Turkey expresses concerns about reports that China is restricting Ramadan China says it does not ban fasting during the Muslim holy month Web statements include instructions that appear aimed at restricting people from observing religious rites Some schools and local government agencies in China’s restive Xinjiang province have adopted policies that critics, including the Turkish government, say prevent residents from fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The fast – traditionally observed from dawn until dusk – is a central tenet of Islam, the religion practiced by many of the ethnic Uyghurs native to China’s western province of Xinjiang. The Turkish Foreign Ministry published a statement this week saying that reports of Uyghurs being “banned from fasting and fulfilling other acts of worship have been received with sadness by the Turkish public opinion.” The ministry said it had conveyed Turkey’s “deep concern” to the Chinese ambassador in Ankara. A Chinese Foreign Ministry representative responded Wednesday, telling journalists in Beijing that “China has already demanded that Turkey clarify these reports, and we have expressed concern about the statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.” Turkey, a majority Muslim country, has close ethnic, religious and linguistic ties to China’s Uyghur minority. In Malaysia, another country with a large Muslim population, the Chinese Embassy said in a statement on its website that “reports from foreign media regarding the banning of fasting during Ramadan are complete nonsense.” READ: Rare access to China’s far west Senior Chinese officials insist they do not force Muslims in Xinjiang to break the Ramadan fast, citing clauses in the Chinese Constitution that enshrine freedom of religion. But statements posted on the official websites of two middle schools, a village Communist Party branch and two county governments all include instructions that appear to be aimed at restricting people from observing religious rites during Ramadan. The Food and Drug Administration for Xinjiang’s Jinghe County instructs employees to sign a statement that includes a “pledge to obey political discipline to firmly ensure that families that have (Communist) party members and students will not fast and will not participate in any forms of religious activities.” Contacted by phone, an employee of the agency who refused to be named told CNN that “our main goal is to prevent extremists from threatening them.” “Ordinary people can fast, have religion and worship … people are not forbidden from Ramadan as long as they are not Communist Party members,” the employee added. Within several hours of the conversation, the statement was removed from the Jinghe County government website. The website of a middle school in the town of Bole published instructions calling for teachers to ensure that “students and juveniles do not fast during the holy month and do not participate in religious activities.” A middle school in the city of Tumshuq published a statement on its website ordering department heads “to conduct thorough inspections of classrooms, canteens and dormitories before Ramadan; to completely prohibit teachers and students from participating in Ramadan activities.” Reached by phone, a person from the school who also refused to be named told CNN that the policies against Ramadan were “a region-wide ban” aimed at preventing public servants and students from practicing religion. “The Chinese communist government is being two-faced, trying to fool the international community,” said Seyit Tumturk, a Turkey-based leader of the World Uyghur Congress, a Munich-based group of Chinese Uyghur exiles. “What they do to test you is, if you’re a student or teach or government worker, they give you water or food during lunch, and if you don’t accept it, they start a process against you,” he said in a phone interview with CNN. “It can be fines or jail time depending on your past and how old you are and what you do,” Tumturk added. Beijing has vehemently denied accusations by human rights organizations that Uyghurs face widespread discrimination and curtailed religious freedom. Recent violent incidents have rocked Xinjiang. The arrival of waves of Han Chinese, the country’s predominant ethnic group, over past decades has fueled ethnic tensions. Chinese officials have blamed recent attacks on Uyghur separatists, whom they also label as “religious extremists.” In January, lawmakers in Xinjiang passed legislation banning residents of the provincial capital of Urumqi from wearing burqas in public. There have also been reports of bans of Muslim veils, long beards, and the star and crescent symbols in other cities in the province. CNN’s Gul Tuysuz contributed reporting from Turkey, and CNN’s Steven Jiang contributed reporting from Beijing.


The US State Department issued a scathing rebuke of North Korea’s human rights record on Wednesday, calling the regime “one of the most repressive and abusive governments in the world” just days after President Donald Trump praised dictator Kim Jong Un’s “honorable” intentions ahead of a possible face-to-face sit down between the two leaders. While Trump has recently dialed-back the personal insults against the leader he once called “Little Rocket Man,” his State Department did not pull any punches in a new statement condemning decades of “egregious human rights violations” suffered by the North Korean people at the hands of their own government. Related article Kim Jong Un agrees to meet Donald Trump at DMZ, source says “For more than 60 years the people of North Korea have faced egregious human rights violations in virtually every aspect of life,” the statement from State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. “In addition to the roughly 100,000 individuals, including children and family members of the accused, who suffer in political prison camps, North Koreans face an almost complete denial of fundamental freedoms by their government. Those trying to flee this oppressive environment, if caught, are often tortured or killed,” she said. The administration has recently tried to strike a tone of cautious optimism as Trump and Kim gear up for a highly anticipated and potentially historic summit in the coming weeks. Last week, Trump characterized Kim’s intentions leading up to the meeting as “very open and I think very honorable based on what we are seeing” and he has talked up his diplomatic efforts with North Korea on several occasions in recent months, suggesting that he may be poised to accomplish what other administrations have not. Related article Is Kim Jong Un for real? “We’ve never been in a position like this with that regime, whether it’s father, grandfather or son,” Trump said last month. The North Korean government’s long history of abusive practices has been the elephant in the room as Trump focuses on convincing Pyongyang to take concrete steps toward dismantling its nuclear and missile programs. But on Wednesday, the State Department opted to recognize North Korean Freedom Week by directly calling out the North Korean regime’s brutal treatment of its people. “We remain gravely concerned and deeply troubled by these abuses. In tandem with the maximum pressure campaign, we will continue to press for accountability for those responsible,” the statement said. The State Department stopped short of detailing exactly how the US plans to “press for accountability” or indicating whether Trump plans to address these concerns with Kim directly when the two meet but did pledge to help open up the isolated country to the rest of the world. Related article Trump praises Kim Jong Un as honorable, refuses to explain why “We are also going to continue our efforts to increase the flow of independent information into, out of, and within this isolated state to present everyday North Koreans with a more realistic picture of the outside world,” Nauert said. Last year, Thae Yong-ho, a former high-ranking North Korean official who defected to South Korea, told US lawmakers that Kim Jong Un, his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung have carefully cultivated the perception that they are divine rulers and consolidated power by sheltering the North Korean population from the outside world and manipulating the country’s welfare system. “Until now, the North Korean system has prevailed through an effective and credible reign of terror and by almost perfectly preventing the free-flow of outside information,” he said. CNN’s Laura Koran contributed reporting


Editor’s Note: Jonathan Cristol is a fellow at the World Policy Institute and a senior fellow at the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College. You can follow him @jonathancristol. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. On Tuesday, North Korea conducted yet another ballistic missile test Jonathan Cristol: Since North Korea is a close ally of China, this will make Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping more acrimonious On Tuesday, North Korea conducted its fourth ballistic missile test this year. It fired a land-based scud missile, which traveled 32 miles before crashing into waters east of the Korean peninsula. This missile test, like those before it, was specifically timed to coincide with a major political event. Past missile tests have been timed to Trump’s meeting with Japanese President Shinzo Abe and the annual joint US-South Korea military exercises. This latest test comes just before Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and it could turn an already contentious meeting into an acrimonious one. One month after the previous test, the Trump Administration is no closer to an actual plan or coherent strategy for dealing with North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson all but said as much in his statement on the test. The statement, in its entirety, read, “North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.” The military later determined it was actually a scud extended-range missile, a senior defense official told CNN Wednesday. In the context of Tillerson’s mystifying unwillingness to say or do anything of substance, the statement reads not so much as a threat, but as an admission that Tillerson actually has nothing to say at all. A senior White House official released a slightly more explicit statement, saying that, “The clock has now run out, and all options are on the table.” All options have always been on the table, though saying the clock has run out certainly sounds like an implicit threat. But has the clock run out on North Korea, which has tested nuclear weapons and other ballistic missiles many times before, or has the clock run out on China to solve this problem on Trump’s behalf? Related article Trump and Xi Jinping have a surprising amount in common Trump has repeatedly said both that China needs to stop North Korea, and that the United States will stop them if China won’t. As recently as March 17, he tweeted, “North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been ‘playing’ the United States for years. China has done little to help!” And he recently told the Financial Times that “China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t. And if they do, that will be very good for China, and if they don’t, it won’t be good for anyone.” This seems to imply that the United States will offer some sort of inducement to Xi for his willingness to get tough(er) on North Korea, but it is more likely that the meeting will have a “tough on China” theme. Trump will likely pressure Xi to take action against North Korea when they meet this Thursday at Mar-a-Lago – though it is unclear how Trump would persuade Xi to help in North Korea, while attacking China on every other front. He will push China hard on trade and currency issues, and on the Chinese military presence in the South China Sea. In the context of Trump’s long history of scapegoating China for a fictional American economic decline, there is little reason for Xi to help Trump. Xi, however, already has an incentive to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. If Kim escalates, it could bring a greater American presence to the region and could result in a Japanese military buildup – both outcomes Beijing would prefer to avoid. If war were to break out between North Korea and South Korea and the United States, or North Korea and Japan, the outcome would be disastrous for everyone, including China. Related article Why China won't buy Trump's North Korea bluster China also has an incentive to keep Kim in power. It neither wants a unified Korean peninsula with American and American-allied troops on its border, nor millions of refugees crossing the Chinese border in the event that the Kim government falls due to war or to internal instability. China may not want to help Trump, but there is no reason to think it condones North Korean escalation. The Trump Administration needs a coherent strategy to deal with North Korean aggression, which will continue if left unchecked. Unfortunately, many important US government positions remain unstaffed, including assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and US ambassador to South Korea. These individuals could guide American policy and are essential, particularly given the Administration’s general inexperience in this region. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook Without proper staffing and expertise, no clear strategy is likely to emerge in the foreseeable future. And even if the Mar-a-Lago summit with Xi appears to go well – and both sides will surely claim that it does – there is no guarantee Trump won’t send out a flurry of angry or insulting tweets afterward. Negotiating with China across a broad range of issues and successfully checking North Korean aggression requires experience and depth of knowledge. Unfortunately for the region, it has been left to Trump.


