The US and NATO have begun discussions with Iraq about the possibility of a long presence Trump directed the Pentagon to draw up a plan on fighting ISIS The US military is contemplating a long-term presence in Iraq to stabilize the country after the anticipated defeat ISIS, America’s top military officer said Thursday. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford said that both the US and NATO have begun discussions with Iraq about the possibility. “We have, as has NATO, begun a dialogue about a long term commitment to grow the capacity, maintain the capacity of Iraqi Security Forces, but no decisions have been made yet,” Dunford told an audience at the Brookings Institution in Washington, his first time fielding questions since the inauguration of President Donald Trump. “Iraq has begun to speak, and you’ve heard Prime Minister (Haider) Abadi speak, about the international community continuing to support defense capacity building,” he added. A NATO official told CNN Friday that, at Abadi’s request, the alliance had already begun training Iraqi troops this month and that NATO’s presence there “has no fixed end date.” Dunford’s comments come days after Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the commander of the US-led counter-ISIS coalition, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, suggested in Baghdad that there would be continued US-Iraqi military collaboration even after the terror group is ejected from Mosul. Forces are currently advancing on the terror group there, the last major city it controls. “The Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognizes what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership in particular with the United States, Mattis told reporters Monday on a trip to Baghdad. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other.” The longer-term approach to stabilizing Iraq stands in stark contrast to policies pursued by President Barack Obama, who ran on a platform of getting US troops out of Iraq and campaigned for reelection based on having withdrawn all US troops in 2011. Obama later had to recommit American forces upon the rise of ISIS, but kept their involvement limited. A longer assignment could trigger political pushback. Dunford seemed to take a subtle swipe at Obama as well as offer a warning to his current commander in chief when he stressed Thursday that “we can’t be paralyzed” with the difficult decision in the fight against ISIS. Many in the military had pushed the Obama White House to take more forceful action to confront the terror group, something Trump has pledged to do. Before deciding on a specific course, however, Trump directed the Pentagon, with input from the State Department and Treasury, to draw up a plan to be delivered Monday or Tuesday to the White House for consideration. “It’s fair to say we’ll provide him a full range of options,” Dunford said, refusing to rule anything out. A US defense official told CNN this week that the document would include strategies, goals and resources needed to accelerate the fight, potentially proposing an increase in resources for Syria. The plan is also expected to address ISIS franchises outside of Syria and Iraq, including in Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan. At Brookings, Dunford mentioned the need to weigh the views of regional players, such as key American ally Turkey, which opposes US-backed Kurdish groups currently carrying out some of the most effective fighting against ISIS in Syria. “We are wrestling with all those issues, but at the end of the day we can’t be paralyzed by tough choices,” Dunford said. CNN’s Barbara Starr contributed to this report.


Five years after President Barack Obama first called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the last American ambassador to that war-torn country issued a scathing criticism of U.S. policy. “The United States does not have leverage to forge a consensus,” Robert Ford told CNN’s Clarissa Ward, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour. “And, frankly, the Obama administration is doing very little, if anything, to generate leverage to forge that consensus.” Related video U.S.: 'There is leverage' in Syria Ford said that the administration had a “myopic” focus on ISIS. “The Islamic State is a problem, but the Islamic State came out of the broader problem of the Syrian civil war. And it really isn’t going to be solved outside the context, outside a larger solution to the Syrian civil war.” America is, he said, “trying to fix with a military hammer a deeper political problem.” Ford resigned his post more than two years ago, saying he could no longer “defend the American policy.” He has called for a much more forceful policy against Assad. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby denied the U.S. lacked leverage in Syria. Related video British aid worker: Massacres happening daily in Aleppo “Actually, there is leverage,” he said. “And Russia is, and has been, part of that leverage in the past. What we want to see is that they continue to live up to those obligations that they have made in so many multilateral forays.” Russia, which said on Monday it was engaged in “very active” talks to begin joint military action with the U.S. over Syria, stepped up its intervention in that country by launching for the first time long-range bombers from an air base in Iran. Aleppo, Syria’s second city, meanwhile remains under partial siege and the target of daily airstrikes. Speaking with Ward from that city, a British aid worker and activist, Tauqir “Tox” Sharif, said he “couldn’t think of enough superlatives to describe the situation.” “We are seeing massacres taking place daily.” Nearly half a million civilians have been killed in Syria, according to human rights groups.


Nina Pham filed a lawsuit in 2015 Nurse claims she was not adequately trained to deal with Ebola A Texas nurse who contracted Ebola while treating a patient has settled a lawsuit against the hospital where she became infected. The diagnosis of Nina Pham was the first known transmission of the disease in the United States. The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas nurse sued its parent company, Texas Health Resources, in March 2015, accusing it of failing to adequately prepare her to treat Ebola and violating her privacy. “Texas Health Resources and Ms. Pham have resolved the pending lawsuit, and wish the best for each other going forward,” the parties said in a joint statement. “All parties have agreed the terms of the resolution are confidential and will not make additional statements or grant media interviews.” Pham and another nurse contracted Ebola in October 2014 after treating Thomas Eric Duncan, who started showing symptoms after arriving in Dallas from Liberia. Pham wore a mask, gown, shield and gloves, but it wasn’t enough. Two days after Duncan died, Pham was diagnosed, despite assurances from her employer that she was at no risk for Ebola and could “freely” see friends and family, the lawsuit contends. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a breach in protocol was to blame for the infection. Pham alleged that the hospital was at fault for disregarding warnings about the disease and failing to provide her with necessary protective equipment or training for treating Ebola. Because the hospital initially discharged Duncan when he arrived seeking treatment, it hurt his chances of beating the virus, the lawsuit said. Related video The facts about Ebola Related video How your hospital handles Ebola “I was hoping that THR would be more open and honest about everything that happened at the hospital, and the things they didn’t do that led to me getting infected with Ebola,” Pham said in 2015. “But that didn’t happen, and I felt I was left with no choice but to turn to the courts for help.” After her diagnosis, Pham claimed that the hospital violated her privacy by sharing details of her condition and took advantage of public sympathy for her in marketing and social media campaigns. Pham and another nurse, Amber Vinson, were cleared after being treated in hospitals specially equipped and staffed to handle Ebola, Pham at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, and Vinson at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. When she filed the lawsuit in 2015, Pham said she was still experiencing fatigue and body aches. It was unclear whether the effects were from the disease or experimental drugs for treatment, her lawyer said. She also worried that the stigma of being the “Ebola nurse” could have  lasting impact on her career. “Professionally, she doubts whether she can ever be a critical care nurse again – in part because of the emotional stress and anxiety over the trauma she experienced and in part because of the fear and stigma that follows her,” the lawsuit said. It is unclear whether she has resumed working. She did not immediately respond Monday to requests for comment. CNN’s Samira Said and Holly Yan contributed to this report.


Russia criticizes attack on military convoy US coalition carried out airstrikes on Wednesday Russia has condemned a series of US coalition airstrikes on a military convoy allied with President Bashar al-Assad in Syria as “totally unacceptable.” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov hit out at the attack Friday, according to state news agency RIA-Novosti. “Any military actions leading to the aggravation of the situation in Syria definitely affect the political process, especially if such actions are committed against the Syrian armed forces,” Gatilov is quoted as saying. “This is totally unacceptable; it is a violation of Syrian sovereignty.” The US said Thursday it had struck a convoy of 20 pro-regime vehicles in Syria a day earlier. It is the second time since Donald Trump became President that the US has intentionally struck pro-regime forces in Syria. Related article US-led coalition airstrikes targeted pro-Syrian regime forces According to a US defense official, a convoy of 20 pro-regime vehicles was headed toward al-Tanf, a military base on the Syrian-Jordanian border, on Wednesday night. Al-Tanf, which Russian warplanes bombed a year ago, is currently occupied by US and British Special Forces that are advising an anti-ISIS Syrian rebel group known as Maghawir al-Thawra, or the Commandos of the Revolution. READ MORE: US to Iran – containment is back Thirteen of the vehicles apparently breached the “de-confliction zone” around the base, an area that the coalition has communicated to Moscow to stay well clear of. US warplanes were first scrambled in a “show of force” against the oncoming convoy. But then five vehicles kept approaching, coming within 29 kilometers of the base when they were finally hit by US aircraft. The coalition confirmed that the convoy posed a direct threat to “US partner forces” – “despite Russian attempts to dissuade pro-regime movement” toward the base. Related article With latest airstrikes, US signals to Iran: Containment is back The strike marks the first time that the Pentagon has offered aerial protection to its Arab proxies under assault from pro-Syrian militias – and only the second time in the history of the six-year conflict that American warplanes have intentionally targeted Iranian proxies in Syria. The convoy appears to have consisted not of regular Syrian army soldiers but of international Shia militiamen. The news of the strikes came just hours before Trump was set to make his first overseas trip as President. Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday, where he is expected to reassure America’s Sunni Gulf allies that his administration is committed to containing and deterring Iran, which is now the principal security underwriter of the Assad regime in Syria. Iran’s expansionist ambitions have begun to chafe under a slowly increasing US hard power deployment in the region, opposition sources have told CNN. Tlass Salameh, the commander of the Lions of the East Brigade, said that his men are located 20 kilometers from al-Tanf. The brigade receives support from a covert CIA program designed to train and arm vetted Syrian rebel groups, according to Salameh. Recruits of that program are allowed to fight the Syrian regime and its allied militias, including those imported from Lebanon and Iraq and beholden to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force. Related video Photojournalist reveals life in regime-held Syria On Monday, Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency claimed that Lebanese Hezbollah, a prominent Iranian proxy, had deployed “12 regiments with 1,000 fighters” to southern Syria “to face the US-backed militants in al-Tanf border crossing.” “The regime is bombing us in 25 to 30 raids on a daily basis. Russia hit us once or twice,” Salameh told CNN. “We have a post in Mafraq Kabid on the Damascus-Baghdad highway, which is now controlled by the Iranian and [Lebanese] Hezbollah militias.” That transnational highway is crucial to Iranian plans to construct a ground corridor, or land bridge, from Tehran all the way to Mediterranean coast. Rebel sources confirm a report published this week by the UK’s Guardian newspaper to that effect, noting that the original route for this corridor has recently shifted from northern Syria, running through the heartland of Syrian Kurdish territory, to Sunni Arab tribal south of the country. The Guardian suggested that the change of latitude owed to a growing presence of US troops and US-run military installations the north, used by various anti-ISIS forces. A Syrian military source also reacted with anger to the US coalition strike, Syrian state media reported Friday. “The attempt to justify this act of aggression by saying that the targeted forces failed to respond to the warning to stop advancing is completely rejected,” the source told SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency. “The Syrian Arab Army,” the source said, “is fighting terrorism on its territory, and no party whatsoever has the right to determine the course and destination of the army’s operations against the terrorist organizations, mainly ISIS and al-Qaeda.” CNN’s Michael Weiss, Ryan Browne and Barbara Starr contributed to this report. Emma Burrows and Alla Eshchenko in Moscow and Katie Polglase in London also contributed to this piece.


