The US officially relocated its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday, formally upending decades of American foreign policy in a move that was met with clashes and protests along the Israeli-Gaza border. At least 58 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,700 injured in Gaza as deadly protests took place ahead of, during and after the ceremony in Jerusalem, making it the deadliest day there since the 2014 Gaza war. The violence could deepen Tuesday, when Palestinians mark what they call the “Nakba,” or Catastrophe, in memory of the more than 700,000 Palestinians who were either driven from or fled their homes during the Arab-Israeli war that accompanied the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. On Monday, which marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, US and Israeli leaders hailed the embassy move as a sign of the enduring relationship between the two countries and of US trustworthiness. American officials said it could create an honest foundation for an eventual peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. President Donald Trump did not attend the ceremony in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, but in a video message broadcast at the event he congratulated Israel, saying the opening had been “a long time coming.” “Today, Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government. It is the home of the Israeli legislature and the Israeli supreme court and Israel’s Prime Minister and President. Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital, yet for many years we failed to acknowledge the obvious, the plain reality that Israel’s capital is Jerusalem,” Trump said in the prerecorded remarks. “As I said in December, our greatest hope is for peace,” he added. But that hopeful vision made for a jarring juxtaposition with the climbing death toll in Gaza, televised images of Palestinians running from gunfire and the decision by the Pentagon and State Department to boost the Marine Corps presence at US embassies across the Middle East and Africa. The celebratory air at the official opening ceremony in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood also contrasted sharply with calls from international leaders who expressed alarm at the spike in violence and appealed for calm, with some US allies denouncing the US decision to break with international norms by moving the embassy. France expressed its official disapproval. South Africa pulled its envoy from Tel Aviv, while Turkey pulled its ambassadors from both Washington and Tel Aviv. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told an audience in London that the US prefers “to become part of the problem rather than the solution” and that it “has lost its role as mediator in the Middle East peace process.” Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations, told reporters there is “no chance” that Palestinians will engage in the US-led peace process, while President Mahmoud Abbas called for three days of mourning. Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the Trump administration, expressed “strong condemnation” of Israel’s use of force against Palestinian civilians, the official Saudi press agency said. Queen Rania of Jordan, another close US ally, tweeted that it was “a dark and sad day in history, marked with more Palestinian sacrifices.” “When will the world’s conscience mobilize to give Palestinians the rights so many of us take for granted?” the Queen asked. “May God have mercy on those who lost their lives defending Jerusalem’s proud Arab identity.” The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, was “profoundly alarmed by the sharp escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the high number of Palestinians killed and injured in the Gaza protests,” said his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Guterres added that Israeli security forces “must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire” and “Hamas and the leaders of the demonstrations have a responsibility to prevent all violent actions and provocations.” The UK’s Middle East minister, Alistair Burt, said that “we will not waver from our support for Israel’s right to defend its borders. But the large volume of live fire is extremely concerning.” He said, “We continue to implore Israel to show greater restraint.” He also said that “the UK supports the Palestinians’ right to protest, but these protests must be peaceful.” Those calls diverged from the Trump administration’s insistence that the problem was on the Palestinian side and in particular Hamas’ “cynical” use of the situation. “The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters at the White House. “Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response and as the secretary of state said, Israel has a right to defend itself.” When asked about the contrast between rock-wielding Palestinians and armed Israel Defense Forces firing on them, Shah said, “This is a propaganda attempt. I think the Israeli government has spent weeks trying to handle this without violence.” At the State Department, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked by CNN’s Michelle Kosinksi if he would address the ongoing violence, he simply turned and left the room. Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel and relocate the embassy is contentious for Palestinians, who hope to claim part of the city as their future capital. The city is also home to deeply holy sites for Jews and Christians. The issue has been so thorny that international negotiators had left the question of Jerusalem to the final stages of any peace deal. At the ceremony Monday, politicians and dignitaries – including Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, – watched as US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin unveiled the US seal, turning what was formally the consulate building into the embassy. Kushner, who is also a senior adviser to the US President, called for unity in his address. “We believe it is possible for both sides to gain more than they give – so that all people can live in peace – safe from danger, free from fear and able to pursue their dreams,” he said. “Jerusalem must remain a city that brings people of all faiths together.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for his support on Twitter hours ahead of the opening ceremony. “What an amazing day! Thank you, @POTUS Trump,” Netanyahu said while retweeting a Twitter post from Trump. The opening of the embassy happened a day after Israel celebrated Jerusalem Day, marking what Israelis consider the reunification of the city. Speaking at the ceremony, Netanyahu hailed the alliance between America and Israel as “stronger than ever.” “What a glorious day. Remember this moment. This is history,” he said. “President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history. All of us are deeply moved; all of us are deeply grateful.” Outside the embassy, police and protesters clashed as tensions ran high. Fourteen protesters were arrested for confronting police officers and interrupting public order, Jerusalem police said. Abeer Salman reported from Jerusalem. Nicole Gaouette wrote from Washington. James Masters wrote from London. CNN’s Ameera Ahmad in Gaza and Sarah El-Sirgany in Abu Dhabi contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Alain Robert, also known as the “French Spider-Man,” is a rock climber and urban climber from Bourgogne, France. He has climbed numerous landmark skyscrapers around the world, often illegally and using the free solo technique. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. Climber Alain Robert: Steve's Trump Tower climb with suction cups was not particularly impressive Free solo climbing, like Robert does, is faster and takes more skill, he says Was the three-hour climb that Steve from Virginia made up the side of Trump Tower in New York Wednesday an amazing feat or just a foolhardy stunt? I think it is something closer to the latter. I know a little about climbing buildings in New York. Eight years ago I climbed the 52-story New York Times building, free soloing – which is how I have climbed buildings around the world for a quarter century – without ropes and harnesses. I wore only climbing shoes and used chalk powder to help with my grip. Steve from Virginia did something very different. What he did is not free soloing, and it doesn’t impress me. Climbing a building with suction cups is safe, but the time it takes is a bit long and the climb is tedious and repetitive, especially as Steve used so many suction cups (it looked like six). That’s probably why the guy didn’t make it to the top. (I should stress here that climbing the side of a building is dangerous and could get you killed. Don’t try this at home.) But Steve could have done it if he had the skill level. For example, climbing the Times building 52 stories to the rooftop was an easy one for an experienced climber like me to do bare handed — but it had to be, as I was carrying a banner to fix to the top that read, “Global warming is killing more people every week than 9/11.”  I was arrested when I reached the top and charged with disorderly conduct. Normally with bare hands a climb like the Trump Tower takes 30 minutes, and with suction cups one hour maximum. It is so much faster bare handed – by the time the cops arrive the ascent is nearly finished. If Steve was using only his bare hands the cops would have never dared to arrest him mid-climb and endanger his life. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. We are talking about climbing a building with some safety gear but without much purpose — at least based on what Steve has told police. Also, it’s New York, where lawmakers have proposed an anti-Spidey law punishable for up to a year in jail. So it is a place hostile to such a climbing challenge. And since the police broke a window to reach Steve and pull him inside the building on the 21st floor, I’m afraid that he may also get a big fine. Actually I wanted myself to climb that particular building some years ago. I tried it a week after 9/11, when I was in New York. I had been planning to climb the World Trade Center, which I had scouted for a week in January 2000. But after the 9/11 tragedy, since I was in New York with nothing to do, I checked out other potential buildings to climb, including the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue. And I saw that it was doable. I even climbed it at night, nearly 10 meters up and down only using my bare hands, and was not spotted. My only concern was this level at the atrium where I knew that I could get caught by the cops. But I have also had my share of climbing successes; I have climbed some really tough buildings in my life, including the Calico in New York (also illegally), the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Blue Cross-Blue Shield building in Philadelphia, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is the tallest structure  in the world. I’m a five-time Guinness Book of World Records holder for climbing the highest buildings in the world and for the greatest number of buildings ever climbed using only my bare hands. We don’t know much about Steve and why he climbs. But for myself, I  started at the age of 11 by climbing my parents’ seven-story building, as I hadn’t my keys to get in. Shortly after, I started to climb some cliffs and mountains. All along I have been fascinated by the idea of doing something courageous and potentially dangerous. And that is why free soloing is the only way to climb. Some 25 years ago I did some routes free solo that were nearly the maximum difficulty that people could climb with safety gear at that time. That means there was almost zero margin between the hardest climb I could do with a rope and without. Now I’m much more reasonable. Getting older.