Editor’s Note: In October 2015, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing joined CNN Style as guest editor. He commissioned a series of features on the theme of #diversity, exploring issues around fashion, politics, gender, family, race and culture. Instagram’s fifth birthday party had a guest list stretching to 400 million. That’s how many monthly active users the photo-sharing app now has and almost half of them are under 25. In the triumvirate of social media (along with Facebook and Twitter), it’s definitely the cool one. Much of the platform’s appeal lies in it simplicity, hence developers have changed very little since its inception. But with the introduction of sponsored posts it feel like Instagram is at something of a crossroads. Will it lose its idiosyncratic creative spirit or simply push on to the next level with a whole host of new features? Only time will tell, but let’s get serious for a minute and forget the filtering fun and unobtainable constructed reality, and examine how Instagram really is changing the world. The best Instagram accounts are aspirational, but they also tell a story. The fashion world is starting to catch on to this. Designers and brands are responding to a desire for storytelling, inviting their Instagram followers into a previously closed world. Show lighting and set design is planned with Instagram in mind and it’s now the place where trends become reality and model’s careers are made. Olivier Rousteing recently previewed Balmain’s SS16 ready-to-wear collection on his feed –  many of his 1.3 million followers may not be able to afford the clothes or lifestyle (yet), but they can be part of the conversation. “It’s democratising fashion,” says Eva Chen, former editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine and now Instagram’s Head of Fashion Partnerships. “There’s a greater connection to the customer now. Instagram enables brands to build a voice and speak more specifically to their audiences. Designers are not just thinking about the people at the shows. It humanises [designers] I think.” A post shared by Rafaël  Rozendaal (@newrafael) Art and fashion are gloriously intertwined currently, and Instagram is helping to open the former to a wider audience too. Brett Gorvy, International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s is a fan and thinks it’s “changing how people perceive artists.” Internet artist Rafaël Rozendaal, who uses Instagram to preview artworks for his project websites, agrees: “I use it as an open studio to show the process of my work, and also my life, which is work too. It opens up the artistic process to a broader audience; it demystifies the life of artists. At the same time it creates myths. Instagram is an extra organ, an extension of the body. I would like it if the likes and comments weren’t there though. Just images, no hierarchy.” A post shared by eelco roos (@croyable) Instagram is broadening our horizons as we seek ever more photogenic locations, while travel brands are commissioning popular Instagram photographers as part of their marketing approach. Eelco Roos, who has shot for Travel Alberta, as well as brands such as Samsung and Ducati, quit his job as an IT Consultant for IBM and is now one of the most popular photographers on Instagram. “For travel brands, Instagram is more measurable than traditional media in terms of finding out what an audience thinks. I haven’t experienced hostility from ‘traditional’ photographers, but I do have to defend ways of photography other than the traditional ones sometimes.” Instagram is also opening Western eyes to more inaccessible places, Iran for example, where Facebook and Twitter are banned, and accounts such as @everydayafrica are challenging preconceptions. Taylor Pemberton, a designer and creative director, left his home in New York earlier this year to pursue a nomadic lifestyle as a photographer. He eventually found himself in North Korea: “I had this hope that even though the tourism experience is sanctioned, my camera could see past the façade and bring forth the everyday nuances that exist in human life. I think a platform like Instagram is giving people a glimpse into other worlds, cultures, and topics. Like other forms of media, some Instagram accounts create more education than controversy, more conviction than humour.” A post shared by Massimo Bottura (@massimobottura) It’s also making us more adventurous with what we eat. Without Instagram, there would be no food porn. As with fashion, this is where trends become reality and food writers such as Hemsley and Hemsley, whose super healthy dishes, with their rich and often bold colour palettes, seem almost tailor-made for the format, enjoy huge followings. However, eating out (and in) has become such a documentable event that many people spend more time trying to get the perfect shot than enjoying the food. “Sometimes I wonder if guests are present at the table when they are obsessing about photographing everything they eat,” says Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Osteria Francescana, voted second best restaurant in the world. “One time a guest suggested I change the colour of the plates (from white to black) because he said the photographs would look better.” A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) Instagram has the power to impart rapid fame and there are certainly personalities who seem to exist solely in the Instagram world – back to that unobtainable constructed reality. But it’s also possible for relative unknowns to gain sudden worldwide recognition for the quality of their work. Sam Yeldham’s stunning photograph of a newly wed couple stood against a stormy Sydney Harbour recently went viral. “The attention has been positive. I think regardless of the era, all forms of impactful or engaging art will always find an audience,” he says. Online bullying and trolling is rife across all social media of course, but high-profile users, such as supermodel Gigi Hadid, are able to generate significant debate by highlighting their own experiences. “I think it [Instagram] has given celebrities more control over how their own lives are seen,” says photographer Greg Williams, who captures the famous in candid moments for his #artofbehindthescenes project. A post shared by ruddy roye (@ruddyroye) Social media by nature is a perfect campaigning tool and Instagram’s youthful demographic are more active than most, whether on wider issues in society (#ifttheygunnedmedown), or contradictory rules governing social media itself (#freethenipple). Brooklyn-based photojournalist and activist Ruddy Roye feels Instagram has allowed him to leapfrog media gatekeepers and get his voice heard: “Up until I started using it I was at the mercy of editors. Before, we depended on magazines and television and the Internet to a smaller degree to give us a window into faraway worlds, not so anymore. I use it mostly to highlight the ills of my community,” he says.


Continuing with the theme that paced his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump was anything but a traditional politician on Friday, holding a phone call with the President of Taiwan. With a Twitter post Friday evening, the business mogul declared the call was of a congratulatory nature and came directly from President Tsai Ing-wen. The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you! Trump’s transition team backed up the President-elect’s tweet, adding that “during the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties exists between Taiwan and the United States.” Regardless of the nature of the call, it’s an act that bucks normal diplomatic protocol, and in the eyes of critics, could pose a dangerous threat to the United States. Appearing on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront,” former US Ambassador Christopher Hill noted just how rare Trump’s decision was. “Eight years during the Reagan administration, this (a call between US and Taiwanese leaders) never happened.  Four years during the Bush Senior administration, this never happened.  Eight years of Clinton, eight years of George W. Bush and eight years of Obama,” said Hill, who served as the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs under Bush 43. Related article Trump risks showdown with China after call with Taiwan Trump’s conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen marks the first publicly reported call between a U.S. President or President-elect, and a Taiwanese leader, since 1979, and Hill said it represents a scary tendency to act without a proper understanding of diplomacy. "This is a huge mistake...we don't need this." - Ambassador Christopher Hill on #Trump's call w Taiwan's president https://t.co/YRTKy4k7H4 “It was an example of what is all too often happening now with this incoming administration, this tendency to wing it,” he told Burnett.  “What I’m concerned about is that rather than acknowledge a mistake, they will double down on it.” Still more than a month away from Trump’s inauguration, Hill said he believes the nation is likely to be subjected to a wide swath of future instances of rash decision-making. “This is not going to be the last of these kind of things. So, things need to get cleaned up and cleaned up in a hurry in Washington,” said Hill. In 1979, the United States acknowledged a set of of protocols formally known as the “One China Policy,” a belief system that features Taiwan as part of China.  There exists rampant concern that Trump’s call with Taiwan will enrage China, and fracture relations between the nations. By Friday night, China had already reached out to the Obama administration. White House officials declined to comment on diplomatic discussions.


