The Taliban in Afghanistan does not seem to be ready for peace talks, the Trump administration said today, asserting that any such talks have to be &quot;Afghan-led and Afghan-owned&quot;.

In a way, the Trump administration, ruled out direct talks with the Taliban, which was being sought by the terrorist outfit <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-taliban-want-to-end-war-through-dialogue-33026" target="_blank">in a letter</a> to the US.

&quot;We certainly saw this letter and are aware of this letter. Any peace talks with Afghanistan have to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. That has long been our policy,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

She said the Taliban, &quot;unfortunately&quot;, does not seem ready at this point to sit down and have conversations about peace talks.

&quot;We hope eventually they will, because that is the best way to be able to have peace in Afghanistan,&quot; Nauert said responding to a question on the letter released by the Taliban.

&quot;Ultimately, we don&#39;t see there being a military solution to the situation in Afghanistan. Ultimately, it has to be a political situation,&quot; she said.

&quot;That can best be done,&quot; she said if the Taliban was willing to sit down and have talks.

&quot;Certainly the United States could have a role in that. But that&#39;s really up to Afghanistan, but it has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned,&quot; Nauert asserted. PTI&nbsp;

The Taliban has said, in a letter to the US, that it would like to discuss peace

The Taliban in Afghanistan does not seem to be ready for peace talks, the Trump administration said today, asserting that any such talks have to be "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned". In a way, the Trump administration, ruled out direct talks with the Taliban, which was being sought by the terrorist outfit in a letter to the US. "We certainly saw this letter and are aware of this letter. Any peace talks with Afghanistan have to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. That has long been our policy," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. She said the Taliban, "unfortunately", does not seem ready at this point to sit down and have conversations about peace talks. "We hope eventually they will, because that is the best way to be able to have peace in Afghanistan," Nauert said responding to a question on the letter released by the Taliban. "Ultimately, we don't see there being a military solution to the situation in Afghanistan. Ultimately, it has to be a political situation," she said. "That can best be done," she said if the Taliban was willing to sit down and have talks. "Certainly the United States could have a role in that. But that's really up to Afghanistan, but it has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned," Nauert asserted. PTI

Taliban doesn't seem ready for peace talks: US

Republican leaders of the US Congress said on Tuesday they would not raise the minimum age for gun buyers, in a sign that one of President Donald Trump&#39;s proposals likely will not get far on Capitol Hill after a deadly Florida school shooting.

The second-deadliest shooting at a US public school has reignited the long-running national debate over gun rights, pitting many of the students who survived the February 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, against powerful gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association.

Several of those students visited lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to press Congress to enact new restrictions on gun ownership.

Republicans in Congress have rejected those efforts after similar mass shootings in the past, and party leaders said they were not likely to act this time either.

&quot;We shouldn&#39;t be banning guns from law-abiding citizens. We should be focusing on making sure that citizens who should not get guns in the first place don&#39;t get those guns,&quot; House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told a news conference.

Trump has suggested arming teachers and raising the minimum age to buy semiautomatic rifles to 21 from 18, but Ryan said Congress was not likely to act on either idea.

Local governments, not Congress, should decide whether to arm teachers, he said.

Trump still supports raising the age limit and will release specific policy proposals this week, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Ryan&#39;s comments made it clear that more aggressive gun limits, like a ban on the military-style rifle used by the 19-year-old Parkland shooter, were unlikely to gain traction in Congress.

Ryan met later in the day with Parkland students, who pushed for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, as well as other school-safety features, said Representative Ted Deutch, a Democrat who represents the district.

&quot;This isn&#39;t the last time they&#39;re going to come to Washington,&quot; Deutch said. &quot;It&#39;s really just the beginning of that effort.&quot;

BACKGROUND CHECKS

Prosecutors have said Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland with a legally purchased rifle. Federal and local law enforcement agencies have acknowledged receiving multiple warnings about Cruz&#39;s potential for violence.

Trump and his fellow Republicans are under pressure to act following the massacre, but they also must avoid angering Republican voters who broadly support gun rights as well as interest groups like the NRA, which spent $55 million in the 2016 election. 
The House voted in December to bolster a database of people not legally allowed to buy guns and to spur federal agencies and states to upload more data into the system after the Air Force failed to provide records that could have flagged a former service member who killed 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November.

That legislation has broad support in the Senate as well, and Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the chamber&#39;s No. 2 Republican, said he wanted a vote to take place this week.

Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said that measure by itself would not be adequate. He called for Congress to expand the background check system to cover all gun sales, including those conducted at gun shows and over the internet.

That legislation has failed in Congress twice over the past five years, and it fell short again in the House on Tuesday as Republicans rejected an effort by Democrats to bring it up for a vote.

&quot;We Democrats, at a minimum, believe we should be passing a universal background check legislation that assures that guns don&#39;t fall into the wrong hands,&quot; Schumer told reporters. 
The White House does not back that idea, Sanders said.

ACTION IN FLORIDA

As Congress has failed to tighten gun laws after other mass shootings, states have taken action on their own.

A House of Representatives committee of the Republican-controlled Florida legislature voted on Tuesday to raise the minimum legal age for purchasing all rifles to 21 from 18 and impose a three-day waiting period for any gun purchases. Buyers of handguns must already be at least 21 and submit to a three-day wait.

The measure would also create a statewide program to arm specially trained teachers - subject to school district approval - while assigning more police as school resource officers and allowing police to confiscate weapons from people who are involuntarily committed as a danger to themselves or others.

In addition, the measure would outlaw the sale of bump stocks, devices that enable semiautomatic rifles to be operated as fully automatic machine guns. The panel rejected a Democratic-backed amendment to ban assault-style weapons.

The package must now win approval in the full legislature before it goes to Republican Governor Rick Scott for signature.

Cruz, charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, was due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether he has sufficient assets to pay for his own lawyer. His mother died in November.

Stoneman Douglas students were scheduled to return to class on Wednesday for the first time since the massacre. The building where most of the bloodshed occurred will remain closed. The bill adopted by a state House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday would provide funding to demolish the building and replace it with a memorial to shooting victims.

The second-deadliest shooting at a US public school has reignited the long-running national debate over gun rights

Republican leaders of the US Congress said on Tuesday they would not raise the minimum age for gun buyers, in a sign that one of President Donald Trump's proposals likely will not get far on Capitol Hill after a deadly Florida school shooting. The second-deadliest shooting at a US public school has reignited the long-running national debate over gun rights, pitting many of the students who survived the February 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, against powerful gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association. Several of those students visited lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to press Congress to enact new restrictions on gun ownership. Republicans in Congress have rejected those efforts after similar mass shootings in the past, and party leaders said they were not likely to act this time either. "We shouldn't be banning guns from law-abiding citizens. We should be focusing on making sure that citizens who should not get guns in the first place don't get those guns," House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told a news conference. Trump has suggested arming teachers and raising the minimum age to buy semiautomatic rifles to 21 from 18, but Ryan said Congress was not likely to act on either idea. Local governments, not Congress, should decide whether to arm teachers, he said. Trump still supports raising the age limit and will release specific policy proposals this week, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. Ryan's comments made it clear that more aggressive gun limits, like a ban on the military-style rifle used by the 19-year-old Parkland shooter, were unlikely to gain traction in Congress. Ryan met later in the day with Parkland students, who pushed for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, as well as other school-safety features, said Representative Ted Deutch, a Democrat who represents the district. "This isn't the last time they're going to come to Washington," Deutch said. "It's really just the beginning of that effort." BACKGROUND CHECKS Prosecutors have said Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland with a legally purchased rifle. Federal and local law enforcement agencies have acknowledged receiving multiple warnings about Cruz's potential for violence. Trump and his fellow Republicans are under pressure to act following the massacre, but they also must avoid angering Republican voters who broadly support gun rights as well as interest groups like the NRA, which spent $55 million in the 2016 election. The House voted in December to bolster a database of people not legally allowed to buy guns and to spur federal agencies and states to upload more data into the system after the Air Force failed to provide records that could have flagged a former service member who killed 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November. That legislation has broad support in the Senate as well, and Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, said he wanted a vote to take place this week. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said that measure by itself would not be adequate. He called for Congress to expand the background check system to cover all gun sales, including those conducted at gun shows and over the internet. That legislation has failed in Congress twice over the past five years, and it fell short again in the House on Tuesday as Republicans rejected an effort by Democrats to bring it up for a vote. "We Democrats, at a minimum, believe we should be passing a universal background check legislation that assures that guns don't fall into the wrong hands," Schumer told reporters. The White House does not back that idea, Sanders said. ACTION IN FLORIDA As Congress has failed to tighten gun laws after other mass shootings, states have taken action on their own. A House of Representatives committee of the Republican-controlled Florida legislature voted on Tuesday to raise the minimum legal age for purchasing all rifles to 21 from 18 and impose a three-day waiting period for any gun purchases. Buyers of handguns must already be at least 21 and submit to a three-day wait. The measure would also create a statewide program to arm specially trained teachers - subject to school district approval - while assigning more police as school resource officers and allowing police to confiscate weapons from people who are involuntarily committed as a danger to themselves or others. In addition, the measure would outlaw the sale of bump stocks, devices that enable semiautomatic rifles to be operated as fully automatic machine guns. The panel rejected a Democratic-backed amendment to ban assault-style weapons. The package must now win approval in the full legislature before it goes to Republican Governor Rick Scott for signature. Cruz, charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, was due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether he has sufficient assets to pay for his own lawyer. His mother died in November. Stoneman Douglas students were scheduled to return to class on Wednesday for the first time since the massacre. The building where most of the bloodshed occurred will remain closed. The bill adopted by a state House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday would provide funding to demolish the building and replace it with a memorial to shooting victims.

US congressional Republicans reject new limits on guns

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law and close adviser,&nbsp;Jared Kushner,&nbsp;has lost access to the most valued US&nbsp;intelligence report, the President&#39;s Daily Brief, as the White House imposes greater discipline on access to secrets, two US&nbsp;officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Kushner, who has been operating under an interim security clearance for about a year, had his access to the highly classified briefing cut off in the past few weeks, said the sources.

A third official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently passed new information to White House Counsel Don McGahn that led to the slowing or stopping of&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s pending clearance application. The nature of that information was not clear.

It also is unclear if and when&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s access to the briefing, known as the PDB, which requires clearance higher than the Top Secret level, would be reinstated.

Kushner, a wealthy New York businessman married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, has not received his full security clearance because of his extensive financial links, which have taken a long time to examine. He has revised his security clearance form, called an SF-86, several times.

A White House spokesman for&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment. Trump ignored reporters&#39; shouted questions about&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;and his clearance at an event on Tuesday afternoon.

Kushner&#39;s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement: &quot;Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;has done more than what is expected of him in this process.&quot;

&quot;My inquiries ... have confirmed that there are a dozen or more people at Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for this process to take this long in a new administration, that the current backlogs are being addressed, and no concerns were raised about Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s application,&quot; Lowell said.

Trump&#39;s White House has been grappling with the security clearance issue since it emerged this month that staff secretary Rob Porter worked for Trump for a year with a temporary clearance despite accusations by his two former wives of domestic abuse. Porter has maintained his innocence.

The President&#39;s Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US&nbsp;officials. It includes highly classified intelligence analysis, information about CIA covert operations and reports from the most sensitive US&nbsp;sources or those shared by allied intelligence agencies.

New security clearance policies announced by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly &quot;will not affect Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the President,&quot; Lowell said.

But one of the US&nbsp;officials who said&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;had lost access to the daily brief said that without it, his role in some major policy deliberations, including on China and Russia, could be limited.

Broad portfolio&nbsp;

Kushner&nbsp;has had a broad portfolio in the White House. He has taken the lead on Trump&#39;s plan to forge a Middle East peace deal and led the Office of American Innovation, which is intended to modernize and downsize government programs.

Kelly, whose handling of the Porter case was heavily criticized, decreed on Feb. 16 that any interim security clearances for staffers whose background investigations had been pending since June 1 or before would be discontinued within a week.

A source familiar with the matter said the situation had caused tensions between&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;and Kelly.

On Friday, Trump said he would leave it to Kelly to settle the security clearance dispute with Kushner, but left little doubt he wanted the case settled in a way that allowed&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;to keep his job. As president, Trump could grant&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;a full security clearance on his own authority.

White House spokesman Sarah Sanders would not comment on whether&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s security clearance issues had been resolved.

&quot;He&#39;s a valued member of the team and he will continue to do the important work that he&#39;s been doing since he started in the administration,&quot; she told a briefing.

A top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to McGahn and FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, asking for more information on the number of White House officials with interim clearances.

The letter by Senator Chuck Grassley, the committee&#39;s Republican chairman, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, suggested bipartisan concern over the issue.

Citing reports that dozens of officials are operating with interim clearances, the two lawmakers wrote: &quot;If true, this raises significant concerns that ineligible individuals, who hold positions of public trust, may have access to sensitive or classified information.&quot;

The President's Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US officials

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, has lost access to the most valued US intelligence report, the President's Daily Brief, as the White House imposes greater discipline on access to secrets, two US officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Kushner, who has been operating under an interim security clearance for about a year, had his access to the highly classified briefing cut off in the past few weeks, said the sources. A third official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently passed new information to White House Counsel Don McGahn that led to the slowing or stopping of Kushner's pending clearance application. The nature of that information was not clear. It also is unclear if and when Kushner's access to the briefing, known as the PDB, which requires clearance higher than the Top Secret level, would be reinstated. Kushner, a wealthy New York businessman married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, has not received his full security clearance because of his extensive financial links, which have taken a long time to examine. He has revised his security clearance form, called an SF-86, several times. A White House spokesman for Kushner did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment. Trump ignored reporters' shouted questions about Kushner and his clearance at an event on Tuesday afternoon. Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement: "Mr. Kushner has done more than what is expected of him in this process." "My inquiries ... have confirmed that there are a dozen or more people at Mr. Kushner's level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for this process to take this long in a new administration, that the current backlogs are being addressed, and no concerns were raised about Mr. Kushner's application," Lowell said. Trump's White House has been grappling with the security clearance issue since it emerged this month that staff secretary Rob Porter worked for Trump for a year with a temporary clearance despite accusations by his two former wives of domestic abuse. Porter has maintained his innocence. The President's Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US officials. It includes highly classified intelligence analysis, information about CIA covert operations and reports from the most sensitive US sources or those shared by allied intelligence agencies. New security clearance policies announced by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly "will not affect Mr. Kushner's ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the President," Lowell said. But one of the US officials who said Kushner had lost access to the daily brief said that without it, his role in some major policy deliberations, including on China and Russia, could be limited. Broad portfolio Kushner has had a broad portfolio in the White House. He has taken the lead on Trump's plan to forge a Middle East peace deal and led the Office of American Innovation, which is intended to modernize and downsize government programs. Kelly, whose handling of the Porter case was heavily criticized, decreed on Feb. 16 that any interim security clearances for staffers whose background investigations had been pending since June 1 or before would be discontinued within a week. A source familiar with the matter said the situation had caused tensions between Kushner and Kelly. On Friday, Trump said he would leave it to Kelly to settle the security clearance dispute with Kushner, but left little doubt he wanted the case settled in a way that allowed Kushner to keep his job. As president, Trump could grant Kushner a full security clearance on his own authority. White House spokesman Sarah Sanders would not comment on whether Kushner's security clearance issues had been resolved. "He's a valued member of the team and he will continue to do the important work that he's been doing since he started in the administration," she told a briefing. A top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to McGahn and FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, asking for more information on the number of White House officials with interim clearances. The letter by Senator Chuck Grassley, the committee's Republican chairman, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, suggested bipartisan concern over the issue. Citing reports that dozens of officials are operating with interim clearances, the two lawmakers wrote: "If true, this raises significant concerns that ineligible individuals, who hold positions of public trust, may have access to sensitive or classified information."

Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner loses access to top intelligence briefing: Sources

US President Donald Trump had everyone cracking up when he made a joke about his loss of hair. The US President admitted having a bald spot. He further stated that he tries a lot to fix the issue. Trump&#39;s act of indulging in self-deprecating humour happened while he was addressing Conservatives outside Washington.

&quot;I try like hell to hide that bald spot folks, I work hard,&quot; Trump quipped.

&quot;It doesn&#39;t look bad, hey, we&#39;re hanging in,&quot; he exclaimed.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xt5z7gSeis0" width="560"></iframe>

Trump&#39;s hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes.

Michael Wolff, in his much controversial book &#39;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&#39; has an excerpt that describes Ivanka Trump explaining her father&#39;s elaborate and meticulous hair-styling regime.&nbsp;

In the book, Ivanka is quoted describing her father&#39;s head as a &quot;clean pate&quot; and &quot;contained island after scalp-reduction surgery&quot;. She is also quoted saying that a &quot;flurry of hair&quot; surrounds Trump&#39;s head from the sides and front while all ends are the &quot;drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray&quot;.

Trump's hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes

US President Donald Trump had everyone cracking up when he made a joke about his loss of hair. The US President admitted having a bald spot. He further stated that he tries a lot to fix the issue. Trump's act of indulging in self-deprecating humour happened while he was addressing Conservatives outside Washington. "I try like hell to hide that bald spot folks, I work hard," Trump quipped. "It doesn't look bad, hey, we're hanging in," he exclaimed. Trump's hay-coloured hair and the regime of keeping it prim and proper has long been the butt of jokes. Michael Wolff, in his much controversial book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' has an excerpt that describes Ivanka Trump explaining her father's elaborate and meticulous hair-styling regime. In the book, Ivanka is quoted describing her father's head as a "clean pate" and "contained island after scalp-reduction surgery". She is also quoted saying that a "flurry of hair" surrounds Trump's head from the sides and front while all ends are the "drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray".

In self-deprecating joke, Trump laughs at his bald spot

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia was succeeding beyond its &quot;wildest dreams&quot; in sowing US discord but refrained once more from directly challenging Moscow on its election meddling.

In a flurry of tweets, Trump blamed former president Barack Obama for failing to stop Russia while accusing the FBI of spending &quot;too much time trying to prove collusion with the Trump campaign.&quot;

But the president has made no move to take on Russia since indictments Friday against 13 Russians that laid out in detail aspects of an alleged covert effort to sway the 2016 US presidential election in Trump&#39;s favor.

US intelligence chiefs warned earlier in the week that Russian meddling has continued and poses a threat to the US mid-term congressional elections this year.

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<h5>In yet another tweet, Trump said: &#39;Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing&#39;</h5>
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Speaking at a security conference in Munich Saturday, National Security Advisor HR McMaster called the evidence of Russian interference in US democratic processes &quot;incontrovertible.&quot;

But Trump glossed over Russian responsibility and offered no indication of what his administration would do about it.

&quot;General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems,&quot; Trump said in a tweet late Saturday, making reference to his defeated Democratic Party challenger Hillary Clinton.

He followed that up Sunday: &quot;I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said &#39;it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer.&#39; The Russian &#39;hoax&#39; was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did!&quot;

&#39;Wildest dreams&#39; 
Friday&#39;s indictment was filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Trump&#39;s campaign and Russia, and possible obstruction of justice.

&quot;For anyone, including the president, who continues to call this a witch hunt... the evidence is now overwhelming and unequivocal and we need to move to protect ourselves from Russian interference in elections that are coming up,&quot; said Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, speaking on CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; program.

Trump, however, suggested that the problem lay with congressional and Department of Justice probes, rather than the interference itself.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-fbi-of-spending-too-much-time-on-russia-probe-33282" target="_blank">Trump accuses FBI of &#39;spending too much time&#39; on Russia probe</a>

&quot;If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams,&quot; Trump tweeted.

&quot;They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!&quot; he added.

In yet another tweet, he said: &quot;Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing.&quot;

Schiff agreed that the Obama administration should have done more when it learned of the Russian meddling.

&quot;None of that is an excuse for this president to sit on his hands,&quot; Schiff said.

&quot;The president of the United States continues to sit on sanctions that Congress passed, that Congress wants enforced against Russia over this interference,&quot; he said.

The US Treasury Department last month issued a list of prominent Russian political and business figures who could be sanctioned, as required under a law passed last year to punish Moscow&#39;s election meddling.

But the administration said new sanctions called for under the law were not needed because the measure was already having a deterrent effect.

Shoes drop 
The indictments brought by Mueller alleges that the Russian campaign was launched in 2014, initially as an effort to undermine confidence in the US political system.

By mid-2016, however, the campaign -- under the direction of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- had become focused on hurting Clinton and helping Trump, according to the indictment.

The effort allegedly involved hundreds of people working in shifts and with a budget of millions of dollars. Three companies were also indicted.

The indictment did not address the Russian government&#39;s role or hacks of the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee.&nbsp;

&quot;I do think there are other shoes to drop here besides this indictment,&quot; former national security director James Clapper said on CNN.&nbsp;

In announcing the indictments, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there was &quot;no allegations in this indictment&quot; that any American was a &quot;knowing participant&quot; in the Russian scheme -- leading Trump to declare that this vindicated his campaign team.

Rosenstein also said there was no judgment on whether the Russian campaign &quot;altered the outcome&quot; of the White House race.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the charges, calling them &quot;blabber&quot; and &quot;fantasies.&quot;

In a flurry of tweets, Trump said Russia was succeeding beyond its 'wildest dreams' in sowing US discord but refrained once more from directly challenging Moscow on its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia was succeeding beyond its "wildest dreams" in sowing US discord but refrained once more from directly challenging Moscow on its election meddling. In a flurry of tweets, Trump blamed former president Barack Obama for failing to stop Russia while accusing the FBI of spending "too much time trying to prove collusion with the Trump campaign." But the president has made no move to take on Russia since indictments Friday against 13 Russians that laid out in detail aspects of an alleged covert effort to sway the 2016 US presidential election in Trump's favor. US intelligence chiefs warned earlier in the week that Russian meddling has continued and poses a threat to the US mid-term congressional elections this year. In yet another tweet, Trump said: 'Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing' × Speaking at a security conference in Munich Saturday, National Security Advisor HR McMaster called the evidence of Russian interference in US democratic processes "incontrovertible." But Trump glossed over Russian responsibility and offered no indication of what his administration would do about it. "General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems," Trump said in a tweet late Saturday, making reference to his defeated Democratic Party challenger Hillary Clinton. He followed that up Sunday: "I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said 'it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer.' The Russian 'hoax' was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did!" 'Wildest dreams' Friday's indictment was filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, and possible obstruction of justice. "For anyone, including the president, who continues to call this a witch hunt... the evidence is now overwhelming and unequivocal and we need to move to protect ourselves from Russian interference in elections that are coming up," said Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" program. Trump, however, suggested that the problem lay with congressional and Department of Justice probes, rather than the interference itself. Also read: Trump accuses FBI of 'spending too much time' on Russia probe "If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams," Trump tweeted. "They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!" he added. In yet another tweet, he said: "Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing." Schiff agreed that the Obama administration should have done more when it learned of the Russian meddling. "None of that is an excuse for this president to sit on his hands," Schiff said. "The president of the United States continues to sit on sanctions that Congress passed, that Congress wants enforced against Russia over this interference," he said. The US Treasury Department last month issued a list of prominent Russian political and business figures who could be sanctioned, as required under a law passed last year to punish Moscow's election meddling. But the administration said new sanctions called for under the law were not needed because the measure was already having a deterrent effect. Shoes drop The indictments brought by Mueller alleges that the Russian campaign was launched in 2014, initially as an effort to undermine confidence in the US political system. By mid-2016, however, the campaign -- under the direction of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- had become focused on hurting Clinton and helping Trump, according to the indictment. The effort allegedly involved hundreds of people working in shifts and with a budget of millions of dollars. Three companies were also indicted. The indictment did not address the Russian government's role or hacks of the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee. "I do think there are other shoes to drop here besides this indictment," former national security director James Clapper said on CNN. In announcing the indictments, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there was "no allegations in this indictment" that any American was a "knowing participant" in the Russian scheme -- leading Trump to declare that this vindicated his campaign team. Rosenstein also said there was no judgment on whether the Russian campaign "altered the outcome" of the White House race. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the charges, calling them "blabber" and "fantasies."

Trump: 'They are laughing their asses off in Moscow'

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was heading to Florida to meet with victims of the school shooting massacre there this week, as Washington struggles with how to prevent repeated episodes of deadly gun violence.

&ldquo;I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered. Am also working with Congress on many fronts,&rdquo; Donald Trump tweeted.

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I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered. Am also working with Congress on many fronts.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/964509154357411840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The President plans to fly to West Palm Beach, Florida, to spend the weekend with his family at his Mar-a-Lago private club, located just 60 km north of Parkland, Florida, where the shooting occurred on Wednesday at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Efe news agency reported.

The White House did not immediately provide details of the president&rsquo;s planned travel in Florida.

Trump, however, made no mention of possible further gun-control measures in his Thursday speech.

US president is facing mounting pressure to tighten the nation&rsquo;s gun laws.

US president is facing mounting pressure to tighten the nation’s gun laws.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was heading to Florida to meet with victims of the school shooting massacre there this week, as Washington struggles with how to prevent repeated episodes of deadly gun violence. “I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered. Am also working with Congress on many fronts,” Donald Trump tweeted. I will be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered. Am also working with Congress on many fronts. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2018 × The President plans to fly to West Palm Beach, Florida, to spend the weekend with his family at his Mar-a-Lago private club, located just 60 km north of Parkland, Florida, where the shooting occurred on Wednesday at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Efe news agency reported. The White House did not immediately provide details of the president’s planned travel in Florida. Trump, however, made no mention of possible further gun-control measures in his Thursday speech. US president is facing mounting pressure to tighten the nation’s gun laws.

US President Donald Trump to visit the families of Florida massacre victims

The Trump administration&rsquo;s infrastructure proposal released on Monday would speed up the permitting of U.S. natural gas pipelines, including by cutting Congress out of the process for allowing them to cross national parks.

The proposal fits into President Donald Trump&rsquo;s broader plan to boost U.S. oil and gas development by slashing red tape, something that has cheered industry but raised concerns among environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers.

&quot;At its core the proposal plans to steamroll as many projects to get to yes as fast as possible whether or not there is a robust environmental review,&quot; said Brett Hartl, government affairs director of the Center for Biological Diversity.

The $1.5 trillion infrastructure proposal would give the interior secretary the authority to approve natural gas pipelines that cross the country&rsquo;s national parks, changing the requirement that Congress authorize such projects.

The plan also aims to speed up the time that a state has to issue water permits - &ldquo;section 401&rdquo; certificates required under the federal Clean Water Act - needed for the construction of interstate natural gas pipelines.

The changes would deliver &ldquo;projects in a less costly and more time effective manner by creating a new, expedited structure for environmental reviews and delegating more decision-making to States and enhancing coordination between State and Federal reviews,&rdquo; the proposal says.

The proposals are part of a larger infrastructure plan designed to encourage spending on improvements by states, localities and private investors but which faces an uphill battle in Congress.

The Trump administration is seeking to tackle what it calls a duplicative environmental review process for major infrastructure projects by trying to amend bedrock environmental laws like the decades-old National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

The administration said it wanted environmental reviews for major projects to take no longer than 21 months &ndash; instead of years - and direct one federal agency rather than several different agencies to conduct the review.

The changes could have significant impact on the permitting process for pipelines, including in places where there has been significant public opposition like the U.S. Northeast.

New York state, for example, has denied section 401 certificates for the Constitution Pipeline interstate natural gas pipeline and slowed down the process to issue a certificate for the Millennium Pipeline project, putting the state at odds with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Permit delays or denials for pipelines are a longtime frustration of oil and gas companies that are required to spend money on legal fees to challenge states that oppose them.

The infrastructure proposal was released yesterday.

The Trump administration’s infrastructure proposal released on Monday would speed up the permitting of U.S. natural gas pipelines, including by cutting Congress out of the process for allowing them to cross national parks. The proposal fits into President Donald Trump’s broader plan to boost U.S. oil and gas development by slashing red tape, something that has cheered industry but raised concerns among environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers. "At its core the proposal plans to steamroll as many projects to get to yes as fast as possible whether or not there is a robust environmental review," said Brett Hartl, government affairs director of the Center for Biological Diversity. The $1.5 trillion infrastructure proposal would give the interior secretary the authority to approve natural gas pipelines that cross the country’s national parks, changing the requirement that Congress authorize such projects. The plan also aims to speed up the time that a state has to issue water permits - “section 401” certificates required under the federal Clean Water Act - needed for the construction of interstate natural gas pipelines. The changes would deliver “projects in a less costly and more time effective manner by creating a new, expedited structure for environmental reviews and delegating more decision-making to States and enhancing coordination between State and Federal reviews,” the proposal says. The proposals are part of a larger infrastructure plan designed to encourage spending on improvements by states, localities and private investors but which faces an uphill battle in Congress. The Trump administration is seeking to tackle what it calls a duplicative environmental review process for major infrastructure projects by trying to amend bedrock environmental laws like the decades-old National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. The administration said it wanted environmental reviews for major projects to take no longer than 21 months – instead of years - and direct one federal agency rather than several different agencies to conduct the review. The changes could have significant impact on the permitting process for pipelines, including in places where there has been significant public opposition like the U.S. Northeast. New York state, for example, has denied section 401 certificates for the Constitution Pipeline interstate natural gas pipeline and slowed down the process to issue a certificate for the Millennium Pipeline project, putting the state at odds with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Permit delays or denials for pipelines are a longtime frustration of oil and gas companies that are required to spend money on legal fees to challenge states that oppose them.

Trump infrastructure plan to speed up pipelines, cut environmental reviews

Since the time Donald Trump started campaigning for presidential polls in the US in 2015, his diatribes have been in the news. And the most potent weapon at his disposal has been Twitter.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s tweets have created controversies and sometimes led to worldwide trends. His critics and the US media has often accused Trump of lowering the stature of the President&#39;s office and often behaving in a manner which is unbecoming of a head of the state.

Though the list is long, here we pick up the top 10 controversial tweets from Donald Trump:

Through this Tweet on March 4, 2017, Trump accused his predecessor Obama of politically motivated surveillance of the Trump Tower, his business centre.

