Iran said on Tuesday US&nbsp;President Donald Trump cannot cause its nuclear deal with six major powers to collapse.

&quot;The nuclear deal will not collapse... Those who hope that Trump will cause its collapse, are wrong,&quot; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on State TV.

In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and other powers in 2015. His decision triggered a 60-day window for Congress to decide whether to bring back sanctions on Iran.

Congress passed the ball back to Trump by letting the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran pass last week. Trump must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions on Iran.

Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.

Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other signatories respect it, but will &ldquo;shred&rdquo; the deal if Washington pulls out.

Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme

Iran said on Tuesday US President Donald Trump cannot cause its nuclear deal with six major powers to collapse. "The nuclear deal will not collapse... Those who hope that Trump will cause its collapse, are wrong," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on State TV. In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and other powers in 2015. His decision triggered a 60-day window for Congress to decide whether to bring back sanctions on Iran. Congress passed the ball back to Trump by letting the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran pass last week. Trump must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions on Iran. Under the deal, nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted last year, in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme. Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other signatories respect it, but will “shred” the deal if Washington pulls out.

Iran says Trump cannot cause collapse of nuclear deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA&#39;s help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday.

Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia&#39;s FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and &quot;the killing of citizens&quot; in crowded areas of Russia&#39;s second city.

Police confiscated a &quot;large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature,&quot; it said in a statement.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018.

Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

The Russian President thanked his US counterpart for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday. Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia's FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and "the killing of citizens" in crowded areas of Russia's second city. Police confiscated a "large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature," it said in a statement. On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018. Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

Putin thanks Trump for CIA's help in foiling IS attack plot

The special counsel probing whether US President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Russia has unlawfully received tens of thousands of emails, a lawyer for Trump&#39;s transition alleges, according to US media.

In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) &quot;unlawfully produced&quot; the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe, Axios news site reported on Saturday.

GSA is the government agency which supports presidential transitions.

The accusations by Langhofer, representing Trump&#39;s transition team, are the latest move by Republicans seeking to raise doubts about the credibility of Mueller&#39;s investigation, which has already led to charges against Trump&#39;s former national security advisor and three other people linked to the presidential campaign.

Langhofer wrote that Mueller&#39;s office &quot;received from the GSA tens of thousands of emails, including a very significant volume of privileged material,&quot; according to a copy of the letter published by Politico.

The letter suggests that a warrant should have been obtained for such materials, and says that the incident undermines the Presidential Transition Act.

A spokesman for Mueller, Peter Carr, responded on Sunday to the accusations, according to CNN.

&quot;When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner&#39;s consent or appropriate criminal process,&quot; CNN quoted him as saying.

Reaction also came from California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell.

&quot;This is another attempt to discredit Mueller as his #TrumpRussia probe tightens,&quot; he said on Twitter, in response to the Langhofer accusations.

Some members of Trump&#39;s Republican party have already urged that a second special counsel be named to investigate Mueller&#39;s operation.

The special counsel&#39;s critics have seized upon the case of Peter Strzok, a senior FBI agent whom Mueller removed from his team for sending text messages critical of Trump.

In addition to whether Trump&#39;s campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year&#39;s election, the special counsel is also looking at possible obstruction of justice, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

Trump has repeatedly denied that there was any collusion. 
&nbsp;

In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) 'unlawfully produced' the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe

The special counsel probing whether US President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia has unlawfully received tens of thousands of emails, a lawyer for Trump's transition alleges, according to US media. In a letter to congressional committees, Kory Langhofer says the General Services Administration (GSA) "unlawfully produced" the private materials, including privileged communications which special counsel Robert Mueller then used as part of his Russia probe, Axios news site reported on Saturday. GSA is the government agency which supports presidential transitions. The accusations by Langhofer, representing Trump's transition team, are the latest move by Republicans seeking to raise doubts about the credibility of Mueller's investigation, which has already led to charges against Trump's former national security advisor and three other people linked to the presidential campaign. Langhofer wrote that Mueller's office "received from the GSA tens of thousands of emails, including a very significant volume of privileged material," according to a copy of the letter published by Politico. The letter suggests that a warrant should have been obtained for such materials, and says that the incident undermines the Presidential Transition Act. A spokesman for Mueller, Peter Carr, responded on Sunday to the accusations, according to CNN. "When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner's consent or appropriate criminal process," CNN quoted him as saying. Reaction also came from California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell. "This is another attempt to discredit Mueller as his #TrumpRussia probe tightens," he said on Twitter, in response to the Langhofer accusations. Some members of Trump's Republican party have already urged that a second special counsel be named to investigate Mueller's operation. The special counsel's critics have seized upon the case of Peter Strzok, a senior FBI agent whom Mueller removed from his team for sending text messages critical of Trump. In addition to whether Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year's election, the special counsel is also looking at possible obstruction of justice, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Trump has repeatedly denied that there was any collusion.

Trump team claims investigator 'unlawfully' got emails

Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

As per rules by former President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas.&nbsp;

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday.&nbsp;

&quot;DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation,&quot; said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation.

According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump&#39;s &#39;Buy American and Hire American&#39; order issued earlier this year.

Also&nbsp;Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-makes-it-more-difficult-for-h-1b-visa-extension-22885" target="_blank">Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas</a>

The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program &quot;to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals.&quot;

&quot;This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity,&quot; Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily.

Trump administration&#39;s decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers.

As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US.&nbsp;

It&#39;s a program that&#39;s mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme&#39;s 85,000 visas each year.

According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday

Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday. As per rules by former President Barack Obama's administration, spouses of H-1B visa holders - while waiting for their green card - had been permitted to work in the US on H-4 dependent visas. According to media reports, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take away this rule, it said in a statement on Thursday. "DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation," said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a latest regulation. According to the notice, the changes are being made in light of President Trump's 'Buy American and Hire American' order issued earlier this year. Also Read: Trump administration makes it more difficult to extend H-1B visas The statement also mentioned ways to review the definition of the different occupations that may be eligible for the program "to increase focus on truly obtaining the best and brightest foreign nationals." "This announcement places into jeopardy thousands of hardworking, contributing individuals who have started their own businesses and often have US citizen children who will needlessly be forced to revert to a status of inactivity," Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney who worked for the Obama administration, told the daily. Trump administration's decision to revamp the H-1B program has lead to a stir in India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers. As per media reports, this rule could potentially reduce the number of highly-skilled workers in the US. It's a program that's mostly popular in the tech community, with many engineers vying for one of the programme's 85,000 visas each year.

Trump administration may revoke rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in United States

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-much-touted-tax-cut-on-track-for-passage-in-us-congress-26872" target="_blank">Trump&#39;s much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress</a>

A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-headquarters-celebrates-ahead-of-rahul-gandhis-swearing-in-ceremony-26884">Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party president</a>

Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-swear-in-as-congress-president-today-26869">&nbsp;president today</a>&nbsp;with several&nbsp;supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the &#39;coronation&#39; of party&#39;s new Chief.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-top-diplomat-calls-for-release-of-two-reporters-arrested-in-myanmar-26871" target="_blank">Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar</a>

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding &quot;the immediate release&quot; of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar &quot;or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824" target="_blank">Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law</a>

The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/65-magnitude-quake-strikes-indonesias-java-island-26875" target="_blank">6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia&#39;s Java island</a>

A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

&nbsp;

Trump's much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation. Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president today with several supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the 'coronation' of party's new Chief. Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding "the immediate release" of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar "or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance." Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal. 6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia's Java island A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

WION Morning News Brief, 16 December 2017

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said.

The program allows citizens of mainly European countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens from the 38 countries are required to obtain a so-called travel authorization to enter the United States.

President Donald Trump has sought to tighten the rules for those seeking to visit or live in the United States in several ways, saying restrictions are necessary for security reasons.

The changes will apply to all countries in the program. One change is that they will be required to use US information to screen travelers crossing their borders from third countries. Many countries in the program already do that, one administration official said.

Countries whose citizens stay longer than authorised during visits to the United States at a relatively higher rate will be required to conduct public awareness campaigns on the consequences of overstays, the officials said. One existing penalty is that people who overstay a visit may not travel visa-free to the United States in the future.

The threshold for the overstay rate triggering the public information campaign requirement is two percent, the officials said. In the 2016 fiscal year, of the VWP countries, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and San Marino, a wealthy enclave landlocked inside central Italy, had total overstay rates higher than two percent, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security.

The overall overstay rate for VWP countries is 0.68 per cent, lower than non-VWP countries excluding Canada and Mexico, which is at 2.07 per cent, according to the DHS report.

Members of Congress have expressed concern about the security risks of overstays. A May 2017 report by the DHS inspector general found the department lacked a comprehensive system to gather information on departing visitors, forcing it to rely on third-party data to confirm departures, which is sometimes faulty.

The United States will also start assessing VWP countries on their safeguards against &quot;insider threats&quot; at their airports, especially those with direct flights to the United States, officials said.

The goal is to ensure countries &quot;make sure that airport employees, aviation workers et cetera, aren`t corrupted or are co-opted to pose a threat to aircraft, especially those that are US-bound,&quot; an official said.

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said

The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travellers, officials said. The program allows citizens of mainly European countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens from the 38 countries are required to obtain a so-called travel authorization to enter the United States. President Donald Trump has sought to tighten the rules for those seeking to visit or live in the United States in several ways, saying restrictions are necessary for security reasons. The changes will apply to all countries in the program. One change is that they will be required to use US information to screen travelers crossing their borders from third countries. Many countries in the program already do that, one administration official said. Countries whose citizens stay longer than authorised during visits to the United States at a relatively higher rate will be required to conduct public awareness campaigns on the consequences of overstays, the officials said. One existing penalty is that people who overstay a visit may not travel visa-free to the United States in the future. The threshold for the overstay rate triggering the public information campaign requirement is two percent, the officials said. In the 2016 fiscal year, of the VWP countries, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and San Marino, a wealthy enclave landlocked inside central Italy, had total overstay rates higher than two percent, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security. The overall overstay rate for VWP countries is 0.68 per cent, lower than non-VWP countries excluding Canada and Mexico, which is at 2.07 per cent, according to the DHS report. Members of Congress have expressed concern about the security risks of overstays. A May 2017 report by the DHS inspector general found the department lacked a comprehensive system to gather information on departing visitors, forcing it to rely on third-party data to confirm departures, which is sometimes faulty. The United States will also start assessing VWP countries on their safeguards against "insider threats" at their airports, especially those with direct flights to the United States, officials said. The goal is to ensure countries "make sure that airport employees, aviation workers et cetera, aren`t corrupted or are co-opted to pose a threat to aircraft, especially those that are US-bound," an official said.

Trump administration issues new rules on US visa waivers

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP&rsquo;s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain &ldquo;Gujarat Model&rdquo; which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.

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Angry Gujarat

No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis&rsquo;. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock&nbsp;after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati&rsquo;s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel&rsquo;s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, &ldquo;Gujarat Parivartan Party&rdquo; couldn&rsquo;t wean them away from the BJP.

In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP.