A Supreme Court ruling could make it more difficult to make bribery charges stick The case could go on past Thanksgiving Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, denies the charges Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal corruption trial is expected to last several more weeks, but a cryptic comment from the judge presiding over the case has renewed questions about whether it will even go to the jury. Related article No cameras, please: How the Supreme Court shuns the spotlight “I am very careful because of you know what and that being McDonnell,” Judge William Walls said last week – issuing the legal equivalent of a thunderclap in the courtroom. The trial will resume Tuesday for its sixth week, although court has only been in session 16 days thus far. The “McDonnell” bomb that Walls dropped is a 2016 Supreme Court case unanimously tossing out the bribery conviction of former Virginia GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell – a result that has produced a gold mine of litigation for defense attorneys seeking to upend guilty verdicts in corruption cases. A slew of former governmental officials from both parties – including Democrats Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, New York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Republican New York state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos – have all benefited from the McDonnell fallout with recently overturned convictions. Defense attorneys for Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, tried to get the senator’s case thrown out before trial using McDonnell, but Walls deferred ruling on the motion at that time, saying he needed to see how the evidence at trial played out. Now, in a trial that could last past Thanksgiving, the judge’s musings prove as a reminder of the high burden prosecutors must reach to prove their case. Meet the judicial renegade overseeing Sen. Menendez’s trial The heart of the Justice Department’s case rests on a theory that Menendez accepted political contributions, free rides on private jets and a swanky hotel suite in Paris from a wealthy doctor from Florida, Dr. Salomon Melgen. In exchange, they argue, the senator agreed to use the power of his office to encourage other high-level federal officials in the executive branch to help resolve Melgen’s business problems – “official acts” prosecutors claim put Menendez on the hook under federal bribery law. Related article Source: Prosecutors won't call Reid to testify in Menendez case Menendez and Melgen deny the charges. The challenge for prosecutors is that the Supreme Court in McDonnell narrowed the types of “official acts” that can form the basis of the crime. The justices said that merely “setting up a meeting, hosting an event, or calling an official” is no longer sufficient – the politician must put his or her thumb on the scale in an ongoing proceeding, lawsuit or controversy, or “exert pressure” on someone else to do so. “You need evidence from which a jury could reasonably infer that (Menendez) was seeking an official act,” said Fordham Law School Professor Zephyr Teachout, a former Democratic congressional candidate who teaches classes on corruption laws. “That does not mean that you need anybody in particular to say ‘I knew that he was seeking x or y official act’ – it can include circumstantial evidence,” she added. Prosecutors specifically accuse Menendez of pushing officials to make national health care policy changes that would have resulted in a favorable outcome in Melgen’s multimillion-dollar dispute with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The indictment also alleges the senator encouraged State Department officials to intercede in a contract dispute Melgen had with the government of the Dominican Republic for cargo screening at the island’s ports. Related article Judge throws out bulk of corruption case against freezer cash congressman To prove its case, prosecutors have introduced stacks of emails, flight records, customs forms, credit card receipts, invoices and glitzy hotel brochures. They have called 35 witnesses to the stand thus far, including FBI agents, pilots, former Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former US ambassador to Guatemala Todd Robinson, and a bevy of former congressional staffers. Witness describes ‘hostile’ conversations with Menendez, Reid, Sebelius One witness not expected to be called: former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who was part of a meeting on the Medicare rules with Menendez and Sebelius. The defense team doesn’t deny gifts changed hands between the two longtime friends Menendez and Melgen, but instead says no legal wrongdoing occurred, in large part because the senator – who lawyers remind the jury had no power to resolve Melgen’s business disputes as a legislator – had broader policy concerns in mind when he contacted officials within the executive branch. Melgen faced an $8.9 million repayment demand from CMS over his billing practice for the eye drug Lucentis and prosecutors accuse Menendez of lobbying various officials to make the case go away. Related article Poll: New Jersey voters say Sen. Menendez should quit if convicted But defense lawyers have frequently elicited testimony suggesting Menendez wasn’t a particularly successful advocate – as witnesses have uniformly stated that they either never agreed to help Melgen, despite repeated entreaties from Menendez and his staff, or others say they simply couldn’t pin down his precise “ask.” “I don’t exactly know what he wanted other than for me to do something,” Sebelius told jurors about a 2012 meeting she attended with Menendez and Reid. “There was confusion about what they were asking our office to do and I wasn’t clear on that,” added a former Reid aide when asked if Menendez wanted officials to “interfere” in Melgen’s case. Multiple witnesses have also told jurors Menendez’s concern – at least expressed to them – was that he viewed CMS’ billing practices as unfair and resulting in a windfall for drug companies – never referencing his friend or Lucentis directly. Defense lawyers, and now Judge Walls, have pounced on this fact. “(N)o bureaucrat who has testified here so far within my hearing has indicated that this particular Senator raised the name of his alleged friend in the meetings,” Walls said. “I have been very careful to listen to that. Because in the teachings of McDonnell, we are really thinking about things.” Judge throws out bulk of corruption case against freezer cash congressman But several legal experts interviewed by CNN were skeptical the McDonnell decision means Menendez had to reference Melgen explicitly by name in order for the senator’s advocacy on behalf of his friend to constitute an “official act.” Related article Meet the judicial renegade overseeing Sen. Menendez's trial “Menendez doesn’t have to because it’s the elephant in the room,” said Michael Weinstein, a former trial attorney at DOJ and now at Cole Schotz law firm in New Jersey. “Through inference, innuendo and flexing his senatorial muscle, he gets people to be in a room that would never have been in the first place.” This story has been updated.


The Russian government denied Monday that it had interfered in the 2016 US election campaign in the Kremlin’s first remarks since 13 Russian nationals were indicted Friday on charges of conspiring to defraud the US. Answering a question from CNN on a weekly telephone news conference, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said the indictments provided “no substantial evidence” of Russian meddling, and that there were “no indications that the Russian state could have been involved.” “We didn’t see any substantial evidence of someone interfering in the domestic affairs,” Peskov added. He said the US indictment “mentions Russian citizens, but we heard the accusations against the Russian state – that the Russian state, the Kremlin and the Russian government were involved.” Related article For Mueller, this is only the beginning Special counsel Robert Mueller – appointed by the US Justice Department to investigate Russian election meddling – laid out charges against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities on Friday. The sweeping indictment describes in detail an unprecedented, years-long effort by Russia to interfere with the US political system and the 2016 presidential election, affirming the longstanding conclusions of the US intelligence community. It is at odds with President Donald Trump’s persistent questioning of those conclusions, which has continued throughout his first year in office. The President has repeatedly called the investigations into his presidential campaign’s potential collusion with Russia a “hoax,” but on Sunday, Trump tried to clarify his stance. “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,’” Trump tweeted. “The Russian ‘hoax’ was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia - it never did!” Related article Trump: 'They are laughing their asses off in Moscow' over how US handled Russia investigations Trump also tweeted that the Russians were “laughing their asses off in Moscow” for the way Washington has handled the Russia investigations. Russia has denied any involvement in the election, and Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion. As recently as last week, three sources familiar with the President’s thinking told CNN he remained unconvinced that Russia interfered in the presidential election. On Monday, Peskov rejected the findings in Mueller’s indictment, saying: “There are no indications that the Russian state could have been involved in this and there can’t be any. So we still insist, we think such evidence lacks foundation, we don’t think it’s in any case comprehensive, we don’t think it’s fair and we can’t agree with it.” “Russia has never interfered, doesn’t have the habit of interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries, and is not doing it now,” Peskov added. On Monday, CNN managed to briefly enter the building in St. Petersburg believed to house the “troll factory” at the center of the Mueller indictments, where paid bloggers flood social media, Internet forums and comments sections of news websites. Related article Exclusive: Putin's 'chef,' the man behind the troll factory Security guards quickly ushered CNN out of the nondescript office block on 55 Savushkina Street, headquarters of the Internet Research Agency. Although the Agency officially ceased operations in December 2016, its work is said to continue inside the building. A man smoking outside the property told CNN he was a journalist for Nevsky Novosti (Nevsky News), which is owned by Evgeny Prigozhin, according to the St. Petersburg investigative journalism website Fontanka. Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch dubbed “chef” to Putin, controlled a firm that funded the Internet Research Agency, according to the Mueller indictment. He was one of the 13 Russians charged in the US on Friday. Prigozhin has denied any involvement in election meddling. CNN was told by the building’s real estate agent that although two floors of the property were empty, the top two floors were still occupied and would be vacated within 30 days. Earlier reports had suggested that the troll factory had moved to another location, but that did not appear to be the case as of Monday.


