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

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

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

Trump lands in Riyadh on first leg of foreign tour

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

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

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

US, Saudi Arabia agree arms deal worth $110 billion

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

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

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

Iran irate as US slaps fresh nuclear missile sanctions

Former Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman has emerged as the front-runner to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Politico and CNN reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Lieberman, who President Donald Trump interviewed on Wednesday, was the vice presidential running mate when Democrat Al Gore ran for the White House in 2000. A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey.

(Reuters)

A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey

Former Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman has emerged as the front-runner to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Politico and CNN reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. Lieberman, who President Donald Trump interviewed on Wednesday, was the vice presidential running mate when Democrat Al Gore ran for the White House in 2000. A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey. (Reuters)

Former senator Lieberman is front-runner for FBI post: Politico, CNN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Putin open to revealing Trump-Lavrov 'intel exchange'

U.S. President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to end the agency&#39;s investigation into ties between former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia, according to a source who has seen a memo written by Comey.

The explosive new development on Tuesday followed a week of tumult at the White House after Trump fired Comey and then discussed sensitive national security information about Islamic State with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Comey memo, first reported by the New York Times, caused alarm on Capitol Hill and raised questions about whether Trump tried to interfere with a federal investigation.

The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was &quot;not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey.&quot;

Comey wrote the memo after he met in the Oval Office with Trump, the day after the Republican president fired Flynn on Feb. 14 for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations last year with Russia&#39;s ambassador, Sergei Kislyak.

&ldquo;I hope you can let this go,&rdquo; Trump told Comey, according to a source familiar with the contents of the memo.

The New York Times said that during the Oval Office meeting, Trump condemned a series of government leaks to the news media and said the FBI director should consider prosecuting reporters for publishing classified information.

Coming the day after charges that Trump disclosed sensitive information to the Russians last week, the new disclosure further rattled members of Congress.

&quot;The memo is powerful evidence of obstruction of justice and certainly merits immediate and prompt investigation by an independent special prosecutor,&quot; said Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to see the memo.

Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of a House of Representatives oversight committee, said his committee &quot;is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready.&quot;

LEGAL QUESTIONS

Legal experts took a dim view of Trump&#39;s comments, as quoted in the memo.

&quot;For the president to tell the FBI to end a potential criminal investigation, that&#39;s obstruction of justice,&quot; said Erwin Chereminsky, a constitutional law professor and dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law. &quot;This is what caused President Nixon to resign from office.&quot;

But the experts said intent was a critical element of an obstruction of justice charge, and the president&rsquo;s words could be subject to interpretation and possibly put into the context of other actions, like Comey&rsquo;s termination.

The fact that the president apparently said he &ldquo;hoped&rdquo; Comey would end the Flynn investigation rather than more directly ordering it &ldquo;makes for a weaker but still viable case,&rdquo; said Christopher Slobogin, a criminal law professor at Vanderbilt University Law School.

Flynn&#39;s resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks earlier that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Kislyak before Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Kislyak was with Lavrov at the White House when Trump disclosed the sensitive information.

A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on the details of the memo.

An emailed fundraising appeal by Trump&#39;s political organisation and the Republican National Committee sent out after reports of the Comey memo said Trump was being victimized by an &quot;unelected bureaucracy.&quot;

&quot;You already knew the media was out to get us,&quot; it said. &quot;But sadly it&rsquo;s not just the fake news&hellip; There are people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire &#39;America First&#39; movement.&quot;

The new development came as Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressured Trump to give a fuller explanation for why he revealed sensitive intelligence information to Lavrov.

The information had been supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group, the officials said.

(Reuters)

The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was 'not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr Comey'

U.S. President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into ties between former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia, according to a source who has seen a memo written by Comey. The explosive new development on Tuesday followed a week of tumult at the White House after Trump fired Comey and then discussed sensitive national security information about Islamic State with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Comey memo, first reported by the New York Times, caused alarm on Capitol Hill and raised questions about whether Trump tried to interfere with a federal investigation. The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was "not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey." Comey wrote the memo after he met in the Oval Office with Trump, the day after the Republican president fired Flynn on Feb. 14 for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations last year with Russia's ambassador, Sergei Kislyak. “I hope you can let this go,” Trump told Comey, according to a source familiar with the contents of the memo. The New York Times said that during the Oval Office meeting, Trump condemned a series of government leaks to the news media and said the FBI director should consider prosecuting reporters for publishing classified information. Coming the day after charges that Trump disclosed sensitive information to the Russians last week, the new disclosure further rattled members of Congress. "The memo is powerful evidence of obstruction of justice and certainly merits immediate and prompt investigation by an independent special prosecutor," said Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to see the memo. Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of a House of Representatives oversight committee, said his committee "is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready." LEGAL QUESTIONS Legal experts took a dim view of Trump's comments, as quoted in the memo. "For the president to tell the FBI to end a potential criminal investigation, that's obstruction of justice," said Erwin Chereminsky, a constitutional law professor and dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law. "This is what caused President Nixon to resign from office." But the experts said intent was a critical element of an obstruction of justice charge, and the president’s words could be subject to interpretation and possibly put into the context of other actions, like Comey’s termination. The fact that the president apparently said he “hoped” Comey would end the Flynn investigation rather than more directly ordering it “makes for a weaker but still viable case,” said Christopher Slobogin, a criminal law professor at Vanderbilt University Law School. Flynn's resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks earlier that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Kislyak before Trump took office on Jan. 20. Kislyak was with Lavrov at the White House when Trump disclosed the sensitive information. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on the details of the memo. An emailed fundraising appeal by Trump's political organisation and the Republican National Committee sent out after reports of the Comey memo said Trump was being victimized by an "unelected bureaucracy." "You already knew the media was out to get us," it said. "But sadly it’s not just the fake news… There are people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire 'America First' movement." The new development came as Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressured Trump to give a fuller explanation for why he revealed sensitive intelligence information to Lavrov. The information had been supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group, the officials said. (Reuters)

Trump asked Comey to end Flynn probe: New York Times

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday.

Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey&#39;s southeast since 1984.

There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month.

The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces &quot;as necessary to ensure a clear victory&quot; in Raqqa, Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group&#39;s attacks against the West.

&quot;We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey,&quot; Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump&#39;s defence secretary, Jim Mattis.

&quot;We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally.&quot;

The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment.

The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey&#39;s Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say.

Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey.

&quot;Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we&#39;re going to sort it out and we&#39;ll figure out how we&#39;re going to do it,&quot; Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen.

Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year.

But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained.

White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: &quot;The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US&nbsp;and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future.&quot;

Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG&#39;s political affiliate, said the US decision was expected.

&quot;The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It&#39;s natural that they would provide weapons&quot; to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said.

In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq&#39;s Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate.

The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG&#39;s advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria&#39;s territorial integrity.

Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse.

&quot;But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn&#39;t give you all good options. That&#39;s the nature of war. It&#39;s not a good situation,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The Pentagon sees arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa.

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month. The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group's attacks against the West. "We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump's defence secretary, Jim Mattis. "We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally." The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF. One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment. The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey's Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say. Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey. "Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we're going to sort it out and we'll figure out how we're going to do it," Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen. Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year. But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained. White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: "The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future." Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG's political affiliate, said the US decision was expected. "The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It's natural that they would provide weapons" to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said. In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq's Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate. The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG's advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria's territorial integrity. Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse. "But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn't give you all good options. That's the nature of war. It's not a good situation," he said. (Reuters)

US to arm Syrian Kurds battling Islamic State, despite Turkish opposition

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexican border, and from around the world, will come together next month in a symphonic protest over President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for a wall to restrict immigration.

The crowd-funded June 3 show, announced Monday by the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, will take place in Friendship Park, which straddles the border between the Mexican city of Tijuana and San Diego in California.

&quot;It&#39;s not the only wall in the world. The list of walls around the world is really long,&quot; said Markus Rindt, organizer of the project dubbed &quot;Tear Down This Wall!&quot;&nbsp;

But &quot;nationalism is on the rise. And the (US-Mexico) wall is on people&#39;s minds.&quot;

Rindt, 50, was just a young man when Ronald Reagan in 1987 urged the then Soviet Union to &quot;Tear Down this Wall&quot; in Berlin -- the quote that inspired his project.

This time, Rindt will try to move minds with a combo featuring four Germans, a Swede, and two Latin Americans. Representing Mexico will be performers from Tijuana. US singer Coral MacFarland from San Diego is expected, he said.

Trump made a border wall with Mexico one of his leading campaign themes, claiming criminals and drug traffickers were flooding over the southern US border, and that Mexico should pay for the new wall.

Mexico has so far steadfastly refused, and Trump has yet to secure any of the billions of dollars in congressional funding needed to start his flagship project.

