Myanmar’s controversial State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has canceled a rare public appearance in Australia due to ill health, where she was expected to face questions from the audience. Suu Kyi was scheduled to give a speech at Sydney’s Lowy Institute on Tuesday but the think-tank announced she had been forced to cancel as she was “not feeling well,” in a statement Monday afternoon. “Following the speech, the State Counselor was to take questions from the audience,” the statement said. Hours after the speech was canceled, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay told CNN Suu Kyi had felt “jet lagged and a bit weak” but was now fine and spending the afternoon with the Australian Myanmar community. When pressed as to whether the event would be rescheduled, Zaw Htay said in a text: “Schedule is very tight, it’s not suitable for her. We’re very sorry to cancel it.” Suu Kyi was in Sydney on Saturday for the first ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting to be held in Australia. On Monday morning she met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra. Her government has been accused internationally of “ethnic cleansing” against Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya population, at least 688,000 of whom have fled across the border in Bangladesh in the last six months. Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to send some of the refugees back across the border, but so far only around 8,000 Rohingya have applied to be sent home. Of those, the Myanmar government has only approved the return of a few hundred refugees. Outside Australia’s Parliament, Suu Kyi was greeted with a 19-gun salute and an honor guard before her meeting with the prime minister. During her visit she has been met with criticism and protests by local Rohingya groups, who issued a statement calling for Turnbull to raise the ongoing human rights crisis with the Myanmar leader. Meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after a successful #ASEANinAus 🇦🇺🇲🇲 pic.twitter.com/dZCEBX2YDE “We want Australia as a member of the UN Security Council to take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Myanmar and we want Australia to stop military aid or any business with the government,” Australian Burmese Rohingya Organization spokesman Habiburahman told CNN. Turnbull told reporters Sunday that Suu Kyi made a lengthy speech calling for humanitarian assistance and capacity building to help deal with the Rohingya crisis during the ASEAN meeting. “We all, everyone seeks to end the suffering that is being occasioned by the, you know the events, the conflict, the dislocation, the displacement of persons. So our goal is to support a peaceful and speedy resolution of the humanitarian problems,” Turnbull said at a press conference Sunday. Suu Kyi broke her silence about the unfolding Rohingya crisis in televised address in September, saying her country wasn’t “afraid of international scrutiny.” She has not spoken publicly on the subject since. Alistair Cook, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told CNN Suu Kyi’s statement to ASEAN was an unremarkable move to tackle an issue the Myanmar leader knew would be raised at the summit. “The region is well aware of (the crisis) and they’re trying to get some indication of what’s being done there and how cooperation can be furthered,” he said. It is understood Suu Kyi’s requests for aid were discussed during Turnbull’s meeting with the Myanmar leader, but a spokesman for the Prime Minister wouldn’t confirm whether any deals had been reached. Her visit comes days after the United Nations appealed for nearly $1 billion in funding to help support the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees currently sheltering in Myanmar. “The solutions to this crisis lie inside Myanmar, and conditions must be established that will allow refugees to return home,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement. “But today we are appealing for help with the immediate needs, and these needs are vast.”


Editor’s Note: Fiona Rogers is the founder of Firecracker, a platform dedicated to supporting women photographers. Max Houghton is a lecturer at London College of Communication. This is an edited excerpt from their book “Firecrackers: Female Photographers Now,” published by Thames & Hudson. All views expressed are their own. The image of a veiled woman has become one of the most politically charged images of our time. The head-to-toe burqa, with a slit only for the eyes, is the most controversial of all the modes of veiling from a non-Muslim point of view. “The Edible Burka” by Afghan-American photographer Behnaz Babazadeh plays on people’s fears – of otherness, of political correctness – to create an unforgettable work that led to a TED talk on her unique cross-cultural practice. Artists offer alternative views of Iranian culture in a new group exhibition Arriving in the US from Afghanistan (via Iran) as a very young child, Babazadeh remembers the reaction to her desire to wear pretty fabric around her face, as was her custom. It wasn’t considered necessary in her new life. Then, as a teenager in the aftermath of 9/11, her desire to understand the mores of a country many Americans had scarcely heard of, propelled her towards a creative practice. An academically trained designer, Babazadeh turned to photography to document her elaborate experimentation. It has become the evidence of her inquiry. While she was still studying, she heard about a woman in the UK known as Latex Lady, a BDSM (bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism) submissive who had burqas custom-made in latex as her preferred form of restrictive clothing. Her view of the burqa was as a utilitarian garment that could help her live her daily life; a view diametrically opposed to the usual Western perception of the Taliban’s sartorial preference. Babazadeh made a film inspired by this attitude – “Burkaphilia” – and also began a series of conversations with her grandmother, through which she came to understand how her culture’s outlawing of intimacy of any kind before marriage left women and men with no idea how to behave on their wedding night. Jelly palaces and cow dung vases: Cool designs from bizarre materials Babazadeh’s creative response was to further explore the idea of the burqa as a fetish object. The desire to create an edible burqa grew from a personal need to create an East-West dialogue, akin to the one taking place in her own mind. When she arrived in the US as a small child she was utterly seduced by American candies. Her favorite were Fruit Roll-Ups, so it was natural to utilize that source of comfort – with its vivid redness that signified lust, love, war, danger – to open the lines of communication. Babazadeh embarked upon a time-consuming construction process, in which she built the essential form of the burqa using around 500 strips of Fruit Roll-Ups (save the ones otherwise consumed.) Girl on girl: How female photographers are deflecting the male gaze She then climbed into the structure, awaiting her portrait. She repeated this experiment with candy corn, sour gummy worms and gummy bears. Her body therefore became the research object. Babazadeh was excited by the reaction of the American public – benign, intrigued, even aroused. (“Men will always find ways to find women attractive,” she says. She was able to generate discussion about how women from the Middle East are perceived in the West, and was thrilled by encountering such an unexpected emotional reaction. Her latest additions to the series depict her in the traditional blue burqa of her country in ordinary American settings. With every day that passes, Babazadeh is leaning towards where the work is taking her, learning about her own history, and sharing her knowledge with those who want to look. “Firecrackers: Female Photographers Now” by Fiona Rogers & Max Houghton, published by Thames & Hudson, is out now.


The higher the pressure, the more defiant the President becomes Trump continues to call the Russia probe a 'witch hunt' America is edging ever closer to a new long, national nightmare, given President Donald Trump’s explosive response to signs that special counsel Robert Mueller is approaching the epicenter of White House power. The investigation has taken a serious turn in recent days, raising the clear possibility that whether Mueller finds wrongdoing or not, a period of political stress and upheaval is inevitable. Trump appears willing to test the bounds of convention and his own powers against a legal and political establishment that he believes is conspiring against him. The higher the pressure, the more defiant the President becomes – even if it puts him at odds with his legal team. Trump has decided that “this is a political fight and he’s going to fight it,” a White House official told CNN’s Jeff Zeleny. But the sense of chaos around the White House is deepening. The President again called the Russia probe a “witch hunt” over the weekend while a legal adviser tried to walk back Trump’s admission Friday that he is under investigation. “The MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN agenda is doing very well despite the distraction of the Witch Hunt,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. The MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN agenda is doing very well despite the distraction of the Witch Hunt. Many new jobs, high business enthusiasm,.. The political stakes rose significantly in recent days amid signs the probe on Russian election hacking could eventually expand to consider Trump’s actions. The President and his allies have declared open season on Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the probe. “You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people!  #MAGA.” Trump said in a tweet last week that signified an attempt to undermine both men. Related video Why journalists like Trump's Twitter habit The tweet sparked speculation that Trump may pull a nuclear option by firing Mueller and Rosenstein, a move senior aides have fervently advised against – given that it could provoke a constitutional crisis. “It looks like we have got a simmering tea kettle here, and the President seems to be testing the waters about whether he ought to go ahead and fire Robert Mueller,” said Richard Ben-Veniste, a former Watergate prosecutor who is now a CNN legal analyst. “You don’t mess with the criminal justice system in this way … the President is on very tenuous ground here,” Ben-Veniste told CNN’s Don Lemon Friday. Related article Cuba to Trump: US in no 'condition to lecture us' on human rights The scorched-earth approach may have grave political consequences. Trump and his aides may well end up in the clear, but months of recriminations ahead will further polarize the capital and cast a shadow over his administration, which is already struggling for traction after a tumultuous first five months. If Mueller decides there is a case to answer for either the President or his aides in the issue of alleged collusion with Russia or over a potential cover-up, the political uproar will be incalculable. At best, it could further complicate Trump’s efforts to pass a meaningful legislative agenda and ultimately his hopes of a successful presidency. At worst, it could force the nation to confront a third debate on whether to remove an elected President in just 45 years. The lessons of history suggest such traumas raise questions of political legitimacy and constitutional process that have the potential to sour life in Washington for years in the future. Back in the present, the President’s mood is fueling the sense of crisis. “One thing we’ve learned I think from the testimony of multiple people now is the President’s pretty fired up about this, OK?” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday. “He, from every pronouncement we have seen, feels very strongly that he did nothing wrong, and he wants people to say that, because he feels very strongly about it,” Rubio said. “I don’t think that’s a mystery. And he’s expressing himself in that way.” But the more frustrated that Trump gets, the more he often hurts himself politically. A case in point is the firing of Comey and Trump’s subsequent admission that he had Russia on his mind when he dismissed the FBI director, an admission that could provide a rationale for an obstruction of justice probe. “Trump has a compulsion to counter-attack and is very pugnacious. I don’t think it serves him well,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump supporter, on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the President was right to be infuriated by “this whole Russia baloney.” Related video Rubio: Trump talked Russia probe in private In another sign of the gravity of the situation, Trump’s legal team blitzed Sunday talk shows to contradict the President’s tweet Friday where he said he is already under investigation. “The President is not a subject or target of an investigation. That tweet was in response to a Washington Post story that ran with five unnamed sources, without identifying the agencies they represented, saying that the special counsel had broadened out his investigation to include the president,” said Jay Sekulow, a Trump legal adviser on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Sekulow also opened a conflict between the President’s political team and his legal one, hinting that the President’s tweets should be discounted even though the White House said they are an authentic expression of his views. “It was 141 characters. There’s a limitation on Twitter, as we all know,” Sekulow said. Then, in a subsequent interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Sekulow sowed further confusion by saying Trump was under investigation – then denied he said anything of the sort. Law enforcement sources have told CNN that the special counsel is gathering information and considering whether there is evidence to launch a full scale obstruction investigation. Mueller’s investigators have asked for information and will talk to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers, according to a source familiar with the matter. Investigators have also sought information from recently retired NSA Deputy Richard Ledgett, according to the source. Ledgett wrote a memo, according to the source, documenting a conversation in which the president allegedly urged Rogers to help get the FBI to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation. Any confirmation that Mueller has expanded the investigation to consider whether the President obstructed justice with the Comey firing would carry no guarantee of a guilty finding. But it would deal a political blow to the White House in the battle of perception, since the idea that Trump is not under investigation has been at the centerpiece of his administration’s defense strategy.