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Congress virtual strategy a me too

The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios.&nbsp;Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel&rsquo;s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat.

They didn&rsquo;t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda&rsquo;s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba&rsquo;s and above all, pronounced him as &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base.

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Modi&rsquo;s art of turning anger into sympathy

It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money.

During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours&rsquo; time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE&rsquo;s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.

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Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, &ldquo;What did I do to deserve this&rdquo; on Mani Shankar Iyer&rsquo;s &ldquo;Neech&rdquo; comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress&rsquo;s &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats.

Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront.

Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM.

One thing is clear, Modi&rsquo;s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe.

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Narendra Modi is the leader who knows the pulse of people. His magic and election winning spree is still intact.

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP’s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain “Gujarat Model” which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. × Angry Gujarat No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis’. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati’s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel’s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, “Gujarat Parivartan Party” couldn’t wean them away from the BJP. In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. × Congress virtual strategy a me too The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios. Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel’s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat. They didn’t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda’s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba’s and above all, pronounced him as “Janeudhari Brahmin” by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. × Modi’s art of turning anger into sympathy It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money. During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours’ time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE’s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. × Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, “What did I do to deserve this” on Mani Shankar Iyer’s “Neech” comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress’s “Janeudhari Brahmin” tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats. Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront. Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM. One thing is clear, Modi’s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 'Modi-fied' Gujarat Polls 'Trumps' all

US President Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589">discussed &quot;dangerous situation in North Korea&quot;</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today.

The Kremlin said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314">Trump and Putin discussed bilateral</a> relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China&#39;s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim&#39;s ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea&#39;s key allies to taper down Kim&#39;s ambitious nuclear plans.

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a &quot;lifeline&quot; for the country.

Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. 
&nbsp;

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council

US President Trump discussed "dangerous situation in North Korea" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula. The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim's ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea's key allies to taper down Kim's ambitious nuclear plans. Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a "lifeline" for the country. Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Trump calls Putin to discuss North Korea as Korean peninsula simmers

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/arab-foreign-ministers-say-no-peace-without-a-free-jerusalem-26340" target="_blank">&nbsp;Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a &#39;free&#39; Jerusalem</a>

Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump&#39;s acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump&#39;s announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dangal-girl-zaira-wasim-alleges-molestation-attempt-in-delhi-mumbai-flight-26352" target="_blank">&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight</a>

&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet.&nbsp;In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-arrests-pulwama-youth-with-let-links-26351" target="_blank">NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links</a>

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/kohli-rested-india-all-set-to-take-lanka-in-odi-series-opener-26341" target="_blank">Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener</a>

As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side &#39;run machine&#39; and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in &quot;fresh air&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-should-not-harbour-any-illusion-about-gujarat-poll-result-bjp-26350" target="_blank">Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP</a>

With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.

Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a 'free' Jerusalem Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump's acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump's announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East. 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet. In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her. NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency. Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side 'run machine' and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in "fresh air". Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.

WION Morning News Brief, 10 December 2017

President Donald Trump will come good on election promises and shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem. This is music to Israeli ears.&nbsp;

But Washington&rsquo;s European allies and the Islamic Middle East have condemned the move. Islamist groups around the world have asked people to take to the streets for a &#39;day of rage&#39;, travel advisories are being issued thick and fast. &nbsp;What is the unpredictable Mr Trump up to?

But WION got it right, hours before the President&rsquo;s speech. WION&rsquo;s senior Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji analyses the least reported and most important part of the president&rsquo;s announcement.

Le shanah haba be Yerushalayim: Next year in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s what devout Jews have chanted for thousands of years at the end of Passover and Yom Kippur, two solemn Jewish holidays and continue to, in the Jewish state of Israel today.

But US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is a man in a hurry: he wants to shift the American embassy to Jerusalem. And, as the Americans say, he wants to do that not next year but &lsquo;asap.&rsquo;

Israel considers the ancient city of Jerusalem its capital; its parliament, the Knesset, is situated there, all official business is conducted in the city holy to three of the world&rsquo;s oldest faiths.

But Jerusalem is a divided city. &nbsp;Known as Al-Quds in Arabic, the section holiest to all Muslims falls in East Jerusalem: for it is here, from the Dome of the Rock, that the Prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to the heavens on a white steed. &nbsp;

Consequently, the Palestinians have always claimed East Jerusalem as their real capital in vain and &ndash; the status of the city remains globally disputed. So what is Mr Trump trying to achieve by his announcement?

American analysts say that it is absurd to imagine that a shift of the American embassy will help solve the Middle East&rsquo;s longstanding conflict.&nbsp;

There is an American consulate in Jerusalem. If President Trump were really in a hurry, he only need change the nameplate on that building, they point out. Further, it&rsquo;s been nearly seventy years since the first US&nbsp;ambassador presented his credentials to Israel&rsquo;s government and promises to broker peace have been since made by one envoy after another.

Yet, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis remains a distant dream.

Hours ahead of Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement last night, WION had reasoned that moving the embassy will not mean that the United States, through the move, recognizes Israel&rsquo;s claim that all of Jerusalem - both its Palestinian-dominated Eastern and Jewish Western sectors - is sovereign Israel territory. &nbsp;

And a section of Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement that went largely unnoticed in the frenetic media coverage that followed it across the world, proved WION&rsquo;s prophecy right.

&ldquo;In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear,&rdquo; said Mr Trump, with a dramatic pause and deliberate emphasis.

&ldquo;This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Mr Trump could have easily glossed over territorial issues between Israel and Palestine without mentioning Jerusalem. Instead, he mentioned the city&rsquo;s divided status not once, but twice.

 
&ldquo;Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks,&rdquo; he continued.

&ldquo;The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
The American president also asked for the status quo at Jerusalem&rsquo;s Muslim and Jewish holy sites both on the Dome of the Rock to remain the same for now. &nbsp;This effectively opens a window of opportunity for the Palestinians to achieve what is core to their demand: East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. &nbsp;

Finally: by &#39;leaving&#39; the resolution of Jerusalem&rsquo;s disputed status to the Israelis and Palestinians and welcoming the Two-States solution in the same -magnanimous -breath, &nbsp;the US President is also keeping an avenue open for the United States &ndash; speak, for the garrulous Mr Trump himself &ndash; to squeeze his large frame into the centre of that photo-op, if and when that happens.

But will it? Will both the Israelis and Palestinians see it as a now-or-never chance to settle their issues once and for all ? &nbsp; That&rsquo;s a question as eternal as the city of Jerusalem. But this time, the outlook seems positive. &nbsp;

 
Over a span of nearly thirty years, the Palestinians have gone from accepting no Jewish state to living as neighbors with one, from daily disturbances to a slightly less turbulent existence.Fundamentalist Palestinian organization, Hamas, is in the process of shedding its rebel clothing, demilitarizing and acquiring mainstream respectability.

And be it militant nationalists or moderate Palestinians, East Jerusalem has always been the emotional core of their demand. &nbsp;

There&#39;s another point worth noting in the President&#39;s announcement. Through his slowly and deliberately enunciated passage on the disputed status of the entire city of Jerusalem side-by-side with his recognition of Jerusalem (with &lsquo;West&rsquo; remaining the unsaid word), Mr Trump has subtly positioned himself on the same side as his allies like France and Germany who have criticized the move.

After all, there&rsquo;s hardly a country in the world with full diplomatic and trade relations with Israel that has not long &lsquo;recognized&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s sovereignty over West Jerusalem. Otherwise, the Israel government&rsquo;s mere operation out of West Jerusalem would long emerged as a key bone of contention in every international forum. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Will there be a Muslim backlash to Mr Trump&rsquo;s announcement in the Middle East?

Elsewhere in the Middle East, governments have slammed the American president. Yet, most will likely spot that slightly-opened window and keep up protests -but under temperature control - as a key negotiating tool. &nbsp;

 
And what about Islamist terror groups? They&rsquo;ve been on decades-long killing sprees against the &ldquo;Satanic&rdquo;, US-led western bloc&rsquo;s global war against terror and it&rsquo;s been quite a while since any of them mentioned Jerusalem.

To them, this announcement will make little difference. They will merely add the Zionist Enemy to the Satanic West - and the killings and lone wolf attacks will continue. And they, too, may be temperature-controlled by Saudi Arabia, the country said to be the fountainhead for all Waha&rsquo;bi terrorism.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Jewish Israel have no diplomatic relations. As home to the holiest sites of Islam itself, Saudi Arabia must officially support the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem &ndash; the home of the Al-Aqsa mosque - of course.

As expected, &nbsp;Riyadh offered sharp and immediate condemnation of President Trump&rsquo;s announcement. &nbsp;But, there&rsquo;s a twist.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have been making overtures towards each other for years. And though for different reasons, Israel and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a common bogeyman: Shia Iran. &nbsp;

There&rsquo;s an old saying that may well have originated in the stormy sands: &quot;my enemy&rsquo;s enemy is my best friend.&#39;&#39; It would surprise no one if Riyadh &lsquo;informed&rsquo; Jerusalem, before slamming President Trump in public.

And as over the past seventy years with fledgling friendships that later developed into full-blown relationships (see India), the Israelis must have nodded in understanding.

 
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dSjRmUrmloI" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION?s accurate prediction ahead of President Trump?s speech