(AFP)

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexico border will play at the crowd-funded concert on June 3

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexican border, and from around the world, will come together next month in a symphonic protest over President Donald Trump's plan for a wall to restrict immigration. The crowd-funded June 3 show, announced Monday by the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, will take place in Friendship Park, which straddles the border between the Mexican city of Tijuana and San Diego in California. "It's not the only wall in the world. The list of walls around the world is really long," said Markus Rindt, organizer of the project dubbed "Tear Down This Wall!" But "nationalism is on the rise. And the (US-Mexico) wall is on people's minds." Rindt, 50, was just a young man when Ronald Reagan in 1987 urged the then Soviet Union to "Tear Down this Wall" in Berlin -- the quote that inspired his project. This time, Rindt will try to move minds with a combo featuring four Germans, a Swede, and two Latin Americans. Representing Mexico will be performers from Tijuana. US singer Coral MacFarland from San Diego is expected, he said. Trump made a border wall with Mexico one of his leading campaign themes, claiming criminals and drug traffickers were flooding over the southern US border, and that Mexico should pay for the new wall. Mexico has so far steadfastly refused, and Trump has yet to secure any of the billions of dollars in congressional funding needed to start his flagship project. (AFP)

'Tear Down this Wall!' border concert to defy Trump

Former US &nbsp;President Barack Obama warned then-President-elect Donald Trump not to give the post of national security adviser in his administration to Michael Flynn who was eventually fired in a controversy about ties to Russia, a former Obama aide said.&nbsp;

Obama gave the warning in a one-hour Oval Office meeting with Trump two days after the Republican&#39;s surprise Nov. 8 election win.

The warning, first reported by NBC News, came up during a discussion of White House personnel.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer, responding to the reports, told a news briefing: &quot;It&#39;s true that the president, President Obama, made it known that he wasn&#39;t exactly a fan of General Flynn&#39;s which frankly shouldn&#39;t come as a surprise to anyone, given that General Flynn had worked for President Obama, was an outspoken critic of President Obama&#39;s shortcomings, specifically as it related to his lack of strategy confronting ISIS and other threats.&quot;

An Obama spokesman initially declined to comment.&nbsp;

Flynn has emerged as a central figure in probes into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible collusion between Trump&#39;s campaign and Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly denied any such meddling.&nbsp;

He had been pushed out by Obama in 2014 from his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, during the Democratic president&#39;s term in office.

Trump dismissed Flynn after less than a month as his national security adviser.

A former US &nbsp;deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, was appearing at a hearing of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Monday.

She was expected to tell the panel that she had warned the White House counsel after Trump took office that Flynn had not told the truth about conversations he had held with Russia&#39;s ambassador to Washington.

James Clapper, Obama&#39;s former Director of National Intelligence, was testifying to the panel before Yates.

Senator Lindsey Graham, the subcommittee&rsquo;s Republican chairman, said in opening the hearing on Monday that the issue of interference in the election should not be partisan.

&quot;When a foreign party interferes in our election, it doesn&#39;t matter who they targeted. We&#39;re all in the same boat,&quot; Graham told the panel.

Trump fired Yates in late January after she defied the White House and refused to defend travel restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority countries, a policy that Trump has said would help protect Americans from ISIS, the Islamic State group that has claimed responsibility for attacks in several countries.

Trump fired Flynn, a retired general, in February for failing to disclose talks with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak about US &nbsp;sanctions on Moscow and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.&nbsp;

Congressional committees began investigating after US &nbsp;intelligence agencies concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of Democratic political groups to try to sway the election toward Trump.

The agencies said Russia was behind &quot;fake news&quot; reports that were disseminated on social media.

Trump has also dismissed the allegations, suggesting instead that Obama might have wiretapped Trump Tower in New York or that China may have been behind the cyber attacks.

Trump has provided no evidence and neither scenario has been supported by intelligence agencies.

Hours before Monday&#39;As Senate hearing,Trump insinuated that Yates, an Obama administration appointment, had leaked information on Flynn to the media.

&quot;Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W H Council,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter, apparently mis-spelling the word counsel.

In another Twitter post, Trump noted that Flynn had been granted top security clearance while working in the Obama administration.&nbsp;

Flynn was fired from the DIA in 2014 for what officials familiar with the issue said was a disruptive management style that included instructing analysts to find intelligence substantiating improbable theories that some subordinates came to call &quot;Flynn facts.&quot;

He also advocated an overhaul of the DIA that ignited resistance from veteran intelligence officials, the officials said.&nbsp;

The Senate Judiciary subcommittee probe is one of three main congressional investigations of Russia and the 2016 US &nbsp;election. The FBI and US &nbsp; intelligence agencies are conducting separate probes.

(Reuters)

Obama gave the warning in a one-hour Oval Office meeting with Trump two days after the Republican's surprise Nov 8 election win

Former US President Barack Obama warned then-President-elect Donald Trump not to give the post of national security adviser in his administration to Michael Flynn who was eventually fired in a controversy about ties to Russia, a former Obama aide said. Obama gave the warning in a one-hour Oval Office meeting with Trump two days after the Republican's surprise Nov. 8 election win. The warning, first reported by NBC News, came up during a discussion of White House personnel. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, responding to the reports, told a news briefing: "It's true that the president, President Obama, made it known that he wasn't exactly a fan of General Flynn's which frankly shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, given that General Flynn had worked for President Obama, was an outspoken critic of President Obama's shortcomings, specifically as it related to his lack of strategy confronting ISIS and other threats." An Obama spokesman initially declined to comment. Flynn has emerged as a central figure in probes into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied any such meddling. He had been pushed out by Obama in 2014 from his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, during the Democratic president's term in office. Trump dismissed Flynn after less than a month as his national security adviser. A former US deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, was appearing at a hearing of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Monday. She was expected to tell the panel that she had warned the White House counsel after Trump took office that Flynn had not told the truth about conversations he had held with Russia's ambassador to Washington. James Clapper, Obama's former Director of National Intelligence, was testifying to the panel before Yates. Senator Lindsey Graham, the subcommittee’s Republican chairman, said in opening the hearing on Monday that the issue of interference in the election should not be partisan. "When a foreign party interferes in our election, it doesn't matter who they targeted. We're all in the same boat," Graham told the panel. Trump fired Yates in late January after she defied the White House and refused to defend travel restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority countries, a policy that Trump has said would help protect Americans from ISIS, the Islamic State group that has claimed responsibility for attacks in several countries. Trump fired Flynn, a retired general, in February for failing to disclose talks with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak about US sanctions on Moscow and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. Congressional committees began investigating after US intelligence agencies concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of Democratic political groups to try to sway the election toward Trump. The agencies said Russia was behind "fake news" reports that were disseminated on social media. Trump has also dismissed the allegations, suggesting instead that Obama might have wiretapped Trump Tower in New York or that China may have been behind the cyber attacks. Trump has provided no evidence and neither scenario has been supported by intelligence agencies. Hours before Monday'As Senate hearing,Trump insinuated that Yates, an Obama administration appointment, had leaked information on Flynn to the media. "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W H Council," Trump wrote on Twitter, apparently mis-spelling the word counsel. In another Twitter post, Trump noted that Flynn had been granted top security clearance while working in the Obama administration. Flynn was fired from the DIA in 2014 for what officials familiar with the issue said was a disruptive management style that included instructing analysts to find intelligence substantiating improbable theories that some subordinates came to call "Flynn facts." He also advocated an overhaul of the DIA that ignited resistance from veteran intelligence officials, the officials said. The Senate Judiciary subcommittee probe is one of three main congressional investigations of Russia and the 2016 US election. The FBI and US intelligence agencies are conducting separate probes. (Reuters)

Obama warned Trump about Flynn: Ex-Obama aide

The White House was warned in January that Donald Trump&#39;s national security advisor Michael Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail, a top former official told lawmakers Monday, as the issue of the president&#39;s ties to Moscow returned to the spotlight.

Trump hit back by dismissing suggestions that his team colluded with Russia as a &quot;hoax,&quot; and calling the congressional investigations into Russia&#39;s interference in the US election a taxpayer-funded &quot;charade.&quot;

Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, a Barack Obama appointee sacked by Trump early in his presidency, took the stand alongside former director of national intelligence James Clapper during Monday&#39;s hotly-anticipated three-hour hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Yates confirmed reports that she had told the White House, six days into Trump&#39;s administration, that Flynn, a former military intelligence chief, had not been honest with Vice President Mike Pence about his discussions with the Russian ambassador to Washington, leaving him vulnerable to leverage from Moscow.

It nevertheless took 18 days before the president, pressed by Pence and others, dismissed the retired army lieutenant general, who had advised him on security issues throughout the 2016 presidential campaign.

&quot;We believed that General Flynn was compromised with respect to the Russians,&quot; Yates told the hearing in her first public comments on the scandal which has dogged the opening months of Trump&#39;s presidency.

&quot;This was a problem because not only did we believe that the Russians knew this but that they likely had proof of this information. And that created a compromise situation, a situation where the national security advisor essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians.&quot;

Yates, who was fired on January 30 after defying Trump over his contested travel ban, did not say what Flynn discussed with ambassador Sergey Kislyak in a number of December 2016 phone calls, which were secretly monitored by US intelligence.

Pence said in January that Flynn denied those calls involved sanctions placed on Russia by the Obama administration in response to its election meddling.

Obama warned Trump 
Trump has repeatedly branded the issue of Russian interference &quot;fake news&quot; despite the US intelligence community&#39;s conclusion that President Vladimir Putin himself was behind the meddling.

In a series of tweets Monday evening, Trump doubled down on that stance.

&quot;The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?&quot; fumed one post, while in a second the president targeted Yates -- claiming she had &quot;said nothing but old news!&quot; after earlier assailing her for allegedly leaking classified information.

Known as a tough and independent prosecutor, Yates has been a target of Trump&#39;s ire since her refusal in January to support his controversial immigration ban on nationals from several Muslim-majority nations -- for which he fired her.