Almost two-thirds of the island's public schools still haven't been assessed for damage, an official said Only 41% of Puerto Rico has potable water Twelve days after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, officials said only 5% of the island has electricity and its schools are not close to reopening. Julia Kelleher, Puerto Rico’s secretary of education, told CNN on Sunday that some public schools might not resume classes until October 16 because of storm damage, though decisions will be made on a regional basis. There are 1,113 public schools and a student population of 350,000 on the island but only 400 schools have been assessed for damage, she said. Related article Daddy Yankee goes where Uncle Sam isn't “I have come up with a target date of October 16th,” Kelleher said. “We used to make system-wide decisions before, but this time we’re going to allow the different regions to make their own decision as to when they can reopen.” Schools started classes August 14 but students have already missed two weeks because of Hurricane Irma, which lashed the island only days before Maria hit. The report on schools came one day after President Trump took to Twitter to criticize the leadership of island officials, especially the mayor of San Juan. Trump, who plans to visit the island Tuesday, criticized San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz and the “leadership ability” of some in Puerto Rico who “want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.” Related article Trump sent 18 tweets on Puerto Rico on Saturday. And made things a whole lot worse Cruz earlier had criticized the distribution of aid to the island and said federal authorities needed to do more. In addition to widespread power outages, many people have limited access to gas, cash and running water. FEMA said Sunday it has expanded its delivery of food and water throughout Puerto Rico, though officials stressed that many people still lack the essentials. The federal emergency agency has delivered food and water to all 79 municipalities in Puerto Rico, Alejandro De La Campa, FEMA federal coordinating officer in Puerto Rico, told reporters Sunday. He said 1 million liters of water and 1 million meals had been delivered as of Saturday. However, he said some isolated areas of these municipalities may not have received the commodities, partly because lack of communication systems has hampered distribution efforts. Officials provided an update Sunday morning on recovery efforts and the island’s infrastructure: Water. 41% of the island has potable water. Food and water delivery. Eleven regional staging areas are open for food and water distribution but officials hope that number will grow to 25 in coming days. About half the grocery stores are operating. Electricity. 5% of the island has power. The Army Corps of Engineers has begun a mission to repair the power grid, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. Gasoline. More than 710 of the island’s roughly 1,110 gas stations were working as of Saturday morning, but lines were long and some stations were closing ahead of the 9 p.m. curfew. Fuel delivery. Over the next few days, close to a million gallons of gasoline and half a million gallons of diesel fuel will arrive, the governor said. As of Sunday, 470,000  barrels of gasoline were in Puerto Rico. Communications. 36% of people now have phone service in Puerto Rico, most in the northeast part of the island. All the island’s landlines are operating but only about 11% of the cell towers are operational. Shelters: 8,800 people remain in 139 shelters. Rossello saw this as an improvement because 500 shelters were operating 10 days ago. Air travel. 39 passenger flights were expected on Sunday in Puerto Rico, which has a maximum efficiency of 60 flights. Medical care. 51 of 69 hospitals are running in some capacity now, along with 46 of 48 dialysis centers. Islanders receiving benefits under Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance program who have been displaced by the hurricanes can apply for benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the USDA announced Sunday.  The policy will remain in effect through October 31. Hurricane Maria struck as a category 4 storm on September 20. At least 16 people on the US commonwealth died, the government has said. CNN’s Rafael Romo, Jason Hanna, AnneClaire Stapleton and Diane Ruggiero contributed to this report.

Puerto Rico government and federal response


Editor’s Note: Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, former commander of U.S. Army Europe, served in the Army for more than 37 years and spent more than three years in Iraq. He is a CNN military analyst. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his. Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling: Shooting the parachuting pilot was a war crime As a fellow soldier, Hertling says the pilot's body deserves to be treated with respect As a military analyst for CNN, I’ve found the anchors often ask tough questions regarding tactics, battlefield operations, strategy and political maneuvering associated with conflict. But Sunday morning, I was asked: “What is the protocol for the transfer of remains of the Russian pilot whose plane was shot down over Turkey?” That may be the most difficult question I’ve ever been asked. Watching an escorted fallen soldier returning home to family and friends is something I have experienced far too often. I keep a box with photos of 257 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice under my command, and every day those pictures remind me of their service to country and of a life which ended too abruptly. That’s why I became emotional commenting on the final flight of Lt. Col. Oleg Peshkov. No matter your thoughts on Russian, Turkish or U.S. national strategy regarding the civil war in Syria and the fight against the terrorists of ISIS, Peshkov was a simple soldier – a bomber pilot – serving his state, and he deserves to be honored. Related article Russia will want to make Turkey pay Unfortunately, given the circumstances, there really aren’t any protocols.  But we’ve learned Peshkov’s body was prepared by an Orthodox priest near where he fell, and then taken on a flight from Hatay, Turkey, near where the body was recovered, to the capital, Ankara. Accompanied by a Russian military attache (who was likely a Russian colonel), he was met by the Russian ambassador to Turkey and the Russian Embassy staff upon landing in Ankara. The flight will quickly leave Turkey for Russia, and I suspect Peshkov’s family will meet him wherever he lands. There will likely be a bevy of media and scores of Russian politicians present. This is certainly not the same protocol afforded the hundreds of Russians soldiers who have fallen in Ukraine, because those are battlefield casualties that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want publicly honored, or even known, by his fellow citizens. Peshkov’s arrival will certainly generate more anti-Turkish fervor, more Russian nationalism and continued support by Putin of Syria’s Assad regime. The level of those emotions will be fueled by the factors associated with not just the shoot-down of the aircraft, but Peshkov’s combat death. Peshkov was the unfortunate pilot of an aircraft that served as the final straw for Turkey’s patience.  While there had been multiple incursions by Russian aircraft in Turkish airspace, and multiple warnings to desist, this Su-24 bomber would become the example for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to show he was serious about Turkish territorial integrity. The flight and shoot-down have become the center of a political firestorm. Related article How is this not World War III? But it was what happened after the shoot-down that will contribute to complications between these two countries. After successfully bailing out of his damaged aircraft, Peshkov was killed. According to video distributed on social media by a Syrian rebel group, Turkmen freedom fighters shot at the ejected pilots as they were landing on the border between Turkey and Syria. (CNN couldn’t immediately confirm the video’s claim.) If the facts back up the video, they committed a war crime in their actions.  Firing on an unarmed, parachuting pilot is an unmistakable violation of the law of land warfare. There have been hundreds of political and military disputes between Russia and Turkey over the years. Some have been casus belli – justifications for possible war – while others have contributed to strained relations. The circumstances of Peshkov’s death will certainly contribute to tension between Turkey’s and Russia’s bellicose and mercurial leaders. We’ll likely see it played out in public this week in Paris. But today is a day to separate the warrior from the war. On Sunday, Peshkov will return home to his loved ones and to the Russian motherland. For his family’s sake, I hope for a dignified transfer of remains, and for his sake, I pray he rests in peace. Because that is what a fellow soldier does. Read CNNOpinion’s Flipboard magazine.Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.