One of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s predecessors has warned that her plan to stay in power after losing her parliamentary majority risks the “fragile” peace in Northern Ireland. John Major said he had serious doubts about a proposed tie-up the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is traditionally associated with the protestant side of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. Major, who helped lay the foundations of the 1998 agreement that ended two decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland when he was in government, said it would imperil the UK government’s impartial role in the peace process. May’s Conservative Party needs the support of the DUP’s 10 MPs in order to retain power in the House of Commons, after losing her majority in last weeks “snap” UK election. Related video DUP 'only lifeline' for Theresa May after election The Prime Minister held talks with Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP on Tuesday, with a view to agreeing a “confidence and supply” agreement, in which the smaller party would support the Conservatives on budgetary and confidence votes. But Major, who was leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister between 1990 and 1997,  said he was “wary” and “dubious” of any deal with the DUP at a time where talks are about to resume on the state of the devolved government in the province. “A fundamental part of that peace process is that the UK government needs to be impartial between all the competing interests in Northern Ireland,” he told the BBC. “And the danger is that however much any government tries, they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal at Westminster with one of the Northern Ireland parties.” “People regard the peace process, which was very hard earned over very many years by a lot of people, people shouldn’t regard it is a given. It isn’t certain, it is under stress. It is fragile.” “Although I don’t expect it to suddenly collapse because there’s a broad consensus that wishes it to continue, I think we have to take care with it.” Read: The 10 people who can make or break Brexit May’s pursuit of the DUP has raised concerns in the Conservative Party. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Conservatives in Scotland, sought assurances that LGBT rights would be protected after any deal with the DUP, which opposes same-sex marriage. But may appears to be motivated by her desire to guarantee a majority in Parliament for a Queen’s Speech – a key event in the parliamentary calendar in which the government lays out its policy agenda for the coming year. If the Conservatives lost a vote on the Queen’s Speech, May would face calls to stand aside, Major’s warning comes amid ongoing political turmoil in Northern Ireland. Devolved government at Stormont, site of the Northern Ireland assembly, broke down in January and has yet to restart. Talks between the parties resumed Monday in a bid to end the political deadlock. Downing Street has warned that direct rule from London could be imposed if no solution is found before ta June 29 deadline. One of the most pressing issues is the state of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Britain leaves the EU. Related video On GPS: Where do UK Conservatives go from here? While the DUP backed Brexit, it has already stated that it opposes a hard border and wants to maintain the Common Travel Area which would allow the movement of goods and services to go unhindered. The European Union has already said that it will make the border issue one of its top priorities, as has the British government. Read: Theresa May – the Icarus of UK politics Major says that any reintroduction of a hard border in Northern Ireland could prove harmful to long-term peace in the country. “The last thing we want to see is one or other of the communities so aggrieved that the hard men, who are still there lurking in the corners of the communities decide to return to some form of violence,” he said. “We really need to do everything we conceivably can to make sure that that doesn’t happen, and that does require an impartial UK government.”

Theresa May's plan to stay in power with DUP support


NEW: Spokesman says Aung San Suu Kyi will deliver speech on Rohingya next week More than 370,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after violence escalated Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has canceled a trip this month to the UN General Assembly as the crisis involving minority Rohingya Muslims escalates in her country’s Rakhine state. More than 370,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence since August 25, according to the United Nations, an average of almost 20,000 a day. A spokesman for the presidential office said Wednesday that Suu Kyi had called off her trip for two reasons. “One is the current situation in Rakhine state. We have terrorist attacks and also there are many works on public safety and humanitarian works,” spokesman Zaw Htay said in a statement. “And the second reason is we have received reports that there are possibilities of terrorist attacks in our country.” Htay later announced Suu Kyi would give a “state of the union” speech next Tuesday in which she would address the Rohingya crisis fully. “She will explain about everything … Her speech is not only for the country but to tell the world as well,” he told reporters. One of the world’s largest annual diplomatic occasions, the 72nd UN General Assembly opened Tuesday in New York, with events expected to last for weeks, including a speech by President Donald Trump. Suu Kyi isn’t the president of Myanmar; her official title is state counselor in the country formerly known as Burma. The latest outbreak of violence in Rakhine state was sparked last month by a series of alleged attacks by Rohingya militants on government border posts. The actions of Myanmar’s armed forces are a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said Monday. They are believed to have intensified following the recent attacks. Refugees are pouring across the border into Bangladesh, bringing with them stories of murder, rape and devastation. Some have been injured by landmines they accuse Myanmar of planting along the border, while others described people being tortured to death or burned alive. Suu Kyi has been repeatedly criticized over her response to the crisis, particularly given her previous work as a defender of human rights for which she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. During her last speech to the United Nations in September 2016, Suu Kyi said her government didn’t fear international scrutiny over its handling of the Rohingya. “We are committed to a sustainable solution that will lead to peace, stability and development for all communities within the state,” she said then. By October, new violence had broken out across Rakhine state. Tom Malinowski, former US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, said he’s “very sad” about Suu Kyi’s response to the Rohingya crisis. On Tuesday, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees taking shelter in her country, condemning “those who are responsible.” “What is the crime of the women and children or the innocent people?” she asked. “Because these people, innocent people, children, women, they are suffering, these people, they belong to Myanmar. … How can they deny they are not their citizens?” But Hasina also blamed the insurgents who have struck out against Myanmar authorities, saying they should have worked with the government. Hasina was one of 56 Islamic leaders to condemn the violence against the Rohingya in a joint statement Tuesday after an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world’s largest Muslim body. The statement called for a “thorough and independent investigation” into the violence. The leaders of Turkey, Pakistan and Iran were among the signatories. It wasn’t only Muslim countries defending the Rohingya, however. In a statement posted online, al Qaeda threatened the Myanmar government, calling for militants to “set out for Burma.” “The savage treatment meted out to our Muslim brothers … shall not pass without punishment, and the government of Myanmar shall be made to taste what our Muslim brothers have tasted,” the terrorist group said in a statement from its media wing, al Sahab. The UN Security Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the ongoing crisis inside Rakhine state, which the organization says has left at least 1,000 dead. Related article Overnight exodus: Rohingya use cover of darkness to reach Bangladesh The Myanmar government says the death toll stands at 421, including 378 “terrorists” and 28 civilians. Sweden and the United Kingdom requested the meeting, saying in a statement they were “deeply concerned” by the reports emerging from Myanmar. “It is important that the Security Council play its role in responding,” Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said. “The priority is now to obtain immediate humanitarian access to those in need.” Skoog called for an end to the violence and protection for civilians from the fighting. The United States expressed further concern about the ongoing Myanmar violence Tuesday, with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders saying the Trump administration was “deeply troubled.” In an earlier statement, the US State Department stopped short of condemning the Myanmar government or Suu Kyi for the crisis, saying instead it was “concerned.” CNN’s Nima Elbagir contributed to this report.