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Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my &quot;wires tapped&quot; in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/837989835818287106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Through this much-criticised Tweet of February 17, 2017, the American President accused America&#39;s leading media houses of being the &quot;&euml;nemy of American people&quot;. All these media houses have been critical of the American President and his style of functioning.

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The FAKE NEWS media (failing <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCNews</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABC</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a>) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/832708293516632065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On May 31, 2017, midnight, the US president tweeted, &quot;Despite the constant negative press covfefe&quot; and nothing more. A few hours later the Tweet was deleted and followed with another, &quot;Who can figure out the true meaning of &#39;covfefe&#39; ??? Enjoy!&quot;&nbsp;

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Who can figure out the true meaning of &quot;covfefe&quot; ??? Enjoy!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/869858333477523458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump spokesman Sean Spicer later insisted that the president &quot;knew exactly what he meant.&quot;

This tweet came on February 4, 2017, hours after a federal judge in Washington state temporarily blocked enforcement of Trump&rsquo;s ban on entry to the United States for citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries and refugees from around the world.

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When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in &amp; out, especially for reasons of safety &amp;.security - big trouble!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827864176043376640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In this Tweet, Trump said illegal border crossings are &#39;way down&#39; and praised Homeland Security chief after February numbers dropped by 40%.

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General Kelly is doing a great job at the border. Numbers are way down. Many are not even trying to come in anymore.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/846166053663191040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In this Tweet dated, February 10, 2017, he threatened lawyers with taking them to court.

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SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/829836231802515457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On February 3, 2017, he threatened Iran while accusing his predecessor Obam of being too soft to the Islamic republic.&nbsp;

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Iran is playing with fire - they don&#39;t appreciate how &quot;kind&quot; President Obama was to them. Not me!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827478751931924480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On February 1, 2017, he Tweeted this statement after the US administration members argued that the travel ban was not a ban.&nbsp;

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Everybody is arguing whether or not it is a BAN. Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826774668245946368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On November 12, 2017, in the above Tweet, Trump called the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un &quot;Short and fat&quot;.&nbsp;

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Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me &quot;old,&quot; when I would NEVER call him &quot;short and fat?&quot; Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/929511061954297857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Mexico could end up paying for his proposed border wall &quot;indirectly.&quot;

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Mexico will pay for the wall!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/771294347501461504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US media has often accused Trump of lowering the stature of the President's office

Since the time Donald Trump started campaigning for presidential polls in the US in 2015, his diatribes have been in the news. And the most potent weapon at his disposal has been Twitter. Trump's tweets have created controversies and sometimes led to worldwide trends. His critics and the US media has often accused Trump of lowering the stature of the President's office and often behaving in a manner which is unbecoming of a head of the state. Though the list is long, here we pick up the top 10 controversial tweets from Donald Trump: Through this Tweet on March 4, 2017, Trump accused his predecessor Obama of politically motivated surveillance of the Trump Tower, his business centre. Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 × Through this much-criticised Tweet of February 17, 2017, the American President accused America's leading media houses of being the "ënemy of American people". All these media houses have been critical of the American President and his style of functioning. The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017 × On May 31, 2017, midnight, the US president tweeted, "Despite the constant negative press covfefe" and nothing more. A few hours later the Tweet was deleted and followed with another, "Who can figure out the true meaning of 'covfefe' ??? Enjoy!" Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe" ??? Enjoy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017 × Trump spokesman Sean Spicer later insisted that the president "knew exactly what he meant." This tweet came on February 4, 2017, hours after a federal judge in Washington state temporarily blocked enforcement of Trump’s ban on entry to the United States for citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries and refugees from around the world. When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017 × In this Tweet, Trump said illegal border crossings are 'way down' and praised Homeland Security chief after February numbers dropped by 40%. General Kelly is doing a great job at the border. Numbers are way down. Many are not even trying to come in anymore. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2017 × In this Tweet dated, February 10, 2017, he threatened lawyers with taking them to court. SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017 × On February 3, 2017, he threatened Iran while accusing his predecessor Obam of being too soft to the Islamic republic. Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how "kind" President Obama was to them. Not me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2017 × On February 1, 2017, he Tweeted this statement after the US administration members argued that the travel ban was not a ban. Everybody is arguing whether or not it is a BAN. Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2017 × On November 12, 2017, in the above Tweet, Trump called the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "Short and fat". Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017 × President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Mexico could end up paying for his proposed border wall "indirectly." Mexico will pay for the wall! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2016 ×

Top-10 Trump tweets which shook the world

President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers were locked in a standoff with Democrats on Saturday over the U.S. government shutdown, with Republicans saying they would not negotiate on immigration until the government is reopened. Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump&rsquo;s presidency began without a fully functioning government. Democrats stuck to demands that any short-term spending legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants known as &ldquo;Dreamers.&rdquo; Republicans in turn said they would not negotiate on immigration until Democrats gave them the votes needed to reopen the government. U.S. government workers were told to stay home or, in some cases, work without pay until new funding is approved in the first federal government shutdown since a 16-day funding lapse in October 2013.

The Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives held rare weekend sessions on Saturday, facing a political crisis that could affect November congressional elections. By about 7 p.m. both chambers resigned themselves to failure and agreed to resume work on Sunday. Both Republicans and Democrats had dug in during the day, each side blaming the other. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would vote at 0100 EST (0600 GMT) Monday on a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8, unless Democrats agree to hold it sooner.

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<h5>Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump&rsquo;s presidency began without a fully functioning government</h5>
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&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be right back at this tomorrow and for as long as it takes&rdquo; for Democrats to vote for legislation that would reopen the government, McConnell said.

Outside the U.S. Capitol, parks, open-air monuments and Smithsonian museums were open as a second annual women&rsquo;s rights march took place on the National Mall. But visitors were turned away from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. A scheduled trip by Trump and some Cabinet members to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was being assessed on a day-to-day basis, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said. Republicans said they would refuse to negotiate on immigration until Democrats provide the votes to re-open the government. Democrats insisted they have been willing to compromise but Republicans backed out of deals.

&ldquo;The president will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government,&rdquo; said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Marc Short, the White House&rsquo;s legislative affairs director, said Trump had been in contact with Republican leaders in Congress during the day, but had not reached out to Democrats. Short said the president likely would be most effective making the case for ending the shutdown directly to the American people, and he did not rule out Trump addressing the nation in the coming days. The tough message from the White House and Republicans in Congress led to speculation that Washington could be in for a prolonged political battle.

At the U.S. Capitol, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a stinging portrayal of Trump as an unreliable negotiating partner, saying the two sides came close to an agreement several times only to have Trump back out at the urging of anti-immigration conservatives. &ldquo;Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O,&rdquo; said Schumer, who met Trump at the White House on Friday for a 90-minute meeting that had briefly raised hopes. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target.&rdquo;

&lsquo;Inches away&rsquo;

The federal government had been running on three consecutive temporary funding bills since the new fiscal year began in October. Democrats had sought to secure permanent legal protections for 700,000 young undocumented immigrants as a condition for new government funding after their attempts to push through the protections in stand-alone bills were rebuffed. Trump ordered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program to expire in March, requiring Congress to act. Earlier, McConnell said a solution to the crisis was &ldquo;just inches away&rdquo; but he blamed Democrats for blocking legislation to pass the fourth stopgap funding measure.

One idea floated by Republicans was to renew government funding through Feb. 8 to end the shutdown, while working to resolve other issues, including immigration, military and non-military spending, disaster relief and some healthcare matters. U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly, a Democrat whose northern Virginia district has one of the highest concentrations of federal government employees, said there was no sign that serious bipartisan negotiations were taking place and he would be surprised if Congress reached a resolution before Monday. &ldquo;You can hear the crickets chirping in the hallway,&rdquo; Connolly said on Saturday evening. He said if there were negotiations, &ldquo;it would have to be really deep back channels.&rdquo; He attributed the lack of talks to &ldquo;raw feelings&rdquo; and that Trump had walked away on Friday from a deal on immigration.

A video ad released on Saturday by Trump&rsquo;s presidential campaign that says Democrats will be &ldquo;complicit&rdquo; in murders by illegal immigrants could inflame tensions. Trump had portrayed himself as the ultimate dealmaker, but his inability to cut a deal despite having a Republican majority in both houses of Congress marked arguably the most debilitating setback for his administration. &ldquo;This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,&rdquo; he said on Twitter. The immediate impact of the government shutdown was eased somewhat by it beginning on a weekend. The Defense Department said combat operations in Afghanistan and other military activities would continue, while federal law enforcement officers also would remain on duty.

Talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement will continue, as will major cybersecurity functions, and most of the Environmental Protection Agency will remain open, budget director Mulvaney said. But without a quick deal, hundreds of thousands of government employees will be put on temporary unpaid leave. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s ironic that they get paid &ndash; meaning Congress &ndash; and the rest of the government doesn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said Dawn Gaither, 57, a Washington teacher. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we need to do, kick these guys in the tail and get them to work.&rdquo;

Republicans said they would not negotiate on immigration until the government is reopened

President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers were locked in a standoff with Democrats on Saturday over the U.S. government shutdown, with Republicans saying they would not negotiate on immigration until the government is reopened. Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump’s presidency began without a fully functioning government. Democrats stuck to demands that any short-term spending legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers.” Republicans in turn said they would not negotiate on immigration until Democrats gave them the votes needed to reopen the government. U.S. government workers were told to stay home or, in some cases, work without pay until new funding is approved in the first federal government shutdown since a 16-day funding lapse in October 2013. The Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives held rare weekend sessions on Saturday, facing a political crisis that could affect November congressional elections. By about 7 p.m. both chambers resigned themselves to failure and agreed to resume work on Sunday. Both Republicans and Democrats had dug in during the day, each side blaming the other. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would vote at 0100 EST (0600 GMT) Monday on a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8, unless Democrats agree to hold it sooner. Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump’s presidency began without a fully functioning government × “We’ll be right back at this tomorrow and for as long as it takes” for Democrats to vote for legislation that would reopen the government, McConnell said. Outside the U.S. Capitol, parks, open-air monuments and Smithsonian museums were open as a second annual women’s rights march took place on the National Mall. But visitors were turned away from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. A scheduled trip by Trump and some Cabinet members to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was being assessed on a day-to-day basis, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said. Republicans said they would refuse to negotiate on immigration until Democrats provide the votes to re-open the government. Democrats insisted they have been willing to compromise but Republicans backed out of deals. “The president will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Marc Short, the White House’s legislative affairs director, said Trump had been in contact with Republican leaders in Congress during the day, but had not reached out to Democrats. Short said the president likely would be most effective making the case for ending the shutdown directly to the American people, and he did not rule out Trump addressing the nation in the coming days. The tough message from the White House and Republicans in Congress led to speculation that Washington could be in for a prolonged political battle. At the U.S. Capitol, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a stinging portrayal of Trump as an unreliable negotiating partner, saying the two sides came close to an agreement several times only to have Trump back out at the urging of anti-immigration conservatives. “Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O,” said Schumer, who met Trump at the White House on Friday for a 90-minute meeting that had briefly raised hopes. “It’s impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target.” ‘Inches away’ The federal government had been running on three consecutive temporary funding bills since the new fiscal year began in October. Democrats had sought to secure permanent legal protections for 700,000 young undocumented immigrants as a condition for new government funding after their attempts to push through the protections in stand-alone bills were rebuffed. Trump ordered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program to expire in March, requiring Congress to act. Earlier, McConnell said a solution to the crisis was “just inches away” but he blamed Democrats for blocking legislation to pass the fourth stopgap funding measure. One idea floated by Republicans was to renew government funding through Feb. 8 to end the shutdown, while working to resolve other issues, including immigration, military and non-military spending, disaster relief and some healthcare matters. U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly, a Democrat whose northern Virginia district has one of the highest concentrations of federal government employees, said there was no sign that serious bipartisan negotiations were taking place and he would be surprised if Congress reached a resolution before Monday. “You can hear the crickets chirping in the hallway,” Connolly said on Saturday evening. He said if there were negotiations, “it would have to be really deep back channels.” He attributed the lack of talks to “raw feelings” and that Trump had walked away on Friday from a deal on immigration. A video ad released on Saturday by Trump’s presidential campaign that says Democrats will be “complicit” in murders by illegal immigrants could inflame tensions. Trump had portrayed himself as the ultimate dealmaker, but his inability to cut a deal despite having a Republican majority in both houses of Congress marked arguably the most debilitating setback for his administration. “This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,” he said on Twitter. The immediate impact of the government shutdown was eased somewhat by it beginning on a weekend. The Defense Department said combat operations in Afghanistan and other military activities would continue, while federal law enforcement officers also would remain on duty. Talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement will continue, as will major cybersecurity functions, and most of the Environmental Protection Agency will remain open, budget director Mulvaney said. But without a quick deal, hundreds of thousands of government employees will be put on temporary unpaid leave. “It’s ironic that they get paid – meaning Congress – and the rest of the government doesn’t,” said Dawn Gaither, 57, a Washington teacher. “That’s what we need to do, kick these guys in the tail and get them to work.”

First day of US government shutdown ends in standoff

Riyadh&#39;s Ritz-Carlton Hotel reopened on Sunday, more than three months after it was converted into a gilded prison for members of Saudi Arabia&#39;s business and political elite detained in an anti-corruption purge.

The gates of the luxury hotel, where US President Donald Trump stayed during his state visit last year, had been shuttered and patrolled by black-uniformed royal guard units while dozens of princes, former ministers and business tycoons were interrogated inside.

The detainees were removed from the hotel two weeks ago, most released after cutting a deal with the authorities or being exonerated, an apparent sign that the corruption investigation, which sent shockwaves through the business community, was winding down.

A handful of smart-suited businessmen, forced to decamp to other hotels since November, returned to the Ritz on Sunday.

&quot;It&#39;s an honour (to be back),&quot; said one foreign consultant as he waited for a luxury car to take him to work.

He said the purge had not left any trace on the 492-room hotel where the lowest rate is 2,439 riyals ($650) a night.

&quot;You forget about it as soon as you&#39;re in your room and you get lost in your own bubble.&quot;

The hotel&#39;s opulent lobby appeared normal. Uniformed waiters milled below crystal chandeliers as acoustic Arabic music filtered through speakers and incense wafted from a gilt burner.

Managers declined an interview request, but the company confirmed in a statement that the hotel had &quot;resumed normal business operations as of today&quot;.

Among the most high-profile occupants during the anti-corruption campaign were global investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once seen as a leading contender for the throne.

Prince Miteb was freed after agreeing to pay over $1 billion, a Saudi official told Reuters.

Prince Alwaleed maintained his innocence of any corruption in a Reuters interview hours before his release. A senior Saudi official later said he was freed after reaching a financial settlement, without detailing the terms.

The attorney general has said the government had arranged to seize more than $106 billion through such agreements, an assertion Reuters has been unable to verify.

Critics decried the campaign as a shakedown and power play by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is aiming to overhaul the way the deeply conservative kingdom is run and wean it off dependence on oil revenues.