Researchers say a Chinese group has pulled off cyberattacks at a level of sophistication and specialization rarely seen The hackers attacked a wide range of targets, including major U.S. defense contractors, aerospace firms and automakers A highly trained group of Chinese hackers is targeting defense, commercial and political organizations worldwide, pulling off sophisticated heists of sensitive information, according to new research out Wednesday. Though Chinese cyberespionage has been well-documented, researchers from Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit – a division of Dell tech company –  say this group, nicknamed Emissary Panda by another research firm, has pulled off cyberattacks at a level of sophistication and specialization rarely seen before among Chinese hackers. “In the instances we were able to observe them, they had very specific organizations and projects in mind that they were pursuing, and the broad spectrum of industry verticals they targeted indicated they were more of a surgical tool used to take specific things from specific organizations, rather than the smash and grab, take everything type,” said Aaron Hackworth, Dell SecureWorks senior distinguished engineer. Related video Congressman: We are not prepared for a cyberattack The research contradicts the conventional notion of Chinese cyberthieves, who are typically described as taking everything they can get their hands on. “I liken them a bit to a drunk burglar,” FBI Director James Comey said of China’s hacking groups in a “60 Minutes” interview. “They’re kicking in the front door, knocking over the vase, while they’re walking out with your television set. They’re just prolific. Their strategy seems to be: We’ll just be everywhere all the time. And there’s no way they can stop us.” The group has been spotted before in 2013, turning the website of the Russian embassy in Washington and a Spanish defense firm into what’s called a watering hole attack – where the hackers turn the website against visitors to it to spread their malicious software. Since then, Dell researchers have observed the hackers attacking a wide range of targets, including major U.S. defense contractors, aerospace firms, automakers, the energy sector, law firms handling sensitive business deals and political targets – including ethnic minorities in China. Military still dealing with cyberattack ‘mess’ That last target, combined with the hours the group operates, the particular malicious software it uses and the use of search engine Baidu all give researchers a high degree of confidence the culprits are Chinese, Dell said. They didn’t connect the group to the Chinese government, but most Chinese cyber groups are considered by industry experts to be working for Beijing. Not only were they able to break into the companies, but were able to steal sensitive data, as well. Hackworth couldn’t reveal any names of the victims, but said researchers personally observed more than 100 watering hole traps on websites worldwide and identified 50 targets in the U.S. and U.K. He estimated what Dell could monitor was only a sliver of what the group was accomplishing. “I would go as far as to say that the amount and type of data that was stolen is of concern both to our industrial base and our defense programs,” Hackworth said. Related video U.S. Blames China for Massive Hack Once the groups managed to make an initial foray into an organization’s networks, within hours they were able to access credentials that gave them “full run of the place,” Hackworth said. They would then spend days or weeks making detailed lists of everything on the network that might have value, returning finally to take only a select few items. Opinion: Why the cyberattacks keep coming It was that precision, combined with a sophisticated organizational structure, that makes researchers believe they are dealing with a group that is the best of the best. “It almost feels like they were tasked for specific things,” Hackworth said, adding that even after the hackers were discovered and kicked out of networks, they found a way back in. “The tenacity of these groups is something often overlooked in these reports; they don’t stop. If you’re a target of interest, that interest doesn’t stop when you wipe the malware off the computers. … They’re going to continue to pursue it regardless of what the defenders do.”


President Donald Trump still intends to abandon the Iran nuclear deal unless it is “fixed,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday. Warning that “darkness is descending” on the Middle East as Iran works to build an “aggressive empire,” Netanyahu told a Washington audience that neither Israel nor the US will accept a nuclear Tehran and that Trump will counter Iran in the region. “We will never let Iran develop nuclear weapons. Not now, not in 10 years, not ever,” Netanyahu said in a speech at the annual gathering of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel group focused on strengthening the country’s relationship with the US. Related article Nikki Haley accuses UN of 'bullying' Israel at AIPAC “Trump has made it clear that his administration will not accept Iran’s aggression in the region,” the Israeli prime minister said. “The President has also made it clear that the flaws of the nuclear deal are not fixed, he will walk away from the deal and restore sanctions.” Netanyahu delivered his speech at a time when he is under extraordinary political pressure at home because of corruption probes and the news, Monday, that a close aide has agreed to cooperate with the police. A Monday meeting at the White House with Trump, who faces an FBI probe into his campaign’s connections to Russia, gave both embattled leaders a chance to change the subject, bolster each other and boast of the strength of the bilateral relationship. Hailing their “beautiful alliance,” Netanyahu told the AIPAC audience that Israel will be by the Americans’ side on Iran and other issues. Trump and Netanyahu, known popularly as “Bibi,” met for two and a half hours Monday, and addressed reporters in the Oval Office. The traditional news conference held with foreign leaders was left off the schedule. The focus, aides said, was largely on Iran. In his remarks to AIPAC, Netanyahu warned that Tehran, which has come to the aid of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is “seeking to build permanent military bases in Syria” and expand its presence into Iraq, Gaza and Yemen, with more to come. Related article Trump 'may' travel to Jerusalem for US embassy opening “Most in our region know that Israel is not their enemy, but their ally,” said Netanyahu. “This is true of Egypt and Jordan, but also true for many other Arab countries in the Middle East.” Trump and Netanyahu had to tackle a wide agenda of issues, including the ongoing civil war in Syria and related upheaval across the Middle East, a push by Saudi Arabia to acquire nuclear weapons and Russia’s presence in the region. The two leaders also have to wrestle with the eternal issue of Middle East peace. Trump has upended the traditional US approach to the Mideast peace process by taking stances that are seen as staunchly pro-Israel and that critics say have forfeited Washington’s role as a neutral arbiter of peace talks. Netanyahu said Tuesday that “Israel remains committed to achieving peace with all our neighbors, including the Palestinians,” adding, “Trump has made it clear he’s committed to peace.” But the Israeli leader avoided any language that reaffirmed the principle of two states for two peoples, a reference to the state that Palestinians seek alongside Israel. Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move considered best left to the final phases of peace talks because the holy city’s status is so contested: both Palestinians and Israelis claim it as their national seat. Related video Netanyahu praises Trump for embassy move Trump has also announced he’ll move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, where other countries base their diplomats until a peace agreement is reached. Administration officials say the moves simply reflect reality. Palestinians have announced they will no longer take part in negotiations mediated by the US. Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said the embassy move was “a decision I had to make. Many presidents were discussing whether or not to make that decision, and they promised it in their campaigns, but they never were able to do what they should have done. So I was able to do it, and I think it’s something that’s very much appreciated in Israel.” The State Department announced recently that the embassy move would formally take effect on May 14, a far speedier timeline than originally expected. Before leaving Israel, Netanyahu left open the possibility of Trump traveling to Jerusalem for the ribbon-cutting, and Trump said on Monday he “may” travel there. “We’re looking at coming,” Trump said. “If I can, I will.” CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report


The health of the daughter of a former Russian double agent poisoned in a nerve agent attack in the UK is “improving rapidly,” according to the hospital treating her. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, were poisoned on March 4 after being exposed to what the British government says was a military-grade nerve agent. They had been hospitalized in a critical condition since the attack. Related article These are all the countries that are expelling Russian diplomats “I’m pleased to be able to report an improvement in the condition of Yulia Skripal. She has responded well to treatment but continues to receive expert clinical care 24 hours a day,” Dr. Christine Blanshard, Medical Director for Salisbury District Hospital, said in a statement. Sergei Skripal, 66, remains in a critical but stable condition but Yulia is “improving rapidly,” the statement said. The Skripals were found slumped on a bench in an outdoor shopping complex in Salisbury, England. They had no visible injuries, according to police. The update on Yulia’s condition comes a day after police said they believed the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Sergei Skripal’s home in Salisbury. Police have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent to date as being on the property’s front door, London’s Metropolitan Police said. “Traces of the nerve agent have been found at some of the other scenes detectives have been working at over the past few weeks, but at lower concentrations to that found at the home address,” the police statement said. Detectives plan to focus their investigation around Sergei Skripal’s Salisbury home for the coming weeks and possibly months, the statement said. Yulia was visiting her father at the time they were poisoned. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday again demanded the UK give Russian diplomats access to Yulia as he announced that the country will shut down the US consulate in St Petersburg and expel 60 US diplomats. The tit-for-tat move came after more than 20 countries, including Canada and 18 EU member states, joined the United States in expelling more than 100 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack. The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the attack, which it blames on Moscow. Russia denies it was involved and has suggested the UK could be behind it. UK Prime Minister Theresa May called the worldwide backlash the “the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history.” Russian Foreign Minister spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow that Britain is breaking the international law by refusing to provide information on the case. “We are witnessing obvious prevention of access for Russian representatives to Russian victims,” she said. Russia again denied any involvement in the poisoning on Thursday. Zakharova accused the UK government of seeking to “bring about a totally absurd situation.” Related article How Vladimir Putin's arrogance handed Theresa May a diplomatic coup Zakharova  said the countries which had ordered expulsions had been subject to intense pressure to show “solidarity” with Britain despite there being no evidence implicating Russia. Zakharova also repeated a Russian complaint that its requests for information in the Skripal case have been ignored. “London is not giving us information and they cannot prove their innocence,” she said. UK officials believe the Skripals were exposed to a Soviet-era nerve agent known as Novichok. But Zakharova said nerve agents have been produced in countries outside of Russia and pointed towards the United Kingdom, United States and the Czech Republic as countries which have invested in this type of research. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Russia welcomed reports that Austria – which has not ordered the expulsion of Russian diplomats – had offered to mediate between Russia and the United Kingdom in the Skripal case. “In the situation with the UK any role, any voice that will spur the British vis-a-vis to, let’s say, adequacy in this matter, is in demand, of course,” Peskov said, when asked about Austria’s reported offer to mediate. Thomas Schnoll, spokesman for Austria Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, told CNN that Austria condemned the Skripal poisoning but wanted to keep channels of communication with Russia open. “We see Austria as a bridge builder between the West and the East,” he said. CNN’s Zahra Ullah, Carol Jordan, Darya Tarasova and Lorenzo D’Agostino contributed to this report.