Wasserman Schultz was booed at a Monday breakfast Monday is the first day of the Democratic convention The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday without its outgoing Democratic National Committee chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, following a chaotic scene at a morning meeting where she was loudly jeered by Bernie Sanders supporters. “I have decided that in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note that I am not going to gavel in the convention,” Wasserman Schultz told the Sun Sentinel newspaper in an interview. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who is also the Democratic National Committee’s secretary, handled the gaveling instead. “Delegates, alternatives, standing committee members and all of our honored Democrats and other guests here in Philadelphia and all of you who have joined us by television, radio and online, here in the United States and around the world,” she said, “I hereby call the 47th quadrennial Democratic National Convention to order.” From Russia without love? DNC hack roils Philly Wasserman Schultz will also not speak tonight or throughout the duration of the convention, a Democrat close to her says. She will remain in Philadelphia until Friday when she formally steps down as leader of the committee. Wasserman Schultz changed her plans as the fallout deepened from leaked DNC emails that appeared to show the committee favoring presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Sanders during the primary. It became clear Monday that the convention floor could erupt in anger if she gaveled the convention into session or sought to speak. And the Democratic National Committee issued an apology to Sanders moments after the convention opened, likely hoping to help soothe tensions heading into the week. “On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Sen. Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email,” the statement said. “These comments do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process. The DNC does not – and will not – tolerate disrespectful language exhibited toward our candidates. Individual staffers have also rightfully apologized for their comments, and the DNC is taking appropriate action to ensure it never happens again.” The morning Florida delegate meeting descended into chaos when Wasserman Schultz took the stage, with critics holding up signs with the word “emails,” and Sanders supporters booing the congresswoman loudly, even after she began speaking. “We have to make sure that we move forward together in a unified way,” Wasserman Schultz said during brief remarks. “We know that the voices in this room that are standing up and being disruptive, we know that is not the Florida that we know. The Florida that we know is going to make sure that we continue to make jobs.” The audience was roughly half supportive of Wasserman Schultz and half detractors, though the angry participants were louder than the other half. Those attendees began to chant, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” while Wasserman Schultz was speaking. Sanders tried to quell some of his dissatisfied supporters at a rally before his expected speech Monday. “We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,” Sanders said, which prompted some attendees to shout him down. Wasserman Schultz announced Sunday she is stepping down as chairwoman of the DNC at the end of the party’s convention. The drama reinforced concerns about Democratic party unity. Former Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver tried to show a unified Democratic Party on Monday, the morning after Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation. “This happened, we knew it happened then, now is the time to go forward,’ Weaver told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day” on Monday. “Now is the time to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump.” Wasserman Schultz talked with both President Barack Obama and Clinton before making announcing her upcoming resignation, a Democratic source said. “Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals [which include electing Clinton president] is to step down as Party Chair at the end of this convention,” Wasserman Schultz said in the statement. “As party chair, this week I will open and close the Convention and I will address our delegates about the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans,” she said. DNC Vice Chairwoman Donna Brazile will serve as interim chair through the election. She had been a CNN political commentator, but CNN and Brazile have mutually agreed to suspend their contract, effective immediately, although she will remain on air during the convention week in an unpaid capacity, CNN said. CNN will revisit the contract once Brazile concludes her role. Separately, a Democratic operative said Hispanic leaders close to Clinton and her high command were discussing Housing Secretary Julian Castro as a possible successor to Wasserman Schultz at the DNC helm, among a number of other candidates whose name are being mentioned. Chants of “Debbie is done!” and “Debbie resigned!” broke out at a pro-Sanders rally Sunday in Philadelphia after the news was announced. Party officials decided Saturday that Wasserman Schultz would not have a major speaking role or preside over daily convention proceedings this week. The DNC Rules Committee has named Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, as permanent chair of the convention, according to a DNC source. She will gavel each session to order and will gavel each session closed. “She’s been quarantined,” another top Democrat said of Wasserman Schultz, following a meeting Saturday night but before her announcement that she was leaving. Obama issued a statement, saying, “For the last eight years, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has had my back. This afternoon, I called her to let her know that I am grateful.” And Clinton thanked Wasserman Schultz for her leadership of the party. “I am grateful to Debbie for getting the Democratic Party to this year’s historic convention in Philadelphia, and I know that this week’s events will be a success thanks to her hard work and leadership,” Clinton said. After slamming Wasserman Schultz as “highly overrated,” Trump, speaking at a rally in Roanoke, Virginia, knocked Clinton for being disloyal to the soon-to-be former DNC chair. “How about that for disloyalty in terms of Hillary Clinton. Because Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been so much for Hillary Clinton,” Trump said. “These politicians. There’s no loyalty there. No loyalty. None whatsoever.” “It gets a little heat and they fire her,” Trump said. “Debbie was totally loyal to Hillary and Hillary threw her under a bus and it didn’t take more than five minutes to make that decision.” Wasserman’s Republican counterpart, Reince Priebus, said, “I think the day’s events show really the uphill climb Democrats face this week.” “The extreme left will not be satisfied by one person’s resignation,” the Republican party national chairman added. Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Clinton should follow Wasserman Schultz out the door. “Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned over her failure to secure the DNC’s email servers and the rigged system she set up with the Clinton campaign,” he said in a statement. “Now Hillary Clinton should follow Wasserman Schultz’s lead and drop out over her failure to safeguard top secret, classified information both on her unauthorized home server and while traveling abroad.” DNC hack: What you need to know Weaver called Wasserman Schultz’s departure a win on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Sunday. “I think what the signal was today is that the voices of Bernie Sanders supporters have been heard,” he said. “And other people, frankly, in the party, Hillary Clinton supporters, who felt this was the last straw, that she had to go, and this shows they have been heard and gives us opportunity to move forward toward November – united to deal with the problem of Donald Trump.” Wasserman Schultz’s stewardship of the DNC has been under fire through most of the presidential primary process, but her removal from the convention stage comes following the release of nearly 20,000 emails. One email appears to show DNC staffers asking how they can reference Sanders’ faith to weaken him in the eyes of Southern voters. Another seems to depict an attorney advising the committee on how to defend Clinton against an accusation by the Sanders campaign of not living up to a joint fundraising agreement. Before the announcement, Sanders on Sunday told Tapper the release of the DNC emails that show its staffers working against him underscores the position he’s held for months: Wasserman Schultz needs to go. “I don’t think she is qualified to be the chair of the DNC, not only for these awful emails, which revealed the prejudice of the DNC, but also because we need a party that reaches out to working people and young people, and I don’t think her leadership style is doing that,” Sanders told Tapper on “State of the Union,” on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. “I am not an atheist,” he said. “But aside from all of that, it is an outrage and sad that you would have people in important positions in the DNC trying to undermine my campaign. It goes without saying: The function of the DNC is to represent all of the candidates – to be fair and even-minded.” He added: “But again, we discussed this many, many months ago, on this show, so what is revealed now is not a shock to me.” CNN’s John King, Dana Bash, Manu Raju, Tal Kopan, Theodore Schleifer, Eugene Scott, Chris Frates, Elizabeth Landers, Brianna Keilar, Dan Merica, Ziris Savage and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.


Rep. Adam Schiff said Thursday he’s concerned Republicans are working to end the Russia investigation. “I think they view shutting us down as a prerequisite to shutting Bob Mueller down,” Schiff said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.” “And we see some very disturbing signs that that’s what they intend to do.” In the interview, Schiff noted several Republicans who were critical of special counsel Robert Mueller during a hearing on Wednesday with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. And when CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked the Democrat from California if he feared Republicans were attempting to pave the way to shut down the investigation, Schiff replied: “I do.” “We are scheduled to have witness interviews out of state at a time next week when we’ll be voting to keep the government running, when we’ll be voting … potentially, on this tax bill for the wealthy, so we can’t leave to do these interviews, and nonetheless even though these witnesses are very important and have been on our witness list for months and months and they haven’t been willing to bring them in until now, they’re pulling these kind of tactics, which say to me they’re trying to bring this to an end,” Schiff later added. CNN previously reported that the House Intelligence Committee has two interviews scheduled for next week in New York. Rep. Schiff on off-site interviews: The critical point is none of this is necessary. These witnesses are willing to testify in D.C. and we have done this to no other witnesses, “what has changed?” https://t.co/w2JFYDkTXRhttps://t.co/X2Q5hUnO6m Schiff serves as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The House Intelligence investigation is just one of several looking at any potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia from the 2016 election.