Ten days before the purge began, the Ritz hosted an international business conference where Prince Mohammed spoke onstage and snapped selfies with admirers. Some participants later ended up as detainees.

In the absence of more information, speculation ran wild about what was happening inside the Ritz. The authorities denied rumours of torture and attempted suicides.

The attorney general has said 56 people remain in custody. They are believed to have been moved to prison after refusing to admit wrongdoing and may end up in court.

Ahmed al-Safer, a Yemeni-American businessman who regularly stays at the Ritz, stopped in on Sunday to have tea with friends.

Asked if the purge had affected the hotel&#39;s reputation, he said: &quot;Right now it&#39;s famous. Everyone will visit just to take a picture.&quot;

The detainees were removed from the hotel two weeks ago

Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton Hotel reopened on Sunday, more than three months after it was converted into a gilded prison for members of Saudi Arabia's business and political elite detained in an anti-corruption purge. The gates of the luxury hotel, where US President Donald Trump stayed during his state visit last year, had been shuttered and patrolled by black-uniformed royal guard units while dozens of princes, former ministers and business tycoons were interrogated inside. The detainees were removed from the hotel two weeks ago, most released after cutting a deal with the authorities or being exonerated, an apparent sign that the corruption investigation, which sent shockwaves through the business community, was winding down. A handful of smart-suited businessmen, forced to decamp to other hotels since November, returned to the Ritz on Sunday. "It's an honour (to be back)," said one foreign consultant as he waited for a luxury car to take him to work. He said the purge had not left any trace on the 492-room hotel where the lowest rate is 2,439 riyals ($650) a night. "You forget about it as soon as you're in your room and you get lost in your own bubble." The hotel's opulent lobby appeared normal. Uniformed waiters milled below crystal chandeliers as acoustic Arabic music filtered through speakers and incense wafted from a gilt burner. Managers declined an interview request, but the company confirmed in a statement that the hotel had "resumed normal business operations as of today". Among the most high-profile occupants during the anti-corruption campaign were global investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once seen as a leading contender for the throne. Prince Miteb was freed after agreeing to pay over $1 billion, a Saudi official told Reuters. Prince Alwaleed maintained his innocence of any corruption in a Reuters interview hours before his release. A senior Saudi official later said he was freed after reaching a financial settlement, without detailing the terms. The attorney general has said the government had arranged to seize more than $106 billion through such agreements, an assertion Reuters has been unable to verify. Critics decried the campaign as a shakedown and power play by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is aiming to overhaul the way the deeply conservative kingdom is run and wean it off dependence on oil revenues. Ten days before the purge began, the Ritz hosted an international business conference where Prince Mohammed spoke onstage and snapped selfies with admirers. Some participants later ended up as detainees. In the absence of more information, speculation ran wild about what was happening inside the Ritz. The authorities denied rumours of torture and attempted suicides. The attorney general has said 56 people remain in custody. They are believed to have been moved to prison after refusing to admit wrongdoing and may end up in court. Ahmed al-Safer, a Yemeni-American businessman who regularly stays at the Ritz, stopped in on Sunday to have tea with friends. Asked if the purge had affected the hotel's reputation, he said: "Right now it's famous. Everyone will visit just to take a picture."

Saudi Ritz reopens after stint as gilded prison of princes

US President Donald Trump commented on the recent stock market volatility on Wednesday. Trump attributed the slump in markets to &#39;good news&#39; about the economy.

&quot;In the &#39;old days,&#39; when good news was reported, the stock market would go up,&quot; Trump tweeted.&nbsp;

&quot;Today, when good news is reported, the stock market goes down.&quot;

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In the &ldquo;old days,&rdquo; when good news was reported, the Stock Market would go up. Today, when good news is reported, the Stock Market goes down. Big mistake, and we have so much good (great) news about the economy!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/961253168968622086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;We have so much good (great) news about the economy!&quot; Trump noted.

This is not the first time when the US President made such a remark. Throughout his presidency, Trump has sought to portray record rises on Wall Street as indicative of the broader economy.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has sought to portray record rises on Wall Street as indicative of the broader economy

US President Donald Trump commented on the recent stock market volatility on Wednesday. Trump attributed the slump in markets to 'good news' about the economy. "In the 'old days,' when good news was reported, the stock market would go up," Trump tweeted. "Today, when good news is reported, the stock market goes down." In the “old days,” when good news was reported, the Stock Market would go up. Today, when good news is reported, the Stock Market goes down. Big mistake, and we have so much good (great) news about the economy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2018 × "We have so much good (great) news about the economy!" Trump noted. This is not the first time when the US President made such a remark. Throughout his presidency, Trump has sought to portray record rises on Wall Street as indicative of the broader economy.

When good news is reported, markets go down: US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Monday accused Democrats of being &quot;un-American&quot; and &quot;treasonous&quot; for their lack of applause during his State of the Union address last week when he spoke of rising wages and historically low African-American unemployment.

&quot;They would rather see Trump do badly than our country do well. That&#39;s what it means,&quot; Trump said during an address on tax reform at a manufacturing plant in Ohio. &quot;It&#39;s very selfish. It was bad energy.&quot;

&quot;They were like death and un-American,&quot; said Trump. &quot;Somebody said &#39;treasonous.&#39; I mean, eh. I guess, why not? Can we call that treason, why not? I mean they certainly didn&#39;t seem to love our country very much,&quot; he said.

Treason is a capital offence and punishable by death in the United States.

Democrats gave Trump a decidedly cool reaction during the State of the Union. While falling unemployment has begun to lift wages, business executives are mixed on how much to credit Trump.

&quot;The freedom not to clap for ideas you disagree with is called the 1st Amendment,&quot; Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon said on Twitter.

The two top Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, declined to comment.

Over the past four years, the US economy has added 10 million jobs and the overall unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2000. Wage growth, however, has been sluggish, although it has shown signs of picking up recently.

During last Tuesday`s address, the president touted his tax cuts and regulation rollbacks as the reason Americans are finally seeing more wages after &quot;years and years&quot; of stagnation.

&quot;Every American should be alarmed by how @realDonaldTrump is working to make loyalty to him synonymous with loyalty to our country,&quot; Representative Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said in a tweet. &quot;That is not how democracy works.&quot;

Pelosi&#39;s counterpart in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, declined a request for comment.

Treason is a capital offence and punishable by death in the United States

US President Donald Trump on Monday accused Democrats of being "un-American" and "treasonous" for their lack of applause during his State of the Union address last week when he spoke of rising wages and historically low African-American unemployment. "They would rather see Trump do badly than our country do well. That's what it means," Trump said during an address on tax reform at a manufacturing plant in Ohio. "It's very selfish. It was bad energy." "They were like death and un-American," said Trump. "Somebody said 'treasonous.' I mean, eh. I guess, why not? Can we call that treason, why not? I mean they certainly didn't seem to love our country very much," he said. Treason is a capital offence and punishable by death in the United States. Democrats gave Trump a decidedly cool reaction during the State of the Union. While falling unemployment has begun to lift wages, business executives are mixed on how much to credit Trump. "The freedom not to clap for ideas you disagree with is called the 1st Amendment," Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon said on Twitter. The two top Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, declined to comment. Over the past four years, the US economy has added 10 million jobs and the overall unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2000. Wage growth, however, has been sluggish, although it has shown signs of picking up recently. During last Tuesday`s address, the president touted his tax cuts and regulation rollbacks as the reason Americans are finally seeing more wages after "years and years" of stagnation. "Every American should be alarmed by how @realDonaldTrump is working to make loyalty to him synonymous with loyalty to our country," Representative Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said in a tweet. "That is not how democracy works." Pelosi's counterpart in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, declined a request for comment.

Donald Trump accuses Democrats of 'treasonous' behaviour for not applauding State of the Union address

US President Donald Trump indirectly warned players in Sunday&#39;s Super Bowl not to kneel in protest during the national anthem - at the end of a National Football League season marked by his simmering feud with the athletes.

In a pre-game statement issued by the White House, Mr Trump expressed appreciation &quot;for those who make occasions like this possible, particularly the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.&quot;

&quot;We hold them in our hearts and thank them for our freedom as we proudly stand for the national anthem,&quot; Mr Trump said -- an allusion to the sporadic protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for the anthem in a protest aimed at drawing attention to injustices suffered by minorities at the hands of law enforcement.&nbsp;

A handful of players continued to kneel for the anthem in National Football League games this season, prompting Mr Trump&#39;s ire.

He said NFL owners should respond to players who kneel by saying, &quot;Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he&#39;s fired. He&#39;s fired!&quot;

NFL team owners issued statements condemning Mr Trump&#39;s comments.

But the most resounding statement came two days after Mr Trump&#39;s criticisms when a wave of player protests erupted across the league in the biggest single demonstration of political activism in NFL history.

About 150 players across the league took to one knee during the playing of the national anthem, instantly reigniting Kaepernick&#39;s cause.

After talks with protesting players, the league pledged nearly $100 million to charities which deal with criminal justice reform, law enforcement/community relations and education.

The NFL hopes its pledge will help draw a line under its season of protest, although there is no explicit requirement for players to refrain from demonstrating during the anthem.

&quot;We send our best wishes for an enjoyable Super Bowl Sunday,&quot; Mr Trump said in his message ahead of the game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

&quot;May God bless and protect our troops,&quot; he continued.

"May God bless and protect our troops," Trump said

US President Donald Trump indirectly warned players in Sunday's Super Bowl not to kneel in protest during the national anthem - at the end of a National Football League season marked by his simmering feud with the athletes. In a pre-game statement issued by the White House, Mr Trump expressed appreciation "for those who make occasions like this possible, particularly the brave men and women of our Armed Forces." "We hold them in our hearts and thank them for our freedom as we proudly stand for the national anthem," Mr Trump said -- an allusion to the sporadic protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for the anthem in a protest aimed at drawing attention to injustices suffered by minorities at the hands of law enforcement. A handful of players continued to kneel for the anthem in National Football League games this season, prompting Mr Trump's ire. He said NFL owners should respond to players who kneel by saying, "Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired!" NFL team owners issued statements condemning Mr Trump's comments. But the most resounding statement came two days after Mr Trump's criticisms when a wave of player protests erupted across the league in the biggest single demonstration of political activism in NFL history. About 150 players across the league took to one knee during the playing of the national anthem, instantly reigniting Kaepernick's cause. After talks with protesting players, the league pledged nearly $100 million to charities which deal with criminal justice reform, law enforcement/community relations and education. The NFL hopes its pledge will help draw a line under its season of protest, although there is no explicit requirement for players to refrain from demonstrating during the anthem. "We send our best wishes for an enjoyable Super Bowl Sunday," Mr Trump said in his message ahead of the game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. "May God bless and protect our troops," he continued.

We proudly stand for national anthem: Trump's veiled attack on kneelers

United States President Donald Trump said that the Nunes memo revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) were used to influence the presidential elections in 2016.

The President alleged that the FBI became a &quot;tool of anti-Trump political actors&quot; and dismissed it be a non-partisan enforcer of the law.

In a series of tweets, he said, &quot;The four-page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became....&quot; a tool of anti-Trump political actors.&nbsp;

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&ldquo;The four page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959949725028974592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn&#39;t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.&quot; Wall Street Journal&quot;, he said in another tweet. Earlier on Saturday, the President had also claimed total vindication from the memo released and alleged that the FBI misused its surveillance powers during the probe of Russian meddling in the elections.He also called the investigation &quot;an American disgrace&quot;.

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...a tool of anti-Trump political actors. This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn&rsquo;t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.&rdquo; Wall Street Journal
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959952974826098688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He tweeted, &quot;This memo totally vindicates &quot;Trump&quot; in the probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. There was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!&quot;The memo also includes information which could complicate Trump and his allies efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s inquiry, said local reports.The possibility of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller also aroused after the release of the memo.

An official of the White House on Saturday, however, said that there were no discussions about firing United States Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.The Democrats, in a letter, said Trump that using the Republican memo as a &quot;pretext&quot; to fire Rosenstein or Special Counsel Robert Mueller would spark a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot;.

&quot;We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted act as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ (Department of Justice) leadership or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis...,&quot; the Democrats said in a letter to the President.White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, &quot;I&#39;m saying it on behalf of the White House, and that&#39;s that no changes are going to be made at the Department of Justice.&quot; &quot;There are no discussions or consideration of firing Rod Rosenstein,&quot; the official said to local media.

The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it.&quot;I think it&#39;s a disgrace. A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves,&quot; Trump said in Oval Office after approving the memo.The decision clears the way for the Intelligence Committee to release the memo, reported The Hill.&quot;It was declassified and let&#39;s see what happens,&quot; Trump added. In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the FBI had said: &quot;We are gravely concerned that critical facts are missing from the documents and has painted an inaccurate picture of how the bureau sought approval to conduct surveillance in the probe.

&quot;The probe grew out of the FBI&#39;s Russia investigation after Trump fired FBI director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.Russia, however, has denied meddling in the election campaign and Trump has called Mueller&#39;s probe a &quot;political witch hunt&quot;.&nbsp;

The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it

United States President Donald Trump said that the Nunes memo revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) were used to influence the presidential elections in 2016. The President alleged that the FBI became a "tool of anti-Trump political actors" and dismissed it be a non-partisan enforcer of the law. In a series of tweets, he said, "The four-page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became...." a tool of anti-Trump political actors. “The four page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018 × This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn't straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators." Wall Street Journal", he said in another tweet. Earlier on Saturday, the President had also claimed total vindication from the memo released and alleged that the FBI misused its surveillance powers during the probe of Russian meddling in the elections.He also called the investigation "an American disgrace". ...a tool of anti-Trump political actors. This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn’t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.” Wall Street Journal — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018 × He tweeted, "This memo totally vindicates "Trump" in the probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. There was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!"The memo also includes information which could complicate Trump and his allies efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry, said local reports.The possibility of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller also aroused after the release of the memo. An official of the White House on Saturday, however, said that there were no discussions about firing United States Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.The Democrats, in a letter, said Trump that using the Republican memo as a "pretext" to fire Rosenstein or Special Counsel Robert Mueller would spark a "constitutional crisis". "We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted act as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ (Department of Justice) leadership or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis...," the Democrats said in a letter to the President.White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, "I'm saying it on behalf of the White House, and that's that no changes are going to be made at the Department of Justice." "There are no discussions or consideration of firing Rod Rosenstein," the official said to local media. The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it."I think it's a disgrace. A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves," Trump said in Oval Office after approving the memo.The decision clears the way for the Intelligence Committee to release the memo, reported The Hill."It was declassified and let's see what happens," Trump added. In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the FBI had said: "We are gravely concerned that critical facts are missing from the documents and has painted an inaccurate picture of how the bureau sought approval to conduct surveillance in the probe. "The probe grew out of the FBI's Russia investigation after Trump fired FBI director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.Russia, however, has denied meddling in the election campaign and Trump has called Mueller's probe a "political witch hunt".

FBI was a 'tool of my opponents' during 2016 presidential elections: US president Donald Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

An official in Netanyahu&#39;s office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering &quot;interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster&quot;.

The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem.

Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike.

Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: &quot;My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now.&quot;

Asked about Netanyahu&rsquo;s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. &quot;By the end of the year? We&rsquo;re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We&rsquo;re not really looking at that. That&#39;s no.&quot;

The Israeli official, responding to Trump&#39;s remarks, said: &quot;The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different&quot;.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was &quot;probably no earlier than three years out, and that&rsquo;s pretty ambitious&quot;, a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats.

Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a step back on Thursday from comments, challenged by U.S. President Donald Trump, that envisioned a one-year timeframe for the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. An official in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister recognised that construction of a new embassy will take years but believes Washington is considering "interim measures that could result in an embassy opening much faster". The official, who declined to be named, did not define those steps or mention any dates for a Jerusalem embassy to begin operating. In the past, Israeli media have speculated that, before a building is ready, the U.S. ambassador would operate part of the time out of a temporary location in Jerusalem. Reversing decades of U.S. policy, Trump in early December recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set in motion the process of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies alike. Netanyahu, according to Israeli reporters travelling with him on a trip to India, said on Wednesday: "My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think - within a year from now." Asked about Netanyahu’s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. "By the end of the year? We’re talking about different scenarios - I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We’re not really looking at that. That's no." The Israeli official, responding to Trump's remarks, said: "The president and the prime minister are not saying anything different". U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was "probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious", a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of their future state.

After Trump denial, Netanyahu clarifies remarks on timeframe for US embassy in Jerusalem

The name&rsquo;s Drumpf, not Trump, and the man by that name is the most controversial president of the United States.

One of the many things President&nbsp;Donald Trump is in the headlines for is an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/54-african-countries-demand-trump-apology-over-shithole-remark-29377" target="_blank">expletive</a> he used to describe some of the countries that US immigrants have left behind. But President Trump&rsquo;s grandfather Friedrich Drumpf &ndash; or Frederick Trump --&nbsp;had &nbsp;himself migrated from the tiny town of Kallstadt in southern Germany to start a new life in the United States.

Two years later he returned to Germany wanting to live there forever, but his application for repatriation was refused. &nbsp;

Born in an impoverished family, Friedrich Drumpf initially worked at a &nbsp;barber shop. But he had heard of the land of milk and honey from his sister who had already migrated to the United States. The boy, approaching adulthood, ran away, boarded a ship and sought refuge with his sister&rsquo;s family in New York.

Twenty years later, &nbsp;he returned to Germany. Only to fall in love with Elisabeth Christ and marry her. The couple left for America but Mrs Elisabeth Trump was not impressed.

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Elisabeth Christ and Friedrich Trump. Trump was not allowed to resettle in Germany because he had been a draft dodger. (Image source: Ancestry.com) (Others)
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In the voluminous archives of Germany&rsquo;s state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Franz Meier, who heads the department, tells the tale.&nbsp;

&quot;In the year 1902, Friedrich Drumpf made a trip home and met a woman in his home town, whom he then married,&quot; Meier says, as he reaches for yellowing documents in an archival folder. &quot;He returned to the United States with this woman but she did not enjoy life there too much. She lasted for around two years before making it known that she wanted to return to Germany. That was the reason for Trump Sr to travel to Germany in 1904 to apply for a re-naturalisation.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But why did Germany reject the Drumpfs? &nbsp;&nbsp;

Meier says that the authorities had laid down that emigrants wishing to leave the country must de-register properly. Those who had not yet served compulsory military service were required to apply for a permit before going overseas. If people emigrated without that permit it meant that their resettlement in Bavaria -- which Kallstadt was a part of at the time -- would be turned down. This, explains Meier, was meant to act as a deterrent to people moving abroad without a permit. 
&nbsp; 
In other words and by emigrating to the United States at age 16, young Frederick Trump -- or Friedrich Drumpf -- had been a draft dodger. His repeated petitions were dismissed and the couple sent back to the United States.

The rest, as they say, is history.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Trump's grandfather Friedrich Drumpf – or Frederick Trump -- was born into an impoverished family in Kallstadt in southern Germany

The name’s Drumpf, not Trump, and the man by that name is the most controversial president of the United States. One of the many things President Donald Trump is in the headlines for is an expletive he used to describe some of the countries that US immigrants have left behind. But President Trump’s grandfather Friedrich Drumpf – or Frederick Trump -- had himself migrated from the tiny town of Kallstadt in southern Germany to start a new life in the United States. Two years later he returned to Germany wanting to live there forever, but his application for repatriation was refused. Born in an impoverished family, Friedrich Drumpf initially worked at a barber shop. But he had heard of the land of milk and honey from his sister who had already migrated to the United States. The boy, approaching adulthood, ran away, boarded a ship and sought refuge with his sister’s family in New York. Twenty years later, he returned to Germany. Only to fall in love with Elisabeth Christ and marry her. The couple left for America but Mrs Elisabeth Trump was not impressed. Elisabeth Christ and Friedrich Trump. Trump was not allowed to resettle in Germany because he had been a draft dodger. (Image source: Ancestry.com) (Others) × In the voluminous archives of Germany’s state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Franz Meier, who heads the department, tells the tale. "In the year 1902, Friedrich Drumpf made a trip home and met a woman in his home town, whom he then married," Meier says, as he reaches for yellowing documents in an archival folder. "He returned to the United States with this woman but she did not enjoy life there too much. She lasted for around two years before making it known that she wanted to return to Germany. That was the reason for Trump Sr to travel to Germany in 1904 to apply for a re-naturalisation." But why did Germany reject the Drumpfs? Meier says that the authorities had laid down that emigrants wishing to leave the country must de-register properly. Those who had not yet served compulsory military service were required to apply for a permit before going overseas. If people emigrated without that permit it meant that their resettlement in Bavaria -- which Kallstadt was a part of at the time -- would be turned down. This, explains Meier, was meant to act as a deterrent to people moving abroad without a permit. In other words and by emigrating to the United States at age 16, young Frederick Trump -- or Friedrich Drumpf -- had been a draft dodger. His repeated petitions were dismissed and the couple sent back to the United States. The rest, as they say, is history.

Trump's grandfather was an immigrant from Germany

Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief told a top US general the nation &ldquo;felt betrayed&rdquo; at criticism that it was not doing enough to fight terrorism, the military said on Friday, after US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of &ldquo;lies and deceit&rdquo;.

US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel told General Qamar Javed Bajwa during a telephone call this week that the United States was not contemplating any unilateral action inside Pakistan, the Pakistani army said in a statement.

Tension between the United States and Pakistan has grown over US complaints that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that target American troops in Afghanistan are allowed to take shelter on Pakistani soil.

Trump&rsquo;s administration last week announced the suspension of about $2 billion in security aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan - officially a US ally - over accusations Islamabad is playing a double game in Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies this and accuses the United States of disrespecting its vast sacrifices - casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands - in fighting terrorism.

The US aid suspension was announced days after Trump tweeted on Jan. 1 that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and was rewarded with &ldquo;nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools&rdquo;.

It is not clear what prompted Trump&rsquo;s tweet, which infuriated Pakistani officials and caught the rest of the US administration off guard.

The Pakistani statement on Friday did not directly refer to Trump&rsquo;s tweet.

&ldquo;(Bajwa) said that entire Pakistani nation felt betrayed over US recent statements despite decades of cooperation,&rdquo; the army said, referring to the phone call between Bajwa and Votel.

The Pakistani assertion that Votel said no unilateral action inside Pakistan was being considered may have referred to the possibility of cross-border US drone strikes and other military missions targeting Taliban and other militant figures outside the border area.

In 2016, a US drone killed the then-leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, prompting protests from Islamabad of a violation of sovereignty.

And in 2011, a secret American raid in the military garrison city of Abbottabad killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on American cities that prompted the US-led invasion to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Since Trump took office, there have been several drone strikes in Pakistan&rsquo;s border region but they have not so far gone deeper into Pakistani territory, though Islamabad believes that is on a menu of punitive actions the US administration is considering.

However, the US military is also concerned that the Pakistani army, which effectively runs foreign policy, might close the air and land corridors on which US-led troops and Afghan forces in landlocked Afghanistan depend for supplies. So far, Pakistan has not done so.

Islamabad accuses the United States of disrespecting its vast sacrifices

Pakistan’s army chief told a top US general the nation “felt betrayed” at criticism that it was not doing enough to fight terrorism, the military said on Friday, after US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of “lies and deceit”. US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel told General Qamar Javed Bajwa during a telephone call this week that the United States was not contemplating any unilateral action inside Pakistan, the Pakistani army said in a statement. Tension between the United States and Pakistan has grown over US complaints that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that target American troops in Afghanistan are allowed to take shelter on Pakistani soil. Trump’s administration last week announced the suspension of about $2 billion in security aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan - officially a US ally - over accusations Islamabad is playing a double game in Afghanistan. Islamabad denies this and accuses the United States of disrespecting its vast sacrifices - casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands - in fighting terrorism. The US aid suspension was announced days after Trump tweeted on Jan. 1 that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and was rewarded with “nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools”. It is not clear what prompted Trump’s tweet, which infuriated Pakistani officials and caught the rest of the US administration off guard. The Pakistani statement on Friday did not directly refer to Trump’s tweet. “(Bajwa) said that entire Pakistani nation felt betrayed over US recent statements despite decades of cooperation,” the army said, referring to the phone call between Bajwa and Votel. The Pakistani assertion that Votel said no unilateral action inside Pakistan was being considered may have referred to the possibility of cross-border US drone strikes and other military missions targeting Taliban and other militant figures outside the border area. In 2016, a US drone killed the then-leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, prompting protests from Islamabad of a violation of sovereignty. And in 2011, a secret American raid in the military garrison city of Abbottabad killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on American cities that prompted the US-led invasion to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan. Since Trump took office, there have been several drone strikes in Pakistan’s border region but they have not so far gone deeper into Pakistani territory, though Islamabad believes that is on a menu of punitive actions the US administration is considering. However, the US military is also concerned that the Pakistani army, which effectively runs foreign policy, might close the air and land corridors on which US-led troops and Afghan forces in landlocked Afghanistan depend for supplies. So far, Pakistan has not done so.

Pakistan army chief says nation felt 'betrayed' at US criticism

Donald Trump has his first medical exam as US president on Friday after a week in which his mental fitness for the job has come under intense scrutiny.

A new best-selling book portrays Trump, 71, as unfocused and childlike. The White House has faced a barrage of questions over his contradictory messages on key policies and an incident last month where he slurred some words while giving a speech.

Trump, who has been openly exasperated with the coverage, told reporters on Thursday he expected his exam would go well. &quot;It better go well, otherwise the stock market will not be happy,&quot; Trump said with a smile. [nL1N1P61S0]

The White House will determine what data will be released from the exam, which will take place at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Maryland.

Trump is not compelled to release any information, though the White House said the presidential physician, Ronny Jackson, will provide a statement on Friday and take questions from reporters on Tuesday.

There is no set template for the presidential exam. Past presidents are not known to have been tested for mental acuity while in office - including Ronald Reagan, who five years after leaving the White House was diagnosed with Alzheimer&#39;s disease.

Trump&#39;s examination will not include a psychiatric exam, a White House spokesman said this week. Results of past presidential physicals have included basic data like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

There is a long history of the White House picking and choosing what to reveal about the commander in chief&#39;s health, said Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia&rsquo;s Miller Center.

For example, John F. Kennedy disclosed war injuries but not the fact that he suffered from Addison&#39;s disease, a degenerative condition.

Perry said she believes presidents should be subject to a raft of tests to establish they are fit to serve.

When he was running for office, Trump released a glowing report from his personal physician in New York, who said Trump would be &quot;the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.&quot;

The public report from Trump&#39;s upcoming exam is also likely to be short and sweet, said George Annas, head of the Center for Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights at Boston University School of Public Health.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t think you could expect to see anything else, unless it&rsquo;s something that makes him look good,&quot; Annas said.

Trump told reporters on Thursday he expected his exam would go well

Donald Trump has his first medical exam as US president on Friday after a week in which his mental fitness for the job has come under intense scrutiny. A new best-selling book portrays Trump, 71, as unfocused and childlike. The White House has faced a barrage of questions over his contradictory messages on key policies and an incident last month where he slurred some words while giving a speech. Trump, who has been openly exasperated with the coverage, told reporters on Thursday he expected his exam would go well. "It better go well, otherwise the stock market will not be happy," Trump said with a smile. [nL1N1P61S0] The White House will determine what data will be released from the exam, which will take place at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Trump is not compelled to release any information, though the White House said the presidential physician, Ronny Jackson, will provide a statement on Friday and take questions from reporters on Tuesday. There is no set template for the presidential exam. Past presidents are not known to have been tested for mental acuity while in office - including Ronald Reagan, who five years after leaving the White House was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Trump's examination will not include a psychiatric exam, a White House spokesman said this week. Results of past presidential physicals have included basic data like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There is a long history of the White House picking and choosing what to reveal about the commander in chief's health, said Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. For example, John F. Kennedy disclosed war injuries but not the fact that he suffered from Addison's disease, a degenerative condition. Perry said she believes presidents should be subject to a raft of tests to establish they are fit to serve. When he was running for office, Trump released a glowing report from his personal physician in New York, who said Trump would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." The public report from Trump's upcoming exam is also likely to be short and sweet, said George Annas, head of the Center for Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights at Boston University School of Public Health. "I don’t think you could expect to see anything else, unless it’s something that makes him look good," Annas said.

Trump to get first presidential physical exam amid questions on health, fitness

Working with countries like India, Russia, and China is a good, not bad thing, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

He was responding to criticism of his desire to improve the relationship with Moscow.

&quot;Working with countries, whether it&#39;s Russia or China or India, or any of the countries that surround this world and encompass this world, is a very good thing. That&#39;s not a bad thing,&quot; he told reporters at a joint White House news conference with Prime Minister, Norway, Erna Solberg.

Trump said he was for strongest military, massive oil and gas and a lot of energy. &quot;Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) can&#39;t love that,&quot; he added.

Trump said it was &quot;very much better&quot; having to do with North Korea where the US currently has a problem.

&quot;That should have never been my problem. It should have been a problem solved many years ago when it was much less dangerous. But it was given to him, along with a big mess of other things,&quot; he noted.

He blamed former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, his presidential rival in 2016 elections, saying she &quot;was not was not for a strong military&quot;.

&quot;Hillary, my opponent, was for windmills, and she was for other types of energy that don&#39;t have the same capacities at this moment certainly,&quot; he said.

Trump said it was a &quot;lot better&quot; to work with other countries.

&quot;We&#39;re working with China on North Korea. We&#39;re working with various other countries, and I think we&#39;re doing very well. We had a great talk, as you know and as you reported.

&quot;We had a great talk this morning with President Moon (of South Korea), and I think that a lot of good things are happening. We&#39;re going to see what happens,&quot; the US president said.

Solberg said Norway has a &quot;very good&quot; relationship with Russia.

&quot;As a neighbouring country we do day-to-day work on things that we have to solve for the people and the economic activity that is in that area, which is a fragile area for the whole world,&quot; she said.

Norway share border with Russia.

Responding to a question on allegations of Russian interference in elections in European countries, Solberg said her government has found no such evidence in Norway.

