forged close ties with Abe during his 15 months in power and the two have bonded over rounds of golf during Abe's last visit to Florida more than a year ago and Trump's visit to Tokyo last November. Japan fears Trump will try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics. Tokyo is eager to avoid being pushed into talks on a two-way free trade agreement aimed not only at market access but at currency policies, something South Korea recently accepted when it renegotiated a trade deal with the United States. Another irritant on trade is that Japan has not been given an exemption to tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the United States, unlike the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

CIA chief made secret visit to North Korea and met Kim Jong-Un: US officials

&nbspUS&nbspSecretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday to rebuild the State Department that has been gutted by the departure of senior diplomats and has found itself sidelined in foreign policy decisions under the Trump administration.

A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees.

Pompeo, director of the CIA, said he would work quickly in his new role to fill the gaps.

"This is critical to strengthening the finest diplomatic corps in the world, and America and the world needs us to be that," he said in his confirmation hearing at the Senate.

President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo to become the country's top diplomat on March 13 when he fired Tillerson. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had a rocky relationship with Trump in just over a year in the job.

The start of Pompeo's hearing was disrupted by half a dozen protesters chanting "No Pompeo, no more war" before they were led out by security officials.

Pompeo appeared emotional at the start of his testimony as he talked about his family and offered personal details about himself, such as his love of meatballs.

Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes the former Republican congressman shares more of his world view than Tillerson, who at times disagreed with the president.

"Good luck to Mike Pompeo during his Confirmation Hearing today. He will be a great Secretary of State!" the Republican president said on Twitter.

Senators have said they want to make sure that Pompeo will be able to stand up to Trump, and they pressed him on the issue.

Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was fair to question whether his relationship with Trump was "rooted in a candid, healthy and give-and-take dynamic."

"I know that you have developed a close relationship with the president and I believe that relationship could well serve you if you're confirmed as secretary of state. However, many strong voices have been terminated or resigned," Corker said.

Among the first issues Pompeo was pressed on was whether or not Trump had talked to him about the Russia investigation looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Pompeo acknowledged he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose federal probe includes looking into whether there was collusion with Moscow by Trump campaign aides, but he declined to discuss details.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia interfered in the campaign in hopes of tilting the election in Trump's favour. Moscow has denied the charge and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign.

Trump has been accused by Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans of being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Pompeo has signalled he will take a tough line on Russia..

Pompeo, who is seen as more of a hard-liner than Tillerson on issues including the nuclear agreement with Iran that he strongly opposed, said he wants to work with U.S. allies to fix the deal.

"I want to fix this deal. That's the objective," he said, when pressed on whether the United States should withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers.

He denied that he had advocated for regime change in North Korea.

A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees.

&nbspUS&nbspSecretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday to rebuild the State Department that has been gutted by the departure of senior diplomats and has found itself sidelined in foreign policy decisions under the Trump administration. A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the rank and file demoralized, with vacancies in most of the jobs that are filled by political appointees. Pompeo, director of the CIA, said he would work quickly in his new role to fill the gaps. "This is critical to strengthening the finest diplomatic corps in the world, and America and the world needs us to be that," he said in his confirmation hearing at the Senate. President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo to become the country's top diplomat on March 13 when he fired Tillerson. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had a rocky relationship with Trump in just over a year in the job. The start of Pompeo's hearing was disrupted by half a dozen protesters chanting "No Pompeo, no more war" before they were led out by security officials. Pompeo appeared emotional at the start of his testimony as he talked about his family and offered personal details about himself, such as his love of meatballs. Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes the former Republican congressman shares more of his world view than Tillerson, who at times disagreed with the president. "Good luck to Mike Pompeo during his Confirmation Hearing today. He will be a great Secretary of State!" the Republican president said on Twitter. Senators have said they want to make sure that Pompeo will be able to stand up to Trump, and they pressed him on the issue. Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was fair to question whether his relationship with Trump was "rooted in a candid, healthy and give-and-take dynamic." "I know that you have developed a close relationship with the president and I believe that relationship could well serve you if you're confirmed as secretary of state. However, many strong voices have been terminated or resigned," Corker said. Among the first issues Pompeo was pressed on was whether or not Trump had talked to him about the Russia investigation looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Pompeo acknowledged he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose federal probe includes looking into whether there was collusion with Moscow by Trump campaign aides, but he declined to discuss details. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia interfered in the campaign in hopes of tilting the election in Trump's favour. Moscow has denied the charge and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign. Trump has been accused by Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans of being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Pompeo has signalled he will take a tough line on Russia.. Pompeo, who is seen as more of a hard-liner than Tillerson on issues including the nuclear agreement with Iran that he strongly opposed, said he wants to work with U.S. allies to fix the deal. "I want to fix this deal. That's the objective," he said, when pressed on whether the United States should withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers. He denied that he had advocated for regime change in North Korea.