Iraqi forces have recaptured the urban center of Tal Afar from ISIS fighters, giving the government near control of a key city in their fight against the terror group. Tal Afar was captured by the extremists on June 16, 2014, after a two-day battle. Retaking the northwestern city was the latest objective in the US-backed fight against ISIS. The city is strategically important as it lies on the supply route between Syria and the former ISIS stronghold of Mosul. The offensive started a week ago. Several divisions of Iraqi security, including the American-trained counterterrorism forces, advanced on the city from different sides. The commander for the operation, Lt. Gen. Abdulmanir Yarallah, said only one enclave northwest of the city center remained under ISIS control. Iraqi Joint Military Command spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool told CNN that two Iraqi military divisions are now advancing towards that final ISIS-occupied enclave, al-Aidiya, and its surrounding villages. Tal Afar was the last city still under the control of ISIS militants in Iraq’s Nineveh province following the liberation of Mosul, about 45 miles to the east. But there are concerns that ISIS fighters and violence could return to the city – more than a month after Mosul was declared liberated, violence and sleeper cells still exist in the city’s west. Earlier on Saturday, Yarallah said counterterrorism forces had raised the Iraqi flag in the central areas of The Citadel and al-Basateen. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition against ISIS, had told reporters on Thursday that ISIS fighters were “completely surrounded” in Tal Afar, with their resources drying up, as Iraqi forces moved closer to the city center. Rasool, of the Iraqi Joint Military Command, said on Thursday that 302 ISIS fighters had been killed since the start of the operation. He added that 33 rigged vehicles and 35 tunnels had been destroyed. Officials provided no updated figures Sunday. As the effort to retake Tal Afar got underway, the US-led coalition estimated that between 10,000 and 50,000 civilians remained in and around the city. The United Nations warned of the risks to thousands of Iraqi families as they seek to flee the battleground in scorching heat. UN refugee and migration agencies on Tuesday called for civilians to be given safe passage out of the conflict zone. “We fear that Iraqi civilians are likely to be held as human shields again and that attempts to flee could result in executions/shootings,” said Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in a news release. He added that people in the area had reportedly been enduring very difficult conditions for months, with a lack of food, clean water and electricity. ISIS fighters still control Hawija, west of Kirkuk, as well as the towns of Qaim, Rawa and Ana near the Syrian border. CNN’s Schams Elwazer contributed to this report.


Aircraft carrier is second high-profile US Navy ship to visit South China Sea this month China has a long history of maritime disputes with its neighbors The United States deployed the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday as part of maritime “routine operations.” Sailing with the 97,000-ton Vinson is the guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer, the Navy said in a statement. The Vinson carries a flight group of more than 60 aircraft, including F/A-18 jet fighters. The operation comes amid growing tensions between the United States and China over territory and trade, and as the Trump administration looks set to take a more confrontational stance toward China than its predecessor. During his confirmation hearing, new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said China should be blocked from accessing the artificial islands it’s built, setting the stage for a potential showdown. In a news conference Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it heard about the planned deployment of the Vinson days before it happened, and warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty. “China respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, which countries enjoy under international law, but firmly opposes any country’s attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and security in the name of the freedom of navigation and overflight,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. The contested waters are a crucial shipping route at the heart of a territorial dispute that pits multiple countries against one another. China has a long history of maritime disputes with its South China Sea neighbors. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including islands more than 800 miles from the Chinese mainland, despite objections from neighbors such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Beijing has also created artificial islands in the area, outfitting some of them with military features. According to the US, China has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres in the Spratly Islands since 2014. Satellite imagery released by Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in December showed China has installed weapon systems on all seven artificial islands. Why ruling may change AsiaShowdown: How did we get here?Fishermen caught in frayTropical power struggleExclusive: China warns U.S. warplaneIs China upping the stakes? Why ruling may change AsiaShowdown: How did we get here?Fishermen caught in frayTropical power struggleExclusive: China warns U.S. warplaneIs China upping the stakes? Though the US takes no position on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, its warships have conducted routine “freedom of navigation” operations near the reclaimed islands, eliciting warnings from Beijing. The most recent of those was in October by the guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur. China at the time called it a serious breach of law and an intentional provocation. There is no word whether the Vinson or the Meyer would be getting near the Chinese-claimed islands. But Chinese media reacted quickly to the Vinson’s cruise. An opinion article in China’s state-sanctioned Global Times declared that the deployment of the Vinson showed that the US wants to “create provocations and drive a wedge” between China and other countries party to the South China Sea. “This may trigger frictions or even military clashes between China and the US,” wrote Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert. A separate Global Times article decried Trump’s policy in the South China Sea as “unclear” and said that it may escalate tensions. Compared to Barack Obama, Trump poses more of a risk to the area and China should “prepare diplomatically and militarily,” Li is quoted as saying. US aircraft carrier operations in the South China Sea are not unusual. Almost a year ago, the USS John C. Stennis led a similar cruise through the area. And the Vinson was in the South China Sea in 2015, just one of its 16 operations in the South China Sea in its 35-year history. The cruise of the Vinson in the South China Sea is the second of a high-profile US Navy vessel this month. Last week, the littoral combat ship USS Coronado, which is temporarily based in Singapore, was conducting training operations in the South China Sea, according to a Navy statement. “While underway, we are conducting training across multiple mission areas including weapons training, manned and unmanned flight operations, ship handling, and damage control drills,” said Cmdr. Scott Larson, the Coronado’s commanding officer. “Training at sea in these warfare areas maintains crew proficiency and ensures we are ready to operate successfully in a variety of missions.” Rear Adm. James Kilby, commander of the Vinson strike group, had a similar message. “The training completed over the past few weeks has really brought the team together and improved our effectiveness and readiness as a strike group,” Kilby said in a statement. “We are looking forward to demonstrating those capabilities while building upon existing strong relationships with our allies, partners and friends in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.” Among those friends has been the Philippines, which last week was hosting the crew of the attack submarine USS Louisville in Subic Bay. The Navy did not give details of the mission of the 6,000-ton sub, saying only its presence at the Philippine port “demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations,” which includes the South China Sea. CNN’s Katie Hunt and Hamdi Alkhshali and journalist Justin Heifetz contributed to this report.

United States Navy operations in the South China Sea


Livia Firth campaigns for a more ethical fashion industry She believes wages for garment workers are kept low by "fast fashion" companies She wants to see an international agreement that would see global workers paid a living wage “These businesses have created an evil system that works so well for them, and they’re not accountable,” says Livia Firth. The wife of British actor Colin Firth, Livia is a passionate campaigner for a more ethical fashion industry. The businesses she’s referring to are “fast fashion” companies – the global retail chains that sell mass market clothes at low prices. The creative director of “sustainability brand consultancy” Eco Age, Firth started the Green Carpet Challenge, which asks top designers to dress celebrities for the red carpet in clothes that are ecologically friendly and socially responsible. One of her chief concerns is the “poverty wages” paid to workers in developing countries who make the garments sold in fashion stores in the West. Related article How you can help end slavery “In Bangladesh you see women who work 12 to 16 hours a day to produce our clothes in factories which have bars on the windows and guards at the doors,” she says. “They are paid very little. Even if it’s the national minimum wage, it’s really a poverty wage.” The minimum monthly wage in Bangladesh is $68. The country’s garment industry came under scrutiny in April 2013, when more than 1,000 people died when a nine-story factory building collapsed in the capital, Dhaka. The majority of those killed or injured were textile workers. Firth says wages are kept low by the huge buying power of fast fashion brands, which want clothes that are cheap and quick to make. “The fast fashion companies are like drug pushers: they go to these countries promising to lift millions out of poverty, they get the business, and then once they start production in that country they start pushing prices down,” says Firth. “They can always impose the lowest wages and local governments and entire countries are enslaved by that. Say you are in Bangladesh, if you are too expensive they’ll go to Vietnam or Myanmar, which they are doing.” She argues that there’s an urgent need for a transnational agreement on wages, which would see workers around the world paid a living wage. At the Trust Women conference, held in London on 17-18 November, Firth announced a “ground-breaking study to establish the legalities for a global standard on wages.” She hopes a paper will be published in May 2016 that will establish the “legal fundamental rights for a living wage across all borders.” So proud to launch @CircleOrg @TrustWomenConf #LawyersCircle legal study on global wages in #fashionindustry @GCC_ECOAGE Another target of her ire is the way fast fashion brands have created an attitude to clothing as a “disposable” product. She blames the way their stores bring out several collections each month, at low prices that can only be maintained by low wages for the people who make the clothes. “Twice a week they put a new collection in the store,” she says. “There’s a new thing that we can buy – “Oh my God! It’s only $12, €13, £20, I’ll buy it, who cares? “In the name of democratizing fashion they addicted us, like a sugar rush, to consume that. Who needs all these clothes? Who needs all this crap?” In response to this throwaway culture she has started the “#30 Wears” campaign, which asks that people commit to wearing clothes at least 30 times. Firth explains: “By treating them [clothes] as disposable we are endorsing the slavery in another part of the world, where someone is producing them for nothing. “So how about telling that woman in Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, that we actually know she exists and we care for her? So when we buy something, let’s wear it at least 30 times, in respect for her.” The annual Trust Women conference, which devoted a day to the issue of modern-day slavery, also saw Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, announce a new Stop Slavery Award, to recognize companies that are leading the fight against slavery in their supply chains. The inaugural award will be presented next year, with the winner receiving a sculpture designed by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. “The goal is to create a virtuous circle, so that once one company in an industry has that award, others will want to join in,” said Villa. You can help end modern slavery by joining CNN’s #FlyToFreedom campaign. Find out more at cnn.com/freedom


President Donald Trump’s National Security Council has drawn up a range of options should the President decide to take action against Russia after the poisonings of a former spy and his daughter on UK soil, according to multiple State Department officials and a person familiar with the discussion. The officials said there have been inter-agency discussions involving the State Department and White House. Related article Putin tightens grip on power with overwhelming Russian election win The sources said the most severe option being considered is for the US to expel more Russian diplomats. One of the officials said that would be a “very serious step,” especially given the last round of tit-for-tat expulsions, which left Russia and the US with significantly smaller diplomatic forces in each other’s countries. If the US expels more Russian diplomats, in alignment with how the UK has responded to the poisonings, it would be expected that Russia would respond in kind, according to the sources. Related article Russia expels 23 UK diplomats as fallout over nerve agent attack grows One official cautioned, however, that expulsions are just one option the White House will consider, and there is not a good sense at this point whether the President will take any action at all. One senior State Department official, speaking on background, supported the UK’s own decision to kick out 23 Russian diplomats: “We stand in solidarity with our Allies in the United Kingdom, and we fully supported the UK’s decision to expel diplomats and take other actions to respond. The United States is considering a range of options to respond to this outrageous incident, both to demonstrate our solidarity with our Ally and to hold Russia accountable for its clear breach of international norms and agreements.”