French President Emmanuel Macron said he believes US President Donald Trump will pull out of the Iran nuclear deal next month “for domestic reasons,” describing the US as “insane” for its constant global policy U-turns, according to reports. Macron’s remarks appeared to be a concession that he may have failed to convince Trump to stay party to the agreement during his three-day visit to Washington. Trump has repeatedly threatened to ditch the landmark deal, which obliges Iran to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of economic sanctions. Trump has long criticized the agreement as being too soft on Iran, but has signed several waivers to continue the suspension of the sanctions during his time in office, keeping the deal alive. He has said more recently that he will refuse to sign the next round of waivers on May 12 unless the agreement is amended to take a tougher stance. Related article How the 'insane' Iranian nuclear deal might survive “My view – I don’t know what your President will decide – is that he will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons,” Macron told US reporters in Washington on Wednesday, according to the Guardian. He said he did not have any specific inside information, but believed there was “a big risk” Trump would leave, according to CBS. In reference to Trump having pulled the US from the Paris climate change agreement as well, Macron said changes in the US stance on several world issues might work in the short term but were “very insane in the medium to long term,” the Guardian reported. Trump used the same term to describe the Iran deal on Tuesday, speaking alongside Macron at a joint press conference. “It’s insane, it’s ridiculous, it should haven ever been made. But we’ll be talking about it,” Trump said. “It was a terrible deal.” A US withdrawal would deal a blow to the other nations that helped broker it. Many had placed their hopes on the French leader to temper his American counterpart. Iran has also said it will not accept any alternative deal and threatened to resume nuclear activity should the current agreement be scrapped. Macron has positioned himself as a negotiator between Europe and the US, and appears to have established an influential relationship with President Trump. His visit to the US this week has been a charm offensive peppered with handshakes and kisses between the two leaders to pronounce their warm relations. But in an address to the US Congress on Wednesday, Macron appealed to the country’s leaders to preserve the Iran deal and remain part of the global community, taking a clear jab at Trump’s “America First” agenda. Related article France's Macron takes aim at Trump agenda in pointed speech to Congress He reaffirmed France’s commitment to the Iran accord, reminding Congress that both his country and the United States had signed it. “That is why we cannot say we should get rid of it like that,” he said. Trump has criticized the current agreement for failing to address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its role in the Syrian conflict. European leaders have sought to address those issues separately. Macron earlier this week said there was no plan B for the Iran agreement, but on Tuesday he indicated there may be room for a new deal to curb Iran’s regional ambitions and ballistic missiles program that would run alongside the existing nuclear pact. Trump said he would pull the US out of the deal during his election campaign, but in January he ramped up pressure on his European allies to “fix the terrible flaws” of the deal by May 12 or he would withdraw. “My commitment, my action is not to try to convince President Trump to walk away from his campaign’s commitments or to change his mind. I’m not a masochist,” Macron said Wednesday at a press conference in Washington. “I believe that what we should be doing is to try to find an efficient way to build this genuine multilateralism.” In his speech to Congress, Macron pushed the US to consider rejoining the Paris climate change agreement, which Trump announced his country would leave last year. Related article After the hugs and kisses, Macron rips Trumpism He gave an impassioned speech in which he reminded Congress that the US “invented this multilateralism” and now needed to help preserve it. “We can choose isolationism, withdrawal and nationalism. This is an option. It can be tempting to us as a temporary remedy to our fears,” Macron said. “But closing the door to the world will not stop the evolution of the world. It will not douse, but inflame the fears of our citizens.” He also warned against the growing strongman-style of leadership seen in several parts of the world. “Personally, if you ask me, I do not share the fascination for new strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism.” CNN’s Stephen Collinson, Kevin Liptak and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal


Special Forces could be used for more counterterrorism operations Military options could include increasing the training, advising and assisting of moderate forces The Obama administration is holding internal discussions on military options if the ceasefire in Syria fails, including the possibility of increasing the number of Special Forces on the ground in Syria, though no decision has been made, a senior U.S. official told CNN. Other potential options include training and assisting local forces, recruiting help from other countries and establishing a no-fly zone or safe zone for refugees. The options are part of the so-called Plan B should the ceasefire that takes effect this weekend falls apart, the official said. So far, “Plan B” is more an idea than a specific course of action and nothing has yet been agreed to, several administration officials said. Special Forces could be used for more counterterrorism operations, as well as increase work with moderate opposition forces on the ground. Military options could also include increasing the training, advising and assisting of moderate forces. U.S. intelligence agencies and other countries could be called upon to help provide arms and assistance, the official said, again emphasizing that no decisions have yet been made. National security officials continue to look at the option of a no-fly zone or safe zone for refugees and displaced persons, the official said. However, the Obama administration, led by the Pentagon, still feels such a plan would be too costly and resource-intensive, the official said. Related video Obama: Syria deal is not a ceasefire with ISIS And it’s been made more complicated by the presence of Russian air-defense radars and missiles that now cover a large part of Syria. “I can’t tell you it’s off the table,” the senior official said. “It’s at the edge of the table, but not off it.” Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the possibility in testimony before Congress this week. “Our Pentagon estimates that to have a true safe zone in the north of the country, you may have upwards of 15,000 to 30,000 troops. Now, are we ready to authorize that? Are we ready to put them on the ground?” he asked. He added, “It really requires Congress to sort of analyze if somebody’s going to call for a no-fly zone. It takes planes going out and destroying the air-defense system so you can fly around and make it a no-fly zone.” To further ratchet up the pressure on ISIS, Kerry also raised the prospect that the United States would publicly declare ISIS had engaged in genocide by persecuting people on the basis of their religion. “There is a process ongoing right now making an analysis under the law,” Kerry told Congress. “I have to make this judgment, and I am prepared to make it and make it soon.”


President Donald Trump made an apparent reference last week to taping conversations This came after the President sacked FBI Director James Comey Republican Sen. Tim Scott said Monday that if tapes exist of President Donald Trump speaking privately with former FBI Director James Comey, then members of Congress should be able to review them. “If there’s any information that’s out there, we should have that information,” the South Carolina senator told CNN’s Dana Bash at a “Politics on Tap” event in Washington. The President signaled he may have recorded his past talks with Comey, tweeting Friday that the now-former FBI director better “hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” If tapes do exist and the White House refuses to turn them over, Scott said he would be supportive of a subpoena. “I would be surprised if there isn’t one,” he said. Asked repeatedly Monday whether Trump was secretly taping conversations in the White House, the President’s press secretary Sean Spicer avoided giving direct answers, saying over again that the President “would have nothing further on that.” RELATED: 7 times Spicer dodged questions about Trump’s ‘tapes’ Scott also said he was not calling for a special prosecutor into alleged ties between Trump’s campaign and Russian officials “at this point” – and added that he has confidence in the current congressional committees that are conducting the investigations. The senator did not have a comment on a Washington Post report breaking Monday night that Trump disclosed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week at the White House. “I haven’t seen the story, only the headlines,” he said. “If it’s accurate at all, we should take a look at it and seriously delve into the issues.” Talking about the mood on Capitol Hill among Republicans, Scott said “there certainly is some volatility” and that “politically there’s a lot to digest.” He said the amount of news and the media coverage feels like “drinking from a fire hydrant at times” and creates a feeling of disorientation. But Scott expressed optimism that things would soon normalize. Asked about criticism that Republicans aren’t standing up to Trump, Scott disagreed and said they are “absolutely” putting country ahead of party at times. As an example, he brought up his joint statement with Sen. Marco Rubio against Trump’s initial travel ban executive order in January. The two Republican senators said they were “uneasy” with the ban, which barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen – from entering the US for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and refugees from Syria indefinitely. The ban and its subsequent version have since been held up in court. Scott, a former member of the US House of Representatives, was appointed to the Senate in 2013 after then-Sen. Jim DeMint resigned. In 2014, he won a special election to complete the final two years of DeMint’s term, and he won re-election to a full Senate term in 2016.  As the only African-American Republican in the Senate and as someone who hails from the Deep South, Scott often jokes that he’s a “unicorn.” At the event, Scott took questions about his personal life. While he was once engaged, Scott is 51 and hasn’t been married. The senator, as someone who grew up in poverty, said he wanted to make sure his mother was financially secure before he started his own family. That point didn’t come until he was about 39, he said, and since then he’s become comfortable with just dating. But he brought up former Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who got re-married at the age of 67. “I only have 15 good years left,” he joked. “A late bloomer.” Scott said he was also a late bloomer in academics. He got some laughs when he talked about failing civics, English, and Spanish in high school. “When you fail Spanish and English, no one calls you bilingual, they call you bi-ignant,” he said. “Thank God for a powerful mom and amazing mentor who saw more in me than I could see in myself,” he said. Scott also described his experiences going “undercover” in South Carolina, in which he would disguise himself and listen to constituents on the ground in their element. He shared stories about volunteering at a Goodwill, sweeping at a restaurant, and talking to people at a gas station. He said it’s a mission that’s getting more difficult to do and he does it “once in a blue moon.” “It’s a wonderful way to listen to real people talk about their lives,” he said.