Trump nominee Pompeo pledges to rebuild State Department

Global stocks mostly fell Wednesday as rising anxiety over the risk of a trade war took its toll on investor confidence.

The US announced it was taking action at the World Trade Organization against Indian export subsidies.

The White House is also considering slapping tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese imports, particularly in the tech and telecommunications sector, in response to alleged improper practices involving American intellectual property.

The news follows last week&#39;s announcement of US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and appeared to more than outweigh any positive investor sentiment associated with Trump&#39;s appointment of free-market economist Larry Kudlow to head the National Economic Council.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot of nervousness, especially related to trade issues,&quot; said Kate Warne, an investment strategist with Edward Jones.

&quot;All of it seems to be far more protectionist than investors expected a few weeks ago. The increase in protectionism raises worries about retaliation and how much it could hamper global growth.&quot;

The Dow opened higher, but veered into negative territory soon thereafter and finished 1.0 per cent lower.

Asian markets were also in retreat as traders took in news that Trump&#39;s moderate Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was being replaced by current CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who some on Wall Street fear may take a harsher line on trade.

&quot;While the game of revolving chairs in Washington plays on, there is more risk aversion creeping into play as geopolitical uncertainty ratchets higher with the more hawkish foreign policy leaning Mike Pompeo now the face of US foreign policy,&quot; said Stephen Innes, who heads Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA.

&quot;Equity investors remain extremely cautious about trade war escalations.&quot;

Both London and Paris suffered modest loses, while Frankfurt edged higher.

Frankfurt was lifted in part by an 11.2 per cent surge in Adidas, which reported higher profits in 2017 on worldwide sales growth and cost savings.

Spanish retail giant Inditex meanwhile climbed more than four per cent after the group posted rising annual profits -- outperforming its long-time Swedish rival H&amp;M.

In London, Prudential shot up more than five per cent after the insurer said it would split in two to better serve its regions of operation.

The US announced it was taking action at the World Trade Organization against Indian export subsidies

Global stocks mostly fell Wednesday as rising anxiety over the risk of a trade war took its toll on investor confidence. The US announced it was taking action at the World Trade Organization against Indian export subsidies. The White House is also considering slapping tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese imports, particularly in the tech and telecommunications sector, in response to alleged improper practices involving American intellectual property. The news follows last week's announcement of US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and appeared to more than outweigh any positive investor sentiment associated with Trump's appointment of free-market economist Larry Kudlow to head the National Economic Council. "There's a lot of nervousness, especially related to trade issues," said Kate Warne, an investment strategist with Edward Jones. "All of it seems to be far more protectionist than investors expected a few weeks ago. The increase in protectionism raises worries about retaliation and how much it could hamper global growth." The Dow opened higher, but veered into negative territory soon thereafter and finished 1.0 per cent lower. Asian markets were also in retreat as traders took in news that Trump's moderate Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was being replaced by current CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who some on Wall Street fear may take a harsher line on trade. "While the game of revolving chairs in Washington plays on, there is more risk aversion creeping into play as geopolitical uncertainty ratchets higher with the more hawkish foreign policy leaning Mike Pompeo now the face of US foreign policy," said Stephen Innes, who heads Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA. "Equity investors remain extremely cautious about trade war escalations." Both London and Paris suffered modest loses, while Frankfurt edged higher. Frankfurt was lifted in part by an 11.2 per cent surge in Adidas, which reported higher profits in 2017 on worldwide sales growth and cost savings. Spanish retail giant Inditex meanwhile climbed more than four per cent after the group posted rising annual profits -- outperforming its long-time Swedish rival H&M. In London, Prudential shot up more than five per cent after the insurer said it would split in two to better serve its regions of operation.