President Donald Trump will come good on election promises and shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem. This is music to Israeli ears. But Washington’s European allies and the Islamic Middle East have condemned the move. Islamist groups around the world have asked people to take to the streets for a 'day of rage', travel advisories are being issued thick and fast. What is the unpredictable Mr Trump up to? But WION got it right, hours before the President’s speech. WION’s senior Foreign Editor Padma Rao Sundarji analyses the least reported and most important part of the president’s announcement. Le shanah haba be Yerushalayim: Next year in Jerusalem. That’s what devout Jews have chanted for thousands of years at the end of Passover and Yom Kippur, two solemn Jewish holidays and continue to, in the Jewish state of Israel today. But US President Donald Trump is a man in a hurry: he wants to shift the American embassy to Jerusalem. And, as the Americans say, he wants to do that not next year but ‘asap.’ Israel considers the ancient city of Jerusalem its capital; its parliament, the Knesset, is situated there, all official business is conducted in the city holy to three of the world’s oldest faiths. But Jerusalem is a divided city. Known as Al-Quds in Arabic, the section holiest to all Muslims falls in East Jerusalem: for it is here, from the Dome of the Rock, that the Prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to the heavens on a white steed. Consequently, the Palestinians have always claimed East Jerusalem as their real capital in vain and – the status of the city remains globally disputed. So what is Mr Trump trying to achieve by his announcement? American analysts say that it is absurd to imagine that a shift of the American embassy will help solve the Middle East’s longstanding conflict. There is an American consulate in Jerusalem. If President Trump were really in a hurry, he only need change the nameplate on that building, they point out. Further, it’s been nearly seventy years since the first US ambassador presented his credentials to Israel’s government and promises to broker peace have been since made by one envoy after another. Yet, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis remains a distant dream. Hours ahead of Mr Trump’s announcement last night, WION had reasoned that moving the embassy will not mean that the United States, through the move, recognizes Israel’s claim that all of Jerusalem - both its Palestinian-dominated Eastern and Jewish Western sectors - is sovereign Israel territory. And a section of Mr Trump’s announcement that went largely unnoticed in the frenetic media coverage that followed it across the world, proved WION’s prophecy right. “In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear,” said Mr Trump, with a dramatic pause and deliberate emphasis. “This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.” Mr Trump could have easily glossed over territorial issues between Israel and Palestine without mentioning Jerusalem. Instead, he mentioned the city’s divided status not once, but twice. “Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks,” he continued. “The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.” The American president also asked for the status quo at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Jewish holy sites both on the Dome of the Rock to remain the same for now. This effectively opens a window of opportunity for the Palestinians to achieve what is core to their demand: East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Finally: by 'leaving' the resolution of Jerusalem’s disputed status to the Israelis and Palestinians and welcoming the Two-States solution in the same -magnanimous -breath, the US President is also keeping an avenue open for the United States – speak, for the garrulous Mr Trump himself – to squeeze his large frame into the centre of that photo-op, if and when that happens. But will it? Will both the Israelis and Palestinians see it as a now-or-never chance to settle their issues once and for all ? That’s a question as eternal as the city of Jerusalem. But this time, the outlook seems positive. Over a span of nearly thirty years, the Palestinians have gone from accepting no Jewish state to living as neighbors with one, from daily disturbances to a slightly less turbulent existence.Fundamentalist Palestinian organization, Hamas, is in the process of shedding its rebel clothing, demilitarizing and acquiring mainstream respectability. And be it militant nationalists or moderate Palestinians, East Jerusalem has always been the emotional core of their demand. There's another point worth noting in the President's announcement. Through his slowly and deliberately enunciated passage on the disputed status of the entire city of Jerusalem side-by-side with his recognition of Jerusalem (with ‘West’ remaining the unsaid word), Mr Trump has subtly positioned himself on the same side as his allies like France and Germany who have criticized the move. After all, there’s hardly a country in the world with full diplomatic and trade relations with Israel that has not long ‘recognized’ Israel’s sovereignty over West Jerusalem. Otherwise, the Israel government’s mere operation out of West Jerusalem would long emerged as a key bone of contention in every international forum. Will there be a Muslim backlash to Mr Trump’s announcement in the Middle East? Elsewhere in the Middle East, governments have slammed the American president. Yet, most will likely spot that slightly-opened window and keep up protests -but under temperature control - as a key negotiating tool. And what about Islamist terror groups? They’ve been on decades-long killing sprees against the “Satanic”, US-led western bloc’s global war against terror and it’s been quite a while since any of them mentioned Jerusalem. To them, this announcement will make little difference. They will merely add the Zionist Enemy to the Satanic West - and the killings and lone wolf attacks will continue. And they, too, may be temperature-controlled by Saudi Arabia, the country said to be the fountainhead for all Waha’bi terrorism. Sunni Saudi Arabia and Jewish Israel have no diplomatic relations. As home to the holiest sites of Islam itself, Saudi Arabia must officially support the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem – the home of the Al-Aqsa mosque - of course. As expected, Riyadh offered sharp and immediate condemnation of President Trump’s announcement. But, there’s a twist. Israel and Saudi Arabia have been making overtures towards each other for years. And though for different reasons, Israel and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a common bogeyman: Shia Iran. There’s an old saying that may well have originated in the stormy sands: "my enemy’s enemy is my best friend.'' It would surprise no one if Riyadh ‘informed’ Jerusalem, before slamming President Trump in public. And as over the past seventy years with fledgling friendships that later developed into full-blown relationships (see India), the Israelis must have nodded in understanding.

In four years in Jerusalem...

&nbsp;

By&nbsp;Spyros Sofos&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Vittorio Felci*

Donald Trump&rsquo;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and start preparations for the US to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city, has the potential to further inflame tensions across the Middle East.

Although this is not an unexpected move &ndash; Trump expressed his intention to do so during his electoral campaign &ndash; the decision breaks with years of precedent.

Trump&rsquo;s decision to move the embassy means he will not follow his predecessors by renewing a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required the embassy to eventually be moved from Tel Aviv.

Since then, there has been a cross-party consensus in the US that any act which recognises the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel and its designation as the country&rsquo;s capital would affect the fragile balance of power in the Middle East &ndash; and the ability of the US to promote its interests in the region. US diplomats have sought to tread carefully on this issue in one of the world&rsquo;s most treacherous political landscapes.

The Palestinian leadership condemned the move before Trump spoke, as did leaders from the Arab world and beyond. The announcement of the embassy move is likely to cause a wave of resentment among Palestinians in the occupied territories and the city itself, especially after two decades of stalemate in the peace process and deteriorating conditions throughout the Palestinian territories. Ahead of the speech, US citizens and government employees were told to avoid Jerusalem&rsquo;s Old City and the West Bank until further notice.

Central to the peace process

Jerusalem is not just a city of historical importance to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, but also a site key to both Israeli and Palestinian identity. Add to this the centrality of the status of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often described as one of the world&rsquo;s most intractable disputes, and it&rsquo;s clear why the decision to move the US embassy there has been described as tantamount to political arson.

At the political level, most Israelis and Palestinians insist that Jerusalem must be the capital of their states, present and future, and that this is non-negotiable. This is why the final status of Jerusalem was deemed to be one of the thorniest issues in the Oslo peace process in the 1990s. It was envisaged to be circumnavigated, dealt with only at the stage of &ldquo;permanent status negotiations&rdquo;, once all other issues between the state of Israel and the Palestinians were resolved.

As there has not been any progress in less important, yet substantive issues since Oslo, the issue of Jerusalem has acquired a symbolic importance among Palestinians.

Jerusalem is a city dense in symbolism in the Palestinian national imagination. Particularly so as other, more material anchors of identity such as territory, governance and self-determination are continually being eroded by the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, the blockade of Gaza and deteriorating cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

The response to Trump&rsquo;s announcement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his government was muted. But its symbolic value among nationalist circles in Israel, and also among many ordinary Israelis, should not be underestimated.

The Israeli government has been active in strengthening Israeli claims to the entire city since its annexation in 1980. Settlement building around Jerusalem has aimed to ring-fence the city and integrate it more into Israel. Meanwhile, there were building restrictions in East Jerusalem, and a series of restrictions to Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, built on the remnants of the last Jewish Temple. Both sets of restrictions were lifted.

Equally important in terms of symbolic politics has been Israel&rsquo;s archaeological intervention around Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as an attempt to strengthen Israel&rsquo;s historical connection with the city.

Wider significance

Trump&rsquo;s decision seems oblivious to the fragility of coexistence in the city between its Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants. It also ignores the significance of Jerusalem in Palestinian national identity and national aspirations, and the devastating impact on the future of a moribund peace process.

It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield. It can destabilise a Palestinian authority already deprived of legitimacy and an array of fragile Arab regimes. And it is likely to accentuate the enmity between Israel and Iran. Iran perceives such a move as a &ldquo;violation of Islamic sanctities&rdquo; and, together with Trump&rsquo;s revitalised alliance with Saudi Arabia, a clear sign of the US president&rsquo;s anti-Iranian stance.

Last but not least, it could further stoke the flames of anti-Western Islamic movements in the Muslim world and the West alike, which have always put Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue in a central position.

&nbsp;

*Vittorio Felci is Researcher, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel-means-for-the-middle-east-88722" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

<section>&nbsp;</section>

<h1>&nbsp;</h1>

It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield.

By Spyros Sofos & Vittorio Felci* Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and start preparations for the US to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city, has the potential to further inflame tensions across the Middle East. Although this is not an unexpected move – Trump expressed his intention to do so during his electoral campaign – the decision breaks with years of precedent. Trump’s decision to move the embassy means he will not follow his predecessors by renewing a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required the embassy to eventually be moved from Tel Aviv. Since then, there has been a cross-party consensus in the US that any act which recognises the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel and its designation as the country’s capital would affect the fragile balance of power in the Middle East – and the ability of the US to promote its interests in the region. US diplomats have sought to tread carefully on this issue in one of the world’s most treacherous political landscapes. The Palestinian leadership condemned the move before Trump spoke, as did leaders from the Arab world and beyond. The announcement of the embassy move is likely to cause a wave of resentment among Palestinians in the occupied territories and the city itself, especially after two decades of stalemate in the peace process and deteriorating conditions throughout the Palestinian territories. Ahead of the speech, US citizens and government employees were told to avoid Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank until further notice. Central to the peace process Jerusalem is not just a city of historical importance to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, but also a site key to both Israeli and Palestinian identity. Add to this the centrality of the status of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often described as one of the world’s most intractable disputes, and it’s clear why the decision to move the US embassy there has been described as tantamount to political arson. At the political level, most Israelis and Palestinians insist that Jerusalem must be the capital of their states, present and future, and that this is non-negotiable. This is why the final status of Jerusalem was deemed to be one of the thorniest issues in the Oslo peace process in the 1990s. It was envisaged to be circumnavigated, dealt with only at the stage of “permanent status negotiations”, once all other issues between the state of Israel and the Palestinians were resolved. As there has not been any progress in less important, yet substantive issues since Oslo, the issue of Jerusalem has acquired a symbolic importance among Palestinians. Jerusalem is a city dense in symbolism in the Palestinian national imagination. Particularly so as other, more material anchors of identity such as territory, governance and self-determination are continually being eroded by the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, the blockade of Gaza and deteriorating cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The response to Trump’s announcement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his government was muted. But its symbolic value among nationalist circles in Israel, and also among many ordinary Israelis, should not be underestimated. The Israeli government has been active in strengthening Israeli claims to the entire city since its annexation in 1980. Settlement building around Jerusalem has aimed to ring-fence the city and integrate it more into Israel. Meanwhile, there were building restrictions in East Jerusalem, and a series of restrictions to Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, built on the remnants of the last Jewish Temple. Both sets of restrictions were lifted. Equally important in terms of symbolic politics has been Israel’s archaeological intervention around Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as an attempt to strengthen Israel’s historical connection with the city. Wider significance Trump’s decision seems oblivious to the fragility of coexistence in the city between its Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants. It also ignores the significance of Jerusalem in Palestinian national identity and national aspirations, and the devastating impact on the future of a moribund peace process. It has the potential of not only affecting the political ecology of a place where history is a matter of life and death, but could also cause a ripple effect much further afield. It can destabilise a Palestinian authority already deprived of legitimacy and an array of fragile Arab regimes. And it is likely to accentuate the enmity between Israel and Iran. Iran perceives such a move as a “violation of Islamic sanctities” and, together with Trump’s revitalised alliance with Saudi Arabia, a clear sign of the US president’s anti-Iranian stance. Last but not least, it could further stoke the flames of anti-Western Islamic movements in the Muslim world and the West alike, which have always put Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue in a central position. *Vittorio Felci is Researcher, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump recognised Jerusalem. How will it impact Middle East

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is &quot;time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&quot;, adding that &quot;new approach&quot; was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he deeply regretted that pleas from states across the globe not to alter the &quot;legal and historical status&quot; of Al Quds Al Sharif have been ignored.