&quot;I think that it&#39;s up to every political system and countries to scrutinise and discuss their own political agenda in their countries. And I respect that very much and that this is an issue for American politics,&quot; she said.

The US president was responding to criticism of his desire to improve relationship with Moscow

Working with countries like India, Russia, and China is a good, not bad thing, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. He was responding to criticism of his desire to improve the relationship with Moscow. "Working with countries, whether it's Russia or China or India, or any of the countries that surround this world and encompass this world, is a very good thing. That's not a bad thing," he told reporters at a joint White House news conference with Prime Minister, Norway, Erna Solberg. Trump said he was for strongest military, massive oil and gas and a lot of energy. "Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) can't love that," he added. Trump said it was "very much better" having to do with North Korea where the US currently has a problem. "That should have never been my problem. It should have been a problem solved many years ago when it was much less dangerous. But it was given to him, along with a big mess of other things," he noted. He blamed former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, his presidential rival in 2016 elections, saying she "was not was not for a strong military". "Hillary, my opponent, was for windmills, and she was for other types of energy that don't have the same capacities at this moment certainly," he said. Trump said it was a "lot better" to work with other countries. "We're working with China on North Korea. We're working with various other countries, and I think we're doing very well. We had a great talk, as you know and as you reported. "We had a great talk this morning with President Moon (of South Korea), and I think that a lot of good things are happening. We're going to see what happens," the US president said. Solberg said Norway has a "very good" relationship with Russia. "As a neighbouring country we do day-to-day work on things that we have to solve for the people and the economic activity that is in that area, which is a fragile area for the whole world," she said. Norway share border with Russia. Responding to a question on allegations of Russian interference in elections in European countries, Solberg said her government has found no such evidence in Norway. "I think that it's up to every political system and countries to scrutinise and discuss their own political agenda in their countries. And I respect that very much and that this is an issue for American politics," she said.

Working with countries like India a good thing, says Donald Trump

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its &quot;brethren&quot; in South Korea. &nbsp;

In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month&#39;s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a &quot;strong complaint&quot; after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. &nbsp;

Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea&#39;s program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. &nbsp;

&quot;All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia,&quot; Pyongyang&#39;s chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today&#39;s good achievement into nothing,&quot; Ri, chairman of the North&#39;s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. &nbsp;

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the White House&#39;s National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be &quot;an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising.&quot; &nbsp;

The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons. &nbsp;

In spite of Ri&#39;s remarks, South Korea&#39;s Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a &quot;fundamental resolution&quot; of the nuclear issue in the future. &nbsp;

&quot;We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &nbsp;

It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. &nbsp;

The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. &nbsp;

The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them &quot;a good thing.&quot; &nbsp;

&quot;At the appropriate time, we&#39;ll get involved,&quot; he said on Saturday. &nbsp;

The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. &nbsp;

&nbsp;The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;High hopes&quot; &nbsp;

Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. &nbsp;&nbsp;

South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear tests. &nbsp;

Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South&#39;s unification ministry said. &nbsp;

Tuesday&#39;s talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. &nbsp;

&quot;We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year,&quot; Ri said at the start of the meeting. &nbsp;

Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February&#39;s Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. &nbsp;

North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. &nbsp;

North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South&#39;s decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. &nbsp;

North Korea responded &quot;positively&quot; to the South&#39;s proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. &nbsp;

Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. &nbsp;

On Tuesday, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: &quot;This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary.&quot; &nbsp;

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: &ldquo;These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.&rdquo; &nbsp;

The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula

North Korea said after its first talks with South Korea in more than two years that it would not discuss its nuclear weapons with Seoul because they were aimed only at the United States, not its "brethren" in South Korea. In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North Korea pledged to send a large delegation to next month's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea but made a "strong complaint" after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Officials from both sides said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea's program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, but Pyongyang said disarmament would not be part of the discussions. "All our weapons including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia," Pyongyang's chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said. "This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today's good achievement into nothing," Ri, chairman of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, warned in closing remarks. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising tensions on the peninsula. A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council said North Korean participation in the Olympics would be "an opportunity for the regime to see the value of ending its international isolation by denuclearising." The White House did not comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea's nuclear weapons. In spite of Ri's remarks, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it believed inter-Korean ties and a series of steps agreed in the talks on Tuesday could lead to the discussion of a "fundamental resolution" of the nuclear issue in the future. "We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process," the ministry said in a statement. It said South Korea had asked North Korea to halt hostile acts that stoke tension and that North had agreed that peace should be guaranteed in the region. The North-South meeting came after a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them "a good thing." "At the appropriate time, we'll get involved," he said on Saturday. The United States has led an international campaign to step up sanctions on North Korea to press it to give up its weapons programmes. The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Pyongyang called the sanctions an act of war. "High hopes" Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit South Korea for the Winter Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. South Korea has unilaterally banned several North Korean officials from entry in response to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests. Talks will be held soon to work out the details of bringing the North Koreans to the Olympics, the South's unification ministry said. Tuesday's talks, the first between the two Koreas since 2015, were held in the three-storey Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village that lies between North and South. "We came to this meeting with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable results as the first present of the year," Ri said at the start of the meeting. Seoul said it proposed reunions of members of families divided between North and South in time for February's Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on reunions. North Korea has finished technical work to restore a military hotline with South Korea, Seoul said, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following the South's decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park in the North. North Korea responded "positively" to the South's proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Seoul said. Athletes of the two sides have not paraded together at an international sports event since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. On Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment, with a Kremlin spokesman saying: "This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary." International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said of the North-South agreement on the Pyeongchang games: “These proposals mark a great step forward in the Olympic spirit.” The IOC would await official proposals on the number and names of athletes from the North and such matters as flag, anthem and ceremonies, he said.

Our weapons 'are only aimed' at United States: North Korea official

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an awards show thrust her name into the political arena.

&quot;We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,&quot; Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Nashville on Monday. &quot;We welcome all comers.&quot;

Winfrey, 63, stole the show at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday night with her speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for achievement and lit up Twitter with a surge of tweets carrying &quot;#Oprahforpresident&quot; and &quot;#Oprah2020.&quot;

She is actively thinking about a run, CNN reported on Monday, citing two of her close friends. CNN did not name the friends, who it said had spoken on condition of anonymity.

At least one emphasized that Winfrey had made no firm decision.Winfrey has said in the past she is not interested in running for president, but the Los Angeles Times quoted Stedman Graham, Winfrey&#39;s longtime partner in business and life, as saying on Sunday that, &quot;It`s up to the people ... She would absolutely do it.&quot;

Wearing a black gown to show support for victims, she used her platform to promote the &quot;Time&#39;s Up&quot; movement against sexual harassment and assault, throwing her support behind others who have exposed sexual misconduct in Hollywood and elsewhere in politics and the media.&nbsp;

&quot;She had that room in her hands. It was like a campaign rally,&quot; said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California&#39;s Price School of Public Policy.

The nine-minute speech generated two standing ovations from the Hollywood glitterati and prompted 220,000 posts on social media mentioning the words &quot;Oprah&quot; and &quot;president&quot; in just 24 hours, said Todd Grossman of social media analytics company Talkwalker.

After Trump won the White House in 2016 with help from his fame as a reality TV star, it no longer seems far-fetched to consider a similar campaign by Winfrey, an actress, movie and television producer, and chief executive of her OWN cable channel, political analysts said.

Winfrey, long associated with Democratic politics and fundraising, would likely face a crowded field in the Democratic primaries in the 2020 race.

But given her connections, Winfrey might have a fund-raising advantage over her rivals in liberal Hollywood, which is often called an automatic teller machine for Democratic candidates.

&quot;She&#39;s certainly a bigger celebrity than Trump ever was, especially in terms of connecting with her audience. Obviously, this has given her an opportunity. What does she do next with it?&quot; said Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University in Boston who has written on the intersection of show business and politics.

Trump benefited from his star power to win more free media exposure than his rivals in the Republican primary and was able to run a relatively inexpensive campaign.

His committee spent $343 million in the primary and general election campaigns with the help of $47.5 million of the real estate developer&#39;s own money, which he lent to the campaign and later forgave.

Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent, spent $585 million including $1.5 million of her own money.

Winfrey could supplement any campaign with her own wealth. Forbes estimates she is worth $3.0 billion compared to $3.5 billion for Trump. She was raised in poverty by a single mother and went on to host the top-rated talk show &quot;The Oprah Winfrey Show&quot; for 25 years before ending it in 2011.

Jeffe, the USC professor, cautioned against thinking of Hollywood as a monolith of liberal Democrats. Besides the liberal creative talent, Hollywood money also comes from the more conservative, unionized trade and craft workforce as well as from the business interests.

&quot;She has credibility with all of them,&quot; Jeffe said.

'We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,' spokesperson Hogan Gidley told reporters

US President Donald Trump would gladly face Oprah Winfrey as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race, a White House spokesman said on Monday after social media buzz from her speech at an awards show thrust her name into the political arena. "We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else," Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Nashville on Monday. "We welcome all comers." Winfrey, 63, stole the show at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday night with her speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for achievement and lit up Twitter with a surge of tweets carrying "#Oprahforpresident" and "#Oprah2020." She is actively thinking about a run, CNN reported on Monday, citing two of her close friends. CNN did not name the friends, who it said had spoken on condition of anonymity. At least one emphasized that Winfrey had made no firm decision.Winfrey has said in the past she is not interested in running for president, but the Los Angeles Times quoted Stedman Graham, Winfrey's longtime partner in business and life, as saying on Sunday that, "It`s up to the people ... She would absolutely do it." Wearing a black gown to show support for victims, she used her platform to promote the "Time's Up" movement against sexual harassment and assault, throwing her support behind others who have exposed sexual misconduct in Hollywood and elsewhere in politics and the media. "She had that room in her hands. It was like a campaign rally," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy. The nine-minute speech generated two standing ovations from the Hollywood glitterati and prompted 220,000 posts on social media mentioning the words "Oprah" and "president" in just 24 hours, said Todd Grossman of social media analytics company Talkwalker. After Trump won the White House in 2016 with help from his fame as a reality TV star, it no longer seems far-fetched to consider a similar campaign by Winfrey, an actress, movie and television producer, and chief executive of her OWN cable channel, political analysts said. Winfrey, long associated with Democratic politics and fundraising, would likely face a crowded field in the Democratic primaries in the 2020 race. But given her connections, Winfrey might have a fund-raising advantage over her rivals in liberal Hollywood, which is often called an automatic teller machine for Democratic candidates. "She's certainly a bigger celebrity than Trump ever was, especially in terms of connecting with her audience. Obviously, this has given her an opportunity. What does she do next with it?" said Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University in Boston who has written on the intersection of show business and politics. Trump benefited from his star power to win more free media exposure than his rivals in the Republican primary and was able to run a relatively inexpensive campaign. His committee spent $343 million in the primary and general election campaigns with the help of $47.5 million of the real estate developer's own money, which he lent to the campaign and later forgave. Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent, spent $585 million including $1.5 million of her own money. Winfrey could supplement any campaign with her own wealth. Forbes estimates she is worth $3.0 billion compared to $3.5 billion for Trump. She was raised in poverty by a single mother and went on to host the top-rated talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show" for 25 years before ending it in 2011. Jeffe, the USC professor, cautioned against thinking of Hollywood as a monolith of liberal Democrats. Besides the liberal creative talent, Hollywood money also comes from the more conservative, unionized trade and craft workforce as well as from the business interests. "She has credibility with all of them," Jeffe said.

Trump would welcome challenge from Oprah Winfrey for president

US President Donald Trump has postponed his &#39;fake news awards&#39; to next week (January 17), instead of today, citing high interest.

Trump tweeted last week awards would be given out on Monday, January 8 and &ldquo;cover Dishonesty &amp; Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media.&rdquo;

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I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST &amp; CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o&rsquo;clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty &amp; Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948359545767841792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House.

&quot;The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt &amp; biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday,&quot; Donald Trump tweeted.

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The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt &amp; biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/950103659337134080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;The interest in, and importance of, these awards are far greater than anyone could have anticipated!&quot; US president said.

On January 2, Trump had tweeted that he would announce the awards to the media houses for &quot;dishonesty and bad reporting&quot;.

&quot;We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favourite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the &#39;Fake news trophy,&quot; he tweeted on November 27.

As per the Trump Campaign list, the competition for &#39;King of Fake news&#39; is among three news organisations.

&quot;ABC News &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that candidate Trump directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election,&quot; it said.

&quot;CNN &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump, Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks,&quot; it wrote.

&quot;TIME &#39;mistakenly&#39; reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr from the Oval Office,&quot; the Trump Campaign said, as it asked the participants to &quot;let the President know if there is another story you think should be crowned as the 2017 KING of Fake News&quot;.

Trump has reportedly often labelled media coverage critical of his administration as &ldquo;fake news,&rdquo; accusing leading US media of spreading &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; against him during the US presidential election campaign as well as after he became president.

Donald Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House.

US President Donald Trump has postponed his 'fake news awards' to next week (January 17), instead of today, citing high interest. Trump tweeted last week awards would be given out on Monday, January 8 and “cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media.” I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o’clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 × Trump has regularly slammed the coverage of his campaign and time in the White House. "The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday," Donald Trump tweeted. The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 × "The interest in, and importance of, these awards are far greater than anyone could have anticipated!" US president said. On January 2, Trump had tweeted that he would announce the awards to the media houses for "dishonesty and bad reporting". "We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favourite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the 'Fake news trophy," he tweeted on November 27. As per the Trump Campaign list, the competition for 'King of Fake news' is among three news organisations. "ABC News 'mistakenly' reported that candidate Trump directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election," it said. "CNN 'mistakenly' reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump, Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks," it wrote. "TIME 'mistakenly' reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr from the Oval Office," the Trump Campaign said, as it asked the participants to "let the President know if there is another story you think should be crowned as the 2017 KING of Fake News". Trump has reportedly often labelled media coverage critical of his administration as “fake news,” accusing leading US media of spreading “fake news” against him during the US presidential election campaign as well as after he became president.

US president Donald Trump postpones 'fake news awards', to now be presented on January 17

Did Steve Bannon jump or was he pushed? Bannon&rsquo;s opponents spoke of a firing, while his allies &ndash; and Bannon himself &ndash; said he had planned to resign for weeks. Turns out both sides were right. But that is only the start of a tale in which the final chapters are not yet written.

Within hours of leaving his post, Bannon was back as executive chairman of Breitbart. Staff at the right-wing publication, including senior editor Joel Pollak, had already declared &ldquo;#WAR&rdquo; on the White House as soon as their boss&rsquo;s departure was announced.

A Bannon friend said: &ldquo;Steve&rsquo;s unchained. Fully unchained.&rdquo; Another said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s now a Democrat White House&rdquo;.

At a staff meeting, Bannon refined the blunt declarations. The line that Trump himself would not be attacked was repackaged as a &ldquo;war for Trump&rdquo;. That war would be against Trump&rsquo;s enemies &ndash; but not the counter-protesters at Charlottesville or even the &ldquo;fake media&rdquo;. The war would be waged on those considered the president&rsquo;s foes within the White House.