Global stocks mostly fall as trade worries take their toll

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency.

In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel&#39;s confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme.

&quot;Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I&#39;ve worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She&#39;s an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House.

Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA.

Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit.

On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding.

According to &#39;The Wall Street Journal&#39;, she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA&#39;s detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture.

Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme.

Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history.

&quot;During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA&#39;s interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel&#39;s record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law,&quot; McCain said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a &quot;good&quot; deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA&#39;s torture programme.

&quot;It&#39;s no secret I&#39;ve had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again,&quot; she said.

Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background.

&quot;Ms. Haspel&#39;s background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past,&quot; he said.

Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump&#39;s decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is &quot;deeply troubling&quot;.

&quot;Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are,&quot; Heinrich said.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, &quot;whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history&quot;.

&quot;She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices,&quot; he alleged.

&quot;The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration&#39;s enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said.

However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel&#39;s nomination, calling her &quot;an outstanding choice&quot;.

&quot;The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her,&quot; he said.

Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its &quot;positive relationship&quot; with the CIA under her leadership.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo.

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency. In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy. The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 × However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme. "Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I've worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She's an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well," Trump told reporters at the White House. Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA. Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit. On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding. According to 'The Wall Street Journal', she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA's detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture. Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme. Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history. "During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA's interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel's record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law," McCain said. Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a "good" deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA's torture programme. "It's no secret I've had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again," she said. Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background. "Ms. Haspel's background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past," he said. Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump's decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is "deeply troubling". "Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are," Heinrich said. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, "whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history". "She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices," he alleged. "The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said. However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel's nomination, calling her "an outstanding choice". "The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her," he said. Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its "positive relationship" with the CIA under her leadership.

Trump's nominee Gina Haspel faces US Senate hurdle in bid to lead CIA

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had replaced US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, and had tapped Gina Haspel to lead the CIA.

The resignation represents the biggest shakeup of the Trump Cabinet so far and had been expected since last October when reports surfaced about a falling out between Trump and Tillerson, 65, who left his position as chief executive of Exxon Mobil to join the administration.

US&nbsp;stock index futures pared their gains and the dollar also trimmed gains versus the yen while extending losses versus the euro amid the news.

Trump publicly undercut Tillerson&#39;s diplomatic initiatives numerous times, including on Monday when the former secretary of state&#39;s comments about Russia appeared to be at odds with those of the White House.

Tillerson also appeared out of the loop last week when Trump announced he would meet with North Korea&#39;s leader and become the first sitting U.S. president to do so.

&quot;Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

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Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen,' Trump said on Twitter

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had replaced US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, and had tapped Gina Haspel to lead the CIA. The resignation represents the biggest shakeup of the Trump Cabinet so far and had been expected since last October when reports surfaced about a falling out between Trump and Tillerson, 65, who left his position as chief executive of Exxon Mobil to join the administration. US stock index futures pared their gains and the dollar also trimmed gains versus the yen while extending losses versus the euro amid the news. Trump publicly undercut Tillerson's diplomatic initiatives numerous times, including on Monday when the former secretary of state's comments about Russia appeared to be at odds with those of the White House. Tillerson also appeared out of the loop last week when Trump announced he would meet with North Korea's leader and become the first sitting U.S. president to do so. "Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!" Trump said on Twitter. Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 ×

Trump fires US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him

Russia will face consequences if it meddles in the US legislative election this year, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo warned last month that he does, in fact, expect Moscow to try to interfere, as US intelligence agencies insist it did in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

Tillerson, speaking to Fox News during a tour of Latin America, said: &quot;there&#39;s a lot of ways that the Russians can meddle in the elections, a lot of different tools they can use.&quot;

&quot;And we are seeing certain behaviours. There are a number of important elections in this hemisphere this year, and leading up to the US in 2018,&quot; Tillerson said.