Trump did not explain why Sessions is "beleaguered" But the President's own, recent comments have raised pressure on his attorney general President Donald Trump on Monday described Attorney General Jeff Sessions as “beleaguered” as he tweeted about his frustration with the Russia probe. “After 1 year of investigation with Zero evidence being found, Chuck Schumer just stated that “Democrats should blame ourselves,not Russia,” the President tweeted, later adding, “So why aren’t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?” So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Trump did not explain why Sessions, a longtime and loyal supporter of his 2016 campaign, is “beleaguered.” But the President’s own, recent comments have raised pressure on his attorney general, whom he publicly criticized last week for recusing himself from the Russia investigation due to undisclosed contacts he had with Russian officials during the campaign. “Sessions,” Trump told The New York Times in an interview on Wednesday, “should have never recused himself and if he was going to recuse himself he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else.” Trump’s comments immediately raised speculation that Sessions could resign, though a source familiar with the attorney general’s thinking said last week that Sessions has no intention of stepping down in the wake of Trump’s comments. But the President’s remarks caused deep alarm within the West Wing, leading some to worry that their loyalty to Trump might not be reciprocated from the man in the Oval Office. “It’s chilling,” one White House official told CNN last week, referring to Trump’s comments to the Times. A spokeswoman for Sessions did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on Trump’s Monday tweet. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny and Dan Merica contributed to this report.


The US admiral expected to become the country’s next ambassador to South Korea says North Korea remains the most imminent threat to peace in the Pacific but China’s “dream of hegemony” is Washington’s biggest long-term challenge. Adm. Harry Harris spoke Wednesday as he turned over the reins of the US Pacific Command to Adm. Phil Davidson at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a ceremony that also announced the rebranding of US military assets in the region to the US Indo-Pacific Command. Harris, who has been at the helm of the most expansive US military command for three years, hammered home points he’s made repeatedly during his term. “North Korea remains our most imminent threat and a nuclear-capable North Korea with missiles that can reach the United States is unacceptable,” he said. However he added, “China remains our biggest long-term challenge. Without focused involvement and engagement by the United States and our allies and partners China will realize its dream of hegemony in Asia.” Responding to Harris’s comments Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the admiral was “obsessed with hegemony” because he fears others are trying to steal it from the US. “The US military presence in the South China Sea far exceeds the total of China and other coastal countries,” Hua said, calling US accusations of militarization “like a thief crying, ‘Stop, thief!’” China’s deployments and building programs in the South China Sea are part of its self-defense, Hua added. Harris spoke alongside US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who stopped off in Hawaii on his way to Singapore for a high-profile security forum, where issues relating to the South China Sea and North Korea will be discussed. It is unclear what role Harris will play in talks with Pyongyang leading up to a hoped-for summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. Harris’ nomination went to the Senate on May 18 ahead of his expected confirmation. Related article US rebrands Pacific command amid tensions with China The admiral had been Trump’s choice for to fill the vacant ambassador post in Australia, but that nomination was pulled hours before his confirmation hearing in April. Sources told CNN at the time that the move was the idea of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for a Trump-Kim summit. While Harris has always been a hawk on North Korea during his term at Pacific Command, he has also issued warnings on China as Beijing has pursued a more muscular military posture in the Pacific and established a military presence on man-made islands in areas the US and its allies contend are international waters. Harris was still in charge of Pacific Command last week when it pulled an invitation for China to participate in the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise, the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. US officials said that decision was made after Beijing’s recent deployment of missile systems and the first landing of a Chinese bomber on an island in the South China Sea. Related article US plans 'steady drumbeat' of exercises in South China Sea, Mattis says Standing alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a news conference in Washington on May 23, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the US decision “unhelpful.” “We find that a very unconstructive move … It’s unhelpful to mutual understanding between China and the US. We hope the US will change such a negative mindset,” he said. In Hawaii Wednesday, Mattis said, “we should cooperate with Beijing where we can but stand ready to confront them where we must.” Harris also warned his successors to keep an eye on Moscow, saying Russia is trying to act as “the spoiler” in the Indo-Pacific. “A geopolitical competition between free and repressive visions of world order is taking place in the Indo-Pacific,” Harris said. “Great power competition is back and I believe we’re approaching an inflection point in history…. Freedom and justice hang in the balance.” CNN’s Tim Schwarz contributed to this report.


In a turning point in Syria's civil war, regime forces retake all of Aleppo The rebels took over eastern Aleppo in the summer of 2012 For many, Aleppo has evoked images of blood-soaked children, decimated buildings and dust-covered rescue workers. As the Syrian regime announced Thursday evening that it had taken full control of Aleppo, it marked a major turning point in the nation’s civil war. Here’s a look at the role of the metropolis in the country’s 5-year conflict. Syrian regime forces seize most of Aleppo’s old city Once the commercial heart of Syria, Aleppo went from a bustling city of more than 2 million people – about the size of Houston – to a devastated war zone where entire blocks were reduced to rubble. Eastern Aleppo in particular became the wretched epicenter of the civil war, with hundreds of thousands of residents either dying or fleeing the “apocalyptic” violence. The Syrian regime, backed by Russian air power, increasingly bombarded this part of the city in an effort to oust rebels who took control in 2012. The government already controlled western Aleppo. Retaking Aleppo spells the end of the rebels’ last urban stronghold and puts the Syrian regime back in control of the country’s four major cities. In 2011, the regime, led by President Bashar al-Assad, launched a violent crackdown on activists who were demanding more economic prosperity, political freedom and civil liberties. His actions sparked a nationwide uprising and eventually a civil war with armed rebels – many of whom defected from the military. The rebels took over eastern Aleppo in the summer of 2012, holding back the better-equipped Syrian military and showing they could get popular support in urban areas. Aleppo has largely been divided between the government-held west and rebel-held east for more than four years. But in mid-November the regime stepped up its offensive into eastern Aleppo, gaining control of more than half of the district. The Syrian government now controls all of eastern Aleppo. Russia is the most powerful ally of Assad’s regime and has carried out airstrikes since September 2015 to prop up the embattled leader. Ceasfire broken as evacuations delayedSyrians post goodbye messages on TwitterChildren who put Aleppo’s suffering on the map‘Assad will reign over a wasteland’Photos: The Battle for Aleppo‘Aleppo is being destroyed by world’s silence”Why Aleppo is so importantWhat you need to know about Aleppo Ceasfire broken as evacuations delayedSyrians post goodbye messages on TwitterChildren who put Aleppo’s suffering on the map‘Assad will reign over a wasteland’Photos: The Battle for Aleppo‘Aleppo is being destroyed by world’s silence”Why Aleppo is so importantWhat you need to know about Aleppo As one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia has also used its veto powers to block a political solution to end the war. In August, a video of Omran Daqneesh, the bloodied little boy waiting in an ambulance, captured the world’s attention as a stark reminder of the brutal human toll in eastern Aleppo. Related video Who is Syrian boy in viral video? But four months later, as many as 100,000 people remained trapped inside the shrinking rebel-held neighborhoods with dwindling food, fuel and medical supplies. The few medical facilities that were still operating were packed with injured people and resembled “slaughterhouses” with no proper equipment, one activist inside eastern Aleppo told CNN. Who still lives in this decimated city – and why? In regime-held western Aleppo, rebel rockets also claimed civilian lives. Last month at least 10 children were killed when rebel rocket fire hit a school, according to the Syrian government. Many of Aleppo’s ancient buildings have been destroyed in the fighting – including much of its UNESCO World Heritage-listed old city. The old city’s grand Citadel of Aleppo – a “testament to Arab military might from the 12th to the 14th centuries,” according to UNESCO – has been reduced to a war-scarred shadow of its former glory. CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen, Holly Yan, Angela Dewan, Laura Smith-Spark, Schams Elwazer, Kyle Almond and Nick Paton Walsh contributed to this report.