Editor’s Note: CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem is the author of “Security Mom: An Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland and Your Home.” She is a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration and founder of Kayyem Solutions, a security consulting firm.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers. Juliette Kayyem: Sessions' recusal is latest signal that Trump can't 'pivot' from the investigation into Russia's meddling She says don't expect 'smoking gun' -- complex probe will confront twists in search for answers. Trump should welcome this There is no political pivot away from the Russia story. Indeed, even as the suddenly “presidential” Donald Trump was basking in acclaim Wednesday for his uncharacteristically measured speech Tuesday night before the joint session of Congress, “Russiagate” was gearing up again. And by Thursday, under intense political pressure over his meeting with Russia’s ambassador, Attorney General Jeff Sessions agreed to recuse himself from any investigation related to the Trump campaign’s relationship with Russia in the 2016 election. Related video What questions remain after Sessions' recusal The Trump administration has for too long believed that by not talking about the Russia issue, by ducking and pivoting, they could make it go away.  But investigations are going forward. The media won’t let this go, the public won’t let this go, and if the Trump administration insists that it did not collude with Russia to affect the election outcome, it too will not want to let this go until the truth has been brought thoroughly into the light and the American public reassured. Allow me to catch you up. Only a few weeks after former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned amid revelations about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, leaks from an inquiry related to Russia’s disruption of the election – and confirmed by the Justice Department – revealed that Sessions had misinformed (or possibly lied to) senators during his confirmation hearing about meetings he had had with Kislyak. Democratic leaders demanded Sessions resign and many Republicans wanted him to at least recuse himself from any oversight of investigations related to Russia’s interference. Sessions, meanwhile, finally admitted to the meetings but insisted that nothing related to the campaign was discussed – and Russia, for its part, claimed it was all “fake news.” Related video Franken: Sessions 'extremely misleading' The White House? It has tried to distance itself from the rancor and drama involving yet another senior campaign adviser (and cabinet member) obfuscating about conversations with Russia. Trump says he knew nothing of Sessions’ conversations and backed his AG, saying he didn’t think Sessions needed to resign. And now, new reports indicate contacts in December between other Trump advisers – including his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner – with the Russian ambassador. On Thursday night, Trump turned to Twitter, where he called it all a “total witch hunt.” Head spinning? Yes. But as far as national security investigations go, not unexpected in its twists and stutter-stop momentum. In fact, with the stakes as high as they are, it’s essential to understand how these investigations advance.  They will not unfold like a television show. There will likely not be some moment of reckoning – some smoking gun – an email that makes it all clear, a “eureka” occasion.  National security investigations are rarely that simple. Instead of a single piece of evidence, a case like this involves foreign wiretaps, spies and counterspies, signal intelligence, telephone wiretaps and cyber-footprints. It’s complicated mostly because the crime is so much more sophisticated. There may not be a smoking gun, but there is a lot of evidence and counter-evidence that will swing the pendulum back and forth until it lands at the truth. Related article It's time for a Watergate-style select committee on Russiagate In other words, think of this investigation as a search for the most plausible answer – across a spectrum – to the question: Why did Russia involve itself so aggressively in our election? The “what” is already known: Every intelligence agency has confirmed that Russia engaged in a cyber-attack on America’s democratic process, aimed at negatively impacting the Hillary Clinton campaign. But the “why” is more complicated, and that is why there are number of investigations – some at the FBI, some on Capitol Hill – occurring simultaneously. The possible theories to answer this exist on that spectrum. At one end is the possibility that Russia acted entirely alone to disrupt our democracy and undermine Clinton, believing she would otherwise win. Move further along the spectrum and other explanations arise: Russia did it alone to help Trump, as they believed he would be a more cooperative President; Russia acted in partnership with a loose group of Trump affiliates who did not speak to or work for the campaign; Russia worked directly with the campaign leadership.  And, finally, at other end of the spectrum, the most consequential theory: Russia colluded with the direct knowledge of the President. Related video Trump: Sessions did not say anything wrong Every disclosure and action is a piece of evidence that cuts one way or another across this spectrum of potential explanations.  For example, the decision by Flynn to not disclose his contacts with Russia to Vice President Mike Pence suggests that senior members of the campaign were not transparent in their dealings – even with one another. It’s another piece of evidence: no smoking gun, but not entirely a benign piece of information either. Even as these pieces keep piling up, the Trump administration seems unable to recognize that until it embraces a thorough and impartial review, the pieces will be viewed in the light least favorable to them. It is, from any evidentiary perspective, difficult to say that the accumulation of all this information – including another important story in the New York Times reporting that European surveillance picked up communications between Russia and the Trump team – points toward the idea that Russia acted entirely alone. Determining where the pendulum stops is why these investigations must move forward.  No one, maybe not even the investigators, can know right now where this ends.  No smoking gun, perhaps.  Only a lot of pieces of a puzzle that need to put together to come up with a better picture of why our democracy was undermined.


EU ministers move toward deal on relocation of 120,000 refugees Germany, Hungary, Austria impose border controls as crisis escalates Germany might take in 1 million migrants this year, the vice chancellor says It’s not just migrants fleeing war and chaos in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere who want to put the world’s growing refugee crisis behind them. European nations bearing the brunt of the influx are desperate for it to end as well. As Germany, Austria and Hungary clamped down on border crossings, European Union interior and justice ministers met Monday in emergency session in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the crisis, EU plans for refugee quotas and how to stem the tide of migrants striving for European destinations. Leaders announced after the meeting that they had showed a willingness to move toward an agreement on relocating another 120,000 refugees, on top of plans made in May to relocate 40,000 from Italy and Greece. Related video Refugees share their harrowing stories “It was too early for a decision to be taken today,” Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, told reporters. “Nonetheless, a large majority of member states have committed to this principle of the additional relocation of a further 120,000 people who deserve international protection as part of these massive migratory flows.” The European Commission released a statement after the meeting, calling for “more ambition.” “We need to come to a more fundamental change of the current system to better combine responsibility, solidarity and effective management within a truly European Asylum and Migration Policy,” it read. “The world is watching us. Now is the time for each and every one to take responsibility.” Here’s the latest on the emergency spreading across Europe: Related video Germany halts train traffic in Austria Germany, which had committed to taking in 800,000 migrants this year, might have to take in 1 million, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said Monday. Some 10,000 are pouring in each day, Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate said. Some 16,000  have flooded Munich alone in two days, according to German officials. With the relentless stream of migrants, Germany is implementing temporary border controls for “security reasons urgently necessary,” the country’s interior minister said. Officials suspended the region’s normal open borders policy, checking identifications of people in cars coming across the border and making decisions about whether to allow in those with Syrian or Iraqi identifications. Officials also stopped train traffic from Austria for a time as well. “The goal of this measure is to restrict the present inflow of migrants into Germany and return again to an orderly process upon entry,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Sunday. Such actions are allowed temporarily under EU law based on “serious threat to public policy or internal security.” In Austria, an Interior Ministry spokesman said the country would introduce reinforced border controls as a consequence of Germany tightening its border enforcement. Many refugees bound for Germany pass through Austria. Officials also deployed 2,200 soldiers to help beleaguered police, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said. The troops will work on humanitarian aid, security and border protection, according to the spokesman. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Austrian counterpart, Chancellor Werner Faymann, are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Berlin to discuss the crisis, the German government said. Tough new border laws were set to go into effect Tuesday along Hungary’s border with Serbia, which is not part of the European open-borders agreement. The laws call for three years in prison for climbing the country’s newly built razor-wire fence along the border. They also create new border transit zones to hold asylum-seekers while their applications are processed. Migrants in the transit centers won’t be considered to have officially entered Hungary, according to a government statement. The changes will “result in asylum procedures which are swifter and more effective,” the statement said. Close to 10,000 people crossed into Hungary on Monday, a single day peak, according to government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs. He said registration and entry to Hungary will only be possible at two assigned entry points. “We call this as a temporary fence, obviously it is rather a must decision than a nice decision,” he said. “We don’t like building fences, but up until we are able to reinstate border control on the natural border/green borders of the country, we have no other choice.” Hungary has been the site of some of the most dramatic scenes of the crisis, with refugees setting out on foot from train stations and holding sites despite police efforts to contain them. Some migrants have complained about their treatment by Hungarian officials. Related video Refugees make the journey from Greece to Macedonia A record number of migrants crossed into Macedonia over the weekend, said Alexandra Krause of the UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency. About 8,600 people crossed from Greece to Macedonia from Saturday until Sunday, Krause said from the border Monday. Many migrants are trying to make the arduous journey from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to Germany. To do so, they travel through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria and then Germany. Defense Minister Zoran Jolevski visited a Macedonian army post along the country’s southern border with Greece as well as a transit city where migrants are registered, calling for greater international support for European nations dealing with the crisis. Authorities “intensified mobile border controls” monitoring the flow of traffic into the country but have not closed the country’s borders, Edmond Messchaert, spokesman for the Netherlands’ Ministry of Security and Justice, told CNN. Related video White House: U.S. to take at least 10,000 more refugees The British government announced Monday it has appointed a minister to oversee the resettling of 20,000 Syrian refugees. “Richard Harrington will be responsible for coordinating and delivering work across Government to resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK, along with coordinating the provision of Government support to Syrian refugees in the region,” the government said. The UK also announced it is increasing its aid for refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey to 1 billion pounds (about $1.5 billion). Forty million pounds will be allocated to the United Nations and nongovernmental organization partners working in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, including British aid agencies such as Save the Children, providing shelter, food, relief packages, health and protection services as well as cash assistance – giving individuals the freedom to decide how best to cover their needs. A day after a migrant boat capsized off the Greek island of Farmakonisi, officials are finding more bodies. The death toll rose to 34, including 10 children, duty officer Vasiliki Patsioura of the Hellenic coast guard said. The coast guard said it rescued 99 people from the vessel that capsized in the Aegean Sea. At least 2,800 migrants have died or disappeared this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Related video Drowned Syrian toddler and family laid to rest Some EU ministers questioned whether the quota system makes sense. “Quotas cannot be imposed on countries,” Slovakian Interior Minister Robert Kalinak told CNN’s Hala Gorani in Brussels. “Migrants want to move from one country to another. We should concentrate on camps instead and differentiate between illegal migrants and asylum-seekers.” On Monday, the aunt of Aylan Kurdi, the toddler whose drowning death drew intensified world attention to the refugee crisis, spoke to a rally in Brussels urging action. Aylan’s brother and mother also died trying to escape Syria. “It is too late for my family, for Aylan, but they need all your help,” Fatima Kurdi said at a rally in Brussels, shortly before the EU ministers were due to meet on the crisis. “We need action – a plan to make it happen urgently. And I hope you all understand it could happen to anyone’s family. Open your heart and help someone.” Full coverage: The migration crisis CNN’s Atika Shubert reported from Munich and Holly Yan reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Stephanie Halasz, Ivan Watson, Bharati Naik, Alex Felton and Brian Walker also contributed to this report.