&quot;I think it&#39;s important we just continue to say to Russia &#39;Look, if you think we don&#39;t see what you&#39;re doing, we do see it and you need to stop. If you don&#39;t, you are going to just continue to invite consequences for yourself.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;

He added, though, that if Moscow decides to meddle in an election, &quot;it&#39;s very difficult to preempt it.&quot;

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller and US lawmakers are probing the Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, specifically whether the Trump campaign colluded in that effort and whether Trump has tried to obstruct justice by hindering the investigations.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo warned last month that he does, in fact, expect Moscow to try to interfere, as US intelligence agencies insist it did in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

Russia will face consequences if it meddles in the US legislative election this year, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday. CIA Director Mike Pompeo warned last month that he does, in fact, expect Moscow to try to interfere, as US intelligence agencies insist it did in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. Tillerson, speaking to Fox News during a tour of Latin America, said: "there's a lot of ways that the Russians can meddle in the elections, a lot of different tools they can use." "And we are seeing certain behaviours. There are a number of important elections in this hemisphere this year, and leading up to the US in 2018," Tillerson said. "I think it's important we just continue to say to Russia 'Look, if you think we don't see what you're doing, we do see it and you need to stop. If you don't, you are going to just continue to invite consequences for yourself.'" He added, though, that if Moscow decides to meddle in an election, "it's very difficult to preempt it." Special prosecutor Robert Mueller and US lawmakers are probing the Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, specifically whether the Trump campaign colluded in that effort and whether Trump has tried to obstruct justice by hindering the investigations.

Russia to face 'consequences' if it meddles again: Tillerson

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-is-aiming-to-interfere-in-coming-us-elections-warns-cia-chief-31153"> Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo</a> said China has much &quot;bigger footprint&quot; to carry out covert activities than Russia.

The CIA director had earlier <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-declines-to-apply-new-russia-sanctions-for-now-31162">said Moscow is expected to meddle</a> in the 2018 US mid-term elections.

However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election.

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber.

President Trump&#39;s election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of becoming president.

Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections.

Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to it,&quot; Trump had said, adding, that he would do it &quot;under oath.&quot;

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC, Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo said China has much "bigger footprint" to carry out covert activities than Russia. The CIA director had earlier said Moscow is expected to meddle in the 2018 US mid-term elections. However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election. The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber. President Trump's election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming president. Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections. Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election. "I'm looking forward to it," Trump had said, adding, that he would do it "under oath."

China has bigger footprint than Russia for covert activities: CIA chief Pompeo

Russian election interference has not stopped and Moscow can be expected to meddle in the 2018 US vote, Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said in an interview published Monday.

&quot;I haven&#39;t seen a significant decrease in their activity,&quot; Pompeo told the BBC of the Russians.

&quot;I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I&#39;m confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election (and) that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won&#39;t be great,&quot; he said.

The leading US intelligence agencies concluded at the end of 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the presidential election that year to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump&#39;s chances.

That effort included hacking and releasing emails and documents from the Clinton campaign and filling social media with posts and &quot;news&quot; items aimed at discrediting her.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him &mdash; and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians &mdash; as fake news.

Pompeo, whom Trump appointed to the US spy agency, has deftly avoided that controversy while emphasizing he accepts the conclusions of his predecessor.

The 2018 midterm elections will involve all of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and 33 senators.