It's the first hurricane to make landfall in Mississippi since Katrina in 2005 Officials warn coastal communities of storm surge Nate was downgraded to a tropical depression late Sunday morning as it continued to move inland, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm made its second landfall early Sunday morning as a Category 1 hurricane and had been steadily weakening since. Its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph, the center said, adding that elevated water levels from storm surge in areas along the Gulf Coast would “gradually subside (Sunday) afternoon.” The hurricane center discontinued all warnings and advisories as a result of the weakening of the storm. Nate made its second US landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, shortly after midnight local time Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane. Hours earlier it had made its first US landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, with winds of 85 mph, according to the hurricane center. It was the first hurricane to make landfall in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Nate triggered hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings across a swath of Gulf states, as residents braced for the third hurricane to hit the US mainland in just six weeks. Officials warned coastal communities of the storm surge, a rise in water level as the storm approaches the shore. Nate knocked out power to 67,000 homes across the Gulf, most of them In Alabama. Alabama Power reported Sunday afternoon that more than 63,000 customers were without power. Mississippi Power said 3,716 of its customers were without power, while in Louisiana, 332 homes were affected. Related article Hurricane season's peak period lasts a few more weeks. Here's what to expect “Nate’s center will continue to move inland over Mississippi and across the Deep South, Tennessee Valley and central Appalachian Mountains through Monday,” according to a hurricane center advisory. Those areas could see anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain, the center said, with a maximum of 10 inches in some spots. There was also the risk of isolated tornadoes in the Florida Panhandle, eastern Alabama and some areas in northern Georgia. Isolated tornadoes are possible today throughout the Panhandle. Be vigilant and be prepared. “A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days,” the advisory said. The storm would “continue to quickly weaken as it moves farther inland,” it added. Nate carved a path of devastation in Central America. At least 28 people were killed Thursday in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. Hundreds were rescued from floodwaters and mudslides. Many lost power and running water. Ahead of Nate, President Donald Trump declared an emergency in Mississippi and Louisiana. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said in a Sunday press conference the state was “very fortunate” and “blessed.” “We are extremely fortunate there has been no loss of life due to the storm,” Bryant said, giving credit to emergency management officials and residents who heeded their warnings. There was some damage, he said, mainly to homes along the coast that were hit by the storm surge. That damage is being assessed, Bryant said. TRACK HURRICANE NATE In Biloxi, Mayor Andrew Gilich was especially concerned about the storm surge Nate might bring. “The storm surge is a big thing that really traps everyone,” he said on Saturday morning. A dozen casinos in Mississippi took the rare step of closing early as the storm moved in. Several casinos in Biloxi experienced flooding overnight in either their parking garages or entry areas, the Harrison County Emergency Operations Center said. Kenny Glavan, the director of operations at the Margaritaville in Biloxi, captured footage of the moment Nate arrived Saturday night, bringing rising water levels and powerful winds. There have been no reports so far of Nate causing injuries or major damage to homes in the city, according to Biloxi’s public affairs manager, Vincent Creel. “We were well aware that this could’ve been a much more serious storm. There was talk of it being a Category 2 with an 11-feet tidal surge when it came ashore. It did not  – happily – it did not live up to that billing,” he said. Related article Why storm surge is a hurricane's greatest threat Biloxi will now assess the damage. “We’re starting to see the water recede and we still have some wind gusts on the back end of the storm and we’re going to have a lot of cleanup to do on our front beach. … It’s to be seen how much damage was done to the sand beach here in Biloxi and Harrison County,” he said. “It looks like the beach took a pounding from the surge.” Nate moved east of New Orleans, sparing the city the worst of the storm. New Orleans spent most of Saturday under a hurricane warning that was lifted around 7 p.m. It was downgraded to a tropical storm warning and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu lifted a citywide curfew. Landrieu said in a news conference Sunday that officials “haven’t seen or had reported any damage anywhere in the city. We’re very thankful for that.” We are standing by ready to offer our support to all the communities affected by the recent hurricanes in the US. Landrieu said the city would begin to return its focus to helping hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, Houston and the Florida Keys. “I think we dodged a bullet,” Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin on Saturday night. “I think we got the dry side of the storm.” Nungesser said he had been at Plaquemines Parish, which is at the southeast tip of the state. “We saw no flooding or levees overtopping,” he said. Trump approved an emergency declaration for 39 counties in Alabama Sunday afternoon, which would free up federal resources to help state and local agencies in their recovery efforts after the storm. Alabama’s Dauphin Island had “significant saltwater flooding,” Mayor Jeff Collier said early Sunday. He said homes and cars were flooded, the causeway leading to the island closed and the west of the island inaccessible due to water up to 6 feet deep. The water had started to recede, Collier said. There were a handful of water rescues in Mobile, Alabama, CNN affiliate WALA reported. Otherwise, an initial survey of the area showed light damage in Mobile County. The Port of Mobile closed Saturday, meaning the Carnival Fantasy cruise ship would not be “making its scheduled call” there Sunday, the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal said. The Bankhead Tunnel, a major downtown thoroughfare that passes under the Mobile River, was closed because of the hurricane, emergency officials tweeted. TRAFFIC ALERT 🚨: @ALDOTMobileArea crews are shutting the doors to the Bankhead tunnel. At 8 am, crews will be lining the doors w/ sandbags pic.twitter.com/jzA0tufd7y The President also approved an emergency declaration Sunday for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who had previously declared a state of emergency in 29 counties, said Saturday that evacuation orders were in effect for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, with shelters open for those seeking higher ground. On Sunday morning, he warned residents of the continued risk of storm surge and urged residents to “stay off the beach and listen to local officials.” Correction: Mississippi's emergency management agency has revised its statement regarding the number of customers in the state who are without power. This story has been updated to reflect that change. CNN’s Susannah Culllinane, Brandon Miller, Joe Sutton, Carma Hassan, Joe Sterling, Michelle Krupa, Danielle Hackett, Judson Jones, Sheena Jones, Jennifer Varian, Natalie Gallón, Theresa Waldrop and Samantha Lugo  contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Ben Emmerson is the UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights and an international lawyer, and he specializes in European human rights law and international criminal law.  Jessica Jones is a human rights barrister specializing in international and criminal justice work and legal adviser to the UN special rapporteur. The opinions expressed in this commentary are theirs. Authors: Building walls prompts people to seek illegal means to cross borders Trafficking in people creates vulnerability that terrorists can exploit, they say We live in a world at a crossroads. The conflicts in Syria rage on, seemingly impervious to the various attempts to resolve them – a horrifying staging ground for broader US-Russian tensions, and the front line of terror groups’ battles for territory. A tragic consequence of this and other global conflicts and inequalities are the 65 million displaced people around the world. Last year, 1 million people a month fled their homes, in many cases to escape regions where terrorist groups are active and to seek sanctuary in Western democracies. As they have made their often perilous journeys, the rhetoric that has greeted them has become increasingly inflammatory. In the final presidential debate Wednesday night, Donald Trump described Syrian refugees as “definitely, in many cases, ISIS-aligned,” continuing a trend of incendiary comments around migration he began last year with his call  for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” and built on this year by calling for immigration to be stopped from “any country that has been compromised by terrorism,” a policy that would effectively condemn ordinary Syrians to exile in a deathtrap. He later clarified that such measures would be “temporary” until “vetting systems” were in place. But even his later comments display intolerance, irresponsibility and a blinding ignorance of the way in which a safe world order – a world order that keeps us, in the United States, in the UK, in Germany, safe – is created. Related article Immigration is a dying issue There is a reason that our countries are destinations for migrants fleeing persecution. No one can value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness more than those who have endured and understand the terror of endless bombardments, the oppression of life under ISIS, the despair of once-vibrant cities crumbling around them. What we claim to offer is a set of values that speak to people of all nationalities: freedom, tolerance, opportunity. But those values are seriously threatened. Trump’s extreme rhetoric (and he is not alone – the Czech President has made similarly inflammatory remarks, as have politicians in the UK, Slovakia and elsewhere) reflects and contributes to a widespread misperception that the movement of people is a threat to national security. Related article What Trump gets wrong on immigrants and crime It has become an all too common assumption that those fleeing regions in which terror groups are active present a heightened threat or embody a greater risk of radicalization that might lead them to commit acts of terror in the countries to which they flee. But there is no evidence that that is the case. Indeed, as our report to the UN General Assembly sets out, the assumption that refugees present any terrorist risk to the countries receiving them is statistically and analytically unfounded, and must be challenged. Refugees are, in many cases, victims of terrorism. They must not be marginalized as potential terrorists. They must be protected. Right now, the world is failing in that duty. Our report shows that states are building fences, engaging in pushback operations and criminalizing irregular migration to clamp down on the entry of people to their territories – but such steps are often counterproductive. While the intention might be to protect those already within our borders, the truth is that restricting access to safe territory for those outside it encourages covert movements of people, including by traffickers, which makes borders more, not less, porous. Related article Why a Supreme Court split on immigration is good The establishment of clandestine routes across international borders and the criminalization of individuals legitimately seeking access to safe countries may ultimately assist terrorists who exploit chaos and vulnerability in equal measure. For those who make it to our borders, the fear-mongering engaged in by Trump and others leads to discrimination, social exclusion and the marginalization of communities, which have been recognized by international bodies as conditions conducive to terrorism. Respect for the humanitarian needs and human rights of migrants is not distinct from counterterrorism objectives; it is central to them. The hard-line approach will backfire. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook It is time to be clear: It is not in our interest to flout international law and restrict refugees’ routes of escape or the assistance we provide them. To protect ourselves, we must face up to and fulfill our obligations to the millions of displaced people struggling to re-establish their lives. Every citizen must recognize their own responsibility for upholding and promoting the values that form the fabric of our society. A series of clear choices must be made over the next weeks and months, and the very future of our democracies may depend on them. The baton is in our hands.