Ken Isaacs, the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the United Nations migration agency, told reporters Friday that he believes in climate change and said a tweet questioning it was taken out of context. However, a CNN KFile review of his tweets shows that Isaacs repeatedly and forcefully cast doubt on climate science in the past. In a news conference at the United Nations Friday, Isaacs, when asked about climate denial in his tweets said, “The context that I made that – this is the last time I’m going to comment on the tweets, you know, y’all can ask me questions all day long, but I’ve done deep in-depth interviews on this. The context of the tweet was a conference that was held in Paris about climate change and terrorism. And I said this will be a joke at the dinner table of ISIS,” Isaacs said, adding that as head of the Samaritan’s Purse relief organization, he had responded to disasters caused by climate change. Isaacs’ comments were in reference to one Facebook post uncovered by the Washington Post in which he referred to the connection between national security and climate change as “a joke.” “The meeting in Paris next week is not going to be a rebuke to ISIS. It is going to be a dinner joke, a laughing stock, and a diversion of all the real issues,” Isaacs wrote. Related article Trump pick for UN migration job shared tweets warning of creeping Sharia, pushed fringe view of Islam “I don’t deny it,” Isaacs added Friday on climate change, explaining he met with representatives of South Pacific island countries concerned about rising sea levels. But those comments are a direct contrast to sentiments he expressed in several tweets and retweets. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment. Isaacs did not respond to a request for comment. Isaacs retweeted a post calling climate change “a hoax” and an “idiotic superstition.” Isaacs himself called links between climate change and extreme weather “a crock” and raised doubts about scientists predicting rising temperatures. Isaacs’ nomination to head the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration has been mired in controversy after reports from the Washington Post and CNN’s KFile on his anti-Muslim and climate-denying tweets. He also apologized for those tweets at Friday’s news conference. In June, the IOM’s members will hold a vote on Isaacs’ appointment. He must receive support of two-thirds of its members to get elected. It has been a longstanding practice for members to elect the US-chosen candidate. Here’s what Isaacs tweeted about climate change: In August 2015, Isaacs shared an article that reported President Barack Obama’s climate change agenda as the most important issue on his agenda, along with the caption “[T]his should scare us all!” In December 2016, Isaacs retweeted a post about air pollution in China and said that it was the issue people should care about, not climate change, and, “This foul air will kill millions before #climate ever changes.” In February 2017, Isaacs shared a tweet from prominent climate change skeptic Steven Goddard and asked him whether the ignorance of experts could be applied to those who believe climate change is influenced by human activity. In August 2017, Isaacs shared a tweet from Goddard that accused government scientists of lying about the extent to which global warming had melted the polar ice caps and sea ice. Also in August 2017, Isaacs retweeted an account that said that climate change was “all a hoax” going back to the 1970s when some media outlets speculated about a coming ice age. The idea that there was widespread scientific belief in the 1970s about a new ice age is common among climate change skeptics, though in reality scientific concern over global cooling was limited. In September 2017, Isaacs dismissed scientific concern over climate change because meteorologists weren’t able to accurately predict the path of storms, tweeting: “Scientists can’t predict a path of visible storm yet certain of manmade climate change” Later in September 2017, Isaacs responded to a tweet from Democracy Now!, again criticizing scientists for failing to predict the path of hurricanes yet still raising alarms about climate change, saying: “A crock! Meteorologists can not even predict the path of a hurricane when they can see the thing and measure it. But scientist (sic) read climate?” In September 2017, Isaacs shared a Goddard tweet again, which said that “Global warming is an idiotic superstition, and the people pushing it should be treated as the morons which they are.”


A group of electors for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton called for a briefing ahead of their vote 10 electors from 5 states asked for additional information on Russian interference in the election Electoral College electors will not receive an intelligence briefing on Russian interference in the 2016 election, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Friday. In a statement, DNI pointed to an October 7 announcement by US intelligence agencies that said they were “confident” of Russia’s involvement in efforts to hack information related to the election. The statement also said that the intelligence community will brief Congress and make the findings available to the public once the review of potential foreign interference in elections since 2008 is available. Earlier this month, a group of electors for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton – a minority among the 538 men and women who will officially vote for President-elect Donald Trump as president on Monday – called for a briefing ahead of the vote in an open letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. The 10 electors from five states asked Clapper for information on “whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations.” The list of electors includes Christine Pelosi, a daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep.-elect Carol Shea-Porter and Terie Norelli, a former speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Clay Pell IV, a Democratic politician from Rhode Island, also signed onto the latter. Pell is married to Michelle Kwan, the Olympic figure skater who worked on Clinton’s campaign. On Monday, Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, backed the electors who were asking to be briefed on the foreign interventions, which was the closest Podesta and Clinton’s former campaign infrastructure came to calling into question the legitimacy of Trump’s presidency. “We believe that the administration owes it to the American people to explain what it knows regarding the extent and manner of Russia’s interference and this be done as soon as possible,” Podesta said in the statement. At his last press conference of 2016 on Friday, President Barack Obama described the attempts for Russia to meddle in the US election as tightly controlled by the man at the top. “Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin,” he said. “This happened at the highest levels of the Russian government.” CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Dan Merica contributed to this report.

Russian interference in the 2016 US election


Trump learned of the meeting "in the last couple of days," a spokeswoman said Trump's son "did not collude with anybody to influence the election," Sanders said President Donald Trump only recently learned of the meeting between a Russian lawyer and three of his top campaign officials, including his son Donald Trump, Jr., a White House spokeswoman said Monday. Trump learned of the meeting “in the last couple of days,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, describing the meeting Trump’s son, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Natalia Veselnitskaya, as “very short” with “absolutely no follow up.” “The only thing I see inappropriate about the meeting was the people who leaked the information on the meeting after it was voluntarily disclosed,” Sanders said, slamming leaks and later the Democratic National Committee. Related article Kremlin: We were not aware Trump team met with Russian lawyer during campaign The White House statement echoed what Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the President’s legal team, said on Sunday. “The President was not aware of, and did not attend, the meeting,” he said. Vice President Mike Pence was also unaware of the meeting until recently, a spokesman told CNN on Monday. “The vice president was not aware of the meeting,” said Marc Lotter, Pence’s spokesman. “He is not focused on stories about the campaign, particularly stories about the time before he joined the ticket.” The meeting with Trump’s son and campaign officials happened on June 9, 2016, over a month before Pence – then Indiana’s governor – joined the Trump campaign on July 15. Pence, in an interview with CBS News, said “of course” no one from the campaign met with Russians trying to meddle in the election. “Did any adviser or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election?” CBS’ John Dickerson asked on January 15. “Of course not,” Pence replied. “And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.” Donald Trump Jr., in response to a New York Times story about his meeting, said on Saturday that his meeting with Veselnitskaya was primarily about “adoptions.” But the President’s son and operator of the family’s business said in response to another Saturday New York Times report that the meeting was, in part, to gain damaging information about Hillary Clinton. “After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton,” Trump Jr. said in a statement. “Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.” The meeting later pivoted, Trump’s son said, to adoptions and a US law known as the Magnitsky Act, which allows the US to withhold visas and freeze the assets of Russians thought to have violated human rights. Sanders said later in the briefing that Trump’s son “did not collude with anybody to influence the election.” Asked if it was normal and standard practice during the campaign to have meeting like the one Trump Jr. had. “I don’t know any other meetings with Don Jr. but I also haven’t had an extensive conversation with him,” Sanders added. The meeting – and its revelation – underscores how the swirl of stories about Russia continues here in Washington, even after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 in Hamburg, Germany. White House aides had hoped that the meeting between the two world leaders would have helped stem the stream of stories, but were greeted by the New York Times report when they touched down in Washington after the foreign trip. A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr. confirms the first son has now hired Washington attorney Alan Futerfas to represent him in the ongoing matters. Veselnitskaya founded a group that sought to remove Moscow’s ban on the adoption of Russian children by US citizens. Clinton’s former campaign chairman, John Podesta, looked to ridicule Trump on Monday when he tweeted about the fact Trump didn’t know about the meeting at the time. 1/ Everyone here at this gas station in Stratton, CO is talking about how @realDonaldTrump didn’t know his son… 2/2 son-in-law and campaign manager were meeting in his office building with a Russian who promised negative information about Hillary. Sad! “Everyone here at this gas station in Stratton, CO is talking about how @realDonaldTrump didn’t know his son, son-in-law and campaign manager were meeting in his office building with a Russian who promised negative information about Hillary,” he tweeted. “Sad!” Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful! The tweet came days after Trump tweeted that everyone at the G20 was “talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA.”