&quot;This decision represents a serious violation of international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions, particularly the UNSCR 478,&quot; Pakistan PM said in a statement.

&quot;It is a serious setback to the rule of law and international norms. It signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process as well,&quot;&nbsp;the statement added.

Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital created a firestorm in the Middle East, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump&#39;s decision was &quot;deplorable and unacceptable&quot;.

On the other hand, &nbsp;Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a &quot;courageous and just decision.&quot;

On Tuesday, Trump in a meeting with cabinet ministers at the White House had said the decision was &quot;long overdue&quot;.&nbsp;

America&#39;s NATO allies Britain and France called Trump&#39;s decision &quot;unhelpful&quot; and &quot;regrettable&quot;.

Germany said it &quot;does not support&quot; Trump&#39;s decision.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump&#39;s decision puts the region in a &quot;ring of fire&quot;.

Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Trump's decision signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is "time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel", adding that "new approach" was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he deeply regretted that pleas from states across the globe not to alter the "legal and historical status" of Al Quds Al Sharif have been ignored. "This decision represents a serious violation of international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions, particularly the UNSCR 478," Pakistan PM said in a statement. "It is a serious setback to the rule of law and international norms. It signals a severe blow to the Middle East peace process as well," the statement added. Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital created a firestorm in the Middle East, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump's decision was "deplorable and unacceptable". On the other hand, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "courageous and just decision." On Tuesday, Trump in a meeting with cabinet ministers at the White House had said the decision was "long overdue". America's NATO allies Britain and France called Trump's decision "unhelpful" and "regrettable". Germany said it "does not support" Trump's decision. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump's decision puts the region in a "ring of fire".

Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi

PM Justin Trudeau said<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-after-trumps-jerusalem-announcement-palestinians-clash-with-israeli-forces-in-west-bank-26156"> today Canada won&#39;t be moving its embassy</a> from Tel Aviv even as US President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;We will not be moving Canada&#39;s embassy from Tel Aviv,&quot; Trudeau said.

Israeli PM Benjamin<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-now-palestinians-bring-down-trumps-mural-in-bethlehem-26148"> Netanyahu said many would </a>follow the United States, adding that contacts were underway, Reuters reported. However, he did not name the countries.

&quot;President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people,&quot; Netanyahu said.

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including US allies Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital&nbsp;of Israel.

The EU&#39;s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: &quot;The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both.&quot;

Protests broke out in Amman in areas inhabited by Palestinian refugees, Istanbul too witnessed protests by Palestinians as several gathered the US consulate.

Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President.

&quot;We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy,&quot; Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza.

He said Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs should hold rallies against the US decision on Friday, calling it a &quot;day of rage&quot;.&nbsp;

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move

PM Justin Trudeau said today Canada won't be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv even as US President Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "We will not be moving Canada's embassy from Tel Aviv," Trudeau said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said many would follow the United States, adding that contacts were underway, Reuters reported. However, he did not name the countries. "President Trump has immortalized himself in the chronicles of our capital. His name will now be held aloft, alongside other names connected to the glorious history of Jerusalem and of our people," Netanyahu said. The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the US decision as most countries including US allies Britain, France and Germany spoke out against US move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: "The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both." Protests broke out in Amman in areas inhabited by Palestinian refugees, Istanbul too witnessed protests by Palestinians as several gathered the US consulate. Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President. "We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech in Gaza. He said Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs should hold rallies against the US decision on Friday, calling it a "day of rage".

Jerusalem as Israel's capital: Several nations would follow US decision, says PM Netanyahu

President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital Wednesday, prompting an almost universal diplomatic backlash and fears of new bloodshed in the Middle East.

Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/decision-on-jerusalem-long-overdue-trump-26070">defiant move</a>, making good on a core campaign pledge, ended seven decades of US ambiguity on the status of the Holy City, which is vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians.

America&#39;s leader appeared further isolated, as allies and foes alike denounced his decision and Palestinians questioned whether their dream of statehood, as part of a peace deal brokered by Washington, was still possible.&nbsp;

But the US president claimed this marked the start of a &quot;new approach&quot; to solving the thorny Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Also Read -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-to-meet-friday-on-jerusalem-diplomats-26073">UN Security Council to meet Friday on Jerusalem: Diplomats</a>)

&quot;Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital,&quot; Trump said in a speech given from the White House.

&quot;It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,&quot; he said, urging calm and &quot;the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate.&quot;&nbsp;(Also Read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-trump-is-wrong-israel-alone-cant-claim-jerusalem-26037">Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can&#39;t claim Jerusalem</a>)

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US President Donald Trump delivers a statement on Jerusalem from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington as US Vice President Mike Pence looks on. (AFP)
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&nbsp;&#39;Courageous&#39; or &#39;deplorable&#39;? 
 
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump&#39;s &quot;deplorable and unacceptable&quot; move signified America&#39;s withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process.

Hamas -- the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip -- warned that Trump had opened &quot;the gates of hell on US interests in the region.&quot;

And although welcomed by Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a &quot;courageous and just decision,&quot; Trump&#39;s move left many angry US allies struggling to find a measured response -- and hoping that the tinderbox region is not destined for yet another round of bloodletting.

Through gritted teeth, Britain described the move as &quot;unhelpful&quot; and France called it &quot;regrettable.&quot; Germany said plainly that it &quot;does not support&quot; Trump&#39;s decision.

Eight countries including Britain, France and Italy pressed for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the move, which was set for Friday.

The leaders of Muslim nations meanwhile deployed ever-harsher rhetoric to describe Trump&#39;s decision.

Turkey and Iran -- both vying for regional influence -- tried to give voice to the anger felt by many across the Muslim world.

Turkey called the decision &quot;irresponsible&quot; and illegal. Iran said it would &quot;provoke Muslims and inflame a new intifada.&quot;

Diplomatic fallout 
 
Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In doing so, he begins to make good on a campaign promise dear to evangelical Christian and right-wing Jewish voters -- as well as donors.

Trump&#39;s predecessors -- from Bill Clinton to George Bush -- had made the same promise, but quickly reneged upon taking office and assuming responsibility for war and peace.

The 45th US president was determined to show his arrival in Washington spells the end of business as usual, suggesting his predecessors failed to act though lack of &quot;courage.&quot;

Moving the embassy will probably take years to implement, but the repercussions of Trump&#39;s decision preceded even his announcement.

Hundreds of Palestinians burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.

The Palestine Liberation Organization announced a strike across the West Bank Thursday, while Hamas called for a &quot;day of rage&quot; on Friday. &nbsp;

US government officials and their families were ordered to avoid Jerusalem&#39;s Old City and the West Bank, though the situation remained largely calm up until Trump&#39;s address.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a visit to Germany, said the United States had &quot;implemented robust security plans to protect the safety of Americans in affected regions.&quot;&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul next week to display joint action over Jerusalem.

Jordan and the Palestinians also requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League.

Peace still possible, US says

Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in negotiations -- a point reiterated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the wake of Trump&#39;s decision.

Guterres implicitly criticized Trump, stressing his opposition to &quot;any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace.&quot;

Trump insisted the move did not prejudge final talks, saying it simply reflected the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement.

&quot;This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it,&quot; said the US leader, who declared that &quot;this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace.&quot;

&quot;The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides,&quot; Trump said, as he announced that Vice President Mike Pence would travel to the region in the coming days.

Trump further stated that the United States was not taking a position on any &quot;final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders.&quot;

&quot;Those questions are up to the parties involved,&quot; he said.

Israel seized the largely Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its capital.

The Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Several peace plans have unravelled in the past decades over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites in Jerusalem.

America's leader appeared further isolated, as allies and foes alike denounced his decision and Palestinians questioned whether their dream of statehood, as part of a peace deal brokered by Washington, was still possible

President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, prompting an almost universal diplomatic backlash and fears of new bloodshed in the Middle East. Trump's defiant move, making good on a core campaign pledge, ended seven decades of US ambiguity on the status of the Holy City, which is vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. America's leader appeared further isolated, as allies and foes alike denounced his decision and Palestinians questioned whether their dream of statehood, as part of a peace deal brokered by Washington, was still possible. But the US president claimed this marked the start of a "new approach" to solving the thorny Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Also Read - UN Security Council to meet Friday on Jerusalem: Diplomats) "Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital," Trump said in a speech given from the White House. "It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," he said, urging calm and "the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate." (Also Read - Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can't claim Jerusalem) US President Donald Trump delivers a statement on Jerusalem from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington as US Vice President Mike Pence looks on. (AFP) × 'Courageous' or 'deplorable'? Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Trump's "deplorable and unacceptable" move signified America's withdrawal as a sponsor of the peace process. Hamas -- the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip -- warned that Trump had opened "the gates of hell on US interests in the region." And although welcomed by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "courageous and just decision," Trump's move left many angry US allies struggling to find a measured response -- and hoping that the tinderbox region is not destined for yet another round of bloodletting. Through gritted teeth, Britain described the move as "unhelpful" and France called it "regrettable." Germany said plainly that it "does not support" Trump's decision. Eight countries including Britain, France and Italy pressed for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the move, which was set for Friday. The leaders of Muslim nations meanwhile deployed ever-harsher rhetoric to describe Trump's decision. Turkey and Iran -- both vying for regional influence -- tried to give voice to the anger felt by many across the Muslim world. Turkey called the decision "irresponsible" and illegal. Iran said it would "provoke Muslims and inflame a new intifada." Diplomatic fallout Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In doing so, he begins to make good on a campaign promise dear to evangelical Christian and right-wing Jewish voters -- as well as donors. Trump's predecessors -- from Bill Clinton to George Bush -- had made the same promise, but quickly reneged upon taking office and assuming responsibility for war and peace. The 45th US president was determined to show his arrival in Washington spells the end of business as usual, suggesting his predecessors failed to act though lack of "courage." Moving the embassy will probably take years to implement, but the repercussions of Trump's decision preceded even his announcement. Hundreds of Palestinians burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. The Palestine Liberation Organization announced a strike across the West Bank Thursday, while Hamas called for a "day of rage" on Friday. US government officials and their families were ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank, though the situation remained largely calm up until Trump's address. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a visit to Germany, said the United States had "implemented robust security plans to protect the safety of Americans in affected regions." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul next week to display joint action over Jerusalem. Jordan and the Palestinians also requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League. Peace still possible, US says Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in negotiations -- a point reiterated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the wake of Trump's decision. Guterres implicitly criticized Trump, stressing his opposition to "any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace." Trump insisted the move did not prejudge final talks, saying it simply reflected the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. "This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do," Trump said. "Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it," said the US leader, who declared that "this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace." "The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides," Trump said, as he announced that Vice President Mike Pence would travel to the region in the coming days. Trump further stated that the United States was not taking a position on any "final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders." "Those questions are up to the parties involved," he said. Israel seized the largely Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its capital. The Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Several peace plans have unravelled in the past decades over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites in Jerusalem.

Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparks firestorm

Twitter announced today&nbsp;that PM Modi is one of the &#39;most tweeted about&nbsp;world leaders&#39; in 2017.&nbsp;

The annual data revealed that Modi is the second most tweeted world leader after United States President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

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Here are the most Tweeted about elected world leaders. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisHappened?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisHappened</a> <a href="https://t.co/2pXMuwKQRa">pic.twitter.com/2pXMuwKQRa</a>
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Trump has 44.1 million Twitter followers and Narendra Modi has 37.5 million making him the most followed Indian on Twitter.&nbsp;

PM Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;Mann Ki Baat&rsquo; was also one of the most widely used and talked about hashtags in India in 2017.&nbsp;

Also&nbsp;see: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/modi-tops-twitter-2017-most-followed-list-amitabh-srk-virat-way-behind-597#photo-30982">Modi tops Twitter 2017 most followed list; Amitabh, SRK, Virat way behind</a>

Two posts by former US president Barack Obama were among the top three most-liked tweets of 2017, he currently has 97.6 million followers on Twitter.

Obama&#39;s tweet &quot;No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion...&quot; was the second most retweeted post of the year.

A tweet by Carter Wilkerson &quot;Help me please... a man needs his nuggs&quot; retweeted 3.6 million times was the most retweeted post of this year, according to data compiled by Twitter.

Other world leaders to feature in the top 10 list are Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Emmanuel Macron from France, Enrique Pena Nieto from Mexico, Mauricip Macri of Argentina, Britain&#39;s Theresa May, Columbia&#39;s Juan Manuel Santos and Akun resmi Joko Widodo of Indonesia.

India's PM Narendra Modi topped the list of Twitter followers, adding over 13 million followers this year

Twitter announced today that PM Modi is one of the 'most tweeted about world leaders' in 2017. The annual data revealed that Modi is the second most tweeted world leader after United States President Donald Trump. Here are the most Tweeted about elected world leaders. #ThisHappened pic.twitter.com/2pXMuwKQRa — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) December 5, 2017 × Trump has 44.1 million Twitter followers and Narendra Modi has 37.5 million making him the most followed Indian on Twitter. PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was also one of the most widely used and talked about hashtags in India in 2017. Also see: Modi tops Twitter 2017 most followed list; Amitabh, SRK, Virat way behind Two posts by former US president Barack Obama were among the top three most-liked tweets of 2017, he currently has 97.6 million followers on Twitter. Obama's tweet "No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion..." was the second most retweeted post of the year. A tweet by Carter Wilkerson "Help me please... a man needs his nuggs" retweeted 3.6 million times was the most retweeted post of this year, according to data compiled by Twitter. Other world leaders to feature in the top 10 list are Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Emmanuel Macron from France, Enrique Pena Nieto from Mexico, Mauricip Macri of Argentina, Britain's Theresa May, Columbia's Juan Manuel Santos and Akun resmi Joko Widodo of Indonesia.

PM Modi 'most-tweeted leader' after Trump

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, &ldquo;Next year in Jerusalem.&rdquo; The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the &#39;Promised Land&#39; as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler&#39;s concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem.&nbsp;

For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel&#39;s capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel&#39;s closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Battle for Jerusalem

Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a &ldquo;battle for Jerusalem&rdquo;. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem&#39;s citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined.&nbsp;

The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod&rsquo;s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade.&nbsp;

Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif.&nbsp;

Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew.&nbsp; He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel&rsquo;s police or armed forces. Saif&#39;s funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews.&nbsp;

My city, your city, our city

President Trump&#39;s announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;

Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way.&nbsp;

But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too.&nbsp;Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman&#39;s decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that &ldquo;armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Whose city is it anyway?

Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time.

Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial.&nbsp;

It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the &#39;sacred heart&#39; of the Christian story.

Jerusalem&#39;s pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian.

President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community.&nbsp;

We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

To fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters, Trump is ready to let an already volatile region go further down the extremist way.?

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, “Next year in Jerusalem.” The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the 'Promised Land' as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler's concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem. For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel's capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel's closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter. Battle for Jerusalem Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a “battle for Jerusalem”. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem's citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined. The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod’s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade. Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif. Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew. He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel’s police or armed forces. Saif's funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews. My city, your city, our city President Trump's announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way. But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too. Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman's decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that “armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.” Whose city is it anyway? Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time. Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial. It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the 'sacred heart' of the Christian story. Jerusalem's pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian. President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community. We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can't claim Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday.

Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation.

But Kushner, the 36-year-old head of a small and tight-knit White House negotiating team, made a rare public appearance to put an optimistic face on his efforts.

&quot;The president&#39;s going to make his decision,&quot; Kushner told the Saban Forum, choosing not to deny reports Trump will declare Jerusalem Israel&#39;s capital on Wednesday. (Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/world/arab-league-chief-warns-trump-jerusalem-move-could-fuel-violence-25777">Arab League chief warns Trump Jerusalem move could fuel violence</a>)

&quot;He&#39;s still looking at a lot of different facts and when he makes his decision he&#39;ll be the one who wants to tell you. So he&#39;ll make sure he does that at the right time.&quot;

On Monday, Trump must decide whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months.

Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week.

But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel&#39;s claim on Jerusalem as its capital.

&nbsp;New intifada? 
This will likely provoke fury among Palestinians and the wider Arab world, and may hamper Kushner&#39;s long-shot effort to revamp the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Palestinians have been lobbying regional leaders to oppose the decision and the armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new &quot;intifada&quot;.

But Kushner, addressing a sympathetic audience at an annual meeting of Israeli and US policy-makers hosted by businessman Haim Saban, sees grounds for optimism.

The real estate developer turned presidential adviser is working closely with Israeli officials and has developed ties with the young Saudi and Emirati monarchs.&nbsp;

He sees an opportunity for peace if the Sunni Arab countries of the region align themselves with Israel in opposition to the threat of Iran.&nbsp;

Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares this hope, although he dares hope an accommodation with Arab countries could precede any Palestinian deal.

Kushner, in common with US official thinking under previous administrations, sees a Israeli-Palestinian settlement as coming before any great re-alignment.

&quot;You&#39;ve got to focus on solving the big issue,&quot; he told a friendly but frankly skeptical Saban, and an audience of dignitaries and policy experts.

&quot;The regional dynamic plays a big role in what we think the opportunities are because ... a lot of these countries look and say they all want the same thing.&nbsp;

&quot;And they look at the regional threats and I think that they see Israel, who is traditionally their foe, is a much more natural ally to them than it was 20 years ago.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You&#39;ve a lot of people who want to put this together, but you have to overcome this issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order for that to happen,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;&#39;Regime will fall&#39; 
 
Earlier, Netanyahu also addressed the forum by video link from Israel, and also spoke of the opportunity for reconciliation in the region.

But his focus was firmly on the threat of Iran, which he again compared to Nazi Germany in its alleged determination to &quot;murder Jews.&quot;

His address barely touched on the Palestinian issue, but did speak of regional peace, under a longer timeframe than the one Kushner has in mind.

&quot;And that&#39;s just one reason why I&#39;m so hopeful about the future. Today Israel is more welcomed by the nations of the world than ever before,&quot; Netanyahu said.

&quot;When I look forward 50 and 100 years I believe Israel will be embraced openly by its Arab neighbors rather than in secret in the way it&#39;s done today.&quot;

Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was less optimistic, warning a change in the US stance on Jerusalem would spell disaster.

In a statement, he warned the United States would &quot;be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to diplomats and observers, the US President is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital

US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday. Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation. But Kushner, the 36-year-old head of a small and tight-knit White House negotiating team, made a rare public appearance to put an optimistic face on his efforts. "The president's going to make his decision," Kushner told the Saban Forum, choosing not to deny reports Trump will declare Jerusalem Israel's capital on Wednesday. (Also Read: Arab League chief warns Trump Jerusalem move could fuel violence) "He's still looking at a lot of different facts and when he makes his decision he'll be the one who wants to tell you. So he'll make sure he does that at the right time." On Monday, Trump must decide whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months. Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week. But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital. New intifada? This will likely provoke fury among Palestinians and the wider Arab world, and may hamper Kushner's long-shot effort to revamp the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Palestinians have been lobbying regional leaders to oppose the decision and the armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new "intifada". But Kushner, addressing a sympathetic audience at an annual meeting of Israeli and US policy-makers hosted by businessman Haim Saban, sees grounds for optimism. The real estate developer turned presidential adviser is working closely with Israeli officials and has developed ties with the young Saudi and Emirati monarchs. He sees an opportunity for peace if the Sunni Arab countries of the region align themselves with Israel in opposition to the threat of Iran. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares this hope, although he dares hope an accommodation with Arab countries could precede any Palestinian deal. Kushner, in common with US official thinking under previous administrations, sees a Israeli-Palestinian settlement as coming before any great re-alignment. "You've got to focus on solving the big issue," he told a friendly but frankly skeptical Saban, and an audience of dignitaries and policy experts. "The regional dynamic plays a big role in what we think the opportunities are because ... a lot of these countries look and say they all want the same thing. "And they look at the regional threats and I think that they see Israel, who is traditionally their foe, is a much more natural ally to them than it was 20 years ago." "You've a lot of people who want to put this together, but you have to overcome this issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order for that to happen," he said. 'Regime will fall' Earlier, Netanyahu also addressed the forum by video link from Israel, and also spoke of the opportunity for reconciliation in the region. But his focus was firmly on the threat of Iran, which he again compared to Nazi Germany in its alleged determination to "murder Jews." His address barely touched on the Palestinian issue, but did speak of regional peace, under a longer timeframe than the one Kushner has in mind. "And that's just one reason why I'm so hopeful about the future. Today Israel is more welcomed by the nations of the world than ever before," Netanyahu said. "When I look forward 50 and 100 years I believe Israel will be embraced openly by its Arab neighbors rather than in secret in the way it's done today." Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was less optimistic, warning a change in the US stance on Jerusalem would spell disaster. In a statement, he warned the United States would "be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace."

Trump close to decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital: Jared Kushner

US President Donald Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asked-about-flynn-plea-says-absolutely-no-collusion-25700">insisted Saturday</a> that his former national security adviser Michael Flynn had done nothing illegal during the transition.

Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador. Trump said he fired Flynn because he lied to the vice president and the FBI about those dealings.

&quot;It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!&quot; Trump said in a tweet, his second comment of the day of the explosive turn of events in the Russia probe.&nbsp;

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I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/937007006526959618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It is now moving closer to the Oval Office itself as Flynn has agreed to cooperate with special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

With this new tweet Trump seems to admit for the first time that he knew Flynn lied to the FBI, which is a crime.

At the time of Flynn&#39;s dismissal, the White House acknowledged only that Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about what he discussed with the ambassador -- sanctions imposed by then-president Barack Obama against Russia for meddling in the election.

Trump&#39;s ties with Flynn have been under intense scrutiny since FBI director James Comey was fired by the president in May.