The five countries include Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates The TSA has been reviewing its screening protocols for cargo flown into and within the US The Transportation Security Administration, citing terror concerns, is implementing a stricter screening program for air cargo arriving to the United States from five countries in the Middle East. The agency is requiring six carriers that depart with US-bound air cargo from seven airports in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to be subject to further scrutiny. “The continued threat to commercial aviation calls for enhanced screening and security to protect international air travel direct to the United States,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in the emergency order. The five countries were chosen because of a “demonstrated intent by terrorist groups to attack aviation from them,” according to TSA. “TSA looks at threats emanating from each country uniquely, and cannot provide specific information about those threats, but after analyzing evaluated intelligence, we determined that we needed to expand the (air cargo advance screening) program within each of them at this time,” the emergency order stated. Cargo arriving in the US from Turkey is also subject to heightened screening, the TSA first announced in September. The TSA has been reviewing its screening protocols for cargo flown into and within the US because of concerns that potential security vulnerabilities could be exploited by terrorists, such as bombs being shipped in cargo on passenger planes. The tougher screening procedures follow a foiled terror plot in Australia last summer, which revealed a senior ISIS commander had shipped partially assembled components of a bomb on a commercial cargo plane from Turkey to Australia, according to Australian law enforcement.


Melania Trump used to wear fur She no longer does If you were to do a Google image search for “Melania Trump and fur,” plenty of pictures pop up. She’s in a swingy brown cape, what appears to be a black-and-gray chinchilla, a luxe caramel-colored knee-length number; and who can forget the hat she wore during Fashion Week in 2007? In 2003, she and husband, now-President Donald Trump, even went to the opening of fur designer Dennis Basso’s Manhattan boutique: However, the first lady’s office now tells CNN those days are over. “She does not wear fur,” Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s East Wing communications director said via email. The news comes on the heels of a Twitter post by animal rights activist – and Playboy Playmate – Pamela Anderson, who showed a photo of a “thank you” note from Melania Trump, acknowledging a gift Anderson sent her following Trump’s January inauguration. @flotusDear Melania,Thank you for your sweet note. It is heartwarming to see you manage your position with such beauty and grace.Pamela pic.twitter.com/h9mmdqxp0h Anderson, an honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, mailed Trump a present in February, thanking her for wearing the blue Ralph Lauren ensemble she wore for Inauguration Day; Lauren’s design house stopped using fur in 2007. Anderson’s gift was a faux lamb fur coat – with vegan belt – made by Russian faux fur company, Only Me, and accompanied it with a letter saying in part: “I am so happy that you chose not to wear fur! As first lady, you will help set style trends, and by remaining compassionate with your choices, you will warm the hearts of many.” Grisham acknowledged the first lady responded to Anderson with gratitude for the gift. “The first lady sent a nice thank you note after receiving a gift, as is common practice for her,” she said. PETA praised the first lady, outlining her support for the organization in recent years. “Melania first attended a PETA fashion show years ago that featured one of her favorite designers, Marc Bouwer, a longtime PETA supporter who uses no fur, leather or exotic skins in his collections,” Dan Mathews, PETA senior vice president, said in a statement. “More recently, Pamela Anderson sent elegant Melania a stylish faux fur, as well as a video showing how animals are cruelly killed in the wild and on fur farms, so it’s no surprise that she is now fur-free, following in the footsteps of so many fashion icons and first ladies.” The most recent fur-looking outfit found via a search on Getty Images appears to be this one from 2011’s Christmas Tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. But it is unclear whether the coat is real or faux, since the White House was unable to provide an exact date for when Melania Trump stopped wearing real fur.


Dozens of dengue cases had been reported in Hawaii just a few weeks ago Most of them are on the Big Island, though there's an imported case on Oahu "This is an issue that we have to take ... as seriously" as Ebola, an expert says President Barack Obama and his family are welcome visitors this holiday season to Hawaii. Dengue fever, not so much. Cases of the mosquito-borne disease continue to climb in the island state, whose health department reported 180 cases as of Christmas Eve. That figure include 172 people who got dengue between September 11 and December 13 but are no longer infectious. Another eight people got the disease since then and may be infectious, according to the Hawaii health department. It all adds up to a big spike from the 23 cases reported early last month, and there’s little indication there won’t be more in the weeks to come. “This is an issue that we have to take seriously, as seriously as we did the Ebola epidemic in West Africa last year,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN affiliate KHON. So far, the dengue cluster has been centered on the Big Island, or Hawaii. That’s relatively good news for folks like the Obamas, who are staying on Oahu. In fact, the state heath department says, “The Big Island and the rest of Hawaii remain safe destinations for visitors and residents.” Still, it’s understandable people are apprehensive, given that it’s not exactly easy to dodge mosquitoes in tropical locales like Hawaii. How a mosquito infected millions, and not with malaria That’s why state and federal authorities are monitoring all of the state’s islands for possible infections and conducting “mosquito site assessments and abatement as needed.” There have been two confirmed cases, one on Hawaii and the other on Oahu, of dengue being imported to the state. Dengue infections “have grown dramatically around the world in recent decades,” with one estimate suggesting 390 million infections a year, reports the World Health Organization. The agency adds that about 3.9 billion people in 128 countries are at risk. The United States, though, isn’t considered a place where a person is in high danger of coming down with dengue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly all cases in the 48 continental states came from travelers or immigrants. The last reported such outbreak occurred in 2005 in south Texas, near the Mexican border. Richard Creagan, a state representative representing South Kona and once an emergency room doctor there, noted there have been dengue outbreaks in his area before. This includes one in 1993-1994 that authorities learned about after the fact. “The good news is that that outbreak stopped without any intervention by the heath department or anybody,” Creagan told KHON People of all ages – infants, children and adults – are susceptible to dengue fever, which causes a severe flu-like illness, but seldom leads to death. Those who get it often experience high fever and other symptoms like headache; eye, muscle or joint pains; nausea; swollen glands or rashes. Symptoms last about a week, according to the WHO. 5 myths about mosquito bites Earlier this month, Dr. Lyle Petersen of the CDC said that he couldn’t predict how many cases of dengue Hawaii will have before this particular outbreak stops.  With no “tools yet to minimize outbreaks rapidly,” the focus turns instead to controlling mosquitoes – something that, by its nature, takes time. Residents and tourists alike are being urged to use repellant and, if they feel ill, to get medical attention sooner rather than later. “This could go on for a number of months,” Petersen said, adding that if it does, it would be expected and “not a failure of the system.” CNN’s Debra Goldschmidt contributed to this report.