Jurriën de Jong says he believes he saw Natalee Holloway shortly before she died De Jong says he saw a man put a woman's body in foundation of construction site in Aruba Aruban officials dismiss de Jong; hotel chain says construction wasn't underway at that time Ten years after Natalee Holloway went missing, a Dutch citizen says he knows where to find her. Prosecutors, however, aren’t buying it. Jurriën de Jong told CNN’s Martin Savidge that the teen’s body is buried in a crawl space at a Marriott vacation property in Aruba, and he believes he saw her in her final moments. De Jong says he was near Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club, then under construction, on the night of May 30, 2005, when he saw a young man chase a young woman through the construction site. At first, he thought the two were being playful, but he says a short time later the man reappeared, carrying the woman in his arms. He says her body appeared limp. “… He pulled (the woman) by the ankles inside the crawl space, stayed inside for a minute and then came out and closed the gap,” de Jong said. Even though de Jong suspected he had witnessed something serious, he says didn’t go to the police because he was involved in “illegal activities” at the time. When news of Holloway’s disappearance came out, de Jong put the pieces together, but for three years he says he stayed quiet, afraid he’d be indicted for his own crimes. He also says he was afraid of talking to police and facing retaliation from the people he worked for in his illegal activities, which he declined to specify. De Jong says he had a change of heart after seeing a 2008 Dutch broadcast of an undercover interview with Joran van der Sloot, who was brought in for questioning in Holloway’s disappearance but never charged. In that interview, van der Sloot said that Holloway died while the two were together and her body was dumped in the ocean. De Jong says he got angry because he knew it was a lie and says he felt bad because he has a daughter close to Holloway’s age. Van der Sloot later said he was lying in that interview. De Jong then called Holloway’s father, Dave Holloway, who has never given up hope of finding his daughter. Holloway had faced many false leads and hoaxes before and wrote de Jong off. Holloway’s father opens up about new lead “I was running out of possibilities,” de Jong said. “I tried to convince the head prosecutor, the parents, then I tried to convince the other head prosecutor, but he didn’t listen.” That’s when de Jong attempted what he called “Mission Impossible.” Related video Possible new lead in Natalee Holloway case The site where de Jong says Holloway is buried now rests under the high-rise Marriott Aruba Surf Club resort, in an area called the Spyglass Tower.  De Jong bought an electric drill with a diamond tip and went to Aruba to investigate the site. He says he carefully planned a scheme to drill a hole through the hotel floor, but his efforts to take a look in the tower’s foundations ultimately failed. Next, de Jong turned to local newspapers. But before long, the new lead hit a snag – on the night Holloway disappeared, officials say construction of the Spyglass Tower hadn’t started. Aruba’s chief prosecutor, Eric Olthof, says he spent weeks investigating de Jong’s assertions, including a 2010 sworn statement to police. When asked about what construction was underway on May 30, 2005, Olthof says Marriott officials said there was no construction at the spot de Jong pointed out. “It’s evident now the story of Mr. de Jong can’t be true, so that’s a closed book,” Oltholf told CNN. On the other hand, some signs complicate Marriott’s official time line of the construction of Spyglass Tower. A satellite image from Google Earth taken in June 2005, just a few weeks after Natalee Holloway disappeared, shows what appears to be the blurry outlines of structures that could resemble a construction site. Holloway’s father says he remembers the site from the day after his daughter’s disappearance. “I can tell you for a fact. I was there on June 1, and there was definitely construction in that area,” he says. Holloway says he has information that construction began in February, but he was not clear on how he knows. Natalee Holloway was last seen on May 30, 2005. CNN’s Savidge received this statement from Jeff Flaherty of global corporate relations at Marriott International Inc.: “Mr. de Jong has contacted Marriott in the past and each time we have suggested to Mr. de Jong that he present his account of the matter to the authorities.  As we have done all along, we cooperate fully with the authorities whenever they are conducting an official investigation.” For his part, de Jong says he believes authorities are dragging their feet. “It’s the inconvenient truth. It would damage the image of Aruba as one happy island,” he says. Oltholf won’t say that de Jong is lying, but says his statement can’t be true. “It’s the statement of the management of the Marriott that at that time, at that place, there was no construction. When there’s no construction, Natalee Holloway can’t be buried in the crawl space under the foundation,” he said. And, he added, that Marriott has provided proof. “I think they’re not wrong because they can prove it with some photographs and some other material. And I think they are right with what they are saying.  And Mr. de Jong can’t prove it,” said Olthof. Holloway was on a high school graduation trip when she vanished. The 18-year-old from Alabama was last seen leaving a bar with three young men, two brothers and van der Sloot, then 17. Van der Sloot has never been charged in Holloway’s disappearance. He says he was with Holloway that night, but left her on the beach, alone. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores in Peru. Flores was killed five years to the day Holloway disappeared. Van der Sloot is serving a 28-year prison sentence. He is expected to be extradited to the United States after his release. What does he think about de Jong’s claim that he saw him that night, in 2005?   Through his attorney, van der Sloot did not call de Jong a liar, but told CNN’s Savidge he was a drug dealer and is only out for money. De Jong denies he ever asked for money, and laughs off the accusation, saying van der Sloot’s angry because he’s scared. “I think he’s desperate. I mean the only reason why he does that is that he’s afraid that people go to believe me, ” he said. In the United States, he’s been indicted on federal charges of extortion and wire fraud. American authorities accuse him of extorting money from Holloway’s mother by offering bogus information about her daughter’s disappearance. CNN’s Martin Savidge and Tristan Smith interviewed Jurriën de Jong in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They’ve also been in Aruba to examine his allegations further.


Editor’s Note: Hans Rosling is co-founder of the Gapminder Foundation in Stockholm. Anders Bolling is a journalist. The views expressed are their own. For more, watch Rosling on Fareed Zakaria GPS this Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET on CNN. Hans Rosling: Media is built on conflict and a black-and-white model of explanation The reality of the world is different, and often better, than most assume, he says The world is spinning so fast that it can be hard to keep track of everything that is going on. Yet despite the fact that we can feel like we are being increasingly overloaded with information, it’s not clear that we’re doing a very good job of making sense of all that data we’re receiving. Don’t believe me? Well, try answering these three questions on major global trends: 1) What percent of 1-year-olds in the world are vaccinated against measles? Is it 20, 50 or 80%? 2) Young adult men today have, on average, eight years of schooling, globally. How many years of school do you think the world’s women of the same age have attended? Is it 3 years, 5 years or 7 years? 3) How has the proportion of people living in extreme poverty around the world changed over the past 25 years? Has it doubled, stayed about the same, or been halved? So, here are the answers: Around 83 percent of the world’s 1-year-olds are vaccinated against measles; 25-year-old women have, on average, been to school almost as long as males the same age, having attended for about seven years; and extreme poverty has been more than halved since 1990. Did you get those right? You probably didn’t. And you’re very far from alone. In fact, when the Gapminder Foundation partnered with polling firms around the world to ask members of the public in Europe and the United States these and similar questions, what we found was a depressing lack of awareness about some of the most basic facts about our world. In fact, less than a fifth of Americans, Swedes, Germans and Britons answered these three questions correctly. One of the biggest misconceptions about the world we live in is about global population growth. The number of children in the world has actually stopped increasing, because 80 percent of us live in societies where the two-child family is the norm. And how many people would have guessed that women in Brazil, Iran and Vietnam today have fewer babies, on average, than women in the United States? In a way, this lack of knowledge shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because there is something that actively skews our thought process: Preconceived ideas. We all have them. Even those of us who think we keep abreast of what is going on in the world have personal biases because we have been taught a mountain of facts that are now outdated, whether we learned them in school or at work. And then there is our news media, which is built upon conflict and a black-and-white model of explanation (hence our susceptibility to negative headlines). All this means that if you went to the zoo with the questions posed earlier written down on piece of cardboard, placed a banana beside each of the three alternatives and let some chimps have a go at picking the answers, they could be expected to get one in three questions correct, beating most humans in the process. Does our ignorance of strong positive trends, which makes us believe that the world is a sicker, worse place than it is, really matter? Yes, because as a result we are more likely to make the wrong decisions. Indeed, a world view based on outdated facts can have severe consequences – from not investing where we will get the best returns, to allocating aid where it might have little impact. With this in mind, the director of Gapminder, Ola Rosling, has launched The Ignorance Project in an effort to identify where our collective knowledge is weakest, and therefore where we might be likely to make the biggest mistakes. We will be formulating 250 questions on major aspects of global development and the state of the world and, over five years, will gradually identify the 25 least known but important global facts through surveys across 130 countries. With luck, by highlighting just how little we know about the world, we will be able to encourage fact-based teaching of the world in our schools. And in an effort to upgrade the level of global knowledge among adults, we will provide employers with a certificate - a kind of driver’s license for global knowledge - if their staff passes our fact test. We’d argue that no major company or other organization should be hiring those who don’t have even this basic awareness of the world. Some might argue that we are tested enough, and that they simply don’t have time to digest the information contained in the countless reports and papers that are released every year. But there are actually ways to shortcut some of the biases that give us a blinkered view of the world. In fact, by simply remembering Ola Rosling’s four rules of thumb, you will likely do just fine the next time someone quizzes you. 1) Most things improve over time. Opt for the “better” alternative whenever you are expected to know something about some aspect of global development. 2) There’s only one hump. Most people in the world find themselves in the middle of the income scale. There are extremely poor people, and there are extremely rich people, but those groups are minorities. So an income chart looks like the back of a one-humped camel. 3) First social, then rich. One might intuitively think that countries have to be rich to be able to improve health care and put more girls in school. That is a common, preconceived idea in the West because Europe, North America and Japan have followed that trajectory. But while some economic development is of course needed, the health and literacy revolutions in low and middle income countries since the 1970s show that this view is no longer self-evident. 4) Sharks don’t kill many people. As scary as shark attacks may be, they are extremely rare. But it is their gruesomeness combined with their rarity that is precisely why they get disproportionate attention in the media (as do other spectacular, violent events). Always remember that while the press thrives on drama, the news is not a full summary of the world; it’s a tiny sample of information that fits specific needs. So, good luck with the quiz. And try to keep an open mind! Read CNNOpinion’s new Flipboard magazine Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.