Comey testified before a Senate panel in June that after Flynn&#39;s firing, Trump asked Comey to drop an investigation into the former national security director. &nbsp;&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump insisted that his former national security adviser Michael Flynn had done nothing illegal during the transition

US President Donald Trump insisted Saturday that his former national security adviser Michael Flynn had done nothing illegal during the transition. Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador. Trump said he fired Flynn because he lied to the vice president and the FBI about those dealings. "It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!" Trump said in a tweet, his second comment of the day of the explosive turn of events in the Russia probe. I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017 × It is now moving closer to the Oval Office itself as Flynn has agreed to cooperate with special prosecutor Robert Mueller. With this new tweet Trump seems to admit for the first time that he knew Flynn lied to the FBI, which is a crime. At the time of Flynn's dismissal, the White House acknowledged only that Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about what he discussed with the ambassador -- sanctions imposed by then-president Barack Obama against Russia for meddling in the election. Trump's ties with Flynn have been under intense scrutiny since FBI director James Comey was fired by the president in May. Comey testified before a Senate panel in June that after Flynn's firing, Trump asked Comey to drop an investigation into the former national security director.

Flynn's actions during the transition 'were lawful': President Trump

United States President Donald Trump&nbsp;on Saturday denied any&nbsp;collusion&nbsp;between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.&nbsp;

&quot;Absolutely no collusion&quot; between his campaign and Russia, he said.

Trump made the&nbsp;comment for the first time since ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty in a federal investigation into a probable collusion between Moscow and Trump representatives.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-aide-flynn-pleads-guilty-to-lying-about-russia-links-25647">Flynn pleaded guilty </a>on Friday for lying to the FBI about having associations with the Russian ambassador, making him the first representative of the White House to be charged in the criminal investigation.&nbsp;

Flynn, as part of his plea on Friday, agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential election campaign.

Trump made a comment for the first time since ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty in a federal investigation into a probable collusion between Moscow and Trump representatives.?

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday denied any collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. "Absolutely no collusion" between his campaign and Russia, he said. Trump made the comment for the first time since ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty in a federal investigation into a probable collusion between Moscow and Trump representatives. Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday for lying to the FBI about having associations with the Russian ambassador, making him the first representative of the White House to be charged in the criminal investigation. Flynn, as part of his plea on Friday, agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign.

'Absolutely no collusion': Trump after Michael Flynn's guilty plea

America&#39;s Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) has charged President Trump&#39;s ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn with &quot;lying&quot; over his contacts with Russia.

Flynn resigned in February after being under fire for weeks over his links to the Russian government. He was reported to have discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office.

Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications by US officials later showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Such contacts are potentially in violation of a law banning US private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

The FBI charged Flynn with one count of lying.&nbsp;

A court document showed Flynn was charged for lying about his private discussions with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, regarding US sanctions being imposed on Moscow by the government former president Barack Obama.

The former US national security advisor is scheduled to appear in court today on hearing related to making &quot;false, fictitious and fraudulent representations&quot; to the FBI.

Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) has charged President Trump's ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn with "lying" over his contacts with Russia. Flynn resigned in February after being under fire for weeks over his links to the Russian government. He was reported to have discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office. Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications by US officials later showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Such contacts are potentially in violation of a law banning US private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. The FBI charged Flynn with one count of lying. A court document showed Flynn was charged for lying about his private discussions with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, regarding US sanctions being imposed on Moscow by the government former president Barack Obama. The former US national security advisor is scheduled to appear in court today on hearing related to making "false, fictitious and fraudulent representations" to the FBI.

Trump's ex-NSA Michael Flynn charged for lying about Russia links

Russia today rejected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/major-sanctions-coming-against-north-korea-china-must-press-all-levers-to-influence-kim-trump-25465">US call to cut ties with North Korea </a>even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim&#39;s regime.

On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of &quot;major sanctions&quot; against North Korea after Kim&#39;s regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States.

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to&nbsp;use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme.

During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim&#39;s regime.&nbsp;

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea&#39;s missile test that it &quot;would be a pivotal step in the world&#39;s effort to stop this international pariah&quot;.

The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. 
According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. 
&nbsp; 
Both Russia and China who are North Korea&#39;s principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: &quot;We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted.&quot;

China too has indicated it won&#39;t be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi&nbsp;is not keen&nbsp;to shut the &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters. 
&nbsp;

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to?use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme

Russia today rejected US call to cut ties with North Korea even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim's regime. On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of "major sanctions" against North Korea after Kim's regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States. Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme. During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim's regime. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea's missile test that it "would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah". The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. Both Russia and China who are North Korea's principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: "We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted." China too has indicated it won't be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi is not keen to shut the "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters.

Despite Trump's sanctions call, Russia, China against oil embargo on North Korea

President Donald Trump on Wednesday retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime, Jayda Fransen.

The first one shows&nbsp;a Muslim hitting a boy on crutches. The second one is seen as an Islamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop.

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Video 1 (Twitter)
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The third allegedly shows a Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.

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The video of the Virgin Mary statue being destroyed has been on YouTube for a long time.

Fransen was declared guilty last year with a hate crime after abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Brendan Cox, the widower of MP Jo Cox who was killed by a right-wing extremist last year, said: &quot;Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he&#39;s trying to do it in ours.&quot;

&quot;Spreading hatred has consequences &amp; the President should be ashamed of himself,&quot; he said.

David Lammy, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, said: &quot;The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted.

&quot;He is no ally or friend of ours,&quot; he said.

Stephen Doughty, another Labour MP, said the videos were &quot;highly inflammatory&quot; and his colleague Yvette Cooper said Trump had given Fransen a &quot;huge platform&quot;.

Fransen appeared to celebrate the retweets saying: &quot;THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN&#39;S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!&quot;

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THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN&#39;S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS <a href="https://twitter.com/JaydaBF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaydaBF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/BiQfQkTra9">pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9</a>
&mdash; Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaydaBF/status/935842051991711745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#39;s pokes&nbsp;in British politics and controversial foreign policy have weakened the so-called &quot;special relationship&quot;.

He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicised run-ins with London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Wednesday&#39;s retweets were part of an early morning burst in which Trump again dismissed CNN as &quot;Fake News&quot; and insisted the US economy was in &quot;record territory&quot; by many measures.

US President Donald Trump was &quot;wrong&quot; to retweet three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of British far-right group Britain First, Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s spokesman said.

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I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society.
&mdash; Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/935867651859079168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law abiding people,&quot; he said.

&quot;British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents -- decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the president to have done this.&quot;

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour party, had tweeted earlier: &quot;I hope our government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society.&quot;

Trump's pokes?in British politics and controversial foreign policy have weakened the so-called "special relationship"

President Donald Trump on Wednesday retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime, Jayda Fransen. The first one shows a Muslim hitting a boy on crutches. The second one is seen as an Islamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop. Video 1 (Twitter) × Video 2 (Twitter) × The third allegedly shows a Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary. Video 3 (Twitter) × The video of the Virgin Mary statue being destroyed has been on YouTube for a long time. Fransen was declared guilty last year with a hate crime after abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Brendan Cox, the widower of MP Jo Cox who was killed by a right-wing extremist last year, said: "Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours." "Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself," he said. David Lammy, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, said: "The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. "He is no ally or friend of ours," he said. Stephen Doughty, another Labour MP, said the videos were "highly inflammatory" and his colleague Yvette Cooper said Trump had given Fransen a "huge platform". Fransen appeared to celebrate the retweets saying: "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!" THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9 — Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017 × Trump's pokes in British politics and controversial foreign policy have weakened the so-called "special relationship". He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicised run-ins with London mayor Sadiq Khan. Wednesday's retweets were part of an early morning burst in which Trump again dismissed CNN as "Fake News" and insisted the US economy was in "record territory" by many measures. US President Donald Trump was "wrong" to retweet three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of British far-right group Britain First, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said. I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society. — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 29, 2017 × "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law abiding people," he said. "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents -- decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the president to have done this." Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour party, had tweeted earlier: "I hope our government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society."

Trump retweets anti-Muslim videos posted by British far-right group head Jayda Fransen

As <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic </a>missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un&#39;s regime.

Earlier in the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nkorea-launch-a-grave-threat-to-entire-world-trump-moon-25386">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic</a> missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a &quot;violent&quot; and &quot;reckless&quot; act.

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea&#39;s &quot;provocative actions&quot;, adding that &quot;major sanctions will be imposed on the country&quot;.

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Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/935881037254725632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This situation will be handled!,&quot; the US&nbsp;president added in his tweet.

Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea.

The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea&#39;s latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

&nbsp;

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country".

As North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un's regime. Earlier in the day, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a "violent" and "reckless" act. President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country". Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017 × "This situation will be handled!," the US president added in his tweet. Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea. The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea's latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

Major sanctions coming against North Korea, China must 'press all levers' to influence Kim: Trump

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In warned Tuesday that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388">Pyongyang&#39;s latest ballistic missile launch</a> posed a &quot;grave&quot; global threat.&nbsp;

&quot;Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea&#39;s latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world,&quot; the White House said in an account of a crisis call between Trump and Moon.

Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang&#39;s launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the US, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang's launch

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In warned Tuesday that Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch posed a "grave" global threat. "Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world," the White House said in an account of a crisis call between Trump and Moon. Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang's launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea missile test 'grave threat' to 'entire world': Trump, Moon

Trump&nbsp;called a Democratic rival &quot;Pocahantas&quot; while hosting Native Americans veterans at the White House Monday.&nbsp;

The Native Americans had been &quot;wind talkers&quot; -- Navajo Indians who helped keep Allied operations secret during World War II.&nbsp;

&quot;You were here long before any of us were here,&quot; Trump said to one of them.

&quot;Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas,&quot; he added.

Trump has continuously referred to Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren as &quot;Pocahontas&quot;.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders disagreed that Trump&#39;s remark was a racial slur and said that Warren&#39;s lies about her ancestry were the offensive part.

Warren has spoken about her mother&#39;s Native American ancestry and has been a political thorn in Trump&#39;s side.

&quot;I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career,&quot; Sanders told reporters.

Trump and the veterans, as they spoke, had been standing beneath a portrait of controversial President Andrew Jackson -- who ordered the forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands, causing thousands to die.

Trump has continuously referred to Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, who has spoken about her mother's Native American ancestry, as 'Pocahontas'

Trump called a Democratic rival "Pocahantas" while hosting Native Americans veterans at the White House Monday. The Native Americans had been "wind talkers" -- Navajo Indians who helped keep Allied operations secret during World War II. "You were here long before any of us were here," Trump said to one of them. "Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas," he added. Trump has continuously referred to Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas". White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders disagreed that Trump's remark was a racial slur and said that Warren's lies about her ancestry were the offensive part. Warren has spoken about her mother's Native American ancestry and has been a political thorn in Trump's side. "I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career," Sanders told reporters. Trump and the veterans, as they spoke, had been standing beneath a portrait of controversial President Andrew Jackson -- who ordered the forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands, causing thousands to die.