Donald Trump Jr. is speaking to staffers Thursday of the Senate Judiciary Committee Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer with connections to the Kremlin in June 2016 Donald Trump’s oldest son showed up Thursday for an interview with staffers of a key Senate committee, as the Russia probes circling his White House gathered pace with Congress back in town and moved ever closer to the President himself. Donald Trump Jr. dodged reporters on the way into a room used by the Senate judiciary committee, and according to a report from The New York Times denied colluding with Russian government to meddle in last year’s election. He also said that he accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer ostensibly touting damaging information about Hillary Clinton in order to ascertain whether the Democratic nominee was fit for office. Related article Senator: Trump Jr. interview not helping Russia concerns The meeting took place in June 2016 at Trump Tower, and included a total of eight people, also including then Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and a Russian American lobbyist. When its existence was revealed earlier this year along with indications that Trump Jr. accepted the meeting because he was told he would learn dirt about Clinton, the revelation sparked intense interest given allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and a Russian election meddling effort. “To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out,” Trump Jr. said in an opening statement to staffers, according to the Times. The many paths from Trump to Russia He also stated that he had always intended to consult a lawyer before using any information. “Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration,” he said in the statement. Trump Jr.’s reported statement contrasted with his initial comments that he made when the meeting was first revealed, in which he said the focus was restricted to a discussion about a frozen Russia-US adoption program. That explanation soon yielded to a succession of reworded statements about why he met the lawyer that cemented impressions that Trump Jr. was not disclosing everything about the encounter. Thursday’s meeting before the Senate staffers was attended by several senators, including Democrat Dick Durbin, who told reporters that Trump Jr. appeared to be behaving cooperatively. The cloud formed by claims that members of Trump’s White House campaign colluded with a Russian election meddling operation has been consumed in recent days by the murderous winds and tides of multiple Atlantic hurricanes. But with Congress back at work after the summer recess, the pace of its probes into the Russia effort is accelerating, even as Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller methodically plods ahead with his own investigation. Trump Jr.’s appearance could be the prelude for other full-scale public hearings focusing on his role as an unofficial campaign aide to his father. The Senate intelligence committee has been the main panel in the chamber looking into the Russia matter, though the judiciary committee under GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley has intensified its focus in recent months. Related article Trump lawyers give Mueller arguments for Trump, against Comey Sen. Dianne Feinstein told CNN Wednesday there would be a public hearing with the President’s son “at an appropriate time” and that he would be subpoenaed if necessary. Trump Jr. became a central figure in the Russia drama after it emerged that he had attended a meeting in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer with connections to the Kremlin after being promised information damaging to Hillary Clinton. Senate intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr, and the panel’s top Democrat, Mark Warner, privately met Wednesday and said that they’d like to talk to other attendees of the Trump Tower meeting before meeting with Trump Jr., which could push back the panel’s plans to hear from the President’s son this month. Trump Tower Russia meeting: At least eight people in the room Related article The 5 key questions on Trump's role in his son's statement on the Russia meeting Following intense interest in the meeting at Trump Tower, the President’s son released emails that show he was told by a facilitator, publicist Rob Goldstone, that the encounter was part of “Russia and its government’s support for Mr Trump.” Committee staffers are also likely to be interested in reports by The Washington Post that the President was involved in May in drafting a statement about the meeting on behalf of his son about the meeting, while flying home from the G20 summit in Germany. The White House has said that Trump was involved in the drafting of an initial statement, but only in his capacity as a father and that there were no inaccuracies in the document. But the reports immediately tweaked suspicions among Trump critics who believe the President has consistently sought to shut down investigations into the Russia drama, including with his firing of FBI Director James Comey. Jens David Ohlin, Vice Dean of Cornell Law School, who has been closely following the Russia story, said that investigators were finally beginning to get a handle on the scope of the probes, but cautioned that they were likely still a long way from ending. “These are investigations that have multiple tentacles,” he said, adding that the “perimeter is starting to get defined and what investigators are going to start doing now is filling in that empty space between that perimeter.” Mueller also appears to be investigating the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and the Russian lawyer. He asked the White House to preserve any documents related to the encounter. CNN has identified eight people at the talks, including then Manafort, Kushner and Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian American lobbyist. CNN has also reported that some White House aides involved in the hurried efforts to explain the Trump Tower meeting may have exposed themselves to legal scrutiny by the special counsel. Trump Jr. is also likely to be of interest to investigators interested in the extent of the Trump family’s investments and exposure in Russia before the campaign. The President has repeatedly denied having any business interests in Russia. “For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia,” he tweeted for example in July 2016, and then reiterated that point again at a news conference the following day, telling reporters “I have nothing to do with Russia.” But the appearance by Donald Trump Jr. on Capitol Hill is not the only significant, recent development in the Russia probes – related to the President’s past business ventures. Last week, it emerged that Trump’s attorney reached out to the Kremlin for help in building a Trump Tower in Moscow well into Trump’s presidential campaign. Related article Experts: Trump Tower deal risked compromising Trump Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, has told CNN that he emailed a top aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, about the proposed building, saying the message “went unanswered” and “was solely regarding a real estate deal and nothing more.” Cohen also said he contacted Peskov after it was suggested that the proposal would require approval by the Russian government, but that approval was never provided. Cohen added that he discussed the proposal with Trump three times, saying he “never considered asking Mr. Trump to travel to Russia in connection with this proposal” and did not brief on him on his decision to terminate the development. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that the disclosures raised “additional concerns:” “Now we know that the Trump organization was pursuing business in Russia, business that would effectively have to be approved by Putin. “At the same time, the campaign was taking a pro-Russia, pro-Putin policy. Was this being guided by their financial interests? “And why did the President make false statements about his financial interests in doing business in Russia at a time when he was pursuing that?” he said. Much is unknown about Mueller’s probe. But the latest developments suggest the special counsel is mounting a serious investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice that could have grave implications for his presidency. While much of America was fixated on the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey late last week, The New York Times reported that Mueller had a draft of a letter that explains reasons why he planned to fire Comey. The contents of the letter have not been revealed. But the paper said it met with opposition from White House counsel Don McGahn, who saw its contents as “problematic.” And in yet another development, The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump’s lawyers filed memos with Mueller arguing that the President was simply exercising constitutional powers in firing Comey. CNN’s Ted Barrett and Manu Raju contributed to this report.


This page includes the show Transcript Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary The Weekly Newsquiz tests students' knowledge of events in the news September 2, 2016 This Friday: The next installment of our ongoing series on the U.S. presidential election explains the Electoral College. We’re also looking into a recent setback for SpaceX and a storm that targeted Florida. And after a preview of this year’s G20 event in China, we’re taking you to California for a Character Study of a woman who’s bringing former foster children a sense of home. On this page you will find today’s show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT Click here to access the transcript of today’s CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. WEEKLY NEWSQUIZ Click here for a printable version of the Weekly Newsquiz (PDF). 1. What is the name of the natural disaster that struck the U.S. 11 years ago, causing a record $108 billion in damage? 2. For the first time since 1960, U.S. commercial flights resumed to what Caribbean country? 3. Lawmakers in what South American country voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff during her impeachment trial? 4. What kind of element is mined on the Indonesian volcano of Mount Ijen, where workers risk their lives to carry it out of the crater? 5. The European Union has ruled that the Apple technology company owes up to $14.6 billion in back taxes to what country? 6. A six-person crew just wrapped up a year-long, simulated mission to Mars. The dome in which they lived was actually located in what U.S. state? 7. Name the printing and writing system invented in 1824 that includes cells of raised dots that are identified by touch. 8. A census conducted across continental Africa found that in recent years, there has been a 30 percent drop in the population of what animal? 9. What is the name of the storm system that reached hurricane status on Thursday and was threatening Florida’s Gulf Coast? 10. What state, the most populous in the U.S., is allocated 55 votes in the country’s Electoral College? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. Thank you for using CNN Student News!


As the White House defends President Donald Trump’s phone call to congratulate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his referendum victory that grants him largely unchecked powers, retired Marine Gen. John Allen is urging Trump to place a follow-up call to the controversial leader – and Allen is giving Trump advice on what he should say. During an interview with Erin Burnett on CNN’s “OutFront,” Allen, the former commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the former special presidential envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, said “President Trump can certainly do what he wants to do on this issue.” “But,” he cautioned, “my hope would be that there is a second phone call,  one that doesn’t require a lot of public airing, where he’s unambiguous as the President of the United States on his concerns over human rights, on freedom of the press, on the rights of women, on freedom of religion and the rule of law and all the necessary actions to preserve the democratic institutions of Turkey.” Referring to Erdogan, Allen warned that “history tells us that when you accumulate that much authority in one single person, it often doesn’t go very well.” The retired general also had more advice for the administration just days after Trump approved military strikes on Syria and the US military dropped America’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS targets in Afghanistan. “The employment of military force absent a clear policy construct can be a dangerous thing,” Allen said. “What the President needs to do is ensure that no one comes away from this with the sense that this was a one-off, single use of military force. He needs to help us all understand what his grand strategy is and what his overarching policy intent is for the employment of force. “ "He needs to help us all understand...his grand strategy is...for the employment of force" Gen John Allen on Trump https://t.co/lKivnrcv70 Allen said he doubts Russia would go to war with the United States for responding militarily to a nerve agent attack on innocent civilians. He also weighed in on the conflict with North Korea, as the country’s vice foreign minister threatens weekly missile tests and that there would be “all-out war” if the United States took military action in response. Allen said it would help Trump and his team “to demonstrate that it has a coherent policy for the region – a policy  on northeast Asia, a policy on North Korea, a policy on China – all of them linked.”