Yates&#39; comments came after former Obama officials revealed that the outgoing president himself firmly warned Trump against naming Flynn as national security advisor, just two days after the November 8 election.

Obama had cautioned against Flynn, whom he fired in 2014 as head of the defense intelligence agency, due to his poor record in administration and personnel management.

In separate testimony Monday, Clapper called Russia&#39;s interference in last year&#39;s election &quot;a clarion call for vigilance and action against a threat to the very foundations of our democratic political system.&quot;

&quot;I believe they&#39;re now emboldened to continue such activities in the future, both here and around the world, and to do so even more intensely,&quot; he said.

The dual testimony by Yates and Clapper returned the spotlight to the simmering controversy over Russia&#39;s meddling in last year&#39;s US election.&nbsp;

Probes by several congressional committees into Russian election meddling have been bogged down for weeks amid accusations by Democrats that Republicans have stalled progress to protect the White House.

(AFP)

Flynn, the former national security adviser, was asked to go after just 23 days in the job

The White House was warned in January that Donald Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail, a top former official told lawmakers Monday, as the issue of the president's ties to Moscow returned to the spotlight. Trump hit back by dismissing suggestions that his team colluded with Russia as a "hoax," and calling the congressional investigations into Russia's interference in the US election a taxpayer-funded "charade." Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, a Barack Obama appointee sacked by Trump early in his presidency, took the stand alongside former director of national intelligence James Clapper during Monday's hotly-anticipated three-hour hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Yates confirmed reports that she had told the White House, six days into Trump's administration, that Flynn, a former military intelligence chief, had not been honest with Vice President Mike Pence about his discussions with the Russian ambassador to Washington, leaving him vulnerable to leverage from Moscow. It nevertheless took 18 days before the president, pressed by Pence and others, dismissed the retired army lieutenant general, who had advised him on security issues throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. "We believed that General Flynn was compromised with respect to the Russians," Yates told the hearing in her first public comments on the scandal which has dogged the opening months of Trump's presidency. "This was a problem because not only did we believe that the Russians knew this but that they likely had proof of this information. And that created a compromise situation, a situation where the national security advisor essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians." Yates, who was fired on January 30 after defying Trump over his contested travel ban, did not say what Flynn discussed with ambassador Sergey Kislyak in a number of December 2016 phone calls, which were secretly monitored by US intelligence. Pence said in January that Flynn denied those calls involved sanctions placed on Russia by the Obama administration in response to its election meddling. Obama warned Trump Trump has repeatedly branded the issue of Russian interference "fake news" despite the US intelligence community's conclusion that President Vladimir Putin himself was behind the meddling. In a series of tweets Monday evening, Trump doubled down on that stance. "The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?" fumed one post, while in a second the president targeted Yates -- claiming she had "said nothing but old news!" after earlier assailing her for allegedly leaking classified information. Known as a tough and independent prosecutor, Yates has been a target of Trump's ire since her refusal in January to support his controversial immigration ban on nationals from several Muslim-majority nations -- for which he fired her. Yates' comments came after former Obama officials revealed that the outgoing president himself firmly warned Trump against naming Flynn as national security advisor, just two days after the November 8 election. Obama had cautioned against Flynn, whom he fired in 2014 as head of the defense intelligence agency, due to his poor record in administration and personnel management. In separate testimony Monday, Clapper called Russia's interference in last year's election "a clarion call for vigilance and action against a threat to the very foundations of our democratic political system." "I believe they're now emboldened to continue such activities in the future, both here and around the world, and to do so even more intensely," he said. The dual testimony by Yates and Clapper returned the spotlight to the simmering controversy over Russia's meddling in last year's US election. Probes by several congressional committees into Russian election meddling have been bogged down for weeks amid accusations by Democrats that Republicans have stalled progress to protect the White House. (AFP)

White House was warned about Flynn in January: Yates

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

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

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

North Korea arrests another US citizens amid tensions in flashpoint region

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US House tightens sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea

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

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

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

Trump announces trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican

President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to work to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations.

In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Palestinian leaders to &ldquo;speak in a unified voice against incitement&rdquo; to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a longstanding bedrock of US policy.

&quot;We will get this done,&rdquo; Trump told Abbas during a joint appearance at the White House, saying he was prepared to act a mediator, facilitator or arbitrator between the two sides.

Abbas quickly reasserted the goal of a Palestinian state as vital to any rejuvenated peace process, reiterating that it must have its capital in Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security.

Trump faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Abbas, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process.

Abbas&rsquo; White House talks follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with the Republican president&#39;s predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama.

Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of a Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel has been the position of successive US&nbsp;administrations and the international community

The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the &ldquo;ultimate deal&rdquo; of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is between the Israelis and the Palestinian,&rdquo; Trump said on Wednesday. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see if we can prove them wrong.&rdquo;

But he offered no new policy prescriptions.

Low Expectations

Abbas, speaking through a translator, told Trump that under &ldquo;your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiations ability,&rdquo; the Palestinians would be partners seeking a &ldquo;historic peace treaty.&rdquo;

The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014.

Abbas said, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land&rdquo; - a reference to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Reaffirming his commitment to a two-state solution, he called on Israel to recognize Palestinian statehood just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel.

Though expectations are low for significant progress, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit the right-wing Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit.

Questions have been raised about Trump&rsquo;s choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trump&rsquo;s longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy.

The administration seeks to enlist Israel&#39;s Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi&#39;ite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking.

Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, was under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Jewish settlement expansion on land Israel occupied in 1967 which Palestinians want for a state.

Trump&rsquo;s pro-Israel rhetoric during the 2016 election campaign raised concern among Palestinians about whether their leaders will get a fair hearing.

Trump&rsquo;s promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The US president, however, offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations

President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to work to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations. In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Palestinian leaders to “speak in a unified voice against incitement” to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a longstanding bedrock of US policy. "We will get this done,” Trump told Abbas during a joint appearance at the White House, saying he was prepared to act a mediator, facilitator or arbitrator between the two sides. Abbas quickly reasserted the goal of a Palestinian state as vital to any rejuvenated peace process, reiterating that it must have its capital in Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security. Trump faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Abbas, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process. Abbas’ White House talks follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with the Republican president's predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of a Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel has been the position of successive US administrations and the international community The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the “ultimate deal” of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors. “I’ve always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is between the Israelis and the Palestinian,” Trump said on Wednesday. “Let’s see if we can prove them wrong.” But he offered no new policy prescriptions. Low Expectations Abbas, speaking through a translator, told Trump that under “your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiations ability,” the Palestinians would be partners seeking a “historic peace treaty.” The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014. Abbas said, “it’s about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land” - a reference to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Reaffirming his commitment to a two-state solution, he called on Israel to recognize Palestinian statehood just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel. Though expectations are low for significant progress, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit the right-wing Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Questions have been raised about Trump’s choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trump’s longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy. The administration seeks to enlist Israel's Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi'ite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking. Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, was under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Jewish settlement expansion on land Israel occupied in 1967 which Palestinians want for a state. Trump’s pro-Israel rhetoric during the 2016 election campaign raised concern among Palestinians about whether their leaders will get a fair hearing. Trump’s promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. (Reuters)

In first meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, Trump vows to broker Israeli-Palestinian peace

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syria&#39;s civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a &quot;very good call&quot; Tuesday.

The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps.

&quot;President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence,&quot; the White House said.

Trump aides also said &quot;the conversation was a very good one&quot; that included &quot;discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones&quot; in Syria &quot;to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons.&quot;

The White House said the two leaders also spoke about &quot;how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea.&quot;

And the Kremlin added that both men were &quot;in favour&quot; of meeting at a G-20 summit in Germany this July.

That meeting is sure to be closely watched in the United States, where Trump has come under sustained criticism over his campaign&#39;s ties to Russia and his praise of Putin.

US intelligence agencies believe that Putin approved of a wide-ranging campaign to tilt the 2016 election in Trump&#39;s favour, prompting US sanctions imposed by former president Barack Obama.

The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the campaign and Moscow.

Trump has been muted in his criticism, but tensions between the White House and the Kremlin have resurfaced after the suspected use of the chemical agent sarin against civilians prompted Trump to strike a Syrian regime airbase also used by Russia.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the call -- which he sat in on -- was &quot;very productive&quot; with &quot;a lot of detailed exchanges.&quot;

&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ll see where we go from here.&quot;

No details were given about the possible safe zones, which have long been discussed, but faltered as Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime and assorted groups of rebels, Kurds, Iranian-backed militias, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighters have kept-up a bloody war that has killed an estimated half million people.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, said &quot;the emphasis was put on the potential for coordination of actions by the United States and Russia in the fight against terrorism.&quot;

The State Department earlier announced that it would send a junior minister to Russian-backed peace talks in Astana later this week. 
 