In the elections, minority Democrats will be battling to try and prise control of the two houses from Trump&#39;s Republicans.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him — and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians — as fake news

Russian election interference has not stopped and Moscow can be expected to meddle in the 2018 US vote, Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said in an interview published Monday. "I haven't seen a significant decrease in their activity," Pompeo told the BBC of the Russians. "I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I'm confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election (and) that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won't be great," he said. The leading US intelligence agencies concluded at the end of 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the presidential election that year to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump's chances. That effort included hacking and releasing emails and documents from the Clinton campaign and filling social media with posts and "news" items aimed at discrediting her. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him — and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians — as fake news. Pompeo, whom Trump appointed to the US spy agency, has deftly avoided that controversy while emphasizing he accepts the conclusions of his predecessor. The 2018 midterm elections will involve all of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and 33 senators. In the elections, minority Democrats will be battling to try and prise control of the two houses from Trump's Republicans.

Russia is aiming to interfere in coming US elections, warns CIA chief

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday dismissed reports that President Donald Trump wants him to resign.

Asked by reporters whether leaks from the White House were designed to force him out, Tillerson said: &quot;It&#39;s laughable.&quot;

The Newyork Times first reported that the White House had developed a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, within weeks, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday.

Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials.

The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump had given final approval to the shakeup.

Asked by reporters whether leaks from the White House were designed to force him out, Tillerson said: "It`s laughable."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday dismissed reports that President Donald Trump wants him to resign. Asked by reporters whether leaks from the White House were designed to force him out, Tillerson said: "It's laughable." The Newyork Times first reported that the White House had developed a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, within weeks, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday. Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials. The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump had given final approval to the shakeup.

'It's laughable,' says Tillerson on Trump firing him

The White House has developed a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, within weeks, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday.

Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials.

The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump had given final approval to the shakeup.

Tillerson&#39;s departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobile chief executive who has found himself increasingly at odds with Trump over policy challenges such as North Korea and under fire for his planned cuts at the State Department.

John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, developed the transition plan and has discussed it with other officials, the Times reported. Under his plan, the staff reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterwards.

Tillerson&#39;s departure has been widely rumoured for months, with attention focused on Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his likely replacement.

But Pompeo, a former three-term member of Congress, has increasingly moved to the forefront as he has gained Trump&#39;s trust on national security matters.

Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials

The White House has developed a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, within weeks, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday. Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials. The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump had given final approval to the shakeup. Tillerson's departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobile chief executive who has found himself increasingly at odds with Trump over policy challenges such as North Korea and under fire for his planned cuts at the State Department. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, developed the transition plan and has discussed it with other officials, the Times reported. Under his plan, the staff reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterwards. Tillerson's departure has been widely rumoured for months, with attention focused on Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his likely replacement. But Pompeo, a former three-term member of Congress, has increasingly moved to the forefront as he has gained Trump's trust on national security matters.

White House has plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief: US official

Tokyo stocks dropped Monday morning as lingering worries about the war of words between the United States and North Korea offset better-than-expected Japanese economic growth.

The market headed south as investors returned from a three-day holiday weekend in Japan after geopolitical tensions dented overseas markets on Friday.

CIA director Mike Pompeo tried to lower the temperature at the weekend, offering assurances there was &quot;nothing imminent&quot; in the escalating standoff between Washington and Pyongyang.

That came after US president Donald Trump hinted at military action over Pyongyang&#39;s threat to launch missiles towards the Pacific island of Guam, a US territory.

Japanese shares &quot;are likely to follow US shares&#39; slump&quot; last week, Shoji Hirakawa, chief global strategist at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute, told Bloomberg News.

But &quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s any imminent danger over the situation between the US and North Korea,&quot; he added.

Still, with joint South Korean&ndash;US military exercises scheduled and North Korea celebrating &quot;Liberation Day&quot; Tuesday, volatility could return to markets, analysts said.

&quot;The market is in a &#39;risk-off&#39; mood, and falls are likely particularly during the early part of this week,&quot; Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary.