Trump said he believed he could quickly resolve the dispute Trump on Thursday opted instead for a thinly veiled warning President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is prepared to personally intervene to resolve the months-long dispute between Qatar and several other Gulf neighbors if the countries do not reestablish diplomatic relations soon. “I would be willing to be the mediator,” Trump said, adding he believed he could quickly resolve the dispute. “If I can help mediate between Qatar and in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so.” The dispute is still ongoing three months after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar and initiated an economic boycott, citing Qatari funding of terrorist groups and, later, its increasingly close relationship with Iran. The spat has simmered even amid the efforts of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has tried to bridge the divide between the two countries and expressed frustrations about the lack of movement. Related article Quartet says Qatar talks possible but no concessions Trump on Thursday opted instead for a thinly veiled warning that did not mention Qatar by name, but made clear the US will not tolerate ongoing financing of terrorist groups by Doha. “This all began because of the fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries. What I want is I want – stop the funding of terrorism,” Trump said. “And if they don’t stop the funding of terrorism I don’t want them to come together. But I think they will.” Trump even suggested hosting representatives from the feuding countries at the White House to mediate the dispute and said he believed his personal diplomacy could lead to a swift resolution. Related article Tillerson: Trump 'speaks for himself' Trump’s comment came during a joint news conference with the Emir of Kuwait, who has also attempted to mediate the dispute between Qatar and its neighbors. Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said “the hope has not ended yet” for a breakthrough and said Qatar stands ready to sit down and discuss the 13 demands laid out by Saudi Arabia and its allies in the spat. “Now is the time that we have to forget all of these differences,” Al-Sabah said. Saudi Arabia and its allies moved abruptly to cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar in June, just a few weeks after Trump visited the kingdom in his first foreign trip, signaling a deepening of the relationship between the US and the Saudi kingdom. Several analysts at the time suspected that Saudi Arabia’s move toward Qatar – which followed months of escalating tensions – was in part driven by the country feeling emboldened by its strong relationship with the Trump administration. Related article US, citing human rights, cuts some Egypt aid Tillerson engaged in a round of shuttle diplomacy in July in an effort to resolve the dispute, emerging empty handed and visibly frustrated at the lack of progress and goodwill. “Right now, the parties are not even talking to one another at any level,” Tillerson had said, adding that an “ultimate resolution may take quite a while.” Few signs of progress have since emerged in efforts to resolve the dispute.


The Chinese government has reacted warily to the establishment of a new Japanese amphibious special unit, designed to repel invasions on Japan’s remote islands. Japan and China have a long history of territorial disputes over islands in the East China Sea, in particular a rocky, uninhabited island chain known as the Diaoyu Islands in Beijing and the Senkaku in Tokyo. The Japanese Self Defense Force debuted their newly formed Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) on Saturday, at a military display near Sasebo, on the southwestern tip of Kyushu Island. About 1,500 members of the new unit conducted a public exercise, camouflaged with khaki stripes, imitating recapturing a Japanese island from an invading army. The unit gives Japan its first marine troops since World War II. In an editorial on Sunday, Chinese state media tabloid Global Times said Asia needed to watch Japan’s “militarism revival.” “Some question if the Japanese government may consider using safeguarding territorial integrity as an excuse to revive militarism, to which regional countries must stay on high alert,” the article said. Tensions have regularly flared between China and Japan over the islands in the East China Sea, including in 2017 when three Chinese Coast Guard ships sailed near to the islands, sparking a diplomatic war of words. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday Japan’s military moves were being followed closely by their Asian neighbors “for historical reasons.” Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been strained since the end of the Second World War, stemming from the Japan’s wartime occupation of mainland China. The new Japanese unit was announced by Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera at the Ministry of Defense on March 31, who said it would be composed of about 2,100 personnel. “In the event of an invasion of a remote island, its task will be promptly landing on the island and regaining and securing it,” Onodera said at a press conference. Split into two amphibious deployment regiments, the unit is equipped with amphibious vehicles and will continue training with US military forces, a Japan Self Defense Forces press release said. Related article China sails into disputed waters, prompting protest by Japan Defense Minister Onodera added the brigade would continue training with US-built military aircraft, the V-22 Ospreys, which can be used for long-range flights and take off and land like helicopters. Japan’s naval forces also have ships well-suited to amphibious operations, including its helicopter destroyers, four of which have been commissioned in the past decade. Those ships, which look a lot like a small aircraft carrier, could be configured to carry stealthy F-35B fighter jets, which can land vertically. They are also platforms that accommodate the V-22. Despite the activation of the new unit and the hardware supporting it, Japan’s marines are far from being an effective fighting force, according to Grant Newsham, senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. Newsham said in a blog post Japan must be able to integrate the marines with its air and naval forces. “Amphibious operations are complex, effectively three-dimensional as they involve operations afloat, ashore, and in the air,” Newsham wrote on the Japan Forward website. If other branches can’t deliver and protect a landing force, it won’t accomplish its mission, he said. The Chinese government has repeatedly said it would be prepared to defend the islands claimed by Beijing in the East China Sea if they were taken by force. On March 31, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang called on Japan to “adopt a correct historical view” after the government approved a series of education textbooks labelling the Senkaku Islands as undisputed Japanese territory. “China resolutely defends its territorial sovereignty and any attempt to infringe upon China’s sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands will be futile,” Lu said according to Xinhua. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has long sought to change his country’s pacifist constitution, adopted after the Second World War, to allow Japan to maintain armed forces. In May 2017, Abe said he wanted to have the constitution altered and a new version in place by 2020. “I strongly wish to make 2020 the year that the reborn Japan will make a new start,” he said at the time. Related article Japanese leader sets 2020 deadline for changing pacifist constitution In recent years, aggressive actions by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including firing missiles over Japanese territory, have given Abe’s complaints about the constitution a sense of urgency. Currently Japan has a military known as the Self-Defense Forces, but the constitution bars it from “the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” Despite the constitution and its restrictions, Japan maintains one of the strongest armed forces in the world, according to analysts. But Japan’s military revival is controversial in the Asian region, particularly in China and South Korea, due to deep sensitivities about the country’s role in World War II. Speaking on Monday, a rival to Abe inside his Liberal Democratic Party warned against a hurried push towards revising the constitution, saying the ruling party needed to consider “how we distribute our political energy,” according to local media.


Some time in May 2014, Paul Overby, an American writer in his 70’s, disappeared as he was traveling between Khost in Afghanistan and North Waziristan in Pakistan – a region rife with the Taliban and terror groups such as al Qaeda. He has not been heard from since. On Wednesday, his wife went public for the first time with his disappearance, providing a statement to CNN and other media outlets. Overby’s wife, who asked not to be identified by name, last heard from her husband on May 16, 2014, as he was preparing to cross the border into Pakistan. Until then, they had spoken every day on the phone. Overby, who frequently traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan and was writing a book about the current war in Afghanistan, was on his way to interview Siraj Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, which is a component of the Taliban and is responsible for many of most lethal bombing attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul. In 2015, Haqqani was appointed deputy leader of the Taliban. The US State Department is offering a $10 million reward for information about him. Prior to his disappearance, Overby had spent one month in Kabul and a month in Khost, an Afghan province close to the Pakistani border where the Haqqani network has a strong presence. For the past two and half years, Overby’s family had kept his disappearance a secret and had requested media outlets that were aware that he was missing, including CNN, also keep the matter confidential out of fear for his life if it became public. Overby’ s disappearance was first reported on Wednesday by Rahimullah Yusufzai, a leading Pakistani journalist, and was confirmed to CNN by Overby’s family. Yusufzai, who has reported authoritatively on the Taliban for more than two decades, wrote that his sources “in the Afghan Taliban group and their faction, Haqqani network” maintain that they don’t hold Overby. In 1993, Overby published “Holy Blood: An Inside Account of the Afghan War,” a chronicle of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet occupation during the 1980s. According to Holy Blood, Overby first traveled to Afghanistan in 1988 to chronicle the mujahideen, or “holy warriors,” and their fight against the Soviets. He even learned how to shoot an AK-47 assault rifle and fought alongside the mujahideen. Overby also learned to speak Pashto, the major language of the Afghan-Pakistan border area. When he disappeared, Overby, who is from western Massachusetts, was on his eighth trip to the region. His family provided emails to CNN that Overby had written in the days before he vanished. They contain discussions about why the US should not retain military bases in Afghanistan – and fears for his safety. “We (the US) should not attempt to keep troops in Afghanistan, nor retain any bases … bases only confirm the deep suspicion of many Afghans that America is planning to use this country as a base from which to contest the mastery of Central Asia, or at least play games, with Iran, Russia, and China,” he wrote in one of the emails. Overby also worried about the potential risk: “As the time slowly spools out I’m not sure how I feel. Safe or in danger?” The working assumption of the US government and Overby’s family is that he is being held captive by the Haqqanis. At a Pentagon briefing last month, Gen. John “Mick” Nicholson, the overall commander of US forces in Afghanistan, said that the Haqqanis are holding five Americans, although he did not provide the names. US officials said those Americans are: Caitlan Coleman, 31 (Coleman’s two toddler sons, who both are under the age of four, were born in captivity); Kevin King, a teacher at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul who was abducted in August near the university; and Overby. The Haqqanis also are holding hostage Coleman’s Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, 33, and another American University of Afghanistan teacher, Timothy Weeks, an Australian citizen. Caitlan Coleman addressed President-elect Donald Trump directly in a video released last month, urging him to secure the release of her and her family. She said the Haqqanis “are not going to simply release our family easily because it is correct. They want money, power and friends. … We are told there are Afghans who are prisoners in Kabul that these men care about.” Coleman was referring to Anas Haqqani, the brother of Siraj Haqqani, who is in on death row in Afghanistan after a court convicted him in August of raising money to fund terrorism. The Haqqanis have threatened to kill their American hostages if the Afghan government carries out the death sentence on Anas Haqqani. The incoming Trump administration has a great deal of leverage with the Afghan government, which is strongly hoping for a continued robust US presence in the country that will extend past the end of the Obama administration. Trump prides himself on the art of the deal, so he could use the leverage he has to secure the release of the American and other Western hostages that are held by the Haqqanis in exchange for the release of Anas Haqqani. At the same time, Trump could also pressure the Pakistani government, which has long had ties to the Haqqani Network, to secure the release of the American, Canadian and Australian hostages that the terrorist group is holding. Overby, who has had significant health problems in the past according to his wife, turned 74 on November 27.