Breitbart has already lined up its first target: national security adviser H R McMaster. The hard right had been set against McMaster since the spring, when he pushed Bannon off a key committee of the National Security Council. Then, with leverage from the appointment of Kelly as chief of staff, McMaster removed four of Bannon&rsquo;s allies from the council. This tussle led Bannon&rsquo;s camp to counter-attack on social media, calling for &ldquo;McMasterOut&rdquo;.

On the Sunday immediately following Bannon&rsquo;s departure from the White House, Breitbart led with an article: &ldquo;HR McMaster Endorsed Book That Advocates Quran-Kissing Apology Ceremonies.&rdquo; The next day the site was blaming McMaster for Trump&rsquo;s response to the deaths of ten sailors aboard the USS John McCain in a collision near Singapore. According to the article, McMaster failed to brief the president properly, which is why the commander in chief initially reacted to the news by saying &ldquo;that&rsquo;s too bad&rdquo;.

Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign against McMaster for some time. They tried to rally opposition to a review of Afghanistan policy, with Bannon pushing for a privatisation of the US intervention.

The prelude to the war came after Charlottesville when Bannon supported Trump in his message that both sides were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville &mdash; thereby tacitly supporting the white supremacists, even while other advisers warned him against such statements.

Kelly hit back. His allies spread stories that Trump disliked Bannon&rsquo;s leaking, especially about White House in-fighting, and the books and articles portraying the chief strategist as the power in the executive. Bannon also helped design his own demise &ndash; unwittingly or deliberately &ndash; by committing &ldquo;suicide by journalist&rdquo;. Piqued by a story in The American Prospect about North Korea, he called up the journalist to complain about the government&rsquo;s approach &ndash; which he blamed on generals like McMaster. The enemy, he said, was China in an economic war. He also boasted about his influence, claiming he could have people fired in the government.

The article was quickly presented to Trump. On Friday morning, in a staff meeting, the president said his right-hand ideologue would be leaving that day.

The beginning of the end

The Bannon-Breitbart campaign to vanquish McMaster, and then maybe National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, and then maybe Kelly, and then maybe even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will get the publicity accorded to a dramatic story.

Framed as a valiant fight against the &ldquo;deep state&rdquo;, it will have its vocal partners. We&rsquo;ll hear from alt-right polemicist Mike Cernovich, who accused McMaster of manipulating intelligence reports to Trump. We&rsquo;ll also get insight from &ldquo;Pizzagate&rdquo; agitator Jack Posobiec, InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (&ldquo;McMaster&rsquo;s sold out&rdquo;), and even ex-KKK grand wizard David Duke.

It is unlikely to succeed. The retired generals in the White House have succeeded in containing the machinery around Trump, even if the president cannot be restrained on Twitter. They will have the power of executive agencies behind them. Most of the media will have no desire to aid and abet Bannon. Posobiec may appeal to the wonders of social media and InfoWars but, as Charlottesville showed, the alt-right is discovering that it may not even have a secure position on that battleground.

Still, the campaign will be a most unwelcome flank attack as Trump finds himself surrounded on all sides: the Russia investigation, the failure to pass a single major piece of legislation since January, the questions over ethics and conflicts of interests, the looming deadline for adoption of the federal government&rsquo;s budget, and the white supremacy spectre.

Once upon a time &ndash; even last week &ndash; the mantra &ldquo;Trump still has his base&rdquo; was being invoked to minimise the threat to the president. Now even that base is fragmenting.

For the occupant of the White House, it is now Total #WAR.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-bannon-back-at-breitbart-what-will-war-mean-for-the-white-house-82787" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign for a long time now.

Did Steve Bannon jump or was he pushed? Bannon’s opponents spoke of a firing, while his allies – and Bannon himself – said he had planned to resign for weeks. Turns out both sides were right. But that is only the start of a tale in which the final chapters are not yet written. Within hours of leaving his post, Bannon was back as executive chairman of Breitbart. Staff at the right-wing publication, including senior editor Joel Pollak, had already declared “#WAR” on the White House as soon as their boss’s departure was announced. A Bannon friend said: “Steve’s unchained. Fully unchained.” Another said: “It’s now a Democrat White House”. At a staff meeting, Bannon refined the blunt declarations. The line that Trump himself would not be attacked was repackaged as a “war for Trump”. That war would be against Trump’s enemies – but not the counter-protesters at Charlottesville or even the “fake media”. The war would be waged on those considered the president’s foes within the White House. Breitbart has already lined up its first target: national security adviser H R McMaster. The hard right had been set against McMaster since the spring, when he pushed Bannon off a key committee of the National Security Council. Then, with leverage from the appointment of Kelly as chief of staff, McMaster removed four of Bannon’s allies from the council. This tussle led Bannon’s camp to counter-attack on social media, calling for “McMasterOut”. On the Sunday immediately following Bannon’s departure from the White House, Breitbart led with an article: “HR McMaster Endorsed Book That Advocates Quran-Kissing Apology Ceremonies.” The next day the site was blaming McMaster for Trump’s response to the deaths of ten sailors aboard the USS John McCain in a collision near Singapore. According to the article, McMaster failed to brief the president properly, which is why the commander in chief initially reacted to the news by saying “that’s too bad”. Bannon and his allies had been whipping up an electronic and social media campaign against McMaster for some time. They tried to rally opposition to a review of Afghanistan policy, with Bannon pushing for a privatisation of the US intervention. The prelude to the war came after Charlottesville when Bannon supported Trump in his message that both sides were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville — thereby tacitly supporting the white supremacists, even while other advisers warned him against such statements. Kelly hit back. His allies spread stories that Trump disliked Bannon’s leaking, especially about White House in-fighting, and the books and articles portraying the chief strategist as the power in the executive. Bannon also helped design his own demise – unwittingly or deliberately – by committing “suicide by journalist”. Piqued by a story in The American Prospect about North Korea, he called up the journalist to complain about the government’s approach – which he blamed on generals like McMaster. The enemy, he said, was China in an economic war. He also boasted about his influence, claiming he could have people fired in the government. The article was quickly presented to Trump. On Friday morning, in a staff meeting, the president said his right-hand ideologue would be leaving that day. The beginning of the end The Bannon-Breitbart campaign to vanquish McMaster, and then maybe National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, and then maybe Kelly, and then maybe even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will get the publicity accorded to a dramatic story. Framed as a valiant fight against the “deep state”, it will have its vocal partners. We’ll hear from alt-right polemicist Mike Cernovich, who accused McMaster of manipulating intelligence reports to Trump. We’ll also get insight from “Pizzagate” agitator Jack Posobiec, InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (“McMaster’s sold out”), and even ex-KKK grand wizard David Duke. It is unlikely to succeed. The retired generals in the White House have succeeded in containing the machinery around Trump, even if the president cannot be restrained on Twitter. They will have the power of executive agencies behind them. Most of the media will have no desire to aid and abet Bannon. Posobiec may appeal to the wonders of social media and InfoWars but, as Charlottesville showed, the alt-right is discovering that it may not even have a secure position on that battleground. Still, the campaign will be a most unwelcome flank attack as Trump finds himself surrounded on all sides: the Russia investigation, the failure to pass a single major piece of legislation since January, the questions over ethics and conflicts of interests, the looming deadline for adoption of the federal government’s budget, and the white supremacy spectre. Once upon a time – even last week – the mantra “Trump still has his base” was being invoked to minimise the threat to the president. Now even that base is fragmenting. For the occupant of the White House, it is now Total #WAR. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion:  For Trump, it is now Total #WAR from Bannon

US President Donald Trump is getting furious over the release of a book, and there is a reason for that. Michael Wolff, the author of the book &#39;Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House&#39; has some explosive anecdotes about the US President.

While Wolff is standing by his his new White House tell-all, here are some excerpts from the book:

&#39;The President can get to be a bit of a bore&#39; 
A Trump associate told the author that the US President tends to drone on and repeat himself

&#39;Trump didn&#39;t really want to be President&#39; 
Wolff says Trumps looked stressed and angry at his inauguration since big stars boycotted the event. Trump and Melania had been fighting, and the US First Lady seemed tearful, the author adds.

&#39;A President has only 6 months to set his agenda&#39; 
An aide tried to impress upon the US President to make an impression, but a distracted Trump would sneak off for rounds of golf, says Wolff.

&#39;Trump&#39;s hair colour is a result of his impatience&#39; 
The hair colour was from a product called Just For Men - the longer it was left on, the darker it got. But Trump&#39;s impatience resulted in orange-blonde hair colour.

&#39;Locked bedrooms, TVs&#39; 
The President has a separate bedroom with multiple screens and a lock on the door, says Wolff citing his Wihte House sources. This is the first time since the Kennedys that the first couple have separate sleeping quarters.

&#39;Hands off my stuff!&#39; 
President Trump reprimanded housekeeping for picking up his shirt. And he has made a new rule: Nobody touch anything, especially not his toothbrush

&#39;Trump had a longtime fear of being poisoned&#39; 
This is why he liked to eat at McDonald&#39;s - nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made

US President Donald Trump is getting furious over the release of a book, and there is a reason for that. Michael Wolff, the author of the book 'Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House' has some explosive anecdotes about the US President.

US President Donald Trump is getting furious over the release of a book, and there is a reason for that. Michael Wolff, the author of the book 'Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House' has some explosive anecdotes about the US President. While Wolff is standing by his his new White House tell-all, here are some excerpts from the book: 'The President can get to be a bit of a bore' A Trump associate told the author that the US President tends to drone on and repeat himself 'Trump didn't really want to be President' Wolff says Trumps looked stressed and angry at his inauguration since big stars boycotted the event. Trump and Melania had been fighting, and the US First Lady seemed tearful, the author adds. 'A President has only 6 months to set his agenda' An aide tried to impress upon the US President to make an impression, but a distracted Trump would sneak off for rounds of golf, says Wolff. 'Trump's hair colour is a result of his impatience' The hair colour was from a product called Just For Men - the longer it was left on, the darker it got. But Trump's impatience resulted in orange-blonde hair colour. 'Locked bedrooms, TVs' The President has a separate bedroom with multiple screens and a lock on the door, says Wolff citing his Wihte House sources. This is the first time since the Kennedys that the first couple have separate sleeping quarters. 'Hands off my stuff!' President Trump reprimanded housekeeping for picking up his shirt. And he has made a new rule: Nobody touch anything, especially not his toothbrush 'Trump had a longtime fear of being poisoned' This is why he liked to eat at McDonald's - nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made

Watch: Why Michael Wolff's book is making Donald Trump furious

Hours after Donald Trump lambasted Pakistan&nbsp;for giving US nothing but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; in return for billions in aid, Pakistan Minister of State for Information &amp; Broadcasting said that the US should not blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Pakistan has rendered &#39;&#39;unmatched sacrifices&#39;&#39; in the &#39;&#39;war against terrorism&#39;&#39; and there was no ambiguity about it.

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Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting has said that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnitedStates?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UnitedStates</a> should not put blames for its failure in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> on Pakistan. 
She further said that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> has rendered unmatched sacrifices in the war against# terrorism and there is no ambiguity about it <a href="https://t.co/u76OBadmtJ">pic.twitter.com/u76OBadmtJ</a>
&mdash; Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/947858274724012034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In a strongly worded reaction to earlier US accusations, Pakistan Army spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor, asserted that aid Pakistan received from the US was &quot;reimbursement for support Islamabad gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda&quot;.&nbsp;

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Hitting back at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> the Foreign Office had also warned against the malicious campaign being used to trivialize Pakistan&#39;s achievements in the war against terrorism. The foreign office said allies do not put each other on notice. <a href="https://t.co/fbhLuClU6O">pic.twitter.com/fbhLuClU6O</a>
&mdash; Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/947857868589617152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Pakistan Foreign Office also issued a warning against what it called &#39;&#39;malicious campaign&#39;&#39; being used to trivialize Pakistan&#39;s achievements in the war against terrorism. The foreign office said that allies do not put each other on notice.&nbsp;

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In a strong worded reaction to earlier <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> accusations and allegations the Pakistan Army spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor asserted that the aid Pakistan received from the US was &quot;reimbursement for support Islamabad gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yzKmYbuOx0">pic.twitter.com/yzKmYbuOx0</a>
&mdash; Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/947857527613640704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Pakistan also said that it received nothing but invective and mistrust from US for the cooperation it extended for &#39;&#39;war on terrorism&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pakistan as anti-terror ally has given land, air communication, military bases, intel cooperation that decimated Al-Qaeda over last 16 years free of cost, but they have given us nothing in return but invective and mistrust, the statement said.

The statement also accused the US of overlooking the cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis.&nbsp;

Aid Pakistan received from the US was "reimbursement for support Islamabad gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda".

Hours after Donald Trump lambasted Pakistan for giving US nothing but "lies and deceit" in return for billions in aid, Pakistan Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting said that the US should not blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Pakistan has rendered ''unmatched sacrifices'' in the ''war against terrorism'' and there was no ambiguity about it. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting has said that the #UnitedStates should not put blames for its failure in #Afghanistan on Pakistan. She further said that #Pakistan has rendered unmatched sacrifices in the war against# terrorism and there is no ambiguity about it pic.twitter.com/u76OBadmtJ — Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) January 1, 2018 × In a strongly worded reaction to earlier US accusations, Pakistan Army spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor, asserted that aid Pakistan received from the US was "reimbursement for support Islamabad gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda". Hitting back at the #US the Foreign Office had also warned against the malicious campaign being used to trivialize Pakistan's achievements in the war against terrorism. The foreign office said allies do not put each other on notice. pic.twitter.com/fbhLuClU6O — Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) January 1, 2018 × Pakistan Foreign Office also issued a warning against what it called ''malicious campaign'' being used to trivialize Pakistan's achievements in the war against terrorism. The foreign office said that allies do not put each other on notice. In a strong worded reaction to earlier #US accusations and allegations the Pakistan Army spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor asserted that the aid Pakistan received from the US was "reimbursement for support Islamabad gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda." pic.twitter.com/yzKmYbuOx0 — Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) January 1, 2018 × Pakistan also said that it received nothing but invective and mistrust from US for the cooperation it extended for ''war on terrorism''. Pakistan as anti-terror ally has given land, air communication, military bases, intel cooperation that decimated Al-Qaeda over last 16 years free of cost, but they have given us nothing in return but invective and mistrust, the statement said. The statement also accused the US of overlooking the cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis.

Pak in denial; says rendered 'unmatched sacrifices' in war against terrorism

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll.&nbsp;

The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009.

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5C5B1tIASy0" width="560"></iframe>

Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent.&nbsp;

In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent.&nbsp;

That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent.

On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent&nbsp;and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent.&nbsp;

Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent&nbsp;one being his decision on Jerusalem.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as &#39;reckless and stupid&#39;. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a &#39;sexist&#39;.