Tokyo&#39;s benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.84 per cent, or 164.76 points, to sit at 19,564.98 by the lunch break, while the broader Topix index of all first-section issues fell 0.82 per cent, or 13.30 points, to 1,603.95.

Investors largely shrugged off government data showing Japan&#39;s economy grew a forecast-beating 1.0 per cent in the second quarter to mark the longest economic expansion in more than a decade.

Calculated on an annualised basis, growth came in at a blistering 4.0 per cent, according to the figures released by the Cabinet Office.

Among major Tokyo shares, Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing fell 1.88 per cent to 31,870 yen while telecom giant SoftBank, another market heavyweight, dropped 0.95 per cent to 8,669 yen.

Automaker Toyota fell 0.88 per cent to 6,220 yen and Sony lost 1.45 per cent to end the morning at 4,275 yen.

In forex trading, the dollar bought 109.37 yen, edging up from 109.11 yen in New York on Friday, but still sharply lower than 109.99 yen in Tokyo on Thursday.

Automaker Toyota fell 0.88 per cent to 6,220 yen and Sony lost 1.45 per cent to end the morning at 4,275 yen

Tokyo stocks dropped Monday morning as lingering worries about the war of words between the United States and North Korea offset better-than-expected Japanese economic growth. The market headed south as investors returned from a three-day holiday weekend in Japan after geopolitical tensions dented overseas markets on Friday. CIA director Mike Pompeo tried to lower the temperature at the weekend, offering assurances there was "nothing imminent" in the escalating standoff between Washington and Pyongyang. That came after US president Donald Trump hinted at military action over Pyongyang's threat to launch missiles towards the Pacific island of Guam, a US territory. Japanese shares "are likely to follow US shares' slump" last week, Shoji Hirakawa, chief global strategist at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute, told Bloomberg News. But "I don't think there's any imminent danger over the situation between the US and North Korea," he added. Still, with joint South Korean–US military exercises scheduled and North Korea celebrating "Liberation Day" Tuesday, volatility could return to markets, analysts said. "The market is in a 'risk-off' mood, and falls are likely particularly during the early part of this week," Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary. Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.84 per cent, or 164.76 points, to sit at 19,564.98 by the lunch break, while the broader Topix index of all first-section issues fell 0.82 per cent, or 13.30 points, to 1,603.95. Investors largely shrugged off government data showing Japan's economy grew a forecast-beating 1.0 per cent in the second quarter to mark the longest economic expansion in more than a decade. Calculated on an annualised basis, growth came in at a blistering 4.0 per cent, according to the figures released by the Cabinet Office. Among major Tokyo shares, Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing fell 1.88 per cent to 31,870 yen while telecom giant SoftBank, another market heavyweight, dropped 0.95 per cent to 8,669 yen. Automaker Toyota fell 0.88 per cent to 6,220 yen and Sony lost 1.45 per cent to end the morning at 4,275 yen. In forex trading, the dollar bought 109.37 yen, edging up from 109.11 yen in New York on Friday, but still sharply lower than 109.99 yen in Tokyo on Thursday.

Tokyo shares fall by break as North Korea worries linger

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

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US&nbsp;government&#39;s sweeping collection of Americans&#39; communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran.

The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA&#39;s use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture.

The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US&nbsp;posts in Benghazi, Libya.

A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues.

&quot;Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers,&quot; said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. &quot;While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage.&quot;

Pompeo &quot;is a serious guy who studies issues carefully,&quot; said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden.

Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo&#39;s selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency&#39;s now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs.

&quot;These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process,&quot; said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a &quot;fundamental upgrade to America&#39;s surveillance capabilities,&quot; including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content.

The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include &quot;publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database&quot;, and that &quot;legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed,&quot; he wrote.

He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs.

Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing.

Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of &quot;criminality&quot; for storing emails containing classified information on her private server.

He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US&nbsp;diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans.

While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks.

Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo&#39;s positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command.

While he has argued that the CIA&#39;s use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice.

Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called &quot;enhanced interrogation techniques&quot; do not produce reliable information because prisoners will &quot;say anything&quot; to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it.

Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community&#39;s assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program.

He has vowed to overturn the deal&nbsp;and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities, a proposal that US&nbsp;intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran&#39;s development of a warhead, not halt it.

Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security.

He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump&#39;s, notably on Russia&#39;s actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran.

Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and &quot;we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free,&quot; Pompeo told a security forum in 2015.

Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

(Reuters)

Representative Mike Pompeo has also defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Donald Trump's surprise choice to head the CIA, supports the US government's sweeping collection of Americans' communications data and wants to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran. The retired Army officer, West Point and Harvard Law School graduate also has defended the CIA's use of interrogation techniques that are widely condemned as torture. The Kansas Republican has criticised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state and her handling of the 2012 attacks on US posts in Benghazi, Libya. A member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Pompeo, 52, was first elected in the 2010 Tea Party wave from the congressional district centered on his hometown of Wichita. Members of both parties regard him as intelligent, collegial and capable, with a keen grasp of national security issues. "Mike is very bright and hard-working, and will devote himself to helping the agency develop the best possible intelligence for policy makers," said Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. "While we have had our share of strong differences - principally on the politicisation of the tragedy in Benghazi - I know that he is someone who is willing to listen and engage." Pompeo "is a serious guy who studies issues carefully," said former National Security Agency and CIA director Michael Hayden. Some civil liberties and human rights advocates, however, expressed concern over Pompeo's selection because he opposes closing the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. They also criticised his support for the National Security Agency's now-defunct bulk communications metadata collection and other surveillance programs. "These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process," said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. In a January op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he co-authored, Pompeo called for a "fundamental upgrade to America's surveillance capabilities," including resuming bulk collection of domestic phone metadata, the numbers and time stamps of calls, but not their content. The program, which a federal appeals court and two governmental review panels found to be illegal and ineffective, should be expanded to include "publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database", and that "legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed," he wrote. He also called for the death penalty for Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who disclosed the existence of the metadata program and other top-secret surveillance programs. Pompeo stands a good chance of being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. The announcement of his nomination was warmly greeted by Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will conduct his confirmation hearing. Pompeo has been at the forefront of attacks in Congress on Clinton, accusing her of "criminality" for storing emails containing classified information on her private server. He served on the Republican-led House committee that investigated the attacks by Islamist extremists on US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi that killed four Americans. While the panel found no wrongdoing by the administration, Pompeo and another member appended to the final report a commentary accusing Clinton and other officials of failing to protect the posts and to respond appropriately to the attacks. Democrats accused Pompeo of using inaccurate information to exaggerate alleged failures by Clinton on Benghazi.Some of Pompeo's positions also are at odds with the assessments of the intelligence officers and analysts Trump wants him to command. While he has argued that the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, produced useful intelligence, current CIA Director John Brennan has said he would resign if he were ordered to resume the practice. Other CIA and military officers and FBI agents have said so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" do not produce reliable information because prisoners will "say anything" to end their suffering, as one CIA official put it. Pompeo also is at odds with the intelligence community's assessment of the 2015 deal that lifted financial sanctions from Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program. He has vowed to overturn the deal and suggested in a 2014 roundtable with journalists that the United States should bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, a proposal that US intelligence experts said would only delay Tehran's development of a warhead, not halt it. Pompeo also has opposed the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, while at the CIA, a recently created Mission Center for Global Issues tracks global warming as a threat to U.S. security. He has taken positions that are at odds with Trump's, notably on Russia's actions in Ukraine and its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also is supported by Iran. Russia has established a toehold in the Middle East, and "we now have the Iranian-Russian axis there largely running free," Pompeo told a security forum in 2015. Pompeo, who was born in California, graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was an artillery officer in the army for five years. He received a degree from the Harvard Law School and was an editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. (Reuters)

Trump's CIA pick supports domestic surveillance, opposes Iran deal

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