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will not run out of oil any time soon. According to the most recent data set available, the Emirates has proven reserves equivalent to 98 billion barrels – enough for the nation to rank seventh globally. According to World Bank figures, the UAE consumes 18.4 tons of CO2 per capita per year – nearly four times higher than the global average. But the nation is moving away from crude solutions and swapping them for ones of the eco variety. 'Next desert unicorn' Fetchr aims to put GPS deliveries on the map In January, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and UAE vice president, announced a new energy strategy and $163 billion of investment in alternative energy over the next three decades. These changes, taking place on a macro level, will gradually transform Dubai. The Emirates’ aim is to produce 50% clean energy by 2050 – 44% of that from renewables – and increase energy efficiency by 40%. The UAE has already embarked on huge government-funded green housing projects – Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, for example, has funding commitments of $15 billion. But private companies are also playing a part. Dubai-based developer and civil engineer Faris Saeed is already working on a model of what future “green” communities might look like. His company Diamond Developers has constructed The Sustainable City, a 5-million square foot complex built to consume zero net energy with the potential to go off-grid – the first of its kind in the emirate, the company claims. The Sustainable City’s 500 homes, located 18 miles from Dubai City, are powered by solar panels capable of achieving 10 mega-watts at their peak. Regional expert and author Jim Krane says Dubai’s “300-plus sunny days a year” make solar energy a “very predictable resource.” Yet while the rooftops soak up rays, houses are orientated to avoid direct sunlight inside, keeping interiors cool. As part of the community’s award-winning model, all water is recycled on site, the complex is car-free, and the community grows its own vegetables between 11 biome greenhouses. On top of this, the site features a 161,000-square foot plaza with retail space, offices and eateries. “We created … a DNA for sustainability where we deal with the social, environmental and economical (at) the same time,” says Saeed. Saeed says that Dubai’s 2009 financial crisis – in which the city was almost insolvent – was a turning point for Diamond Developers. Subsequently, he decided to build a green development which also made good business sense, launching his concept in 2013. To do so he borrowed from best practises around the world. He cites Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town in Japan, 50km west of Tokyo, where 18 companies have collaborated on the 60 billion yen ($544 million) project, which began to populate in November 2014. The site includes residences, parks and commercial facilities and is also powered by solar panels, with energy distributed via a localized smart grid. Still in progress, it will complete in 2018 with 1,000 households, designed and built by Panasonic’s PanaHome division, as part of a 100-year sustainability plan. “We have never claimed that we invented anything here,” Saeed adds of The Sustainable City. “It’s the way of thinking, the creative way of linking things together.” To succeed, citizens need to commit to such projects. But it’s possible, even in places that were not built from the ground up to be eco-friendly. Places like Sonderborg, Denmark. The city has implemented ProjectZero, a plan to transform itself into a zero-carbon locale by 2029. Using 2007 as a baseline, the 76,000-strong population has already cut emissions by 35% by introducing high-tech solutions including electric vehicle charging points, but also education programs to help citizens make greener choices. Sønderborg-området får glæde af hele 50 millioner kr. fra EU! 👍👍 Pengene skal bruges i en række energiprojekter, der... Education is also one of Saeed’s goals. He plans to build a school at The Sustainable City to teach future generations about the impact of sustainability. “We developers have a lot of things to do and we have a huge impact we can make,” he argues. Buying a slice of sustainable living in Dubai isn’t cheap. House prices at The Sustainable City start at $1 million, but so far two thirds of the properties have been sold, while others are rented. Dubai set to build $1.7b man-made islands Marsa Al Arab by 2020 “Developers are afraid always from the extra cost, and people will not afford or people won’t buy their products,” Saeed argues. “We’re trying to prove here that you can make your profits … and still you can do something which you will be proud of, your kids will be proud of, and all the world will like it.” Chris Giles contributed to this report.


NEW: White House: US aid after disasters illustrates "warm relationship" with Philippines The US and Philippines just started joint military exercises in Manila Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s vitriol against the United States took another caustic turn Tuesday, when he threatened to “break up” with the US and said President Barack Obama can “go to hell.” Duterte’s latest remarks came just as the US and Philippines started joint military exercises – perhaps for the last time. The war drills began Tuesday in Manila and will last until October 12. Last week, Duterte said this round of joint drills with the US would be the last. “I serve notice to you now that this will be the last joint military exercise with US,” Duterte said. Durterte’s verbal tirade against the US heated up after widespread criticism of his anti-drug campaign. Thousands of suspected drug dealers and users have died during Duterte’s aggressive crackdown on the illegal drug trade. Some were killed during shootouts with local police when suspects allegedly resisted arrest. Others died in nightly vigilante-style killings, where bodies are left on the streets with cardboard signs describing their alleged drug-related crimes. Related article US calls Philippines President's Hitler comments 'troubling' US officials have slammed Duterte, especially after he compared himself to Hitler. Duterte later apologized for the remarks. On Tuesday, Duterte said he’s willing to cut ties with the US in favor of Russia and China. “Respect is important,” he said in one of three speeches Tuesday. “If this is what happens now, I will be reconfiguring my foreign policy. Eventually I might, in my time, I will break up with America. I’d rather go to Russia and to China.” Duterte also had harsh words for the US President and the European Union: “Mr. Obama, you can go to hell. … The EU better choose purgatory.” Related video Who is Rodrigo Duterte? White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Duterte’s recent comments, such as telling Obama to “go to hell,” contradicted the “warm relationship” between the two countries. He cited US recovery efforts after natural disasters as an example of the close ties between the two nations. Earnest also said the US has not received any request from the Philippines to change their bilateral relationship. But the White House spokesman insisted the US will “not hesitate” to raise concerns about extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, which he said were “entirely inconsistent” with universal values of human rights. “We won’t be silent in raising our significant concerns about these reports,” Earnest said. Duterte won the presidency by a landslide this year on a platform of ending drug proliferation, despite having been accused of running the Davao Death Squad when he was mayor of Davao. Related video Motobato claims he was Duterte's  hitman On Tuesday, Duterte said he won’t stop his anti-drug crackdown “until the last pusher is taken out of the street.” “It will be unrelenting,” the President said. Duterte also defended his threats to kill criminals, saying he used similar language when he was mayor of Davao. “If you will not leave my city, I will kill you,” he reminisced. “There is no law at all which says I cannot threaten criminals as mayor or even as president.” Under Duterte’s presidency, police have made thousands of arrests and have implemented a controversial “knock and plead” policy of visiting suspected drug users in their homes and inviting them to register as users with community officials. Duterte has also told police they can kill drug dealers if they fight back. In his first few months in office, Duterte has made shocking remarks about the US, a longtime ally of the Philippines. He’s called both Obama and the US ambassador to the Philippines a “son of a bitch.” American investors have already expressed concern over drug-related killings under the Duterte administration. “The increased number of killings during the heightened anti-drug campaign is harming the country’s image, as portrayed by international media, and some investors are now asking whether this campaign reduces the rule of law,” the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. said last month. But US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said last week that the decades-old alliance with the Philippines was “ironclad.” He said US-Philippines cooperation “has served the interests of our nations for many years now” and added that he had good discussions about “ongoing alliance operations” with his counterpart from the Philippines. Buena Bernal reported and wrote from Manila, and Holly Yan wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Zahra Ullah, Euan McKirdy, Michelle Kosinski, Kevin Liptak and Ryan Browne contributed to this report.