Debris believed to be from a Boeing 777 washed ashore last week, putting Reunion Island in an international spotlight "We are looking for whatever the sea could give back," says a leader of the search for more debris It’s a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, unknown to many until the news last week. A piece of debris, believed to be from a Boeing 777, washed onto the beaches of Reunion Island. It could be the biggest breakthrough yet in the search for MH370, which disappeared in March 2014. It’s given people here hope in finding clues but also a shared pain for the loved ones of passengers who were aboard the Malaysian Airlines plane that disappeared without a trace. “People find it terrible,” says Cecil Dupre, who runs Reunion Island’s volunteer sea rescue service, Sauveters En Mer. They feel a connection to MH370. “Everyone was so shocked by the way this plane disappeared. Without any explanation,” Dupre explains. But it’s also more personal than just a headline. Family ties are strong here on this French island. “It’s a small place, and people are concerned for the families of those that went missing on MH370,” explains Dupre. They’re “very concerned not to know where the bodies of the victims of MH370 are.” Residents have been scouring the coastline for days. More than a dozen objects have been handed in since a purported 777 flaperon was found last week. But so far, nothing is even under consideration as linked to the piece – save for a suitcase under examination near Paris. They’re searching the seas, too, that surround Reunion Island, which lies roughly 700 kilometers (435 miles) east of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa. Dupre’s team usually focuses on things such as boat rescues and diving accidents. But right now, they’re looking for clues. They have a small vessel with basic equipment.  There’s no high technology here, just radios and word of mouth. But they are doing what they can. It’s French tradition for sailors to take part in the sea rescue and do something for their community, Dupre tells CNN. They don’t find anything during a search, but they’re not giving up. “They say the sea has its own way of working,” says Dupre. “We are looking for whatever the sea could give back.” CNN’s Peter Kavanagh contributed to this report.


President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, had his White House security clearance restored Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter said, after months of uncertainty stemming in part from his role in the ongoing investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. Kushner met with Mueller’s investigators a second time in April and answered questions for seven hours, according to his attorney, Abbe Lowell. He had previously sat for an interview last November that was largely focused on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who soon after pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements to the FBI. These developments come as the Mueller’s investigators appear to be trying to complete parts of their inquiry. The Kushner team believes he is now finished with all ongoing inquiries, which also include the investigations by congressional committees, according to a person close to Kushner. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. “A year ago, Jared was one of the first to voluntarily cooperate with any investigation into the 2016 campaign and related topics,” Lowell said in a statement. “Since then, he has continued this complete cooperation, providing a large number of documents and sitting for hours of interviews with congressional committees and providing numerous documents and sitting for two interviews with the Office of Special Counsel. On each occasion, he answered all questions asked and did everything he could to expedite the conclusion of all the investigations.” Kushner was stripped of his interim clearance in February amid an overhaul of procedures governing access to the nation’s most sensitive secrets following the resignation of Rob Porter, the President’s staff secretary, who had been allowed to remain in his post for months despite allegations of spouse abuse. The Mueller probe has also hung over Kushner’s status in the White House, in part because some of the matters under investigation relate to his role during the campaign and the transition, including contacts with Russians, as well as events that occurred in the early months of the Trump presidency, such as the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Related video What you need to know about Jared Kushner White House officials have blamed the delay in Kushner receiving his security clearance on administrative backlogs normal to a new administration, as well as the complicated nature of his application. But Kushner’s troubles were compounded at least in part because his initial security clearance application didn’t list dozens of foreign contacts that he later included in updated submissions to the FBI. Lowell disputed that the initial security clearance application played any role in the delay in Kushner receiving his final clearance. “With respect with the news of his clearance being restored, as we stated before, his application was properly submitted, reviewed by numerous career officials and went through the normal process,” Lowell said. “Throughout the process, Mr. Kushner has continued to work on a number of foreign policy and domestic issues with no interruption. Having completed all of these processes, he is looking to continue to do the work the President has asked him to do.” Kushner’s initial SF-86 form did not mention any foreign contacts, though he quickly supplemented it to indicate that he would provide that information. He updated the form in the spring, listing about 100 contacts, but did not mention the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting he attended with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, Donald Trump Jr., and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Kushner updated the SF-86 forms once more in June to include that meeting.


Marco Rubio was one of a few Republicans who had been withholding support for Rex Tillerson Rubio's support virtually ensures Tillerson will win OK from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Marco Rubio, a key vote on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said Monday he will vote for Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of state, all but guaranteeing former oil CEO Rex Tillerson is confirmed as the US chief diplomat. “Given the uncertainty that exists both at home and abroad about the direction of our foreign policy, it would be against our national interests to have this confirmation unnecessarily delayed or embroiled in controversy,” Rubio said in a statement posted to his Facebook page. “Therefore, despite my reservations, I will support Mr. Tillerson’s nomination in committee and in the full Senate.” Rubio’s support virtually ensures that Tillerson will win approval from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee later Monday and sets him up for a full Senate approval at some point soon after. Through the past weekend, Rubio was one of just three Senate Republicans who had been withholding support for Tillerson over broad concerns about his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the two other holdouts – Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham – said Sunday they would support Tillerson. Rubio’s decision comes after intense lobbying by the Trump administration, including a 90-minute meeting last week between Rubio and Tillerson, according to a Rubio adviser. RELATED: Ben Cardin: I will not support Tillerson for secretary of state The Democratic National Committee quickly lashed out at Rubio on Monday, reviving Trump’s insult during the campaign for the Florida senator. “By ignoring his serious reservations about Tillerson’s connections to Vladimir Putin, Marco Rubio is not only rolling over for Donald Trump,  he’s earning the nickname Trump gave him: Little Marco,” DNC spokesman Zac Petkanas said in a statement. This story has been updated.