Trump cracks Pocahontas 'joke' while hosting Native American veterans

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/after-bagging-quickest-300-test-wickets-ravichandran-ashwin-now-eyes-to-double-the-record-25268" target="_blank">After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes &#39;super 600&#39;</a>

As&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-india-two-wickets-away-from-crushing-win-against-sri-lanka-25236" target="_blank">India beat Sri Lanka</a>&nbsp;by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/ashwin-breaks-record-as-india-crush-sri-lanka-in-2nd-test-25259" target="_blank">spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history</a>&nbsp;by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee&#39;s who held the record previously.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-announces-his-engagement-to-actress-meghan-markle-25254" target="_blank">Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle</a>

It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry&#39;s father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/12-afghan-soldiers-killed-in-attack-by-taliban-25258" target="_blank">12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban</a>

Twelve Afghan&nbsp;soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a&nbsp;roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-in-india-mum-about-working-conditions-of-employees-25249" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees</a>

The American president&#39;s daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-nia-submits-100-page-report-on-hadiya-25262" target="_blank">Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39;: I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court</a>

The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be&nbsp;taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case&nbsp;has been postponed the next hearing for&nbsp;the third week of January.&nbsp;

After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes 'super 600' As India beat Sri Lanka by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee's who held the record previously. Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry's father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday. 12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban Twelve Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack. Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees The American president's daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power. Kerala 'love jihad': I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case has been postponed the next hearing for the third week of January.

WION Evening News Brief, November 27

Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has &quot;blood on his hands&quot;, and wants to bring extremism into the mainstream politics of Pakistan, a former top American spymaster said on Saturday.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan yesterday.

&quot;Saeed is a terrorist. Worked with the LeT, a Kashmiri militant group, and al-Qaida on attacks,&quot; Michael Morell, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deputy director, who has also served twice as its acting director, said in a tweet.

Saeed, in his late 60s, was under house arrest for 297 days since January.

The fire-brand cleric&#39;s release after&nbsp;midnight&nbsp;came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.

A deeply concerned US has asked the Pakistan government to re-arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. It also asked Pakistan to ensure that the LeT leader is behind bars.

&quot;NO! JuD is NOT tied to Islamic State. What a rookie... Seriously. Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Release Completes the Political Mainstreaming of Jihadists in Pakistan,&quot; tweeted Christine Fair, a well-known South Asian expert on terrorist groups.

NBC news said Saeed&#39;s release could once again sour US relations with Pakistan.

The New York Times said, for decades, Pakistan has cast a benign eye on groups like LeT which is perceived as an asset because its attacks target Indian soldiers in Kashmir even as the government battles jihadist groups like the Pakistan Taliban that directly threatens the country.

&quot;But despite its pressure on Pakistan to move against militants like Saeed, the United States has also sent mixed messages. Just a month ago, the United States Senate struck down a provision tying American government funding to Pakistan to the country&#39;s efforts to curb Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s operations.

&quot;The provision, part of a broader Pentagon-funding legislation that Congress introduced this past summer, would have forced the secretary of defence to certify that Islamabad was thwarting Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s activities inside Pakistan or risk $350 million in American assistance,&quot; the Times wrote.

Meanwhile, in an op-ed, The Washington Examiner said the Trump administration &quot;should work with India&quot; to &quot;capture or kill&quot; Saeed.

&quot;Trump should call Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and offer to work with him to capture or kill Saeed,&quot; the daily said, adding that Saeed intends to lead a new Muslim theocratic political bloc in next year&#39;s parliamentary polls.

&quot;Although Pakistan&#39;s electoral commission has refused to certify the bloc, Saeed&#39;s populist power should not be understated. Charismatic and determined, if left unchecked in his political party or terrorist activities, Saeed could destabilise the region,&quot; the daily added.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack.

Additionally, an expert on terrorist group, said, 'Hafiz Saeed's release completes the political mainstreaming of jihadists in Pakistan'

Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has "blood on his hands", and wants to bring extremism into the mainstream politics of Pakistan, a former top American spymaster said on Saturday. The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan yesterday. "Saeed is a terrorist. Worked with the LeT, a Kashmiri militant group, and al-Qaida on attacks," Michael Morell, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deputy director, who has also served twice as its acting director, said in a tweet. Saeed, in his late 60s, was under house arrest for 297 days since January. The fire-brand cleric's release after midnight came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. A deeply concerned US has asked the Pakistan government to re-arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. It also asked Pakistan to ensure that the LeT leader is behind bars. "NO! JuD is NOT tied to Islamic State. What a rookie... Seriously. Hafiz Saeed's Release Completes the Political Mainstreaming of Jihadists in Pakistan," tweeted Christine Fair, a well-known South Asian expert on terrorist groups. NBC news said Saeed's release could once again sour US relations with Pakistan. The New York Times said, for decades, Pakistan has cast a benign eye on groups like LeT which is perceived as an asset because its attacks target Indian soldiers in Kashmir even as the government battles jihadist groups like the Pakistan Taliban that directly threatens the country. "But despite its pressure on Pakistan to move against militants like Saeed, the United States has also sent mixed messages. Just a month ago, the United States Senate struck down a provision tying American government funding to Pakistan to the country's efforts to curb Lashkar-e-Taiba's operations. "The provision, part of a broader Pentagon-funding legislation that Congress introduced this past summer, would have forced the secretary of defence to certify that Islamabad was thwarting Lashkar-e-Taiba's activities inside Pakistan or risk $350 million in American assistance," the Times wrote. Meanwhile, in an op-ed, The Washington Examiner said the Trump administration "should work with India" to "capture or kill" Saeed. "Trump should call Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and offer to work with him to capture or kill Saeed," the daily said, adding that Saeed intends to lead a new Muslim theocratic political bloc in next year's parliamentary polls. "Although Pakistan's electoral commission has refused to certify the bloc, Saeed's populist power should not be understated. Charismatic and determined, if left unchecked in his political party or terrorist activities, Saeed could destabilise the region," the daily added. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack.

Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills related to the Russia investigation and will no longer cover the costs using political donations to his re-election campaign or the Republican Party, his attorneys confirmed on Friday.

Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee, the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party &quot;even.&quot; The RNC confirmed it is no longer paying the bills.

The expenses cover personal lawyers representing Trump in special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in last year&#39;s election. Moscow has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion.

The investigation has hounded Trump&#39;s presidency. Mueller already has secured an indictment of Trump&#39;s former campaign chief and another aide, while a third former adviser pleaded guilty.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has offered shifting accounts of his Russia contacts while he was a campaign adviser, including with Moscow&#39;s former ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, and his knowledge of contacts between the campaign and Russian intermediaries.

But Sessions made light of the investigation during a speech on Friday before a conservative lawyers&#39; group.

&quot;Is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? Before I get started here, any Russians?&quot; Sessions said, prompting applause and laughter from the crowd at the Federalist Society event. &quot;Anybody been to Russia? Got a cousin in Russia or something?&quot;

Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said the administration was working with others to establish a legal fund for current and former staffers. Dowd said White House counsel Don McGahn and campaign lawyer Ben Ginsberg of Jones Day are working to structure that fund, which would be subject to rules that prohibit staff from receiving gifts or pro bono legal service.

The president is exempt from those rules, Dowd said.

&quot;The geniuses are working on it,&quot; Dowd said. &quot;If it passes muster with the tax lawyers and accountants, then it has to pass muster with the Office of Government Ethics.&quot;

During former President Bill Clinton&#39;s administration, private funds were raised to cover Clinton&#39;s legal expenses related to the Whitewater investigation. Under former President George W. Bush, a legal fund was set up to help former Bush staffer Lewis &quot;Scooter&quot; Libby, but only after he had left White House employment.

In August, Reuters first reported that the RNC was paying Trump&#39;s legal bills, which amounted to more than $230,000 that month. The payments were made to Trump&#39;s outside legal team, which includes Dowd.

Additionally, Trump&#39;s re-election campaign paid more than $300,000 this year in bills to lawyers representing his son, Donald Trump Jr., according to public disclosures. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether it will continue to pay for Trump Jr&#39;s legal expenses.

The Federal Election Commission allows use of private campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from being a candidate or elected official.

While previous presidential campaigns have used these funds to pay for routine legal matters such as ballot access disputes and compliance requirements, Trump is the first president in the modern campaign finance era to use such funds on the costs of responding to a criminal probe, said election law experts.

Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee, the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even." The RNC confirmed it is no longer paying the bills.

US President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills related to the Russia investigation and will no longer cover the costs using political donations to his re-election campaign or the Republican Party, his attorneys confirmed on Friday. Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee, the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even." The RNC confirmed it is no longer paying the bills. The expenses cover personal lawyers representing Trump in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in last year's election. Moscow has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion. The investigation has hounded Trump's presidency. Mueller already has secured an indictment of Trump's former campaign chief and another aide, while a third former adviser pleaded guilty. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has offered shifting accounts of his Russia contacts while he was a campaign adviser, including with Moscow's former ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, and his knowledge of contacts between the campaign and Russian intermediaries. But Sessions made light of the investigation during a speech on Friday before a conservative lawyers' group. "Is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? Before I get started here, any Russians?" Sessions said, prompting applause and laughter from the crowd at the Federalist Society event. "Anybody been to Russia? Got a cousin in Russia or something?" Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said the administration was working with others to establish a legal fund for current and former staffers. Dowd said White House counsel Don McGahn and campaign lawyer Ben Ginsberg of Jones Day are working to structure that fund, which would be subject to rules that prohibit staff from receiving gifts or pro bono legal service. The president is exempt from those rules, Dowd said. "The geniuses are working on it," Dowd said. "If it passes muster with the tax lawyers and accountants, then it has to pass muster with the Office of Government Ethics." During former President Bill Clinton's administration, private funds were raised to cover Clinton's legal expenses related to the Whitewater investigation. Under former President George W. Bush, a legal fund was set up to help former Bush staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby, but only after he had left White House employment. In August, Reuters first reported that the RNC was paying Trump's legal bills, which amounted to more than $230,000 that month. The payments were made to Trump's outside legal team, which includes Dowd. Additionally, Trump's re-election campaign paid more than $300,000 this year in bills to lawyers representing his son, Donald Trump Jr., according to public disclosures. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether it will continue to pay for Trump Jr's legal expenses. The Federal Election Commission allows use of private campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from being a candidate or elected official. While previous presidential campaigns have used these funds to pay for routine legal matters such as ballot access disputes and compliance requirements, Trump is the first president in the modern campaign finance era to use such funds on the costs of responding to a criminal probe, said election law experts.

Trump starts paying his own legal bills on Russia probe: Attorneys

Cards against humanity, a popular card game largely known for its inappropriate responses to questions, has purchased a section of land the along the Mexican-American border in order to stop Donald Trump from building the border wall.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cards Against Humanity is said to be a &ldquo;party game for horrible people&rdquo; where &ldquo;one player asks a question from a black card&rdquo; and other players choose amusing and inappropriate responses from the white cards.