(AFP)

The two presidents agreed that all parties must do all they can to end the violence in Syria

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syria's civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a "very good call" Tuesday. The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. Trump aides also said "the conversation was a very good one" that included "discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones" in Syria "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons." The White House said the two leaders also spoke about "how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea." And the Kremlin added that both men were "in favour" of meeting at a G-20 summit in Germany this July. That meeting is sure to be closely watched in the United States, where Trump has come under sustained criticism over his campaign's ties to Russia and his praise of Putin. US intelligence agencies believe that Putin approved of a wide-ranging campaign to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favour, prompting US sanctions imposed by former president Barack Obama. The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the campaign and Moscow. Trump has been muted in his criticism, but tensions between the White House and the Kremlin have resurfaced after the suspected use of the chemical agent sarin against civilians prompted Trump to strike a Syrian regime airbase also used by Russia. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the call -- which he sat in on -- was "very productive" with "a lot of detailed exchanges." "We'll see where we go from here." No details were given about the possible safe zones, which have long been discussed, but faltered as Bashar al-Assad's regime and assorted groups of rebels, Kurds, Iranian-backed militias, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighters have kept-up a bloody war that has killed an estimated half million people. The Kremlin, meanwhile, said "the emphasis was put on the potential for coordination of actions by the United States and Russia in the fight against terrorism." The State Department earlier announced that it would send a junior minister to Russian-backed peace talks in Astana later this week. (AFP)

Trump, Putin discuss face-to-face meeting, Syria peace zones in 'very good call'

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Monday dropped its longstanding call for Israel&#39;s destruction, but said it still rejected the country&#39;s right to exist and backs &quot;armed struggle&quot; against it.

In a policy document presented in Doha by its leader Khaled Meshaal, Hamas also said it would end its association with the Muslim Brotherhood, a move apparently aimed at improving ties with Gulf Arab states and Egypt, which view the Brotherhood as a terrorist group.

Israel responded to the announcement by accusing Hamas of trying to &quot;fool the world&quot;, while the group&#39;s main Palestinian political rival, the Fatah faction of President Mahmoud Abbas, also reacted coolly to the policy shift.

The publication of the policy document comes two days before Abbas is due to visit Washington, and days after President Donald Trump told Reuters he may travel to Israel this month and sees no reason why there should not be peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

&quot;We don&#39;t want to dilute our principles but we want to be open. We hope this (document) will mark a change in the stance of European states towards us,&quot; Meshaal told reporters.

Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said in the document it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within the borders of 1967, when Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in a war with Arab states. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

&quot;Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine but is ready to support the state on 1967 borders without recognising Israel or ceding any rights,&quot; said Meshaal, in a shift that brings Hamas more into line with the position of Fatah.

&quot;Terror Tunnels&quot;

Israel said the document aimed to deceive the world that Hamas was becoming more moderate.

&quot;Hamas is attempting to fool the world but it will not succeed,&quot; said David Keyes, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. &quot;They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians. This is the real Hamas.&quot;

Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Egyptian Islamist movement, Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2007 and has carried out hundreds of armed attacks in Israel and in Israeli-occupied territories.

Many Western countries classify Hamas as a terrorist group over its failure to renounce violence, recognise Israel&#39;s right to exist and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

Meshaal said Hamas&#39;s fight was not against Judaism as a religion but against what he called &quot;aggressor Zionists&quot;.

Fatah spokesman Osama al-Qawasme upbraided Hamas for taking decades to join Fatah in accepting a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, a position Hamas used to criticise Fatah for.

&quot;Hamas&#39;s new document is identical to that taken by Fatah in 1988. Hamas is required to make an apology to Fatah after 30 years of accusing us of treason for that policy,&quot; Qawasme said.

It remained unclear whether the document replaces Hamas&#39;s 1988 charter, which calls for Israel&rsquo;s destruction. Meshaal said the document would &quot;guide Hamas&#39;s daily political activity&quot;.

Abbas&#39;s Palestinian Authority has engaged in peace talks with Israel on the basis of seeking a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, although the last, US-mediated round collapsed three years ago.

There was no immediate comment on Monday from Egypt and Gulf Arab states to the Hamas document.

&quot;For Hamas ... it&#39;s a signal of their desire to align with conservative Sunni elements in the region and create some immunity (from Saudi pressure),&quot; said Beverley Milton-Edwards, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Centre and author of a book on Hamas.

But while the document could strengthen Hamas&#39;s position in the Palestinian Territories and the Middle East, she said, it was unlikely to lead &quot;to any definitive swing in opinion in the group&#39;s favour in the United States or even Europe.&quot;

Meshaal said Hamas remained part of the Muslim Brotherhood&#39;s &quot;intellectual school&quot; but was &quot;an independent Palestinian organisation&quot;.

US-allied Arab states including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia classify the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. The 89-year-old Brotherhood held power in Egypt for a year after a popular uprising in 2011, but was then removed by the army after mass street protests.

The Brotherhood denies links with Islamist militants and advocates Islamist political parties winning power through elections, which Saudi Arabia considers a threat to its system of absolute power through inherited rule.

(Reuters)

Hamas dropped its longstanding call for Israel's destruction

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Monday dropped its longstanding call for Israel's destruction, but said it still rejected the country's right to exist and backs "armed struggle" against it. In a policy document presented in Doha by its leader Khaled Meshaal, Hamas also said it would end its association with the Muslim Brotherhood, a move apparently aimed at improving ties with Gulf Arab states and Egypt, which view the Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Israel responded to the announcement by accusing Hamas of trying to "fool the world", while the group's main Palestinian political rival, the Fatah faction of President Mahmoud Abbas, also reacted coolly to the policy shift. The publication of the policy document comes two days before Abbas is due to visit Washington, and days after President Donald Trump told Reuters he may travel to Israel this month and sees no reason why there should not be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "We don't want to dilute our principles but we want to be open. We hope this (document) will mark a change in the stance of European states towards us," Meshaal told reporters. Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said in the document it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within the borders of 1967, when Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in a war with Arab states. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. "Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine but is ready to support the state on 1967 borders without recognising Israel or ceding any rights," said Meshaal, in a shift that brings Hamas more into line with the position of Fatah. "Terror Tunnels" Israel said the document aimed to deceive the world that Hamas was becoming more moderate. "Hamas is attempting to fool the world but it will not succeed," said David Keyes, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians. This is the real Hamas." Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Egyptian Islamist movement, Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2007 and has carried out hundreds of armed attacks in Israel and in Israeli-occupied territories. Many Western countries classify Hamas as a terrorist group over its failure to renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements. Meshaal said Hamas's fight was not against Judaism as a religion but against what he called "aggressor Zionists". Fatah spokesman Osama al-Qawasme upbraided Hamas for taking decades to join Fatah in accepting a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, a position Hamas used to criticise Fatah for. "Hamas's new document is identical to that taken by Fatah in 1988. Hamas is required to make an apology to Fatah after 30 years of accusing us of treason for that policy," Qawasme said. It remained unclear whether the document replaces Hamas's 1988 charter, which calls for Israel’s destruction. Meshaal said the document would "guide Hamas's daily political activity". Abbas's Palestinian Authority has engaged in peace talks with Israel on the basis of seeking a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, although the last, US-mediated round collapsed three years ago. There was no immediate comment on Monday from Egypt and Gulf Arab states to the Hamas document. "For Hamas ... it's a signal of their desire to align with conservative Sunni elements in the region and create some immunity (from Saudi pressure)," said Beverley Milton-Edwards, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Centre and author of a book on Hamas. But while the document could strengthen Hamas's position in the Palestinian Territories and the Middle East, she said, it was unlikely to lead "to any definitive swing in opinion in the group's favour in the United States or even Europe." Meshaal said Hamas remained part of the Muslim Brotherhood's "intellectual school" but was "an independent Palestinian organisation". US-allied Arab states including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia classify the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. The 89-year-old Brotherhood held power in Egypt for a year after a popular uprising in 2011, but was then removed by the army after mass street protests. The Brotherhood denies links with Islamist militants and advocates Islamist political parties winning power through elections, which Saudi Arabia considers a threat to its system of absolute power through inherited rule. (Reuters)

Hamas softens stance on Israel ahead of Mahmoud Abbas's meeting with Trump

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

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

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

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

US President Donald Trump said he would be &quot;honored&quot; to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialing back threats of military action against the regime Monday. 
 
As Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further enflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, Trump appeared to offer the prospect of a diplomatic off-ramp. 
 
&quot;If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it,&quot; Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. 
 
&quot;If it`s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that,&quot; Trump said. 
 
In recent weeks Trump has threatened and berated the regime, fearing it may be months away from marrying nuclear and long range missile technology --- making a strike against the western United States possible.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s&nbsp;main gambit has been to encourage China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang -- a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. 
 
The Republican president has also said he is ready to act alone in the stand-off, however -- and on Monday signaled that this could involve face-to-face talks with Kim, who has yet to meet a foreign leader since taking power. 
 
In the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters across the region, North Korea warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test &quot;at any time and at any location&quot; set by its leadership. 
 
The regime will continue bolstering its &quot;preemptive nuclear attack&quot; capabilities unless Washington scraps its hostile policies, a spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. 
 
&quot;The DPRK&#39;s measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership,&quot; the spokesman added, apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North`s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.The North has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress toward its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States. 
 
It raises the tone of its warnings every spring, when Washington and Seoul carry out joint exercises it condemns as rehearsals for invasion. But this time fears of conflict have been fueled by a cycle of threats from both sides. 
 
The joint drills have just ended, but naval exercises are continuing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) with a US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. 
 
CIA director Mike Pompeo was in South Korea on Monday, the US embassy in Seoul confirmed, following reports of an unannounced visit as tensions mount on the peninsula. 
 
Pompeo`s visit coincided with news that the controversial US missile defense system known as THAAD -- whose deployment has angered China -- is now operational in South Korea. 
 