Chemical from marijuana plant cut seizures by 39% in children with Dravet syndrome The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial, considered the gold standard Cannabidiol, which is found in marijuana plants, reduced the number of convulsive seizures in children with a severe and often fatal epilepsy disorder, according to research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Among children taking cannabidiol, the decrease in the frequency of convulsive seizures – which involve a loss of consciousness, stiffened muscles and jerking movements – was 23 percentage points greater than the decrease in seizures among children taking a placebo. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial, which is considered the gold standard test for any new medicine. Cannabidiol, also called CBD, is one of more than 80 active cannabinoid chemicals in the marijuana plant, which is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, it does not produce a high. Related article Germany joins the global experiment on marijuana legalization GW Pharmaceuticals, a company that is developing cannabidiol medicines, helped subsidize the study. “After 3,800 years of cannabis use for epilepsy … we finally have solid evidence,” said Dr. Orrin Devinsky, lead author of the study and director of NYU Langone’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. His own previous research indicates that cannabis was used as early as 1800 B.C. in Sumeria to treat epilepsy; neurologists of the Victorian period used Indian hemp, which is rich in cannabidiol, for the same purpose. Despite the generally positive results, most study participants reported side effects that included vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea and some liver issues. “CBD is an effective drug for this type of rare epilepsy but was not a panacea (or cure-all) for these children,” Devinsky said. A total of 120 patients with Dravet syndrome, ranging in age from nearly 2 to 18 years old, were randomly assigned to receive either an oral solution of cannabidiol or a placebo for a 14-week period. Related article Epilepsy patients need more than pot “Dravet syndrome is a severe childhood-onset epilepsy that causes multiple kinds of seizures, developmental delays, speech and language problems, behavioral issues and movement and balance problems,” said Brandy Fureman, vice president of research and new therapies at the Epilepsy Foundation. She was not involved in the new study. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that disrupts electrical communication between neurons in the brain. Considered a spectrum disorder, different epilepsy syndromes are defined by clusters of symptoms or features and treated accordingly. Existing epilepsy medications usually don’t work for patients with Dravet, so “up to 20% of these children die from seizures before age 20 years,” Devinsky explained. Related article Health care refugees: Medical marijuana and new hope Within the study, individual participants experienced convulsive seizures at a rate ranging from four per month, on average, to 1,717 per month. During the 14-week study, frequency of convulsive seizures decreased from an average of 12.4 to 5.9 per month in the cannabidiol group, compared with 14.9 to 14.1 in the placebo group. On average, the change in seizure frequency amounted to a 39% decrease for the cannabidiol group patients, compared with a roughly 13% decrease among the placebo group. Five percent of the children became entirely seizure-free during the 14-week study. Overall, parents in the cannabidiol group felt that they witnessed “significantly greater” positive changes in their children than parents in the placebo group. Related article The real -- and growing -- effects of fake pills However, there was a downside. Most (93%) of the cannabidiol patients reported side effects, though three-quarters of the placebo group patients did as well. Nine out of 61 cannabidiol group patients dropped out of the study, eight of them because of side effects, compared with just three of the 59 placebo group patients. “Tiredness (somnolence or fatigue) was most common; others were decreased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting,” Devinsky explained. Based on the overall results, Devinsky believes CBD should be evaluated for epilepsy types beyond Dravet syndrome, which is caused by a genetic mutation and affects about one in 20,000 to 40,000 children in the United States. Wayne Hall, professor and director of the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research at the University of Queensland in Australia, also believes the findings are “sufficiently encouraging” to warrant further research of cannabidiol that focuses on “related forms of epilepsy.” “No one study decides an issue; the sample size is still relatively small (because this is a rare syndrome and so hard to study large numbers of cases) and the duration of treatment so far has been relatively short,” Hall, who was not involved in the research, wrote in an email. Still, Hall said the research, which carefully measured safety and efficacy for a “substantial” number of children, showed “clear evidence of benefits in reducing seizure frequency and severity over the duration of the trial.” Dr. Brenda Porter, associate professor of neurology at Stanford School of Medicine, said she’s “glad to see” data coming out. Porter is not one of the researchers behind this study, though she too has published papers on cannabidiol as a treatment for epilepsy. Related article A 'Catch-22' of medical marijuana and organ transplants “Interestingly, it looks similar to our other seizure medications in terms of efficacy and tolerability,” Porter said.  “So, sadly, not a home run for most patients but another tool in our treatment regimen.” The marijuana plant is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Scientific researchers studying cannabidiol must meet federal security requirements and follow federal practices. Some scientists have said these federal requirements have slowed research supporting medicinal benefits of the plant. Porter believes the study may open the door to having “more thoughtful discussions with our patients about the efficacy and the side effects” of cannabidiol. “Hopefully, the FDA will see this as a sign it should be moved off of Schedule I. If it stays on Schedule I, we will have trouble getting it to our patients when it does become available.” Related article DEA declines to loosen restrictions on medical marijuana The 1970 Controlled Substances Act classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Changing the schedule of a drug falls to the Drug Enforcement Administration or the Department of Health and Human Services. An interested party, such as a drug company, may also petition for the process to begin. The Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Drug Abuse provide guidance to the DEA when reviewing scientific evidence on which to base a schedule change. Dr. David Gloss, director of clinical neurophysiology at CAMC Health System in Charleston, West Virginia, believes the new study is “very important” because “there’s a lot of people using cannabidiol for all kinds of stuff.” Gloss co-authored a review of cannabinoids for the Cochrane Library, which publishes systematic reviews of medical research. He was not involved in the new research. He noted that generating more evidence of effective use is “a good thing.” Already, there is existing “medical evidence of efficacy for narrow neurologic conditions,” said Gloss, who hopes that when enough evidence is available, the classification of cannabidiol as a Schedule I drug might be reconsidered and changed. See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. The University of Queensland’s Hall believes that boundaries between medical use of cannabinoids and the recreational use of cannabis by adults should not be blurred. “If future clinical trials confirm these promising results, then appropriate regulation will enable the drug to be safely used for medical purposes,” he said. The Epilepsy Foundation’s Fureman said, “before publication of this trial, much of the clinical evidence about CBD’s effects on people’s seizures was uncontrolled and anecdotal.” She added that the new study is “critically important” for the epilepsy community, which believes a CBD-based medical product would be a first-in-class therapeutic option. On the need for more scientific research, all these experts agree. As Devinsky said, “natural substances are not necessarily safe and effective. They need to be evaluated rigorously.”

Cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for Dravet syndrome epilepsy


Editor’s Note: Lewis Beale writes about culture and film for the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and other publications. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. Lewis Beale: Tarzan, a storyline of white hero in Africa (and relic of paternalistic imperialism) is back in new movie He says in an era of heightened race consciousness, film an anachronism showing Hollywood's cluelessness about Africa Beale: While film not overtly racist, it speaks to lingering racist mentality, and Hollywood's need for change It’s 2016. Can anyone explain why Hollywood is releasing a new Tarzan movie? For nearly a century, Hollywood has been churning out versions of the loinclothed legend, swinging through the African jungle on a fever dream of colonialism and paternalistic imperialism.The basic template: Hot white guy, babe wife, clueless, and often dangerously savage, African natives. For years, in fact, it seemed like one of the few ways American filmgoers could see sub-Sahara Africa onscreen at all was through the exciting adventures of buff white actors, like former Olympic swimming gold medalist Johnny Weissmuller (probably the most famous Tarzan), and hunks like Lex Barker, Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Since 1918, with the silent flick “Tarzan of the Apes,” there have been over 40 versions of the boy-raised-by-apes tale, including, of course, a Disney feature. Titles like “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure,” “Tarzan and the Leopard Woman,” and “Tarzan’s Three Challenges” have featured the hero in exploits that have taken him as far afield as India and even New York City. Now here comes “The Legend of Tarzan,” which had a big opening weekend at the box office. This new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation, which first appeared in print in 1912, is, for one thing, a total anachronism in an era of heightened race consciousness. And by greenlighting this film, it seems that Warner Bros., the film’s distributor, did not get the memo that the new movie, while not overtly racist, remains the product of an early 20th-entury colonial mentality – yet another example of the developed world patronizing the Third World. That a member of the white aristocracy has to lead the natives, who can’t seem to do it on their own, is  just another indication of how Hollywood has mostly portrayed Africa and Africans for decades – either with smirking racism, or tut-tut condescension. Related article Charlotte Rampling: Welcome to Hollywood hypocrisy Since movies began, this offensive depiction has manifested itself in several ways: – Promoting the “ooga-booga” stereotype of Africans as superstitious, simple and savage, which can be seen in many of the early Tarzan movies, and in films like “King Kong,” (those Skull Island native scenes are ooga-booga to the max),  1931’s “Trader Horn” (which features a white blonde jungle queen fighting a hostile tribe) and 1965’s “The Naked Prey,” in which a white man who offends a native tribe is first tortured, then hunted for sport. – Portraying the natives as a seething mass, with no attempt made to provide any sort of individualized characterization. Take, for example, “Zulu,” a fine 1964 film about the 1879 battle of Rorke’s Drift, in which 150 British soldiers held off an army of 4,000 Zulu warriors. Although the Brits, including star Michael Caine, are carefully delineated, not one tribal warrior is fleshed out. – Ensuring that if there’s a major black character, there’s a white man who is his equal, or gets more screen time (exception: Nelson Mandela). Any number of films fit this template, including 1987’s “Cry Freedom,” in which white journalist Donald Woods’ role is larger than that of murdered activist Steve Biko; 1975’s “The Wilby Conspiracy,” in which a black activist and white engineer are forced to flee South African police; and 1957’s “Something of Value,” in which a white and black boy who grew up together split apart over racial issues – If an African is the main character, it has to be in atmosphere of genocide, civil war or dictatorship (exception: Nelson Mandela). A recent example is last year’s “Beasts of No Nation,” in which Idris Elba is the leader of an army composed of child soldiers. Also in this category is 2004’s “Hotel Rwanda,” with Don Cheadle as a hotel manager during the Rwandan genocide, and 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland,” with Forest Whitaker as crazy Ugandan leader Idi Amin. – Africans? What Africans? The most egregious example of all has to be Disney’s 1999 animated “Tarzan,” which, although taking place on “the dark continent,” contains not a single African figure. No gun bearers, tribal leaders, nada. It’s as if some anti-black plague has struck. “The Legend of Tarzan” thankfully avoids many of these mistakes. There are several speaking roles for native characters, most of them played by honest-to-God African actors, like Benin native Djimon Honsou. The film makes a serious, if limited, attempt, to show a sophisticated view of African society, with its bustling villages and family atmosphere. And there are, thankfully, no ooga-booga moments. That’s fine, but these are just baby steps. You’d think that a continent with several hundred million people, which has seen the rise and fall of mighty empires, and has produced great art and culture, would have more stories to tell than the ones Hollywood chooses. That this is not the case speaks to a lingering racist mentality, and our profound ignorance of an entire global region. Same as it ever was. How to change this? Well, the recent announcement that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has added 683 new voting members, nearly half minorities, means that the color palette in Hollywood movies, and the subjects they take on, may be expanded accordingly. For now, however, if you want to get the straight dope on Africa, it looks like you’ll have to check out the works of real African filmmakers. You could start with the 2014 film “Timbuktu,” about how jihadists come to a small village in Mali. Or “Tsotsi,” the 2005 Oscar winner for foreign language film, about a young South African street thug who steals a car and finds a baby in the back. No white super heroes in these films. Just real Africans doing real things. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.Read CNNOpinion’s Flipboard magazine.