Missile believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range missile Second missile failed launch detected in one week North Korea fired a missile on Thursday morning that appears to have failed, according to the US and South Korean militaries. It was the country’s second failed missile launch in a week and fifth time they attempted launches in the past two months – three ballistic missiles were fired in September towards the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. The US Strategic command said it detected the new missile, which may have been a Musudan intermediate-range projectile, at 6:00 p.m. ET Wednesday, or around 6:30 a.m. Pyongyang time Thursday. Related video Study: North Korea may be planning 'October Surprise' The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the launch took place near Banghyon Airport in Kusong City. “Our military strongly condemns North Korea for continuously conducting illegal provocative acts and are thoroughly prepared for any possibility of additional provocation,” the statement said. Just four days ago, the US Strategic Command detected another North Korean missile test in the northwestern city of Kusong. “We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea’s launches using ballistic missile technology,” said U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross in a statement. “We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its commitments and international obligations,” he added. North Korea’s failed missile launch came less than a day after United States Secretary of State John Kerry pledged to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea “as soon as possible.” The THAAD system can shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles and is planned to be deployed by the United States, in the face of objections from China and North Korea. Kerry made the comments during a press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Washington on Wednesday. Speaking at the event, Yun said it was time for South Korea and the United States to work harder to “press North Korea in all dimensions.” He said the establishment of a high-level group to “deal with extended deterrence” should “reduce the concerns on the part of the people concerning this nuclear threat.” Related video N. Korea threatens to wipe out Seoul The rogue state has often favored the Musudan missile in test launches. Between April and May, it conducted four separate tests of Musudan missiles, according to the CSIS. In June they fired two more, including one that traveled 250 miles (400 kilometers) into the Sea of Japan. Then in September, three more ballistic missiles were fired from a base in the west of North Korea. Pyongyang hasn’t only been raising the stakes with missile tests, however – it followed the September missile launch with a nuclear test. Tensions have increased considerably on the Korean peninsula since Pyongyang said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in January, a claim which experts view with skepticism.


NEW: 2,748 migrants die so far this year in Mediterranean, or 73% of those worldwide European external borders are considered the world's deadliest for migrants 22,400 migrants died trying to reach those borders between 1996 and 2014 For all the presidential candidates’ uproar over the U.S.-Mexico border, the world’s biggest migrant crisis actually lies with the European Union, reeling from mass deaths on land and sea. In the span of just a week in August, 71 refugees were found dead in a truck in Austria, and scores of other migrants died off Europe’s shores yet again. Indeed, the Mediterranean Sea is called the world’s deadliest border because thousands of desperate migrants and refugees drown on unseaworthy boats trying to reach Europe from Africa and the Mideast. On land, 60 men, eight women, and three children were found dead in the abandoned truck on an Austria highway this week, and the victims are most likely Syrian refugees, authorities said. Here are four things to know about the humanity migrating to Europe’s doorstep despite deadly peril. Arrests were announced in the Austrian deaths; Italian authorities arrested 10 people in the 52 deaths of migrants and refugees found aboard a boat off Libya. As of August, more than 300,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean, exceeding the number in all of 2014, which was 219,000, a United Nations spokeswoman said. However, another group estimated that 432,761 migrants and refugees have reached Europe by sea this year as of early September, according to the International Organization for Migration. Related video Desperate journey ends in suffocation for 71 migrants The reasons for the mass movement are as varied as the nationalities of the people involved. In broad terms, migrants and refugees are fleeing war, persecution and poverty in Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Eritreans and Syrians made up half the migrant traffic to Europe last year, according to Arezo Malakooti, director of migration research at Altai Consulting. In their case, Eritreans are fleeing “one of the poorest countries in the world and a closed and highly securitized state under an authoritarian government,” according to a report by the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat in Nairobi last year. In other words, they are running from a life of repression and abject poverty. In the Mideast, more than 4 million Syrians have fled four years of civil war, becoming the worst refugee crisis seen in 25 years by the United Nations. There’s also a pull factor: Migrants see Libya as an open door to the Mediterranean because of the country’s deteriorating security, so they use its coast as a stepping stone to Europe, experts say. The Mediterranean passage accounted for 65% of all migrant deaths last year, the International Organization for Migration said. That equates to 3,279 deaths. Related video 51 people found dead in 1 boat by authorities This year, a total of 2,748 migrants have died in the Mediterranean as of early September, accounting for 73% of all migrant deaths worldwide, the IOM said. Even over a yearslong view, the European external borders remain the biggest deathtrap for migrants and refugees, with 22,400 deaths between 1996 and 2014, the organization said. The next deadliest? The U.S.-Mexico border with 6,029 deaths between 1998 and 2013, the group said, citing U.S. Border Patrol statistics. This may sound familiar to those exasperated by how the U.S. Congress is gridlocked over immigration reform and the U.S.-Mexico border: A Europe-wide solution moves at a painfully slow pace. “There is no simple, nor single, answer to the challenges posed by migration. And nor can any member state effectively address migration alone. It is clear that we need a new, more European approach,” European Commission officials said on August 6. Related video Inside migrants' journey to Europe Member states don’t appear to be in a hurry. “Migration is not a popular or pretty topic. It is easy to cry in front of your TV set when witnessing these tragedies. It is harder to stand up and take responsibility. What we need now is the collective courage to follow through with concrete action on words that will otherwise ring empty,” the commission officials said. Portugal, the Netherlands and Finland support search and rescue operations at sea. But Italy reduced its rescue missions after the rest of Europe wouldn’t help shoulder the onus of the crisis: Because of its proximity to Libya, Italy feels it has done more than its fair share of picking up, sheltering and feeding migrants. Britain isn’t supporting the naval Operation Triton held under the auspices of the European Union’s Frontex, contending the rescue fleets are “an unintended ‘pull factor’  encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths.” The European Commission has scheduled a November summit with key African countries to “tackle this challenge from all angles.” The distinction is crucial for European countries receiving new arrivals. Why? Refugees, as defined under the 1951 Refugee Convention, are entitled to basic rights under international law, including the right not to be immediately deported and sent back into harm’s way. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home country because of armed conflict or persecution. Syrians are a prime example. Related video New barriers go up as migrants flood to Europe Migrants, however, are processed under the receiving country’s immigration laws. So, ultimately, these terms have major implications for those seeking asylum and the countries being asked to grant it. A migrant is someone who chooses to resettle to another country in search of a better life. So, for example, those fleeing poverty in Nigeria, looking for work in Europe, would not have refugee status and would be considered migrants. But, technically, refugees are also migrants. So, what term should we use? The United Nations notes that both groups are present in Europe and at its shores. It’s safe to call all of them migrants because each is migrating, but many of them are also refugees. CNN’s Richard Griffiths contributed to this report.