The founders of the game have launched a special website called &#39;Card Against Humanity Saves America&#39; which gives all the details about a &#39;holiday promotion&#39;, asking people to spend 15 USD for which they will be given &#39;an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of our promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises&#39;.&nbsp;

Then it introduces this campaign saying - &quot;It&rsquo;s 2017, and the government is being run by a toilet. We have no choice: Cards Against Humanity is going to save America.&quot;

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Cards Against Humanity claims that the government is being run by a toilet. (Others)
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&quot;There&rsquo;s no time for questions&mdash;now is the time to act. You give us $15, and we&rsquo;ll send six America-saving surprises right to your doorstep. It will be fun, it will be weird, and if you voted for Trump, you might want to sit this one out.&quot;

&quot;Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a twenty-billion-dollar wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing. So we&rsquo;ve purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built.&quot;

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For just $15, the game promises an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises, all of which will arrive during the month of December (Others)
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The website mentions that &#39;if one had voted for trump, they must consider sitting this one out&#39;.

In their new anti-Trump antic, they have informed that they will only let 150,000 participate in saving the United States from &ldquo;injustice, lies, racism, the whole enchilada&rdquo;.

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They answered a number of questions, trying to mock the president. (Others)
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Cards against humanity, a popular card game largely known for its inappropriate responses. (Others)
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Trump had pledged to bill a 700-mile huge wall along the border which was estimated to cost $18billion, but internal DHS investigators estimate the cost to be nearly $21billion.&nbsp;

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The government is being run by a toilet. We have no choice... we are going to save America and attempt to keep our brand relevant in 2017 
 
Join in and for $15 we&rsquo;ll send you six America-saving surprises this December: <a href="https://t.co/o1BFmokO9W">https://t.co/o1BFmokO9W</a>
&mdash; CardsAgainstHumanity (@CAH) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAH/status/930484721909460992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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They have purchased a section of land the along the Mexican-American border in order to stop Donald Trump from building the border wall.?

Cards against humanity, a popular card game largely known for its inappropriate responses to questions, has purchased a section of land the along the Mexican-American border in order to stop Donald Trump from building the border wall. Cards Against Humanity is said to be a “party game for horrible people” where “one player asks a question from a black card” and other players choose amusing and inappropriate responses from the white cards. The founders of the game have launched a special website called 'Card Against Humanity Saves America' which gives all the details about a 'holiday promotion', asking people to spend 15 USD for which they will be given 'an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of our promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises'. Then it introduces this campaign saying - "It’s 2017, and the government is being run by a toilet. We have no choice: Cards Against Humanity is going to save America." Cards Against Humanity claims that the government is being run by a toilet. (Others) × "There’s no time for questions—now is the time to act. You give us $15, and we’ll send six America-saving surprises right to your doorstep. It will be fun, it will be weird, and if you voted for Trump, you might want to sit this one out." "Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a twenty-billion-dollar wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing. So we’ve purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built." For just $15, the game promises an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises, all of which will arrive during the month of December (Others) × The website mentions that 'if one had voted for trump, they must consider sitting this one out'. In their new anti-Trump antic, they have informed that they will only let 150,000 participate in saving the United States from “injustice, lies, racism, the whole enchilada”. They answered a number of questions, trying to mock the president. (Others) × Cards against humanity, a popular card game largely known for its inappropriate responses. (Others) × Trump had pledged to bill a 700-mile huge wall along the border which was estimated to cost $18billion, but internal DHS investigators estimate the cost to be nearly $21billion. The government is being run by a toilet. We have no choice... we are going to save America and attempt to keep our brand relevant in 2017 Join in and for $15 we’ll send you six America-saving surprises this December: https://t.co/o1BFmokO9W — CardsAgainstHumanity (@CAH) November 14, 2017 ×

Trump's border wall: 'Cards Against Humanity' buys land on Mexican border

It seems like United States President, Donald Trump has mixed his updates on California and Texas mass shootings and tweeted about the wrong incident.&nbsp;

A gunman opened fire on a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-opens-fire-in-california-school-4-killed-24235">local elementary school</a> in rural Rancho Tehama near Sacramento in California killing at least four people, on Wednesday.

But, Trump wrote about the Texas shooting where an armed man opened fire inside a church, killing around 25 people and wounding about 20 in the deadliest shooting in history for Texas which happened on November 5.&nbsp;

Trump has offered condolences to the wrong shooting on Wednesday&nbsp;in a Tweet which read &ldquo;May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI and Law Enforcement has arrived&quot;&nbsp;

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May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI and Law Enforcement has arrived.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/930655291569524736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Naturally, people on Twitter soon picked up the mistake and trolled the situation.&nbsp;

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Trump just tweeted about the wrong mass shooting... <a href="https://t.co/tfgXp1TTMh">pic.twitter.com/tfgXp1TTMh</a>
&mdash; Rantt News (@RanttNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/RanttNews/status/930656835606073344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Did u just copy &amp; paste this &amp; forget to change the city?
&mdash; Name cannot be blank (@cadillaccannon) <a href="https://twitter.com/cadillaccannon/status/930660154768535556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Just now? They&#39;re nine days late.
&mdash; Jason (@OMJason) <a href="https://twitter.com/OMJason/status/930655635779309568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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sigh...don&#39;t you get tired of being this dumb? Like I&#39;m exhausted for you.
&mdash; Youse A BIGLY Bum (@kelleent) <a href="https://twitter.com/kelleent/status/930667520285081600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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... a little late? <a href="https://t.co/3Am5gqHH3u">https://t.co/3Am5gqHH3u</a>
&mdash; Bryson (@Bryson_M) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bryson_M/status/930655535782694912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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getting your shootings mixed up, very presidential
&mdash; Bryson (@Bryson_M) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bryson_M/status/930657948228993025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Um. That was last week&#39;s tragedy. We had a new one today in Northern Califorina. 
You might want to ask your physician what &quot;sundowning&quot; means. Seriously.
&mdash; Peter Delacroix (@DocPeteyJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DocPeteyJ/status/930662416404439041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Nobody is better at uniting the nation during a time of crisis than President Trump!
&mdash; Jacob Wohl (@JacobAWohl) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobAWohl/status/930655580439511040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Trump offered condolences to the wrong shooting on Wednesday.

It seems like United States President, Donald Trump has mixed his updates on California and Texas mass shootings and tweeted about the wrong incident. A gunman opened fire on a local elementary school in rural Rancho Tehama near Sacramento in California killing at least four people, on Wednesday. But, Trump wrote about the Texas shooting where an armed man opened fire inside a church, killing around 25 people and wounding about 20 in the deadliest shooting in history for Texas which happened on November 5. Trump has offered condolences to the wrong shooting on Wednesday in a Tweet which read “May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI and Law Enforcement has arrived" May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI and Law Enforcement has arrived. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2017 × Naturally, people on Twitter soon picked up the mistake and trolled the situation. Trump just tweeted about the wrong mass shooting... pic.twitter.com/tfgXp1TTMh — Rantt News (@RanttNews) November 15, 2017 × Did u just copy & paste this & forget to change the city? — Name cannot be blank (@cadillaccannon) November 15, 2017 × Just now? They're nine days late. — Jason (@OMJason) November 15, 2017 × sigh...don't you get tired of being this dumb? Like I'm exhausted for you. — Youse A BIGLY Bum (@kelleent) November 15, 2017 × ... a little late? https://t.co/3Am5gqHH3u — Bryson (@Bryson_M) November 15, 2017 × getting your shootings mixed up, very presidential — Bryson (@Bryson_M) November 15, 2017 × Um. That was last week's tragedy. We had a new one today in Northern Califorina. You might want to ask your physician what "sundowning" means. Seriously. — Peter Delacroix (@DocPeteyJ) November 15, 2017 × Nobody is better at uniting the nation during a time of crisis than President Trump! — Jacob Wohl (@JacobAWohl) November 15, 2017 ×

Trump tweets about the wrong mass shooting, gets trolled

Global warming is likely to be slightly less severe than previously expected thanks to stronger climate policies by China and India that will offset less US&nbsp;action under President Donald Trump, a study showed on Wednesday.

But average world temperatures are still on track to rise far above the key goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting warming to &quot;well below&quot; two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, it said.

The Carbon Action Tracker (CAT) report, by three independent European research groups, said current policies meant the world was headed for a warming of 3.4 degrees Celsius (6.1 Fahrenheit) by 2100, down from 3.6 degrees (6.5) it predicted a year ago.

&quot;This is the first time since the CAT began tracking action in 2009 that policies at a national level have visibly reduced its end of century temperature estimate,&quot; it said.

China was on track to over-achieve its pledge under the Paris Agreement to peak its carbon emissions by 2030, it said. And India was also making progress to limit a surge in emissions driven by more coal use.

A rise of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4F) in global average temperatures could cause loss of tropical coral reefs, Alpine glaciers, Arctic summer sea ice and perhaps an irreversible melt of Greenland&#39;s ice that would drive up world sea levels, a UN&nbsp;science panel says.

&quot;It is clear who the leaders are here: in the face of US&nbsp;inaction, China and India are stepping up,&quot; said Bill Hare of Climate Analytics, one of the research groups.

Trump, who doubts that climate change is primarily caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, said in June that he would instead focus on promoting jobs in the US&nbsp;fossil fuel industry. 
 
Hare told Reuters that it was too early to say that global emissions were peaking.

&quot;While China India&#39;s emissions growth has slowed, they are still growing,&quot; especially in India, he said. &quot;The most fundamental step to halt the global emissions growth now is for coal plants to be phased out in many countries.&quot;

On Monday, another report said that man-made carbon dioxide emissions were on target to rise by 2 percent in 2017, dashing hopes that they had peaked. The main driver was a 3.5 percent rise by China in 2017.

&nbsp;

Global warming is likely to be slightly less severe than previously expected

Global warming is likely to be slightly less severe than previously expected thanks to stronger climate policies by China and India that will offset less US action under President Donald Trump, a study showed on Wednesday. But average world temperatures are still on track to rise far above the key goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, it said. The Carbon Action Tracker (CAT) report, by three independent European research groups, said current policies meant the world was headed for a warming of 3.4 degrees Celsius (6.1 Fahrenheit) by 2100, down from 3.6 degrees (6.5) it predicted a year ago. "This is the first time since the CAT began tracking action in 2009 that policies at a national level have visibly reduced its end of century temperature estimate," it said. China was on track to over-achieve its pledge under the Paris Agreement to peak its carbon emissions by 2030, it said. And India was also making progress to limit a surge in emissions driven by more coal use. A rise of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4F) in global average temperatures could cause loss of tropical coral reefs, Alpine glaciers, Arctic summer sea ice and perhaps an irreversible melt of Greenland's ice that would drive up world sea levels, a UN science panel says. "It is clear who the leaders are here: in the face of US inaction, China and India are stepping up," said Bill Hare of Climate Analytics, one of the research groups. Trump, who doubts that climate change is primarily caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, said in June that he would instead focus on promoting jobs in the US fossil fuel industry. Hare told Reuters that it was too early to say that global emissions were peaking. "While China India's emissions growth has slowed, they are still growing," especially in India, he said. "The most fundamental step to halt the global emissions growth now is for coal plants to be phased out in many countries." On Monday, another report said that man-made carbon dioxide emissions were on target to rise by 2 percent in 2017, dashing hopes that they had peaked. The main driver was a 3.5 percent rise by China in 2017.

Climate policies by India, China to offset less US action: Study

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