As world powers agree to "cessation of hostilities, Matthew Chance asks if Russia has successfully played the West again? He says Russia may be helping Syrian forces to advance, but in the long run, it may find it harder It’s not quite a ceasefire, more a “cessation of hostilities,” explained U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. But for the Russians, the agreement brokered in Munich to halt the fighting in Syria is neither. “Despite these accords, Russia will continue its counter-terrorism operation of the air task force,” Vladmir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the Russian International Affairs Committee, told state media. Related video Diplomats agree to 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria The agreement relates “only to the warring groupings,” he went on, “not to terrorists on the territory of Syria.” Russia therefore believes its airstrikes in Aleppo are not included, nor are attacks against what Moscow calls terrorist targets across Syria. It is a glaring hole in the “cessation” to say the least. Related gallery Syrian refugees flee embattled city of Aleppo Russian air power is now ferociously pounding the areas of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, still under rebel control. According to the Russian defense ministry, 510 combat sorties were carried out across Syria by its warplanes last week alone, many of them focused on supporting Syrian troop advances aimed an encircling Aleppo. The defense ministry reports engaging 1,888 “terrorist objects.” There’s been no indication that pace of strikes, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, is set to decrease. EXCLUSIVE: ‘Thank you Russia, thank you Iran’ On the ground, the result is straightforward. The Syrian Army, backed by the Russian air force and fighting alongside Iranian militia and other groups, is making substantial gains. It is, in other words, winning. Related video Syrian refugees are stranded as Russian airstrikes advance That’s not a word Western diplomats like to use, or even hear, when it comes to Russia, Syria or President Bashar al-Assad. At a recent embassy briefing, one senior diplomat questioned the very idea of any victory being possible in Syria’s quagmire. And the diplomat may be right. Russia’s intervention has turned the tables, saved al-Assad, and restored Moscow’s self-image as a great power. MORE: Inside Kremlin’s creeping military campaign in Syria But Russian President Vladimir Putin’s end-game remains unclear. How will al-Assad’s forces, for instance, hang on to the territory they are so quickly seizing from the rebels? Without the continued, indefinite and extremely costly backing of Russian air power, government forces may be too weak to maintain control. After all, it’s the reason al-Assad lost the territory in the first place. It all points back to the old criticism of the Russian president one western diplomat told me recently. “A master tactician, but a poor strategist,” the diplomat said. We shall see. MORE: Turkey’s ‘nightmare is coming true’ MORE: On the front lines of the battle for Aleppo MORE: Sarajevo to Syria: Where is the world’s moral compass?


Both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis criticized Russian involvement in Ukraine Tillerson is in Brussels to reinforce US commitment to NATO Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that US sanctions against Russia will remain in place until Moscow “reverses the actions” it has taken in Ukraine. The comments are notable given President Donald Trump’s at-times reluctance to criticize Russia over its actions in Crimea, though he did declare last month that the territory was “taken” by Russia. As a candidate, Trump hinted he might recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and sources have previously told CNN that Ukraine-related sanctions were on the table for review as part of Trump’s interest in pursuing warmer ties with Moscow. “American and NATO support for Ukraine remains steadfast. As we have repeated at every ministerial and summit since Russia launched its campaign of aggression against Ukraine, NATO allies stand firm in our support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Tillerson said at a NATO meeting at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels. “We do not, and will not, accept Russian efforts to change the borders of territory of Ukraine.” He added, “We will continue to hold Russia accountable to its Minsk commitments. The United States sanctions will remain until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered our sanctions.” At his confirmation hearings in January, Tillerson called Russia’s claims on Crimea “illegitimate.” His comments on Friday also echo those made by US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, when she told the UN Security Council last month that US sanctions against Russia would remain in place until it withdraws from Crimea. Earlier Friday, Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis criticized Russian actions in overseas comments aimed at reassuring US allies. Mattis, appearing with his British counterpart in London, also called out the Putin regime for “mucking around” in other people’s elections – a particularly notable claim coming at a time when federal and congressional investigators are probing alleged Russian meddling in the US elections last November. “We look to engaging with Russia on a political or diplomatic level, but right now, Russia is choosing to be a strategic competitor,” Mattis said during a news conference with Michael Fallon, the UK defense secretary. “We are going to have to carve out diplomatically some kind of maneuver room here, assuming Russia can change its behavior and act in accordance with international norms and international law.” He also said “Russian activity” in Afghanistan “gives us concern,” though he stopped short of saying the Putin government was arming the Taliban. In response to Mattis, Alexey Pushkov, a senior Russian lawmaker, tweeted, “New US administration sounds just like the old one — Mattis is indistinguishable from (former Defense Secretary Ash) Carter, Tillerson is talking about ‘Russian aggression.’ (Barack) Obama and (Hillary) Clinton must be happy.” Tillerson is in Brussels to reinforce US commitment to NATO – an organization Trump has repeatedly criticized – and referred to the alliance as “the bedrock for transatlantic security.” “We understand that a threat against one of us is a threat against all of us, and we will respond accordingly. We will uphold the agreements we have made to defend our allies,” he added. The Trump administration’s top diplomat, however, reiterated on Friday Trump’s call for members to increase their financial contributions to the organization. “Our goal should be to agree at the May leaders meeting that by the end of the year, all allies will have either met the pledge guidelines or will have developed plans that clearly articulate how, with annual milestone progress commitments, the pledge will be fulfilled,” Tillerson told the ministers. But Trump’s hopes of striking a grand bargain with Russia are fading, two administration officials told CNN Thursday. According to one senior administration official, this isn’t necessarily because Trump’s view of Putin has evolved. But Trump believes in the current atmosphere – with so much media scrutiny and ongoing probes into Trump-Russia ties and election meddling – that it won’t be possible to “make a deal,” as the President himself has framed it, the officials said. One of the White House officials said the President was particularly “frustrated” in a meeting in the Oval Office with newly minted national security adviser H.R. McMaster and other top officials in the wake of Russia’s February cruise missile deployment – an apparent treaty violation. This official said that with each violation from Russia, the President views it as that much harder to make amends. The President is not closing the door on engaging with Russia on a variety of issues – including Syria, Ukraine and combating ISIS – but the administration is not optimistic at the moment. CNN’s Nicole Gaouette, Sara Murray, Elizabeth Landers, Eugene Scott, Mary Ilyushina and Matthew Chance contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Jemar Tisby is president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective where he writes about race, religion and culture. He is the co-host of the Pass The Mic podcast and a PhD student in history at the University of Mississippi. Follow him on Twitter @JemarTisby. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. I could tell something was wrong the moment my wife stepped into our hotel room. She had just left to pick up some food on our last morning in Hawaii when she came back way too early and with a frantic look on her face. “Did you hear about the ballistic missile alert?” I had just rolled out of bed and was brushing my teeth. I just stared at her. Then she told me that she had gotten an emergency alert on her phone that told everyone to seek shelter and a missile was on its way to the islands. “EMERGENCY ALERT: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” (8:07 a.m. PST) I checked my phone. I had not gotten the alert, but I immediately took to Twitter because that’s where information gets shared the fastest. Those were the longest few minutes I can remember. There was a brief period when we couldn’t confirm whether the alert was real. I kept scrolling through my feed, but only everyday civilians in Hawaii seemed to be saying anything and everyone was asking this same thing. “What is happening? Is this real?” Related video Trump was golfing when false alert was issued Lacking any other credible information, we started to act as if a nuclear missile was heading straight toward us. An emergency alert banner scrolled across the television screen and it said to seek shelter and stay away from windows and doors. As my wife and I scanned social media, we turned the television to a kids’ show in the hopes of shielding my seven-year-old son from news that death might rain down from the skies in a few minutes. I had not seen the cartoon before, and I remember thinking, “Is this really the last thing I want to see on television before I die?” Finally, after a relatively brief but still seemingly interminable amount of time, some unconfirmed reports of a false alarm started popping up. But not before they evacuated our hotel. I threw on some shoes and I remember this frozen moment where I debated about what to bring in case everything got destroyed. The only thing I picked up was my wedding ring. Related article We're not remotely prepared for the bioweapons threat In the hallway, we ran into a trickle of people coming out their rooms. Most folks were not frantic, just confused and concerned. I don’t have any prior experience with a ballistic missile threat, but they seemed pretty calm given the circumstances. I actually didn’t evacuate. I stayed in the elevator lobby. More and more unconfirmed reports of a false alarm had started appearing, so I was increasingly convinced that we were not in danger. Even if we were, I figured the best place was indoors, not outside. Finally, 38 minutes after the initial alert, we got another message. EMERGENCY ALERT: THERE IS NO MISSILE THREAT OR DANGER TO THE STATE OF HAWAII. REPEAT. FALSE ALARM (8:45 a.m. PST) Hotel officials instructed everyone to go back to their rooms and that regular operations would resume shortly. “Sorry about the nuclear missile alarm. Nothing to see here. Everybody get back to having fun!” Related video Hawaii official: This was my fault Now I’m just trying to let it all sink in. My wife is still dazed. My son was confused but back to watching cartoons. It was our last day here, so we finished packing and checked out of the room. The event is now a memory, but the feelings persist. As I reflect on the ballistic missile threat, I am mindful of those around the world who live under the specter of death on a daily basis. From civil wars, to drone attacks, to terrorism, some people endure this kind of stress daily and in much more threatening circumstances. What made this experience even more surreal, though, was enduring what we thought was a life-threatening moment along with thousands of other people. When countless people face the same morbid situation in an instant, there’s a collective sense of shock and even support. Of course, I hugged my wife and reminded my child that I loved him. I think that’s a common experience for a lot of people who contemplate their mortality and the fragility of life itself. Afterwards, my wife went out and got breakfast as planned. When she got back she said everyone was joking about not dying. Even on social media, the memes and gifs have already started to appear. A psychologist friend of mine calls this “trauma laughter.” It’s a way of coping with an immensely stressful situation by making light of it. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook Through all of the misinformation, bewilderment and anxiety of a ballistic missile threat, I am thankful for my Christian faith. Not that Christians want to die, but there’s a comfort in knowing that Heaven awaits if you do. As I write this, officials are saying it was “human error.” Someone pressed the wrong button. I’m going to need a better explanation than that. It sounds like officials are eager to make sure this never happens again, too, so I look forward to learning what exactly happened. The worst part is that these threats have real validity because of the president we now have. I’m not trying to make a political point, necessarily, but leadership matters. The immature messages the current commander in chief has sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a ballistic missile attack on an American territory seem extremely likely. I hope our nation’s citizens and lawmakers realize how quickly and devastatingly things can go wrong on an international scale and work to reduce the threat. Life is not perfect, but it can be good, and we can spend our days making it better for our loved ones and others.