&quot;It has reached initial intercept capability,&quot; a US defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Seoul regularly warns that Pyongyang can carry out a test whenever it decides to do so. 
 
Pyongyang`s latest attempted show of force was a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed the UN Security Council to raise pressure on the North. 
 
Trump on Sunday repeated his determination to resolve the threat posed by North Korea, warning in a CBS interview: &quot;We cannot let what`s been going on for a long period of years continue.&quot; 
 
But the US leader also offered some backhanded praise for Kim, saying he had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father`s death in 2011. 
 
&quot;He`s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said on CBS`s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot; 
 
&quot;So obviously, he`s a pretty smart cookie,&quot; he said. 
 
That comment left the White House struggling to downplay Trump&#39;s&nbsp;apparent admiration. 
 
&quot;His point was he assumed power at a young age when his father passed away and there`s a lot of potential threats that could have come his way and he`s obviously managed to lead a country forward,&quot; said Press Secretary Sean Spicer. 
 
(AFP)

Rolling back threats of a military escalation, the US president said he would meet the North Korean leader if 'appropriate'

US President Donald Trump said he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialing back threats of military action against the regime Monday. As Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further enflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, Trump appeared to offer the prospect of a diplomatic off-ramp. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it," Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. "If it`s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that," Trump said. In recent weeks Trump has threatened and berated the regime, fearing it may be months away from marrying nuclear and long range missile technology --- making a strike against the western United States possible. Trump's main gambit has been to encourage China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang -- a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. The Republican president has also said he is ready to act alone in the stand-off, however -- and on Monday signaled that this could involve face-to-face talks with Kim, who has yet to meet a foreign leader since taking power. In the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters across the region, North Korea warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership. The regime will continue bolstering its "preemptive nuclear attack" capabilities unless Washington scraps its hostile policies, a spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. "The DPRK's measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership," the spokesman added, apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North`s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.The North has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress toward its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States. It raises the tone of its warnings every spring, when Washington and Seoul carry out joint exercises it condemns as rehearsals for invasion. But this time fears of conflict have been fueled by a cycle of threats from both sides. The joint drills have just ended, but naval exercises are continuing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) with a US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. CIA director Mike Pompeo was in South Korea on Monday, the US embassy in Seoul confirmed, following reports of an unannounced visit as tensions mount on the peninsula. Pompeo`s visit coincided with news that the controversial US missile defense system known as THAAD -- whose deployment has angered China -- is now operational in South Korea. "It has reached initial intercept capability," a US defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Seoul regularly warns that Pyongyang can carry out a test whenever it decides to do so. Pyongyang`s latest attempted show of force was a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed the UN Security Council to raise pressure on the North. Trump on Sunday repeated his determination to resolve the threat posed by North Korea, warning in a CBS interview: "We cannot let what`s been going on for a long period of years continue." But the US leader also offered some backhanded praise for Kim, saying he had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father`s death in 2011. "He`s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said on CBS`s "Face the Nation." "So obviously, he`s a pretty smart cookie," he said. That comment left the White House struggling to downplay Trump's apparent admiration. "His point was he assumed power at a young age when his father passed away and there`s a lot of potential threats that could have come his way and he`s obviously managed to lead a country forward," said Press Secretary Sean Spicer. (AFP)

Would be 'honoured' to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, says Trump

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him &quot;a pretty smart cookie&quot; in a television interview that aired Sunday.

Trump&#39;s almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim.

Trump said he had &quot;no idea&quot; whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father&#39;s death in 2011.

&quot;He&#39;s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said in the interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;

&quot;A lot of people, I&#39;m sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it.

&quot;So obviously, he&#39;s a pretty smart cookie,&quot; he said.

&quot;But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what&#39;s been going on for a long period of years continue,&quot; Trump added.

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead.

It&#39;s a&nbsp;chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test 
 
The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed.

Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure.

&quot;It is a chess game. I just don&#39;t want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can&#39;t allow it to happen.&quot;

Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang.

The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles.

On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called &quot;Foal Eagle,&quot; which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Betting on China 
 
If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, &quot;I would not be happy.&quot;

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past.

Since meeting with China&#39;s President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator.

&quot;I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade,&quot; he told CBS.

&quot;Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that&#39;s worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired Sunday. Trump's almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim. Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father's death in 2011. "He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said in the interview with CBS's "Face the Nation." "A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. "So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie," he said. "But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what's been going on for a long period of years continue," Trump added. North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead. It's a chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed. Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure. "It is a chess game. I just don't want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can't allow it to happen." Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang. The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles. On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called "Foal Eagle," which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Betting on China If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, "I would not be happy." "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. Since meeting with China's President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator. "I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade," he told CBS. "Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that's worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States," he said. (AFP)

Trump says North Korea's Kim is 'a pretty smart cookie'

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

The massive &quot;Foal Eagle&quot; drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Another annual joint exercise known as &quot;Key Resolve&quot; ended last month.

Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang&#39;s claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible &quot;major conflict&quot; while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise.

The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies&#39; capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week.

Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area.

China is &quot;putting pressure&quot; on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; programme.

If North Korea carries out another nuclear test &quot;I would not be happy,&quot; he said.

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

&#39;Catastrophic consequences&#39;&nbsp;

Pyongyang&#39;s show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme.

Military options for dealing with the North were still &quot;on the table&quot;, Tillerson said.

China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to &quot;bigger disasters&quot;.

Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea.

&quot;There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help,&quot; he said.

The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally&#39;s territory.

But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed.

Trump&#39;s interview remarks &quot;were made in a general context, reflecting the American public&#39;s hopes for (defense) cost sharing,&quot; McMaster was quoted as saying by the South&#39;s presidential office.

The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South.

Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance.

(AFP)

Tensions have deepened in the region as the North is reportedly preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response. The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Another annual joint exercise known as "Key Resolve" ended last month. Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang's claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion. Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile. US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible "major conflict" while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise. The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies' capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week. Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area. China is "putting pressure" on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme. If North Korea carries out another nuclear test "I would not be happy," he said. "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." 'Catastrophic consequences' Pyongyang's show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme. Military options for dealing with the North were still "on the table", Tillerson said. China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to "bigger disasters". Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea. "There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said. The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally's territory. But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed. Trump's interview remarks "were made in a general context, reflecting the American public's hopes for (defense) cost sharing," McMaster was quoted as saying by the South's presidential office. The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South. Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance. (AFP)

US, South Korea continue joint naval drills amid Pyongyang threats

South Korea said the United States had reaffirmed it would shoulder the cost of deploying the THAAD anti-missile&nbsp;system,&nbsp;days after President Donald Trump said Seoul should pay for the $1-billion battery designed to defend against North Korea.&nbsp; 
 
In a telephone call on Sunday, Trump&#39;s national security adviser,&nbsp;HR&nbsp;McMaster, reassured his South Korean counterpart, Kim Kwan-jin, that the US&nbsp;alliance with South Korea was its top priority in the Asia-Pacific region, the South&#39;s presidential office said. 
 
The conversation followed another North Korean missile test-launch on Saturday which Washington and Seoul said was unsuccessful, but which drew widespread international condemnation. 
 
Trump, asked about his message to North Korea after the latest missile test, told reporters: &quot;You&#39;ll soon find out&quot;, but did not elaborate on what the US&nbsp;response would be. 
 
Trump is stepping up outreach to allies in Asia to discuss the North Korean nuclear threat and make sure all are &quot;on the same page&quot; if action was needed, a top White House official said. The US&nbsp;president will discuss North Korea with the leaders of Thailand and Singapore on Sunday after speaking with the Philippines&#39;&nbsp;president on Saturday. 
 
&quot;There is nothing right now facing this country and facing the region that is a bigger threat than what is happening in North Korea,&quot; White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s comments in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that he wanted Seoul to pay for the THAAD deployment perplexed South Koreans and raised questions about his commitment to the two countries&#39;&nbsp;alliance. 
&nbsp; 
South Korean officials responded that the cost was for Washington to bear, under the bilateral agreement. 
 
&quot;National security adviser HR&nbsp;McMaster explained that the recent statements by President Trump were made in a general context, in line with the US&nbsp;public expectations on defence cost burden-sharing with allies,&quot; South Korea&#39;s Blue House said in a statement, adding that McMaster requested the call. 
 
Major elements of the advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system were moved into the planned site in Seonjgu, in the south of the country, this week. 
 
The deployment has drawn protests from China, which says the powerful radar which can penetrate its territory will undermine regional security, and from local residents worried they will be a target for North Korean missiles.&nbsp; 
 
About 300 residents rallied on Sunday as two US&nbsp;Army lorries tried to enter the THAAD deployment site. Video provided by villagers showed protesters blocking the road with a car and chanting slogans such as &quot;Don&rsquo;t lie to us! Go back to your country!&quot; 
 
Police said they had sent about 800 officers to the site and two residents were injured during clashes with them. 
 
South Korea and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles.&nbsp; 
 
Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the US&nbsp;commitment to South Korea&#39;s security but said on NBC that Trump would &quot;continue to call on the prosperous nations that the United States provides security and protection for to do more in their own defense.&quot; 
 
The United States is seeking more help from China, the North&#39;s major ally, to rein in Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development. Trump, in the Reuters interview, praised Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a &quot;good man&quot;. 
 