Election of Donald Trump major talking point at UN climate change summit "I count on the US continued engagement and leadership to make this world better for all," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon The UN’s climate change summit in Marrakech has culminated in the Action Proclamation – calling for the “highest political commitment” to combating climate change – but the election of Donald Trump cast a shadow over the event. Speaking to CNN at COP22, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Trump to “really work for humanity.” “I hope the President-elect Trump will really see the reality, will consult with his senior advisers and world leaders and take wise and correct decisions for their future involvement in world affairs,” he said. “I count on the US continued engagement and leadership to make this world better for all,” he added. Delegates, business leaders and members of state gathered in Morocco for the summit are concerned that the President-elect might pull out of the Paris Agreement, the fruit of more than two decades of international negotiations often painstaking and tortuous. Earlier this week, more than 350 US businesses including Starbucks, General Mills, Nike, Mars and Intel issued an open letter to Trump, Obama and the members of Congress, urging them to “continue US participation in the Paris agreement,” and warning that “Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk.” And on Wednesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reiterated that climate change was not a hoax – a reference to Trump’s 2012 claims – adding that it’s possible for Republicans to continue to support the process of addressing it. However, there were some positives from the summit. Japan, Australia and the UK formally ratified the Paris agreement, joining the US and China, the world’s biggest emitters of CO2, bringing the total tally of countries that have signed up to 111. The Action Proclamation confirmed the goal for developed countries to jointly raise $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries with climate change, and stated that there’s been “extraordinary momentum on climate change worldwide, […] driven not only by governments, but by science, business and global action of all types at all levels,” and calls it “irreversible.” Here’s what leaders and delegates from some of the countries that are significant contributors to global emissions had to say over the last week. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a passionate speech, conveyed a firm determination to defend the Paris agreement: “No one should doubt the overwhelming majority of citizens of the US who know climate change is happening and we are determined to keep our commitments in Paris,” he said. Stressing that “time is not on our side,” Kerry urged for more action, and noted that “At some point even the strongest skeptic has to acknowledge that something disturbing is happening.” He then highlighted the fact that clean energy means good business: “Most business people have come to understand that investing in clean energy makes simply economic sense. You can make money and do well at the same time.” Indirectly referring to Trump’s support for the coal industry, he noted that “Coal is the single biggest contributor to global greenhouse emissions,” before saying that “No one has a right to make decisions that affect billions based solely on ideology or without proper input.” His closing remark was even more direct: “I know the election has left some uncertain about the future. I can’t speculate about what policies the President-elect will pursuit, but I’ve learned that some issues look a little bit different when you’re in office compared to campaign. Climate change shouldn’t be a partisan issue in the first place.” Jonathan Pershing, the US Special Envoy on climate change, said to UN delegates that “The transition to clean energy is inevitable. While we have many profound challenges to wrestle with, the momentum is insurmountable: there is no stopping.” Speaking at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, French Prime Minister Francois Hollande called the Paris agreement “irreversible” and told the US that “as the second biggest greenhouse gas emitter, it must respect the commitments that have been made.” He added: “Not only it is their duty, but it’s also in their interest and in the interest of the American people.” Beijing took the chance to hit back at Trump’s claim – from a 2012 tweet – that global warming is a Chinese hoax. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reminded reporters that climate change negotiations began with the UN’s International Panel for Climate Change in the 1980s, supported by the US Republican-led administrations under Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. It was the EU and the US who brought full climate change awareness to China, he said, according to notes sent to CNN by a Chinese delegate traveling with him. Liu reiterated that climate change was not a hoax and that it was possible for Republicans to continue to support the process of addressing it, the delegate said. Related article This is what climate change looks like Speaking to the press, UK Climate Change and Industry Minister Nick Hurd said: “I think it’s very important that this COP sends a very clear signal to the world that everybody is still committed to the Paris Agreement.” Gian Luca Galletti, the Italian Environment Minister, said in the UN plenary hall in Marrakech that “Italy wishes to state before the nations of the world that there is no going back from the Paris agreement. We will raise the issue at the G7 in 2017, when Italy will assume the rotating presidency.” In a panel moderated by CNN’s Isa Soares, Norway’s Minister of Climate Vidar Helgesen said: “The tremendous climate leadership we’ve seen from the US is very likely to fade - we need to step up to protect the Paris agreement. China and the EU have already done that at this conference.” Speaking to CNN, COP22 President Salaheddine Mezouar said: “The Paris accord has entered into force and that creates a responsibility for countries and civil societies. We are in a fight for our planet and our future, not a political debate. I have no doubt that the US as a responsible country will maintain its commitment.” Aziz Mekouar, Former Moroccan Ambassador to the US and member of the steering committee of COP22, said: “I think that there is a full commitment to implement the Paris agreement and that’s what we’re expecting from all the countries that have ratified it.” Said Mouline, also a member of the COP22 Steering Committee member, told CNN: “We are switching, all over the world. You cannot stop that. It’s a matter of economics and it wouldn’t make sense for the US to not follow. This is a transition, not a rupture. We have coal plants in Morocco, we didn’t close them overnight. This new economy can create more jobs.” Natasha Maguder contributed to this report


Montenegro was formally invited to join the alliance in 2015 Monday's event comes on the heels of Trump's controversial appearance at a NATO meeting last month NATO officially welcomed Montenegro as its 29th member on Monday during a ceremony at the US State Department in Washington. Montenegro’s Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanović presented US State Department undersecretary Thomas Shannon with Montenegro’s instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. Montenegro was formally invited to join the alliance in 2015 and despite awaiting its formal acceptance, participated as a full member during the NATO leaders meeting in Brussels last month. Monday’s event comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s controversial appearance at that meeting of world leaders, where he lectured fellow heads of state over their defense spending and failed to reaffirm US commitment to Article 5 of the treaty – a key provision that outlines the principle of collective defense. Related article Trump and Europe don't mix, and that will have lasting consequences While Trump proclaimed the trip a “great success for America,” European leaders have been critical of Trump’s remarks, as well as his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, seeing the President’s actions as signs the US is ceding its global leadership role in favor of an inward turn. On Monday, however, acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs John Heffern tried to strike a different tone in his remarks to the crowd of ambassadors and foreign officials, directly referencing the importance of Article 5 and collective defense. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg echoed Heffern’s comments on the alliance’s commitment to Article 5. Related article Watch President Trump push a prime minister aside During last month’s NATO meeting in Brussels, Trump also drew criticism after he was seen pushing aside Markovic during a photo opportunity. Trump did not attend today’s ceremony, but Markovic did visit the White House later in the afternoon and was seen leaving with Vice President Mike Pence, though neither answered questions.


When a British national inspired by Islamic State plowed through crowds on London’s Westminster Bridge on March 22, killing four and injuring many others, acts of solidarity with the UK took place around Europe. That night, the Eiffel Tower went dark in Paris, an all-too familiar act of national mourning in France in the wake of the last few years of terror attacks there. In Germany, the UK’s Union Flag was projected onto Berlin’s Bradenburg Gate in another public demonstration of solidarity from one state to another. Yet as Russia mourns the victims of a terrorist attack that killed 14 and injured 39 at a St. Petersburg metro station on Monday, the response from many European neighbors have been notably lackluster. The absence of prominent memorials has prompted many – mostly Russians – to rally around the victims on social media using the hashtag #PrayforStPetersburg. The mayor  of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has turned off the Eiffel Tower’s lights a handful of times in the past – not just in response to domestic or European terror attacks, but also as an act of solidarity for the residents of war-ravaged Aleppo. On Tuesday afternoon, Hidalgo’s office confirmed to CNN that they would again extinguish the lights of their world-famous landmark at midnight for the victims of the St. Petersburg attacks. Ce soir, à minuit, #Paris éteindra @LaTourEiffel en hommage aux victimes de l’attentat de #SaintPetersbourg. #NousSommesUnis pic.twitter.com/kxq28wOIoo But many still rue the international response. Blogger Cristiano Alves tweeted, “It’s curious how differently from Paris terror, Facebook did not create any filter with Russian colours,” referencing the social media giant’s response to the Parisian terror attacks, which allowed users to temporarily add the French flag to their profile picture. #prayforstpetersburg It's curious how differently from Paris terror, Facebook did not create any filter with Russian colours. In Russia, a three-day mourning period for the victims began on Tuesday, with President Vladimir Putin placing flowers at a memorial at the St. Petersburg Technological Institute metro station. France was not alone in criticism from Russian commentators. Germany has yet to indicate if the Bradenburg gate will adorn the Russian flag in solidarity with those who have died. Last June, the Berlin landmark blasted a rainbow flag onto its gate, honoring the LGBT victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. In January, the Israeli flag was projected onto the gate after a driver plowed a truck into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four and injuring at least 10. A Berlin Senate spokesperson told German broadcaster RBB that the Bradenburg gate would only alight with special colors for terrorist victims in exceptional cases or in “partner cities.” Considering Berlin appears to have made exceptions to this rule in the past, it has prompted questions about why the St. Petersburg metro blast has  so far gone unacknowledged. CNN has asked the Berlin authorities for comment. Berlin-based writer Jon Worth tweeted, “An argument like this was inevitable. (UK flag) on Brandenburg Gate for London attack, but nothing for St Petersburg.” An argument like this was inevitable. 🇬🇧 flag on Brandenburg Gate for London attack, but nothing for St Petersburg https://t.co/4pDZJucXwU Israel is one of the few nations to honor the St. Petersburg attack victims publicly so far. On Monday night, the Tel Aviv City Hall was emblazened with Russian tricolors. The city’s mayor, Ron Huidal, wrote on Twitter, “In solidarity with our friends in #SaintPetersburg, #TelAviv city hall is lit tonight in the colors of the #Russian flag.” In solidarity with our friends in #SaintPetersburg, #TelAviv city hall is lit tonight in the colors of the #Russian flag 🇷🇺🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/rK1APbrNKf Despite the lack of adorned landmarks, an outpouring of support has been seen online with European leaders paying their tributes directly to Putin. The Kremlin earlier announced that French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their condolences. European Council President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter to pay homage to the victims: “My thoughts are with the victims of the #StPetersburg metro explosion and their families and loved ones.”

European response to the St. Petersburg metro attack