The White House insists it has no desire to put a finger on the scale of a foreign election But Le Pen's positions often found an echo in Trump's campaign Sunday’s French election result sets up a battle between the heart and the head of the Trump White House. In the latest blow to establishment party politics in the Western world, two outsider candidates – centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen – advanced from a crowded field to a run-off for the Elysee Palace on May 7. Le Pen has risen on the same populist politics, rooted in anger over immigration policies, globalization and middle class economic disenfranchisement, that ignited Donald Trump’s presidential campaign last year. She represents a threat to the strength and unity of the political institutions that have underpinned Western countries for the past half century, notably in her opposition to the EU and pledge to leave NATO. Related article Le Pen faces Macron in final round of French presidential election So there’s little doubt that the foreign policy establishment types who make up the more conventional, less-populist wing of Trump’s national security team will be quietly rooting for the pro-EU Macron in two weeks. But those sentiments certainly clash with the political DNA of Trumpism. Le Pen’s France-first positions as the head of the National Front mirror the economic and political nationalism of Trump’s political philosophy. Like the US president, she plumbed resentment towards elites from a power base in small towns and rural areas that abhor voters in more cosmopolitan, liberal cities. Why you should care about the French election Le Pen has also for years adopted positions on terrorism, porous national borders and Muslims that often found an echo in last year’s US presidential election. Related video Who backs France's Emmanuel Macron? And while the White House insists that it had no desire to put a finger on the scale of a foreign election, Trump has left little doubt about whom he wanted to win, even if his tweet on Sunday ahead of the results was cryptic: “Very interesting election currently taking place in France.” In an interview with the Associated Press on Friday, Trump noted that the attack that killed a French policeman in Paris last week would have a big impact on the election, and delivered a veiled endorsement of Le Pen. “She’s the strongest on borders and she’s the strongest on what’s been going on in France,” Trump said. “Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders, will do well in the election.” Related article What the French elections mean for Americans Le Pen called for “Islamist mosques” to be closed after the attack. Macron was criticized in some quarters for a less hawkish response. It was not the first time that Trump had sought a parallel with a foreign election. Last year, he frequently boasted that he had predicted that the United Kingdom would vote to leave the European Union. His comments on France hint at the strong political identification between Trump and members of his inner circle with the goals of European populists. Two sources told CNN earlier this year that Trump political advisor Steve Bannon told Peter Witting, the German ambassador to the US, that the Trump administration preferred to strengthen bilateral ties with individual European countries rather than deal with the European Union. In what was described as a “combative” conversation, the sources said Bannon spelled out a nationalist world view and cited a wave of anti-EU populism as evidence of the bloc’s flaws, a refrain he had previously articulated as the head of the Breitbart News website. A victory in the second round of the election by Le Pen would raise the specter of another existential referendum on EU membership. Related video Le Pen: France must close mosques The union can survive the decision by the UK, one of its largest but most ambivalent members, to leave. But most analysts believe that the departure of France, along with Germany, one of the key levers of European integration, would spell the end for an institution that has helped consign the continent’s blood-soaked past to history. Given the upheaval in the Middle East and turmoil elsewhere in the world, it’s a scenario that few foreign policy experts in Washington welcome. In fact, some administration officials have gone out of their way during Trump’s first 100 days in office to reassure Europeans that they are not rooting for the fracturing of the bloc, despite past rhetoric. In Brussels in February, Vice President Mike Pence expressed the “strong commitment” of the United States to continue to work in “partnership” with the European Union. Any weakening of NATO, meanwhile – which Le Pen has vowed to leave if she becomes president – would certainly threaten US global influence and ultimately raise questions about Western security. Le Pen has gone so far as to chide Trump for what she sees as a reversal on NATO, a body that he criticized during his campaign but has now embraced. “Undeniably he is in contradiction with the commitments he had made,” Le Pen said in an interview with France Info radio last weekend. Many foreign policy experts in Washington believe that a weakened NATO and European Union would directly aid the goals of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Le Pen visited Putin in Moscow in March and, like Trump, used her campaign to call for better relations with Russia. Macron is a far less confrontational politician than Le Pen. Given his relative inexperience and euphoric rallies, he drew some comparisons to Barack Obama in 2008. (The former president called Macron last week to wish him luck). While he has chosen to form his own party and not stand as part of the establishment, he is nothing if not a member of the French elite. Although the former banker has never held elective office, he once served as a French finance minister and attended the top Paris schools that mold future establishment leaders. If, as most analysts expect, he emerges as the winner of the second round of the election, he will face the task of forging relations with Trump, a politician who temperamentally and philosophically has more in common with Le Pen.


The Democrats' memo hits House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes The document is a rebuttal to a Nunes' own memo on alleged FISA abuses As President Donald Trump weighs when to release a Republican congressional memo alleging the FBI abused its surveillance tools, Democrats on Capitol Hill have prepared their own memo as a counterpunch that also hits House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, produced the 10-page document as a rebuttal to the Republican memo on alleged FISA abuses that the House panel voted to make public on Monday. But the Democratic memo also goes after Nunes, a California Republican who has been at the center of the committee’s criticism of the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the opposition research dossier on then-candidate Trump and Russia, according to four Republican and Democratic sources who have read the document. Related article Dems direct outrage over Nunes memo at Speaker Paul Ryan, rule out leaking Schiff memo Schiff’s memo charges that the Nunes memo is an attempt to help the White House with the Russia investigation. The Nunes memo alleges that the FBI failed to provide information to the FISA court when using the dossier as part of an effort to obtain a surveillance warrant for former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, including that the dossier written by ex-British intelligence agent Christopher Steele was bankrolled in part by Democrats. The Schiff memo argues that in fact proper procedures were followed in obtaining FISA warrants. CNN has reported that the FBI used information beyond the dossier to support the court application, and the dossier was cited in footnotes to specific allegations, according to current and former US officials briefed on the matter. Elements of Schiff’s memo will likely need to be redacted if it is publicly released, sources said. Schiff told CNN Tuesday he planned to let the Justice Department review the document first before the public has a chance to see it. “I think that what we see in the Republican memo is a terrible mischaracterization of the events.  So, we sent out the proper events in their context in our own memoranda,” Schiff told CNN on Tuesday. “Even when their memo is made public, we can point out, OK, this is wrong. And this is misleading. And this is distorting.” Related article Trump wants Nunes memo released as quickly as possible, but not before State of the Union Asked if he would consider reading the contents of his own memo from the floor of the House, Schiff said, “That’s not an option. Our memo is classified just as theirs is – the only difference is we are vetting ours through the FBI and the Justice Department.” Democrats have called the Nunes memo “profoundly misleading” and say it’s an effort to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. A spokesman for Schiff declined to comment. A spokesman for Nunes did not respond to a request for comment. The committee voted along party lines on Monday to make the Nunes memo public, while rejecting a motion from Schiff to also make the Democratic memo public at the same time. The committee did vote to allow the full House to read Schiff’s memo, which Republicans argued was the appropriate measure because they took the same first step with the Nunes memo before making it public. The Nunes memo is now being reviewed at the White House, where the President has five days to decide whether to object to its release or allow the release to proceed, according to an obscure committee rule used to make the memo public while bypassing the traditional declassification process.