Tensions high 
 
The North has been conducting missile and nuclear weapons related activities at an unprecedented rate and is believed to have made progress in developing intermediate-range and submarine-launched missiles. 
 
Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks over fears the North may conduct a long-range missile test, or its sixth nuclear test, around the time of the April 15 anniversary of its state founder&#39;s birth. 
 
In excerpts of an interview with CBS News released on Saturday, Trump said the United States and China would &quot;not be happy&quot; with a nuclear test but gave no other details.&nbsp; 
 
Trump discussed the threat posed by North Korea in a telephone call with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, the White House said.&nbsp; 
 
In an address to a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday, Duterte urged the United States to show restraint after North Korea&#39;s latest missile test and to avoid playing into the hands of leader Kim Jong Un, who &quot;wants to end the world&quot;. 
 
Two-month long US-South Korean joint military drills were due to conclude on Sunday, US&nbsp;and South Korean officials said.&nbsp; 
 
The exercise, called Foal Eagle, was repeatedly denounced by North Korea, which saw it as a rehearsal for war. 
 
In a further show of force, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group arrived in waters near the Korean peninsula and began exercises with the South Korean navy late on Saturday. The South Korean navy declined to say when the exercises would be completed.&nbsp; 
 
The dispatch of the Carl Vinson was a &quot;reckless action of the war maniacs aimed at an extremely dangerous nuclear war,&quot; the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea`s ruling Workers&#39;&nbsp;Party, said in a commentary on Saturday. 
 
The carrier group has just completed drills with the Japanese navy.&nbsp; 
 
Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, in an apparent show of solidarity with Washington, has ordered the Izumo, Japan&#39;s biggest warship, to protect a US&nbsp;navy ship that might be going to help supply the USS Carl Vinson, the Asahi newspaper said. 
 
(Reuters)

The conversation followed another North Korean missile test-launch on Saturday which Washington and Seoul said was unsuccessful

South Korea said the United States had reaffirmed it would shoulder the cost of deploying the THAAD anti-missile system, days after President Donald Trump said Seoul should pay for the $1-billion battery designed to defend against North Korea. In a telephone call on Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, HR McMaster, reassured his South Korean counterpart, Kim Kwan-jin, that the US alliance with South Korea was its top priority in the Asia-Pacific region, the South's presidential office said. The conversation followed another North Korean missile test-launch on Saturday which Washington and Seoul said was unsuccessful, but which drew widespread international condemnation. Trump, asked about his message to North Korea after the latest missile test, told reporters: "You'll soon find out", but did not elaborate on what the US response would be. Trump is stepping up outreach to allies in Asia to discuss the North Korean nuclear threat and make sure all are "on the same page" if action was needed, a top White House official said. The US president will discuss North Korea with the leaders of Thailand and Singapore on Sunday after speaking with the Philippines' president on Saturday. "There is nothing right now facing this country and facing the region that is a bigger threat than what is happening in North Korea," White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told ABC's "This Week." Trump's comments in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that he wanted Seoul to pay for the THAAD deployment perplexed South Koreans and raised questions about his commitment to the two countries' alliance. South Korean officials responded that the cost was for Washington to bear, under the bilateral agreement. "National security adviser HR McMaster explained that the recent statements by President Trump were made in a general context, in line with the US public expectations on defence cost burden-sharing with allies," South Korea's Blue House said in a statement, adding that McMaster requested the call. Major elements of the advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system were moved into the planned site in Seonjgu, in the south of the country, this week. The deployment has drawn protests from China, which says the powerful radar which can penetrate its territory will undermine regional security, and from local residents worried they will be a target for North Korean missiles. About 300 residents rallied on Sunday as two US Army lorries tried to enter the THAAD deployment site. Video provided by villagers showed protesters blocking the road with a car and chanting slogans such as "Don’t lie to us! Go back to your country!" Police said they had sent about 800 officers to the site and two residents were injured during clashes with them. South Korea and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the US commitment to South Korea's security but said on NBC that Trump would "continue to call on the prosperous nations that the United States provides security and protection for to do more in their own defense." The United States is seeking more help from China, the North's major ally, to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development. Trump, in the Reuters interview, praised Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a "good man". Tensions high The North has been conducting missile and nuclear weapons related activities at an unprecedented rate and is believed to have made progress in developing intermediate-range and submarine-launched missiles. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks over fears the North may conduct a long-range missile test, or its sixth nuclear test, around the time of the April 15 anniversary of its state founder's birth. In excerpts of an interview with CBS News released on Saturday, Trump said the United States and China would "not be happy" with a nuclear test but gave no other details. Trump discussed the threat posed by North Korea in a telephone call with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, the White House said. In an address to a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday, Duterte urged the United States to show restraint after North Korea's latest missile test and to avoid playing into the hands of leader Kim Jong Un, who "wants to end the world". Two-month long US-South Korean joint military drills were due to conclude on Sunday, US and South Korean officials said. The exercise, called Foal Eagle, was repeatedly denounced by North Korea, which saw it as a rehearsal for war. In a further show of force, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group arrived in waters near the Korean peninsula and began exercises with the South Korean navy late on Saturday. The South Korean navy declined to say when the exercises would be completed. The dispatch of the Carl Vinson was a "reckless action of the war maniacs aimed at an extremely dangerous nuclear war," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea`s ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary on Saturday. The carrier group has just completed drills with the Japanese navy. Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, in an apparent show of solidarity with Washington, has ordered the Izumo, Japan's biggest warship, to protect a US navy ship that might be going to help supply the USS Carl Vinson, the Asahi newspaper said. (Reuters)

US has reaffirmed will pay for THAAD missile costs, says South Korea

He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is.

President Donald Trump on Thursday reflected on his first 100 days in office with a wistful look at his life before the White House.

&quot;I loved my previous life. I had so many things going,&quot; Trump told Reuters in an interview. &quot;This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.&quot;

A wealthy businessman from New York, Trump assumed public office for the first time when he entered the White House on Jan. 20 after he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an upset.

More than five months after his victory and two days shy of the 100-day mark of his presidency, the election is still on Trump&#39;s mind. Midway through a discussion about Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president paused to hand out copies of what he said were the latest figures from the 2016 electoral map.

&quot;Here, you can take that, that&#39;s the final map of the numbers,&quot; the Republican president said from his desk in the Oval Office, handing out maps of the United States with areas he won marked in red. &quot;It&rsquo;s pretty good, right? The red is obviously us.&quot;

He had copies for each of the three Reuters reporters in the room.

Trump, who said he was accustomed to not having privacy in his &quot;old life,&quot; expressed surprise at how little he had now. And he made clear he was still getting used to having 24-hour Secret Service protection and its accompanying constraints.

&quot;You&#39;re really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can&#39;t go anywhere,&quot; he said.

When the president leaves the White House, it is usually in a limousine or an SUV.

He said he missed being behind the wheel himself.

&quot;I like to drive,&quot; he said. &quot;I can&#39;t drive any more.&quot;

Many things about Trump have not changed from the wheeler-dealer executive and former celebrity reality show host who ran his empire from the 26th floor of Trump Tower in New York and worked the phones incessantly.

He frequently turns to outside friends and former business colleagues for advice and positive reinforcement. Senior aides say they are resigned to it.

The president has been at loggerheads with many news organizations since his election campaign and decided not to attend the White House Correspondents&#39; Dinner in Washington on Saturday because he felt he had been treated unfairly by the media.

&quot;I would come next year, absolutely,&quot; Trump said when asked whether he would attend in the future.

The dinner is organized by the White House Correspondents&#39; Association. Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason is its president.&nbsp;

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

'This is more work than in my previous life,' he said

He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is. President Donald Trump on Thursday reflected on his first 100 days in office with a wistful look at his life before the White House. "I loved my previous life. I had so many things going," Trump told Reuters in an interview. "This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier." A wealthy businessman from New York, Trump assumed public office for the first time when he entered the White House on Jan. 20 after he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an upset. More than five months after his victory and two days shy of the 100-day mark of his presidency, the election is still on Trump's mind. Midway through a discussion about Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president paused to hand out copies of what he said were the latest figures from the 2016 electoral map. "Here, you can take that, that's the final map of the numbers," the Republican president said from his desk in the Oval Office, handing out maps of the United States with areas he won marked in red. "It’s pretty good, right? The red is obviously us." He had copies for each of the three Reuters reporters in the room. Trump, who said he was accustomed to not having privacy in his "old life," expressed surprise at how little he had now. And he made clear he was still getting used to having 24-hour Secret Service protection and its accompanying constraints. "You're really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can't go anywhere," he said. When the president leaves the White House, it is usually in a limousine or an SUV. He said he missed being behind the wheel himself. "I like to drive," he said. "I can't drive any more." Many things about Trump have not changed from the wheeler-dealer executive and former celebrity reality show host who ran his empire from the 26th floor of Trump Tower in New York and worked the phones incessantly. He frequently turns to outside friends and former business colleagues for advice and positive reinforcement. Senior aides say they are resigned to it. The president has been at loggerheads with many news organizations since his election campaign and decided not to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday because he felt he had been treated unfairly by the media. "I would come next year, absolutely," Trump said when asked whether he would attend in the future. The dinner is organized by the White House Correspondents' Association. Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason is its president. (Reuters)

Trump says he thought being president would be easier

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;to his senses&quot;.

The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington&#39;s tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme.

After briefing senators at the White House, a&nbsp;statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to &quot;dismantle&quot; North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by &quot;tightening economic sanctions&quot;.

Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the &quot;international community to incrcease pressure&quot; on North Korea and convice them to &quot;return to the path of dialogue&quot;.

Reiterating its statement that &quot;all options were on the table&quot;, the statement further said: &quot;We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees.&quot;

The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea&#39;s intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed.

The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime.&nbsp;

But if China&#39;s efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution.

THAAD trouble

The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region.

THAAD&#39;s deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure.

Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD.

They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

North&#39;s defiance

North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might.

Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the&nbsp;founding anniversary of its military.

The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

While a military solution remains an option, the US first wants to impose tough economic sanctions to deter North Korea from its nuclear programme

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un "to his senses". The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington's tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme. After briefing senators at the White House, a statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump's desire to "dismantle" North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by "tightening economic sanctions". Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the "international community to incrcease pressure" on North Korea and convice them to "return to the path of dialogue". Reiterating its statement that "all options were on the table", the statement further said: "We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees." The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea's intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed. The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime. But if China's efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution. THAAD trouble The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning. But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure. Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD. They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. North's defiance North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might. Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the founding anniversary of its military. The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US wants to ramp up North Korea sanctions to bring Kim 'to his senses'

The Donald Trump administration has proposed to dramatically slash corporate tax rates to spur economic growth and boost job&nbsp;creation, the White House said, a move that will also benefit the president&#39;s own company.

Dubbing it as the largest-ever tax reforms in US history, the White House said the rate of corporation tax would be lowered from 35 per cent to 15 per cent.

Gary Cohn, the chief economic advisor to US President Donald Trump, and Steven Mnuchin, the treasure secretary, also announced that they would simplify tax declaration for individuals.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The administration wants to cut the number of income tax brackets from seven to three (10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent).

&quot;We are going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we&#39;re going to cut taxes for the American people especially low- and middle-income families,&quot; said Cohn, who heads the new National Economic Council.

Cohn also underlined the need to overhaul the tax system to make US corporates more competitive.

The proposed reforms were unveiled to the media in a one-page, bullet-pointed outline.

When asked questions about the fine print of their plan, White House said: &quot;We will let you know the details at the appropriate time.&quot;

Cohn and Mnuchin maintained that the &quot;once-in-a-lifetime&quot; reforms were all about &quot;creating job and economic growth&quot; when they were asked by the media about how the cut in corporate taxes would benefit Trump personally.

Rich-friendly reforms?

Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade.

They also dispute White House expectations that the tax cuts will boost economic growth and bring in enough revenues to offset the cost. That assumption is unrealistic, they say.

Guardian quoted critics as saying that the proposed big bang is a figleaf and &quot;basically a huge tax cut for the rich&quot;.

They believe that the potential burgeoning of the fiscal deficit would result in fall in the standard of living.

Some sections of the media have also pointed out that the new tax plan is opaque and lacks clarity.

The White House officials did not provide sufficient&nbsp;details on how the tax cuts would be paid for at a time when Congress is riven by concerns over US debt and deficit spending.

Simplified declarations&nbsp;

For individuals, the reform promises to simplify tax declaration by, among other things, reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three, at 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent.

The standard tax-free deduction would be doubled, a change Cohn said would amount to &quot;a zero tax rate&quot; on a married couple&#39;s first $24,000 in annual income.

The proposal also calls for eliminating a 3.8 per cent tax on investment income used to help meet costs under for President Barack Obama&#39;s health care program, and the Alternative Minimum Tax, paid by people and companies who enjoy large deductions on standard income tax.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Analysts believe the dramatic lowering of top corporate rate could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years

The Donald Trump administration has proposed to dramatically slash corporate tax rates to spur economic growth and boost job creation, the White House said, a move that will also benefit the president's own company. Dubbing it as the largest-ever tax reforms in US history, the White House said the rate of corporation tax would be lowered from 35 per cent to 15 per cent. Gary Cohn, the chief economic advisor to US President Donald Trump, and Steven Mnuchin, the treasure secretary, also announced that they would simplify tax declaration for individuals. Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade. × The administration wants to cut the number of income tax brackets from seven to three (10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent). "We are going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we're going to cut taxes for the American people especially low- and middle-income families," said Cohn, who heads the new National Economic Council. Cohn also underlined the need to overhaul the tax system to make US corporates more competitive. The proposed reforms were unveiled to the media in a one-page, bullet-pointed outline. When asked questions about the fine print of their plan, White House said: "We will let you know the details at the appropriate time." Cohn and Mnuchin maintained that the "once-in-a-lifetime" reforms were all about "creating job and economic growth" when they were asked by the media about how the cut in corporate taxes would benefit Trump personally. Rich-friendly reforms? Analysts say cutting the top corporate rate to 15 per cent could add more than $2 trillion to the deficit over a decade. They also dispute White House expectations that the tax cuts will boost economic growth and bring in enough revenues to offset the cost. That assumption is unrealistic, they say. Guardian quoted critics as saying that the proposed big bang is a figleaf and "basically a huge tax cut for the rich". They believe that the potential burgeoning of the fiscal deficit would result in fall in the standard of living. Some sections of the media have also pointed out that the new tax plan is opaque and lacks clarity. The White House officials did not provide sufficient details on how the tax cuts would be paid for at a time when Congress is riven by concerns over US debt and deficit spending. Simplified declarations For individuals, the reform promises to simplify tax declaration by, among other things, reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three, at 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent. The standard tax-free deduction would be doubled, a change Cohn said would amount to "a zero tax rate" on a married couple's first $24,000 in annual income. The proposal also calls for eliminating a 3.8 per cent tax on investment income used to help meet costs under for President Barack Obama's health care program, and the Alternative Minimum Tax, paid by people and companies who enjoy large deductions on standard income tax. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump proposes slashing corporate, individual tax rate to spur economy

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington&#39;s relations with North Korea remains on a&nbsp;knife edge.

Yonhap, South Korea&#39;s largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme.

North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang.

The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

Controversial THAAD

Although THAAD will ease South Korea&#39;s security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor.

Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US&#39; presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests.

China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea&#39;s decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing.

In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to &quot;military and intelligence agencies&quot; have &quot;launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea&#39;s government, military and a big conglomerate&quot;, according to a report in the Journal.

Local unrest

The deployment has also raised concerns among locals.

Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region&#39;s golf courses.

The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them.

They also cite environmental concerns.

On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions.

US offensive

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s behaviour.

But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for &quot;restraint&quot; regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump.

US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The THAAD arrived in the South as North Korea continues with its ballistic missile programme

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington's relations with North Korea remains on a knife edge. Yonhap, South Korea's largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning. The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme. North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test. South Korea's defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017. South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang. The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Controversial THAAD Although THAAD will ease South Korea's security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor. Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US' presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests. China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea's decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing. In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to "military and intelligence agencies" have "launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea's government, military and a big conglomerate", according to a report in the Journal. Local unrest The deployment has also raised concerns among locals. Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region's golf courses. The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them. They also cite environmental concerns. On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions. US offensive The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific. Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang's behaviour. But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for "restraint" regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump. US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US' missile defence interceptor arrives in South Korea to counter North's threat

US President Donald Trump on Monday asked France&#39;s envoy to the United Nations about the French presidential elections following a first round of voting at the weekend.

Trump took Ambassador Francois Delattre aside during a meeting of UN Security Council envoys to Washington to ask about the vote that sets up a run-off next month between pro-Europe candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

&quot;He asked me about the elections in France,&quot; Delattre told AFP. &quot;I gave him a review of the situation and put things in perspective.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump last week had expressed support for Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, saying that she was the &quot;strongest on borders&quot; and the &quot;strongest on what&#39;s been going on in France.&quot;

On Monday, French President Francois Hollande urged voters to back Macron, who topped Sunday&#39;s first-round voting with 24 per cent, compared to 21 per cent for Le Pen.

Security Council ambassadors held a working lunch with Trump and meetings in the Oval Office as part of the US presidency of the council in April.

Trump signaled that he was ready to work with the United Nations if the world body shows that it can reform and become more responsive to global crises.

The United States is the biggest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core budget and 28.5 percent of the $7.9 billion peacekeeping budget.

During his election campaign, Trump dismissed the United Nations as &quot;just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Trump last week had expressed support for Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, saying that she was the 'strongest on borders'

US President Donald Trump on Monday asked France's envoy to the United Nations about the French presidential elections following a first round of voting at the weekend. Trump took Ambassador Francois Delattre aside during a meeting of UN Security Council envoys to Washington to ask about the vote that sets up a run-off next month between pro-Europe candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. "He asked me about the elections in France," Delattre told AFP. "I gave him a review of the situation and put things in perspective." Trump last week had expressed support for Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, saying that she was the "strongest on borders" and the "strongest on what's been going on in France." On Monday, French President Francois Hollande urged voters to back Macron, who topped Sunday's first-round voting with 24 per cent, compared to 21 per cent for Le Pen. Security Council ambassadors held a working lunch with Trump and meetings in the Oval Office as part of the US presidency of the council in April. Trump signaled that he was ready to work with the United Nations if the world body shows that it can reform and become more responsive to global crises. The United States is the biggest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 percent of the $5.4 billion core budget and 28.5 percent of the $7.9 billion peacekeeping budget. During his election campaign, Trump dismissed the United Nations as "just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time." (AFP)

Trump asks French UN envoy about elections

A US&nbsp;State Department website on Monday took down an article it published this month about President Donald Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort which had prompted criticism from prominent ethics experts that the piece represented use of public office for private gain.