Pyongyang warned it is 'ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US' Trump has indicated that he wants to keep all options on the table North Korea has issued a forceful response to the deployment of a US naval strike group to the region, saying it would counter “reckless acts of aggression” with “whatever methods the US wants to take.” In a statement provided to CNN by officials in North Korea, Pyongyang said the “current grim situation” justified its “self-defensive and pre-emptive strike capabilities with the nuclear force at the core.” “We will make the US fully accountable for the catastrophic consequences that may be brought about by its high-handed and outrageous acts,” the statement said. The Pentagon sent the 97,000-ton USS Carl Vinson with an escort of a guided-missile cruiser and two destroyers after the latest missile test by North Korea last week. Related video Tensions build between US and North Korea On Wednesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the deployment was routine. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, he said there was “no particular objective” to its current course, adding that he “would not read too much” into its recent deployment to the waters near the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, the deployment is a military show of force, signaling to North Korea that the US military can operate at sea in areas where the regime might engage in ballistic missile operations or other military provocations, according to US military officials. But it’s a signal with limited military utility. An aircraft carrier would not be military significant in operations against North Korea because of the vulnerability of its fighter jets in North Korean airspace. Some of the carrier’s communications suites could be used to command an operation if it came to that, but contingency plans have generally focused on US and South Korean commanders running any operations from shore. “While at face value harsh and aggressive, the North Korea statement issued Tuesday is no more confrontational than usual, probably more in the range of 7 or 8 on North Korea’s rhetorical volume knob.But that does not dilute their message, or express a sign of willingness to compromise. The language states the DPRK’s viewpoint quite simply, without any sign of softening or hardening of their already very firmly stated positions.This is not the first, second or even third time the Carl Vinson has visited these waters over the years. The current tasking of the aircraft carrier group will not have any success in persuading Pyongyang to halting or even slowing down its nuclear weapons program, everything points to it having the opposite effect.”– Tim Schwarz, CNN Beijing Bureau chief, writing from Pyongyang It is the destroyers and cruisers, as well as a fast-attack submarine accompanying the carrier, that could be called into action if there was an operation against a North Korean ballistic missile launch. But officials emphasized the US and Japan always maintain some anti-missile capability in the western Pacific prepared to deal with North Korea. The strike group has been at sea since January and conducted military exercises with other nations in the western Pacific, including Japan and the Republic of Korea. The carrier group is now conducting some training with Australian forces and may also do additional training with Japanese forces as it heads further north, officials said. The Navy usually does not discuss ship locations in detail before they arrive. To some extent, US commanders are ensuring they have the right assets and top level personnel on duty if there is a North Korean provocation, given the rising rhetoric from the regime there. In another sign of US military concern, Gen. Vincent Brooks, the top US commander in South Korea, has decided skip long-planned congressional hearings and remain in the country. “All decisions regarding the schedules of USFK leadership are based on our alliance priority to maintain readiness at all times,” said Col. Robert Manning, a US military spokesman. Even that move is not unprecedented, however. In 2013, the US commander at the time also skipped congressional hearings due to tensions in the region. Carrying more than 5,000 sailors and 60 aircraft, the USS Carl Vinson is escorted by guided-missile destroyers USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Michael Murphy and the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain. The group’s ships and air wing provide significant firepower and strike capability, but balancing the available military options with the potential of retaliation from North Korea presents a complicated scenario for President Trump. China – North Korea’s closest ally – has pressed the US to engage in direct diplomatic negotiations with North Korea. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that Beijing understands how dangerous North Korea’s nuclear program has become and agrees action must be taken to stop it, but China hasn’t signaled any change in its approach to Pyongyang since a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi last week. US allies South Korea and Japan, which has seen previous North Korean missile tests fall within 200 miles of its coast, both supported the deployment of the Vinson group. South Korea said the group’s deployment was recognition of the “grave situation on the Korean Peninsula,” while Japan said it was “important to secure the power of US deterrence.” The White House faces a tough task in convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program, retired Gen. Michael Hayden, a former head of the CIA and National Security Agency told CNN’s “New Day.” “No matter what we do there is this move by North Korea to build missiles and put weapons on top of missiles,” Hayden said. “This is what they count on for regime survival. … The best we can do is box it where it is right now,” he said. “I don’t think we can make them give up the program.” Many analysts believe the movement of US warships is likely defensive in nature, setting the stage for a scenario in which the Vinson strike group could be called upon to perform a missile intercept. The three escort warships traveling with the Vinson have more than 300 combined missile tubes and are outfitted with the Aegis anti-missile system, according to Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at the think tank Rand Corp. “If North Korea were to test some number of ballistic missiles by firing them into the East Sea/Sea of Japan, these warships would have the potential of intercepting the North Korean test missile,” Bennett said. Intercepting a long-range rocket test passing overhead would send a clear message to Kim and would be justifiable as the rockets would possibly be on course to pass over Japan, according to Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Brisbane, Australia. “The Carl Vinson group is commanded from Hawaii, rather than the US military base in Japan, so it’s a clear American initiative not a Japanese or South Korea one,” Layton told CNN. “That may defuse attempts to link Japan and South Korea and thus limit the possibility of any North Korean aggression against them.” While the carrier group has been deployed to the Korean Peninsula in the past, lawmakers are wondering how the US warships will be directed to respond to another North Korean missile test. “Are we going to try to shoot that intercontinental ballistic missile down? Are we going to let the test go on unpaid on unimpeded? Republican Rep. Will Hurd asked on CNN’s “New Day.” “These are questions that should be asked of Congress.” The Trump administration has floated the idea of carrying out preemptive strikes against North Korea, but the scope and method of potential offensive actions remain unclear. The Vinson’s air wing, made up of more than 40 F/A-18 Hornets, provides the offensive capability to attack enemy targets with bombs or missiles while the carrier’s E/A-18G Growler aircraft have the ability to jam enemy radars, disrupt enemy electronic surveillance and provide “cover” for attacking aircraft. “A potential US strike, using aircraft from the Vinson, could range from a small-scale strike against a single target, like a missile on a launch pad or the support equipment that makes a missile launch possible, to a broader set of military targets if the US meant to ‘send a message’ that an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) or atomic device test was not going to be tolerated,” Dakota Wood, an analyst at the DC-based Heritage Foundation, told CNN. But the Vinson strike group may not have the weapons to take out North Korea’s nuclear assets, which are buried deep underground, Wood said. “I believe they would normally be delivered by bomber (B-2, B-1, or perhaps B-52) which could fly from Andersen Air Base on Guam,” he told CNN. On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was expected to attend the country’s Supreme People’s Assembly, a high-profile gathering of the nation’s leading political figures. The meeting comes days before North Korea celebrates the April 15 birthday of deceased leader Kim Il Sung, Kim’s grandfather – amid speculation that Pyongyang will mark the occasion with by testing missiles or possibly a nuclear device. CNN’s Brad Lendon and Jamie Crawford contributed to this report.


UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrived in Washington on a full court press in defense of the Iran nuclear deal, taking to the airwaves on Fox News and meeting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to not just defend the agreement but also warn against the US pursuing a military option against Tehran. President Donald Trump, long hostile to the Iran deal, has hinted that he will walk away from it. On Monday he tweeted that he would be announcing his decision at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday and earlier in the day in another tweet he dismissed the 2015 pact as a “mess.” Appearing on one of the President’s favorite TV programs, “Fox & Friends,” Johnson asked what the US plan would be if Trump decides to opt out. Many in Washington wonder about the possibility of a military strike against Tehran – particularly with the recent appointment of national security adviser John Bolton, a hawk on Iran. Related article Trump teases Iran nuclear deal announcement “Are we seriously saying that we will bomb those facilities … is that really a realistic possibility?” Johnson asked. Johnson also warned in the interview about the consequences of scrapping the deal negotiated by the US, UK, France, Germany, China, Russia and the European Union. It offered Iran nuclear-related sanctions relief in exchange for strict curbs on its nuclear program, which would no longer apply if Iran decides to leave the deal as well. “If they do get a nuclear weapon, you’re going to get an arms race in the Middle East,” Johnson said. “You’re going to have the Saudis wanting one, the Egyptians wanting one, the Emiratis. It’s already a very, very dangerous state at the moment, we don’t want to go down that road. There doesn’t seem to me at the moment to be a viable military solution.” Besides meeting Pompeo, Johnson has made a slew of media appearances aimed at convincing the US to remain in the deal, and has meetings scheduled with Bolton and Vice President Mike Pence. The British Cabinet minister is just the latest European official to come to Washington to make the case for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is formally known. The Europeans have been stressing that Trump’s complaints are about activities not covered by the pact – including Iran’s missile program and its regional activities – and can be dealt with separately. Related article John Kerry engaging in shadow diplomacy to salvage Iran deal: The Boston Globe French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Washington in April to make the case and emphasize that they also have concerns with Iran’s actions outside the parameters of the deal. Macron suggested a new and separate treaty-level agreement to deal with the other issues that trouble Trump, sources tell CNN. Johnson wrote a New York Times op-ed laying out the European argument in favor of staying in the deal. He also had the distinction of being the first foreign minister to visit Pompeo and sign his official guest book. Johnson and Pompeo appeared briefly before reporters at the State Department to shake hands before a phalanx of British and American flags, but they declined to answer questions.