NEW: Bodies will be autopsied to determine causes of death Malaysian authorities say 139 graves and 28 camps have been discovered so far Bangladesh's leader says that migrants should be punished for illegally leaving the country Malaysian authorities have uncovered 139 graves of victims caught up in the human trafficking trade in forests close to the Thai border, the country’s national police chief said Monday. Khalid Abu Bakar said that each grave, near the town of Wang Kelian, may contain the remains of more than one person, according to Bernama, the Malaysian state news agency. “(Authorities) found 139 suspected graves. They are not sure how many bodies are inside each grave,” he told reporters at a news conference. The bodies are expected to be exhumed Monday. Khalid said police found 28 illegal camps, the largest of which may have held as many as 300 migrants. The fact that the camp was fenced and guarded by sentries shows that the trafficked people were captives, he said. The bodies will be autopsied before burial to determine causes of death, he said. Southeast Asian nations are facing a humanitarian crisis as thousands of migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar take to the sea in boats, hoping to settle elsewhere in the region. Related video Thai PM makes fighting human trafficking top priority In recent weeks, police in Thailand have reported finding graves and camps from human trafficking on their side of the border, and they have cracked down on people-smuggling there. That has intensified the crisis at sea. Boats carrying migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh stay away from the shore, deepening the danger for the people crammed on board. Many of the migrants are Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority fleeing persecution in western Myanmar. There are also economic migrants from Bangladesh seeking work in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Go deeper: How to end modern-day slavery Monday’s grim announcement came after Malaysia said Sunday that it had discovered mass graves and trafficking camps in a different area near the Thai border. Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said those camps were believed to have been in operation for at least five years and were abandoned only when authorities arrived. He said officials were still counting the number of bodies in the graves, which were found near 17 tents in the Padang Besar area of Perlis state. “With the cooperation of Thailand, we will find more and more,” Zahid told reporters. The Prime Minister, Najib Razak, vowed late Sunday in a tweet to bring the perpetrators to justice. “I am deeply concerned with graves found on Malaysian soil purportedly connected to people smuggling. We will find those responsible,” he wrote. I am deeply concerned with graves found on Malaysian soil purportedly connected to people smuggling. We will find those responsible. According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 25,000 Southeast Asian migrants took to seas in the first three months of 2015. In recent weeks, hundreds of migrants have come ashore in Malaysia and in Aceh in Indonesia after making the risky journey south through the Andaman Sea. Related video Indonesia, Malaysia offer to take in 7,000 migrants Bangladesh’s leader, Sheikh Hasina, said Sunday that those seeking to leave the country in illegally should be punished along with the human traffickers who facilitate their escape. “Side by side with the middlemen, punishment will have to be given to those who are moving from the country in illegal way,” Hasina told senior officials Sunday, Bangladesh’s state media reported. “They are tainting the image of the country along with putting their lives in danger.” Authorities are preparing to repatriate 208 Bangladeshi citizens who were rescued by the Myanmar navy in that country’s territorial waters, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. “We have been informed through sources that the rescued Bangladeshis are staying at a refugee center in a madrasa building in the Thandwe area of Rakhine state in Myanmar,” the agency quoted Lt. Col Abu Zar, a Bangladeshi border commander, as saying, citing Bangladeshi media. “Local members of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are providing food to the Bangla language people,” he said. The report said dozens of Bangladeshi citizens were stranded in Myanmar territorial waters. The Thai military said the U.S. Navy had asked to use one of its airports to help migrants stranded on boats in the Andaman Sea. The U.S. has asked to keep surveillance aircraft in Phuket after the completion of antisubmarine training exercises, Thai air force spokesman Air Vice Marshal Montol Sanchukorn told CNN. The U.S. and Thai armed forces took part in joint operations, codenamed Guardian Sea, last week, and as a result, U.S. aircraft were permitted to fly in Thai airspace. Related video Malaysian politician calls on U.S. to lean on Myanmar Montol said that the U.S. request was made at an operational, rather than formal, level and was misdirected, as permission to use Phuket’s international airport would be granted at the discretion of Thailand’s airport authority. He said he told U.S. military liaisons to make their request through governmental channels. At a meeting last week, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to accept thousands of migrants temporarily as long as the international community helps resettle them within one year. Thailand has yet to announce what role it will play, although in a joint statement, the three nations said they had all taken measures beyond their international obligations to address the “current influx of irregular migrants.” MORE FROM CNN’S FREEDOM PROJECT: The slaves catching your seafood Thai fishermen not recognized as trafficking victims Back from the dead: Emotional return home 90 stranded fishermen Forced labor in the fishing industry: What you can do CNN’s Kocha Olarn, and journalist Thasha Jayamanogaran in Kuala Lumpur, contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Are you affected by Hurricane Matthew? If it is safe for you to do so, WhatsApp us on *+44 7435 939 154* to share your photos, experiences and video. Please tag #CNNiReport in your message. At least 2 people have died because of Hurricane Matthew in the last week The United States is evacuating nonessential personnel from its naval base at Guantanamo Bay Haiti braced for a pounding Monday night as Hurricane Matthew slowly, powerfully spun across the Caribbean Sea. The storm packing 145-mph winds has killed at least three people, caused cruise ships to change course and prompted the governors of Florida and North Carolina to declare states of emergency for coastal areas. Rain and wind thrashed Haiti on Monday night and up to 40 inches of rain could be dumped on the impoverished nation still recovering from a 2010 earthquake. “This rainfall will likely produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the US National Hurricane Center said. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.” The eye of the storm is expected to make landfall around daybreak Tuesday, said CNN senior meteorologist Taylor Ward. That will probably happen off the western tip of the Tiburon Peninsula, which includes most of Haiti’s southern coast, the  hurricane center said. At 11 p.m. ET Monday, the category 4 hurricane was moving about 7 mph and was 190 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince and 100 miles south of Tiburon, the hurricane center said. Southern Haiti and southwestern Dominican Republic can expect 15 to 25 inches of rain with possible isolated downpours of up to 40 inches. Eastern Cuba, northwestern Haiti and the southeastern Bahamas could see up to a foot of rain. “Destructive waves” could push the storm surge to between 10 and 15 feet in parts of Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas, the center said. Ward said Jamaica may avoid the worst of the storm, but receive enough rain that flooding will occur because of poor drainage. The government dropped its hurricane warning Monday afternoon. “Conditions will quickly go downhill in Cuba throughout the day Tuesday with a landfall in the eastern tip likely late in the afternoon,” Ward said. “Matthew will then take a prolonged trip through much of the Bahamas from overnight Tuesday through Thursday afternoon.” The predicted long-term portion of the storm track moved much closer to the United States on Monday, Ward said. Rick Knabb, director of the hurricane center, tweeted, “U. S. East Coast: find out today if you live in an evacuation zone. If so, decide where you’d go, how you’d get there if told to go #Matthew” U. S. East Coast: find out today if you live in an evacuation zone. If so, decide where you’d go, how you’d get there if told to go #Matthew Three people have died because of Hurricane Matthew within the past week, authorities said. In Haiti, Guillaume Albert Moleon, director of communications for the Interior Ministry, said one fisherman died on Sunday. A second fisherman is presumed dead, but his body has not been recovered. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a teenage boy died in a landslide as he was cleaning a drain behind his house, according to Michelle Forbes, deputy director for the National Emergency Management Office. The boy died Wednesday after storms from Matthew passed over the island. The latest conditions and forecast track for #Matthew.  More at https://t.co/sJ4PKvTC01 pic.twitter.com/kIT9jjQ527 Multiple cruise lines have rerouted some trips to get out of Matthew’s path. Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Princess and Carnival have rerouted trips, with more changes possible. A Carnival cruise ship that planned to stop in the Bahamas on a six-day excursion will instead visit Cozumel, Mexico, reported the Post-Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. Track the storm Related video Hurricane Matthew threatens Jamaica, Cuba The hurricane could be especially devastating for Haiti as much of the country’s infrastructure remains weak after the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. Haiti continues to recover from a post-quake cholera outbreak that killed another 10,000. The US State Department issued a travel warning on Sunday urging Americans in Haiti to leave as quickly as possible. “Airports will close once conditions deteriorate,” the State Department said. World Vision, a humanitarian aid agency, said 400 workers were in Haiti. “We’re expecting a lot of houses to go down because of the poor housing infrastructure in a lot of the rural areas where we work,” said John Hasse, the organization’s national director in Haiti. “With wind this strong, it will be extremely damaging and dangerous and homes for the average person are made of mud and sticks or poorly constructed cinder blocks.” After the storm passes, standing water will be a problem, he said. “That means a potential spike in cholera cases,” Hasse said. “Other mosquito-borne diseases that have been more or less controlled are going to rear their heads.” Over the weekend, Jamaican officials opened storm shelters ahead of the nation’s first major hurricane since Gilbert in 1988. Hurricane warning is in effect for:• Northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence• Jupiter Inlet to South Santee RiverTropical storm warning is in effect for:•  Anclote River to Suwannee River•  North of South Santee River to Surf City•  Boca Raton to Jupiter InletSource: National Hurricane Center “[This hurricane] is something Jamaica has not seen in decades,” Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s minister of local government and community development, told CNN affiliate WPLG. Kingston resident Marcia Forbes, who survived Gilbert, told CNN she has seriously prepared for a rough couple of days. She waited in line to fill her car with gasoline. To protect her multimedia business, she placed sandbags against office shutters and covered computers with plastic. About 3 a.m. Monday, the Norman Manley International Airport near Kingston announced on Facebook it was shutting down until Tuesday morning. Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged government workers to facilitate a speedy recovery to ensure “our economy does not suffer unnecessarily,” The Gleaner reported him saying. “We will see significant damage to property and dislocation and human suffering that will come from such an event if we do not prepare,” Holness said, according to the newspaper. Some Jamaicans believe they can ride out the storm, and say they’re putting their trust in a higher power, despite pleas from authorities to leave the threatened coast. Instagram post not found. Post has been removed or is no longer public. Several women from Port Royal, a fishing village outside Kingston, said their families would hunker down in the nearby St. Peter’s Church, placing their faith in God. Not a usual sight, the streets of Montego Bay practically empty #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/HeHdPmaXGD One woman who sought refuge there told CNN the government always warns people to leave before storms. Though at least 14 people died during Hurricane Ivan in 2004, she lost only the roof on her house, she said. She conceded fear with Matthew, as she did during Ivan, but said, “You know, I trust in God.” Related video Jamaica prepares for Hurricane Matthew After hitting Haiti, Matthew is expected to move north toward Cuba and make landfall Tuesday night, maintaining winds of more than 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm could be brutal for Cuba, where many houses appear too weak to withstand a hurricane. Military trucks raced around Santiago, the island’s second largest city, to finish preparations. Four years ago, Hurricane Sandy ripped through the city, downing trees, power lines and killing 11 people in the area. To prepare in advance, residents spent Sunday securing their roofs and collecting cash wired from relatives in Florida. Some people left coastal areas for government shelters, while officials warned inhabitants of the Sierra Maestra mountains of possible mudslides. “We have endured a lot of hurricanes here,” a man named Orlando, a property manager who feared for his investments, told CNN. “We will endure this one.” Related video How to prepare for a hurricane The United States, taking no chances, began airlifting 700 family members of military personnel stationed at Guantanamo Bay to Florida. It’s unclear when the evacuees will return, officials said. Base officials said remaining personnel would seek shelter in designated locations including their homes. Sixty-one detainees, who remain at the facility where the United States holds prisoners it accuses of being enemy combatants, will not be evacuated, officials added. The US government issued a travel advisory for Americans going to Cuba, saying:  “Airports will close once conditions deteriorate and safe travel is not possible.  If you do not already have travel arrangements, you should immediately shelter in place in a secure location.” On the American mainland, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for 66 counties in the central and eastern portions of the state. Florida Gov. Rick Scott made a similar declaration for all counties. Forecasters cautioned it was too early to predict whether Matthew would directly strike the United States. “This dangerous storm will be closely monitored,” the National Hurricane Center said. CNN’s Ralph Ellis, Radina Gigova, Faith Karimi, Joe Sterling, Joe Sutton, Patrick Oppmann, Salim Essaid, Michael Holmes, Lindy Royce and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.