Rasmussen Reports' poll's number on Thursday revealed Trump getting an approval rating of 46 per cent, while disapproval rating of 53 per cent

US President Donald Trump has got similar approval ratings in his first year in office as former US president Barack Obama in a recent poll. The Rasmussen Reports poll Thursday revealed Trump had an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 53 per cent. This is similar to what Obama scored in his first year of the presidency in 2009. Obama had received an approval rating of 46 per cent and a disapproval rating of 54 per cent. In terms of work done, the poll gave Trump an approval rating of 29 per cent and a disapproval rating of 44 per cent. That was better than Obama, who got an approval rating of 24 per cent and a disapproval rating of 42 per cent. On his inauguration day, Obama entered office with a high approval rating of 67 per cent and a disapproval rating of 32 per cent. Trump, on the other hand, received a much higher disapproval rating of almost 80 per cent. Donald Trump has time and again protested against the unfavourable numbers released by media. The high disapproval and low approval rates for the current president are the outcomes of his controversial policies including ban on citizens from Muslim majority countries, constant jibes at North Korea over their nuclear tests, and recent one being his decision on Jerusalem. A poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult reflected a 51 per cent disapproval rating, with 60 per cent of respondents viewing Trump as 'reckless and stupid'. At least 54 per cent believe Trump to be a 'sexist'.

Trump's approval ratings similar to Obama's in first year in office

US President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice for providing safe haven to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil, Vice President Mike Pence said during his unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

&quot;For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over,&quot; Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

&quot;President Trump has put Pakistan on notice,&quot; Pence said, addressing about 500 troops in a hangar decorated with Christmas decorations and massive armoured vehicles.

&quot;As the President said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists,&quot; the vice president said, issuing another stern warning to Pakistan, for which using non-state actors against its two neighbours India and Afghanistan has been part of its national security policy.

Trump, he said, has unleashed the full range of American military might.

&quot;We&#39;ve lifted the restrictions that limited the effectiveness of our armed forces, so you can, as the President has said, fully and swiftly wage battle against the enemy,&quot; he said.

The Trump Administration, he said, has given the troops new authorities to directly target the terrorists and militants no matter where they hide. 
He has empowered battlefield commanders with the freedom and flexibility they need to win.

Pence said this new strategy is already bearing fruit all across Afghanistan.

&quot;American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we&#39;re making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan. We&#39;ve dramatically increased American air strikes. And together with our Afghan partners, we&#39;ve put the Taliban on the defensive,&quot; he said.

&quot;We&#39;ve prevented them from launching a major campaign against a provincial capital for the first time in three years. We&#39;ve targeted the Taliban&#39;s funding as never before through renewed attacks on its drug trafficking networks,? Pence said.

&quot;All across this country we&#39;ve won new victories against the terrorists, no matter what they call themselves or where they try to hide. Our enemies will have no time to recover or rebuild because we will continue to bring overwhelming force to defeat them every day, every time,&quot; Pence said.

Trump, according to him, has ordered the integration of every facet of American power, diplomatic and economic measures to achieve lasting peace in Afghanistan.

&quot;And until that day comes, you can be assured, we will be relentless in our campaign to destroy our enemies. Because as history attests, weakness arouses evil, and peace only comes through strength. So be strong and courageous, and do the work of freedom,&quot; Pence said.

In Afghanistan, Pence met the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

&quot;We discussed the progress that we&#39;ve made in this country and America&#39;s commitment to the Afghan government and the commitment of the Afghanis to their own freedom in this land,&quot; he said.

&quot;I said to them what I say to you now:? Under President Donald Trump, the Armed Forces of the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland, our people once and for all,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;

Trump, he said, has unleashed the full range of American military might.

US President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice for providing safe haven to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil, Vice President Mike Pence said during his unannounced visit to Afghanistan. "For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over," Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. "President Trump has put Pakistan on notice," Pence said, addressing about 500 troops in a hangar decorated with Christmas decorations and massive armoured vehicles. "As the President said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists," the vice president said, issuing another stern warning to Pakistan, for which using non-state actors against its two neighbours India and Afghanistan has been part of its national security policy. Trump, he said, has unleashed the full range of American military might. "We've lifted the restrictions that limited the effectiveness of our armed forces, so you can, as the President has said, fully and swiftly wage battle against the enemy," he said. The Trump Administration, he said, has given the troops new authorities to directly target the terrorists and militants no matter where they hide. He has empowered battlefield commanders with the freedom and flexibility they need to win. Pence said this new strategy is already bearing fruit all across Afghanistan. "American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we're making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan. We've dramatically increased American air strikes. And together with our Afghan partners, we've put the Taliban on the defensive," he said. "We've prevented them from launching a major campaign against a provincial capital for the first time in three years. We've targeted the Taliban's funding as never before through renewed attacks on its drug trafficking networks,? Pence said. "All across this country we've won new victories against the terrorists, no matter what they call themselves or where they try to hide. Our enemies will have no time to recover or rebuild because we will continue to bring overwhelming force to defeat them every day, every time," Pence said. Trump, according to him, has ordered the integration of every facet of American power, diplomatic and economic measures to achieve lasting peace in Afghanistan. "And until that day comes, you can be assured, we will be relentless in our campaign to destroy our enemies. Because as history attests, weakness arouses evil, and peace only comes through strength. So be strong and courageous, and do the work of freedom," Pence said. In Afghanistan, Pence met the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. "We discussed the progress that we've made in this country and America's commitment to the Afghan government and the commitment of the Afghanis to their own freedom in this land," he said. "I said to them what I say to you now:? Under President Donald Trump, the Armed Forces of the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland, our people once and for all," he added.

President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice: Mike Pence

In a video making rounds on the internet, Prince Harry of Wales can be seen interviewing former US President Barack Obama.&nbsp;

Prince Harry interviewed Obama for a BBC Radio 4 show as part of a guest editor gig for the station.&nbsp;According to Kensington Palace, the interview&nbsp;focuses on Obama&rsquo;s final day in office and his post-presidential plans, which include his initiatives through the Obama Foundation.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-and-meghan-markles-wedding-date-has-been-officially-announced-26857" target="_blank">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle&#39;s wedding date has been officially announced</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Prince Harry&#39;s guest editorship of <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCRadio4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCRadio4</a> Today programme on the 27th December will feature an interview with former US President <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a>. The interview focuses on their shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders. <a href="https://t.co/HaBaW0F5pM">pic.twitter.com/HaBaW0F5pM</a>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/942349496725499904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kensington Palace posted a preview of the interaction on its official Twitter page while the full interview will air on BBC Radio 4 on December 27.

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Here is a sneak preview of when <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a> met Prince Harry for the interview. Listen to the full interview on 27th December on <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCr4today?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCr4today</a>. <a href="https://t.co/p5I1dUdyhx">pic.twitter.com/p5I1dUdyhx</a>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/942353717101318144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The interview was conducted when the two&nbsp;were at the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-with-actress-girlfriend-meghan-markle-launch-the-third-invictus-games-20572" target="_blank"> Invictus Games</a> in Toronto in September.

The duo&#39;s friendship dates to the month of May when Obama visited Prince Harry at Kensington Palace, where they discussed &ldquo;a range of shared interests,&rdquo; including empowering young people and the goals of their foundations, according to the palace.

Obama had even congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-barack-obama-congratulates-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-on-their-engagement-25297" target="_blank">Twitter</a> after the couple announced their engagement last month.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is said that the interview happened when the two met during Invictus Games in September

In a video making rounds on the internet, Prince Harry of Wales can be seen interviewing former US President Barack Obama. Prince Harry interviewed Obama for a BBC Radio 4 show as part of a guest editor gig for the station. According to Kensington Palace, the interview focuses on Obama’s final day in office and his post-presidential plans, which include his initiatives through the Obama Foundation. Also Read: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date has been officially announced Prince Harry's guest editorship of @BBCRadio4 Today programme on the 27th December will feature an interview with former US President @BarackObama. The interview focuses on their shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders. pic.twitter.com/HaBaW0F5pM — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 17, 2017 × Kensington Palace posted a preview of the interaction on its official Twitter page while the full interview will air on BBC Radio 4 on December 27. Here is a sneak preview of when @BarackObama met Prince Harry for the interview. Listen to the full interview on 27th December on @BBCr4today. pic.twitter.com/p5I1dUdyhx — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 17, 2017 × The interview was conducted when the two were at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September. The duo's friendship dates to the month of May when Obama visited Prince Harry at Kensington Palace, where they discussed “a range of shared interests,” including empowering young people and the goals of their foundations, according to the palace. Obama had even congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Twitter after the couple announced their engagement last month.

Watch: Prince Harry interviews Barack Obama for radio show

Over a dozen women who had accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was elected president of the United States have detailed their ordeals publicly at a press conference.

The women gave accounts of having allegedly been forcibly groped and kissed by the businessman-turned-politician. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The women, who first came forward during the 2016 presidential campaign demanding Trump&#39;s suspension&nbsp;from the elections, made headlines again after appearing on Megyn Kelly`s NBC show on Monday and a subsequent news conference in Manhattan.

Both times, the women called on Congress to investigate their claims.

Samantha Holvey, former Miss North Carolina 2006, who accused Trump of inspecting beauty pageant contestants, and Jessica Leeds, who accused him of grabbing her chest and attempting to move his hand up her skirt on a flight, were part of Monday&#39;s conference.

The accusers came forward with a wide range of accusations -- ranging from sexual harassment to lewd behaviour around women -- in, they said, the hope that they would be taken more seriously after a torrent of similar accusations have toppled the careers of powerful men in Hollywood and the news media. 
&nbsp;

The women called on Congress to investigate their claims

Over a dozen women who had accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct before he was elected president of the United States have detailed their ordeals publicly at a press conference. The women gave accounts of having allegedly been forcibly groped and kissed by the businessman-turned-politician. The women, who first came forward during the 2016 presidential campaign demanding Trump's suspension from the elections, made headlines again after appearing on Megyn Kelly`s NBC show on Monday and a subsequent news conference in Manhattan. Both times, the women called on Congress to investigate their claims. Samantha Holvey, former Miss North Carolina 2006, who accused Trump of inspecting beauty pageant contestants, and Jessica Leeds, who accused him of grabbing her chest and attempting to move his hand up her skirt on a flight, were part of Monday's conference. The accusers came forward with a wide range of accusations -- ranging from sexual harassment to lewd behaviour around women -- in, they said, the hope that they would be taken more seriously after a torrent of similar accusations have toppled the careers of powerful men in Hollywood and the news media.

Over a dozen women detail sexual allegations against Donald Trump

In a true hero style, rapper Jay-Z stopped his own concert&nbsp;midway to give an inspirational message to a young girl in the audience.&nbsp;

He was performing on his&nbsp;&ldquo;4:44 Tour&rdquo; at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday when he&nbsp;said to an unidentified 9-year-old that she could be&nbsp;&ldquo;anything that you want to be in the world.&rdquo;

He went on to say:&nbsp;&ldquo;At this very moment, America is way more sexist than they are racist,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But you, young lady, you got the potential to be the next president of the United States. You believe that.&rdquo;

This is not the first time when&nbsp;Jay-Z has given a positive message to his fans.

Earlier, while performing at Nashville&rsquo;s Bridgestone Arena, he said &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot going on in the world right now.&nbsp;But I just wanna say one thing, love will always trump hate.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He said: 'You, young lady, you got the potential to be the next president of the United States'

In a true hero style, rapper Jay-Z stopped his own concert midway to give an inspirational message to a young girl in the audience. He was performing on his “4:44 Tour” at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday when he said to an unidentified 9-year-old that she could be “anything that you want to be in the world.” He went on to say: “At this very moment, America is way more sexist than they are racist,” he said. “But you, young lady, you got the potential to be the next president of the United States. You believe that.” This is not the first time when Jay-Z has given a positive message to his fans. Earlier, while performing at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, he said “There’s a lot going on in the world right now. But I just wanna say one thing, love will always trump hate.”

Jay-Z stops concert midway to give an important message to a 9-year-old

The US Justice Department says it has asked prosecutors to examine alleged misconduct at the Clinton Foundation and the controversial Obama-era sale of a uranium firm to Russia, and whether a special counsel might be needed to investigate.

The move, disclosed in a letter to lawmakers, came as Attorney General Jeff Sessions was poised to testify today about election year contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russia.

As the former head of the Trump campaign&#39;s foreign policy advisory team, sessions can expect a tough grilling from Democrats about what he knew about the contacts.

Sessions have previously testified under oath that he had no knowledge of any collusion with the Russians, but a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered contacts by lower level campaign advisers.

As the Russia election meddling probe has heated up, US President Donald Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers, have called for a probe into Hillary Clinton and the sale of a uranium company to Russia under former president Barack Obama.

Yesterday, the Justice Department responded to the Republican demands in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who also will preside over Tuesday&#39;s hearing with sessions.

Sessions, it said, has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate Goodlatte&#39;s request for a special counsel to investigate the uranium sale and &quot;alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters.&quot;

The prosecutors &quot;will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, and whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel,&quot; it said.

The letter, first obtained by broadcaster NBC News, was signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd.

Republican lawmakers in late October announced they were investigating the 2013 sale of Canadian mining company Uranium One to Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which was approved by former president Barack Obama.

The move gave Rosatom control of 20 percent of US uranium stockpiles and was decided after Uranium One made several donations to the Clinton Foundation of former president Bill Clinton.

They are also demanding more clarity on how the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice decided during the height of last year&#39;s White House race to not pursue charges against Clinton over her misuse of a personal email server.

The Justice Department letter said the handling of the Clinton email case was under review by the department&#39;s inspector general, and an assessment would be made of what steps should be taken, if any, once it is completed.

The move was disclosed in a letter to lawmakers

The US Justice Department says it has asked prosecutors to examine alleged misconduct at the Clinton Foundation and the controversial Obama-era sale of a uranium firm to Russia, and whether a special counsel might be needed to investigate. The move, disclosed in a letter to lawmakers, came as Attorney General Jeff Sessions was poised to testify today about election year contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. As the former head of the Trump campaign's foreign policy advisory team, sessions can expect a tough grilling from Democrats about what he knew about the contacts. Sessions have previously testified under oath that he had no knowledge of any collusion with the Russians, but a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered contacts by lower level campaign advisers. As the Russia election meddling probe has heated up, US President Donald Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers, have called for a probe into Hillary Clinton and the sale of a uranium company to Russia under former president Barack Obama. Yesterday, the Justice Department responded to the Republican demands in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who also will preside over Tuesday's hearing with sessions. Sessions, it said, has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate Goodlatte's request for a special counsel to investigate the uranium sale and "alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters." The prosecutors "will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, and whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel," it said. The letter, first obtained by broadcaster NBC News, was signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd. Republican lawmakers in late October announced they were investigating the 2013 sale of Canadian mining company Uranium One to Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which was approved by former president Barack Obama. The move gave Rosatom control of 20 percent of US uranium stockpiles and was decided after Uranium One made several donations to the Clinton Foundation of former president Bill Clinton. They are also demanding more clarity on how the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice decided during the height of last year's White House race to not pursue charges against Clinton over her misuse of a personal email server. The Justice Department letter said the handling of the Clinton email case was under review by the department's inspector general, and an assessment would be made of what steps should be taken, if any, once it is completed.

US Justice Department mulls special prosecutor to probe Clinton Foundation

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