The original article was posted on April 4 on the &quot;Share America&quot; website, overseen by the State Department&#39;s Bureau of International Information Programs. It was also shared on the websites and social media pages of several US embassies, including those in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Albania, as well as the State Department&#39;s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

Although it was posted weeks ago, the article surfaced on Monday when it was shared widely on social media.

The State Department removed the article&#39;s content around 7 pm&nbsp;on Monday, replacing it with a short statement saying its intention &quot;was to inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post.&quot;

The article described the history of Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and its size, status as a registered historic site, interior decoration and oceanfront location.

&quot;By visiting this &#39;winter White House,&#39; Trump is belatedly fulfilling the dream of Mar-a-Lago&#39;s original owner and designer,&quot; socialite and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the article said. &quot;Post&#39;s dream of a winter White House came true with Trump&#39;s election in 2016.&quot;

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House did not know about the article in advance, and declined to comment further.

Norman Eisen, ethics chief under Trump&#39;s predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, said on Twitter that the article violated a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain.

Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush, said on Twitter that the post constituted &quot;use of public office for private gain pure and simple.&quot;

Scott Amey, an attorney with the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, said the post may not be an outright endorsement of Mar-a-Lago, but that &quot;someone inside of the government should have said &#39;no&#39; to the story and further helping Trump make money while serving in the White House.&quot;

The &quot;Share America&quot; article said that in 1973, Post willed the estate to the US&nbsp;government, intending it to be used as a winter White House for the president to entertain foreign dignitaries.

But Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter never used the property, and in 1981 the government returned the estate to the Post Foundation because it was costing too much to maintain, according to the article.

Trump, a businessman turned politician, bought the property in 1985, and turned it into a club open to dues-paying members 10 years later, it said.

The club has a $200,000 membership fee, and Trump has hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the resort. Trump&#39;s frequent visits there have come under scrutiny due to their expense and questions of how he has handled sensitive national security information while there.

Trump maintains ownership of his global business empire, though he has handed off control to his two oldest sons, an arrangement that ethics watchdogs said would not prevent conflicts of interest. 
 
(Reuters)

The article was criticised for violating a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain

A US State Department website on Monday took down an article it published this month about President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort which had prompted criticism from prominent ethics experts that the piece represented use of public office for private gain. The original article was posted on April 4 on the "Share America" website, overseen by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs. It was also shared on the websites and social media pages of several US embassies, including those in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Albania, as well as the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Although it was posted weeks ago, the article surfaced on Monday when it was shared widely on social media. The State Department removed the article's content around 7 pm on Monday, replacing it with a short statement saying its intention "was to inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post." The article described the history of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and its size, status as a registered historic site, interior decoration and oceanfront location. "By visiting this 'winter White House,' Trump is belatedly fulfilling the dream of Mar-a-Lago's original owner and designer," socialite and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the article said. "Post's dream of a winter White House came true with Trump's election in 2016." A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House did not know about the article in advance, and declined to comment further. Norman Eisen, ethics chief under Trump's predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, said on Twitter that the article violated a federal statute barring the use of public office for private gain. Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for Republican President George W. Bush, said on Twitter that the post constituted "use of public office for private gain pure and simple." Scott Amey, an attorney with the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, said the post may not be an outright endorsement of Mar-a-Lago, but that "someone inside of the government should have said 'no' to the story and further helping Trump make money while serving in the White House." The "Share America" article said that in 1973, Post willed the estate to the US government, intending it to be used as a winter White House for the president to entertain foreign dignitaries. But Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter never used the property, and in 1981 the government returned the estate to the Post Foundation because it was costing too much to maintain, according to the article. Trump, a businessman turned politician, bought the property in 1985, and turned it into a club open to dues-paying members 10 years later, it said. The club has a $200,000 membership fee, and Trump has hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the resort. Trump's frequent visits there have come under scrutiny due to their expense and questions of how he has handled sensitive national security information while there. Trump maintains ownership of his global business empire, though he has handed off control to his two oldest sons, an arrangement that ethics watchdogs said would not prevent conflicts of interest. (Reuters)

US State Department website removes article on Trump resort

Any &quot;serious actions&quot; taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme would be a cause of &quot;worry&quot; as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the US, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government Arvind Subramanian has said.

&quot;If there are serious actions taken it&#39;s something that&#39;s going to kind of worry us a lot because, remember that our exports of services are about 40 to 45 per cent of the total exports,? Subramanian told an audience here last week.

&quot;Something like 50 to 60 per cent of all our exports of services goes to the United States. So it would worry us quite a bit,? he said while responding to a question on the H1-B visa during his visit at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank.

Subramanian said that India would be &quot;okay&quot; as long as the visa reforms are manageable and it&#39;s keeping a close watch on it.

&quot;Anything that is going to interfere with export growth creates anxiety (in India). In the context of the United States, we&#39;re all watching very carefully the H1-B visa situation,? the Chief Economic Adviser said.

&quot;On the visa side, I don&#39;t know but as long as you know we can keep this thing manageable. You know it should be okay,? he said.

During his US visit, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also taken up the the H-1B issue with the American side and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy.

President Donald Trump had earlier this month signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its &quot;abuse&quot; and ensure that the visas are given to the &quot;most-skilled or highest paid&quot; petitioners, a decision that would impact India&#39;s USD 150 billion IT industry.

The Indian IT industry expressed serious concerns over this as these visas were mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work in America.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations.

The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of the Indian IT industry.

Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals.

India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Arvind Subramanian said India will be 'okay' as long as the reforms are manageable

Any "serious actions" taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme would be a cause of "worry" as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the US, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government Arvind Subramanian has said. "If there are serious actions taken it's something that's going to kind of worry us a lot because, remember that our exports of services are about 40 to 45 per cent of the total exports,? Subramanian told an audience here last week. "Something like 50 to 60 per cent of all our exports of services goes to the United States. So it would worry us quite a bit,? he said while responding to a question on the H1-B visa during his visit at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank. Subramanian said that India would be "okay" as long as the visa reforms are manageable and it's keeping a close watch on it. "Anything that is going to interfere with export growth creates anxiety (in India). In the context of the United States, we're all watching very carefully the H1-B visa situation,? the Chief Economic Adviser said. "On the visa side, I don't know but as long as you know we can keep this thing manageable. You know it should be okay,? he said. During his US visit, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also taken up the the H-1B issue with the American side and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. President Donald Trump had earlier this month signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most-skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that would impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry. The Indian IT industry expressed serious concerns over this as these visas were mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work in America. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of the Indian IT industry. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of Trump. As per several US reports, a majority of the H-1B visas every year are grabbed by Indian IT professionals. India accounts for the highest pool of qualified IT professionals, whose services go a long way in making American companies globally competitive. (PTI)

Major action on H1-B visa cause for worry, will impact exports: Chief Economic Adviser

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. 
 
&quot;We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong,&quot; State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. 
 
He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. 
 
&quot;We greatly value Indian companies&#39; continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs,&quot; Toner said. 
 
&quot;With respect to any new requirements on visas, I&#39;d have to check and see if that&#39;s been updated,&quot; he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. 
 
Toner said that it&#39;s been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. 
 
&quot;Those processes are ongoing,&quot; he added. 
 
On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, &quot;It&#39;s important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we&#39;re always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people&quot;. 
 
During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. 
 
The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its &quot;abuse&quot;&nbsp;and ensure that the visas are given to the &quot;most-skilled or highest paid&quot; petitioners,&nbsp;a decision that would impact India&#39;s USD 150 billion IT industry. 
 
(PTI)

US says it has been looking at ways to strengthen processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways

Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley raised the issue of restrictions on H-1B visa with his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin, the US has said that it greatly values investments by Indian companies and wants strong economic ties between the two nations. "We want to see US-India business-to-business ties remain strong," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. He was responding to questions on the ongoing review of H-1B visas by the Trump Administration and its impact on the Indian IT companies, who are heavily dependent on it. "We greatly value Indian companies' continued investment in the US economy, which also, of course, supports thousands of US jobs," Toner said. "With respect to any new requirements on visas, I'd have to check and see if that's been updated," he said, adding that under the current government, the US has been looking at ways to strengthen the processes like visa interview and admission processes in new ways. Toner said that it's been from the beginnings of this administration and certainly with respect to immigration and with refugee flows as well. "Those processes are ongoing," he added. On being asked about the visa review process, Toner said, "It's important to remember that this is always a part of how our consular bureau works and our consular officers work overseas, and our embassies and missions work overseas, and that is we're always reviewing the processes that are in place to issue these visas and finding ways to strengthen them, because we want to ensure the security of the American people". During his US visit, Jaitley on Sunday raised the H-1B issue with Mnuchin as India fears the curb would impact the movement of Indian IT professionals to America and highlighted the contribution Indian companies and professionals are making to the US economy. The development came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most-skilled or highest paid" petitioners, a decision that would impact India's USD 150 billion IT industry. (PTI)

Strengthening processes to issue H1-B visas, want to ensure security of Americans: US

trump

Trump, News on Trump, stories on Trump, articles on Trump, Trump stories at Wion, Trump news, Trump latest news