Law's funeral will be Thursday at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican says He resigned as Boston's archbishop in 2002 amid scandal Cardinal Bernard Law, the former Boston archbishop who resigned in disgrace during the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal, has died, the Vatican confirmed. He was 86. Law died early Wednesday in Rome following a long illness, the Vatican said. Law moved to Italy to serve as archpriest of the Papal Liberian Basilica of St. Mary Major after he was forced to resign in 2002 as archbishop of Boston. Law’s name became emblematic of the scandal that continues to trouble the church and its followers after a Boston Globe investigation revealed that he and other bishops covered up child abuse by priests in the Boston Archdiocese. Law at the time apologized to victims of John Geoghan, a priest who had been moved from parish to parish, despite Law’s knowledge of his abuse of young boys. Geoghan was convicted in 2002 of indecent assault and battery on a 10-year-old boy. Law never faced criminal sanctions for his role in allowing abusive priests to remain in parishes. The scandal reverberated through the church, exposing similar allegations worldwide that compromised its moral authority and led to years of multimillion-dollar settlements. Law will get a full cardinal’s funeral at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday afternoon, with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presiding. Pope Francis will give a “final commendation,” or blessing, as he has for cardinals’ funerals previously. To his detractors, Law’s second career at the Vatican was a slap in the face to victims of clergy sex abuse, one that further undermined the church’s legitimacy. “Survivors of child sexual assault in Boston, who were first betrayed by Law’s cover-up of sex crimes and then doubly betrayed by his subsequent promotion to Rome, were those most hurt,” according to a statement after his death from Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “No words can convey the pain these survivors and their loved ones suffered.” Related video Pope open to married men becoming priests The group advised the Vatican to keep the abuse survivors in mind when planning Law’s funeral. “Every single Catholic should ask Pope Francis and the Vatican why,” the survivors’ group said. “Why Law’s life was so celebrated when Boston’s clergy sex abuse survivors suffered so greatly? Why was Law promoted when Boston’s Catholic children were sexually abused, ignored, and pushed aside time and time again?” Widespread child abuse by the Catholic clergy in the Boston Archdiocese was uncovered by The Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative reporting team, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its efforts. A big-screen dramatization of the team’s investigation in the 2015 movie, “Spotlight,” won the 2016 Best Picture Academy Award, bringing the story to a much wider audience. TIMELINE: A look at the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandals Law’s successor as Boston’s archbishop, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, reacted to Law’s death in part by apologizing to victims of sex abuse by clergy. “I recognize that Cardinal Law’s passing brings forth a wide range of emotions on the part of many people. I am particularly cognizant of all who experienced the trauma of sexual abuse by clergy, whose lives were so seriously impacted by those crimes, and their families and loved ones,” O’Malley said. “Cardinal Law served at a time when the church failed seriously in its responsibilities to provide pastoral care for her people, and with tragic outcomes failed to care for the children of our parish communities. I deeply regret that reality and its consequences,” O’Malley said. However, he called it a “sad reality” that the scandal has come to define Law’s legacy, overshadowing his work in the civil rights era and leadership in the interfaith movement following the Second Vatican Council. “I think all of us are more than one dimensional and I think, to be realistic, we have to recognize that there was more to this man than his mistakes,” he said in a news conference on Wednesday. Law was born in Torreon, Mexico, on November 4, 1931, to Helen and Bernard Law, an Air Force colonel. He completed his postgraduate studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Louisiana and at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He was ordained as a priest on May 21, 1961, in the diocese of Natchez-Jackson, Mississippi, and became vicar general of that diocese in 1971. In 1973, he was appointed bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese in southern Missouri. He served as chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interracial Affairs, and in 1976, he was named to the Vatican Commission on Religious Relations with Jews. The posts were stepping stones to his becoming the spiritual leader of Boston’s large and influential Catholic community. In 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed Law to be the archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese, with its 362 parishes serving 2.1 million members. That same year, Law received a letter from a bishop expressing concerns about then-Rev. Geoghan. Law assigned Geoghan to another parish despite the allegations. In 1985, Pope John Paul II elevated Law to cardinal, one of just 13 Americans holding that office at the time. Law attempted to resign as archbishop of Boston in April 2002, but Pope John Paul II rejected his request. In 2002, a judge presiding over the child rape case of the Rev. Paul Shanley ordered Cardinal Law to be deposed by lawyers of one of Shanley’s victims. Law testified about his supervision of Geoghan in 2002, saying he relied on his assistants to investigate charges of abuse. In May 2002, he apologized for his role in the clergy abuse scandal in a letter distributed throughout the archdiocese. But he denied knowledge of sexual abuse allegations against Shanley until 1993. In August 2002, Law appeared in court to testify about a settlement reached between the archdiocese of Boston and victims of clergy abuse. The archdiocese rescinded the monetary offer shortly afterward. That December, as calls grew for him to resign, Law was subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury investigating “possible criminal violations by church officials who supervised priests accused of sexually abusing children.” Days later, he resigned as chairman of the board of trustees of the Catholic University of America, followed by his resignation as archbishop of Boston. The breakdown of trust in the Catholic Church continues to reverberate around the world. Related video Archbishop: 'This is a shameful past' This month, the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse delivered, after five years of work, 189 recommendations to address what it described as a “serious failure” by Australia’s institutions to protect its most vulnerable citizens. The country’s senior Catholic leaders, however, rejected recommendations by the wide-reaching investigation, declining to end mandatory celibacy for priests and break the secrecy of confession. Of survivors who reported abuse in a religious institution, more than 60% said it occurred in a Catholic organization, the report found. When asked if he forgave Law, O’Malley said that forgiveness is what Christianity is all about. But he acknowledged that in Law’s case, forgiveness did not come easy. “Hopefully, out of this, it will help to remind all of our Catholics that this is not something that has been solved,” he said Wednesday. “The healing is still necessary and we must all be vigilant, particularly for prevention of child abuse.” He surmised, though, that the church would handle such transgressions differently today. “I think there’s a much greater understanding and sensitivity to the situation,” he said. “There’s been enough growth and consciousness of this problem in the Holy See that that would not happen. CNN’s Delia Gallagher, Hada Messia and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.


Stephen McGown was freed five years and eight months after being seized in Timbuktu Father: "My son is looking well and very healthy and his mind seems as sharp as ever" A South African national who was kidnapped in Mali in November 2011 by al Qaeda extremists has been released, a spokesman for South Africa’s Foreign Ministry told CNN on Thursday. Stephen McGown was freed on Saturday and is now back in South Africa, Clayson Monyela said. His father, Malcolm McGown, told a news conference in Pretoria that he was grateful to the South African government and everyone else involved in gaining his son’s release. “It took a long time but we got there – and I’m pleased to say that my son is looking well and very healthy and his mind seems as sharp as ever,” he said. Speaking at the same news conference, South African Minister for International Relations Maite Nkoana-Mashabane voiced her condolences for the death of McGown’s mother, who died in May while he was still in captivity. Nkoana-Mashabane said no ransom was paid for McGown’s release and that it had been secured with the help of “cooperation and collaboration” from the family. His father said it had been a “big surprise” when Stephen came back, “but when I gave him a hug he felt as sound and as strong as before, so he was well treated up there. “Obviously the joy of the miracle that happened … we can’t describe it. I guess unless you have actually traveled the road, you really don’t know what it’s like.” Malcolm McGown said he regretted that his wife had not lived to see their son again, but he believed Stephen would “pick himself up in a little while’s time and join the normal run of life.” Stephen McGown did not appear at the news conference himself, although his wife Catherine and mother-in-law were present alongside his father. “It’s been a very, very long time and I’m pleased, just so pleased, that this day has come,” his wife said. “It’s just unfortunate that Steve’s mum isn’t here and that Steve isn’t here right now.” The moment when she and her husband were finally reunited was like none of the scenarios she had imagined over the years, she said. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘Your hair has grown.’ I said to him ‘Actually, your hair is longer than mine now,’” Catherine recalled. Doctors are still attending to McGown and will continue to monitor his health, Monyela said earlier. McGown was taken hostage while on vacation in Timbuktu, northern Mali, along with Swedish national Johan Gustafsson and Dutch national Sjaak Rijke. Gustafsson returned to Sweden in June this year after being released by his captors, Swedish authorities said. Rijke was freed in April 2015 by French special forces, the French Defense Ministry said at the time. Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, chairman and founder of African NGO Gift of the Givers, said the charity had started negotiations for McGown in June 2015 after his father asked for help but was not involved in the final stages of McGown’s release. The South African government worked alongside the charity from 2015, Sooliman said. Gift of the Givers also negotiated for the release of Gustafsson, he added.