US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley issues print statement on North Korean missile test Her statement was more notable than the UN Security Council action on the missile, says Richard Roth Another North Korean missile launch, and yes, another emergency UN Security Council session the day after. It wasn’t the council condemnation that was significant and notable, but rather the print statement issued by new US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley as she entered the consultations room. Just weeks into her position, the tough-talking diplomat said Monday, “It’s time to hold North Korea accountable, not with our words, but with our actions.” Also in contrast to other recent US ambassadors, there was criticism aimed at China over its support of Pyongyang. Haley wrote, “We call on all members of the Security Council to use every available resource to make it clear to the North Korean regime, and its enablers, that these launches are unacceptable.” Enablers? No doubt a Trump administration shot across the bow aimed at Beijing. China went along with the council statement issued Monday night calling the launch a grave violation of its obligations under Security Council resolutions. But China, North Korea’s main ally and trading partner, has resisted more drastic attempts over the years at tougher sanctions such as an oil embargo. The council has slapped six rounds of economic and military sanctions on North Korea but none has pressured Kim Jong Un to halt ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests. Haley’s veiled shot at China is not the diplomatic norm at the United Nations. Usually, harsh words among the big powers are expressed behind closed doors, though former US Ambassador Samantha Power and Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin went at it during public council meetings on Syria, the anger spilling over after years of war. President Trump said last week he had agreed that Beijing is the one China in the US relationship, not Taiwan, but the Haley comment means relations among the big permanent five countries on the Security Council are likely to be in potential roller-coaster mode for the next four years. Nikki Haley: We’re taking names The United Kingdom seemed to publicly want to back Haley’s “enabler remark.” UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters, “We need to make sure every single country in the international community is fully implementing every single Security Council resolution on North Korea.” However, the United Kingdom was the latest country on the council to not agree with Haley on another important issue. Haley put out another barbed statement Friday night blocking the new UN secretary-general from naming a former Palestinian Prime Minister to be the UN representative in Libya. The UK ambassador disagreed Monday, as did France and Sweden over the weekend. It wasn’t as if China wasn’t going to go along with the UN statement of denunciation on North Korea. China has lost patience with Pyongyang, especially after North Korea conducted a nuclear test during major Communist Party gatherings in China. There are limits as to how far China will let Pyongyang be punished and questions remain as to how tight the border really is between China and North Korea. Haley is adding to her tough talk list at the United Nations. Haley now says its time for action, not words, on North Korea, Iran and UN reform. At the United Nations its not easy to win support of other countries. It can take time, a lot of time. But the international community may be running out of time as North Korea improves its missile capability and range.


Etihad has teamed up with Ten Group to launch inflight concierge services Passengers on-board its top-tier The Residence can enjoy the perks There are many urges that fliers have to contend with while cooped up on a plane at 35,000 feet, but procuring a rare blue diamond typically isn’t one of them. For the wealthy few who do need to splash cash on high-end jewels though, it’s now possible. The catch: It’s only possible if they’re flying Etihad’s top-tier route from London to Abu Dhabi. In what some in the aviation industry have dismissed as a superficial gimmick, the UAE-based airline has teamed up with an upscale concierge service to cater for the whims of passengers using its luxurious Residence service. The flight’s $20,000 one-way ticket already buys them a three-room suite complete with inflight gourmet chef and a butler. And now they won’t have to wait until they land to shop for baubles, grab coveted reservations at Michelin star restaurants or tickets to sold-out shows. Residence passengers can also instruct the concierges, provided by Ten Group, to hunt down rare handbags or fine art. The service is a far cry from the cheap, cheerful and somewhat random selection of fripperies available in the inflight SkyMall catalog once ubiquitous on U.S. airlines. “As long as it’s moral and legal, we offer a whole assortment of weird and wonderful things,” says Toby Gauvain, international managing director of Ten Group, which has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and beyond. He says he isn’t allowed to disclose details of requests received so far, but says the service has proved popular since it launched at the end of August. Passengers relay their wishes to the on-board butler who then calls Ten Group’s concierge teams from a satellite phone. If it works, everything is in place before the plane reaches its destination. The in-flight concierge is the latest move in what seems to be Etihad’s quest to turn its airliners into fully-fledged luxury hotels. Residence suites have a living room with a 32-inch flat-screen TV, a bedroom with a double bed draped in Egyptian cotton sheets, and a carpeted hallway which leads to an en-suite bathroom with a shower, bathrobes and high-end toiletries. Etihad says the first person to fly on board The Residence had no complaints. In fact, the airline’s PR machine quoted Gino Bertuccio describing his trip, somewhat improbably, as “beyond anybody’s imagination.” “After returning home, I was living again minute by minute this fantastic journey I was lucky to live,” he added “When we launched The Residence by Etihad last year, we wanted to challenge the conventions in commercial air travel,” says Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s chief commercial officer. “The Etihad Lifestyle Concierge service is a continuation of that ambition.” Baumgartner says it serves passengers who are stretched for time: “For example, if they were unable to make any preparations before traveling, or need something unexpectedly. “It also suits passengers who are looking for something out of the ordinary, perhaps a unique gift for a loved one, such as a rare blue diamond, “he says. For some airline industry experts, Etihad’s latest move is little more than a gimmick. “Frankly I think the concierge service offered by Etihad is style over substance,” says Ben Schlappig, a connoisseur of major airlines’ first-class experiences and author of popular aviation blog One Mile at a Time. “Ultimately I doubt this will be much more valuable than services offered by many top-end credit cards, and likely won’t have the local expertise or clout of a top hotel concierge. “Presumably people dropping $20,000 plus on a one-way ticket already have access to other concierge services,” he adds. But Baumgartner insists that as people travel further and more often, the time spent on the journey needs to be more enjoyable than ever. “How we travel is changing. Today’s tech-driven, fast-paced world means that we have to strive to be innovative, rethink what we’ve done historically, and offer more convenience and comfort to our guests,” he says.


NEW: Footage on Japanese TV appears to show moments before Kim's death North Korea, Malaysia engaged in diplomatic feud Closed circuit television footage released Monday appears to show the moment that Kim Jong Nam was attacked and the events leading up to his death. The footage, which first aired on TV in Japan, shows Kim being attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, walking over to a desk and then being escorted to a hospital clinic – both of which match the timeline of events released by authorities. Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, died on his way to hospital. Authorities believe that he was poisoned and the case is being treated as a murder investigation. So far, police have arrested four suspects and looking for four more who were believed to have left Malaysia the day of the attack. Five of the eight are North Korean. When asked if North Korea had ordered his murder, a top Malaysian police official merely said, “the four (on the run) hold North Korean nationality, that is all.” Interpol is assisting in the search. The investigation into Kim’s death has sparked a diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea. Pyongyang’s ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, told reporters Monday that the investigation was being “politicized by Malaysia in collusion with South Korea.” He claimed that the dead man was Kim Chol, a citizen of North Korea, and that requests for a DNA sample were “preposterous.” Who was Kim Jong Nam?The world’s most mysterious family treeWhy would North Korea want him dead?Security footage appears to show moment of attackSuspect in death of Kim Jong Nam seen wearing ‘LOL’ shirt North Korea’s history of secret killings and kidnappings Who was Kim Jong Nam?The world’s most mysterious family treeWhy would North Korea want him dead?Security footage appears to show moment of attackSuspect in death of Kim Jong Nam seen wearing ‘LOL’ shirt North Korea’s history of secret killings and kidnappings Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister said the North Korean embassy in Malaysia confirmed Kim Jong Nam’s identity. He added that Kim Jong Nam had been traveling with two passports, one under the name Kim Chol. Kim Jong Nam had a reputation for traveling with false documents. Earlier Monday, the Malaysian government summoned Ambassador Kang after he accused officials in Kuala Lumpur of conspiring with “hostile forces” during the investigation. Malaysia also recalled its own ambassador in Pyongyang, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. North Korea had previously said it opposes any autopsy that is done without their own officials present and has publicly demanded the country return the body. But Selangor Police Chief Abdul Samah Mat said that without DNA from a next of kin, Malaysia wouldn’t hand over Kim’s body or release the autopsy report, which could reveal the cause of death. CNN’s Saima Mohsin reported from Kuala Lumpur, while Joshua Berlinger reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN’s Kocha Olarn, Kathy Quiano, Elizabeth Joseph, Chieu Luu and Andreena Narayan and journalist Salhan Ahmad contributed to this report.