Republican senators are not too happy with the White House right now. After President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports next week, GOP senators spoke out about their fear of retaliation from other countries and the lack of communication from the White House. Sen. Ben Sasse, who’s been a frequent critic Trump, slammed the tariffs decision as something Americans would expect from a “leftist administration,” not a Republican commander in chief. “Let’s be clear: The President is proposing a massive tax increase on American families. Protectionism is weak, not strong,” he said in a statement. “You’d expect a policy this bad from a leftist administration, not a supposedly Republican one.” Sen. Pat Roberts, who is the chair of the Senate agriculture committee, also blasted the decision for the tariffs and warned of retaliation. “They’ve already done this on washing machines and solar panels and the sorghum producer, one of the rare crops where we were making a profit, got targeted by China,” he said. “Every time you do this, you get a retaliation. And agriculture is the number one target. I think this is terribly counterproductive for the (agriculture) economy and I’m not very happy.” When asked why Trump made the decision Roberts and other senators made the case to him, Roberts responded: “Good question.” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said the tariffs would be a “huge job-killing tax hike.” “While I am sympathetic to the issues facing domestic steel manufacturers, there must be a better way to address the steel industries concerns, and I hope Congress and the executive branch can identify an alternative solution before these tariffs are finalized next week,” he said in a statement. Even members of Senate leadership who are working with the White House on other measures expressed their concerns about Trump’s plans for trade. “My reaction is I’m going to study exactly what the President did,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, who is the second ranking Republican in the chamber, told reporters. “But (I’m) obviously concerned about retaliation and unintended consequences.” Trump said the US will impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% tariff on aluminum, capping a fierce, months-long internal debate that divided some of the President’s top advisers. Anticipating the move, experts have said it is likely to invite retaliatory measures from foreign countries. Cornyn added he understood where Trump was coming from with the decision because of criticism of the US’ trade policies. “I’m also sympathetic to what he’s been saying because we’ve been getting heat when it comes to our international trade relationships,” he added. “So we need to scrutinize and see if they’re in America’s best interests and I certainly support that but I need to look at the specifics.” Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said his colleagues are figuring out what they can do about the tariffs. “I am highly concerned about the negative aspects. I completely want fair and reciprocal trade and there’s no doubt about it America’s has been magnanimous in its trade laws,” he said. “There have been abuses building up over the years. We should target those abuses. I’m just not sure this is the way to do it overall with the steel and aluminum. It really will have negative and unintended consequences.” Sen. Orrin Hatch told reporters he didn’t believe in tariffs and warned it could create more conflict for the US. “First of all, I don’t believe in tariffs,” he said. “They don’t work very well. Secondly, it creates tariff wars and I just don’t think that’s the way to go.” On the House side, Speaker Paul Ryan, through his spokesman, released a statement requesting that the administration reassess the decision for the tariffs. “The speaker is hoping the president will consider the unintended consequences of this idea and look at other approaches before moving forward,” said Doug Andres, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Republican. It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked Trump’s sudden desire to make the policy announcement within 24 hours, but his directive for a next-day announcement came as the White House was engulfed in its latest string of negative headlines. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.

Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs policy


A Palestinian man was killed Saturday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says Israel's government plans to discuss metal detectors at an important holy site Clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces broke out again across Jerusalem and the West Bank on Saturday, with the mood tremendously intense around Jerusalem’s Old City. A Palestinian man died at a hospital Saturday evening after he was injured in clashes with Israeli forces earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. The man was involved in a clash in the town of el-Eizariyah near Jerusalem, the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported. Meantime, a rocket fired from northern Gaza exploded midair Sunday morning local time, with no injuries reported, the Israeli Defense Forces tweeted. With tensions rapidly rising, Palestinians called for more protests Sunday and the Israeli government planned meetings. One security session was expected to discuss the recent implementation of metal detectors at entrances to a key holy site in the Old City. The restrictions were imposed after two Israeli police officers were killed in a shooting last week just outside the Old City and Temple Mount, also known as the Noble Sanctuary. The area is one of the world’s most important religious sites, revered by Christians, Jews and Muslims. Related article Jerusalem -- an urgent issue for Trump administration Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday suspended all contacts with Israel until the metal detectors are removed. “I announce the freezing of contacts with Israel on all levels and the suspension of coordination until all the measures taken at al-Aqsa mosque have stopped,” Abbas said in a message tweeted by his Fatah Movement. The Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary was closed after last Friday’s attack, and reopened Sunday for worshippers, visitors and tourists, with added security measures. It is home to the Western Wall – which was part of the walls around the Second Jewish Temple and is one of the holiest places for Jews to pray – and the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven. Egypt, France and Sweden called Saturday for United Nations Security Council consultations Monday on ways to lower tensions in Jerusalem, Sweden’s chief political officer at the United Nations wrote on Twitter. The envoys of the Middle East Quartet – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – said in a statement they are “deeply concerned by the escalating tensions and violent clashes taking place in and around the Old City of Jerusalem.” The statement went on to say, “They strongly condemn acts of terror, express their regret for all loss of innocent life caused by the violence and hope for a speedy recovery to the wounded.” Noting the particular sensitivities surrounding the holy sites of Jerusalem, and the need to ensure security, the Quartet envoys called on all sides to show restraint, refrain from provocative actions and work toward de-escalating the situation. They added: “Envoys welcome the assurances by the Prime Minister of Israel that the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem will be upheld and respected.” Three people killed Friday in an attack in the Halamish settlement in the northern West Bank were identified by Israeli police on Saturday. Police Superintendent and spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Twitter, “Names of three Israelis murdered in Friday night attack by Palestinian terrorist, Yosef Solomon age 70, Chaya Solomon age 46, Elad Solomon age 36.” Related article The two words that explain tensions over Jerusalem's Old City The Israeli army said the three Israelis were killed when a young Palestinian man from a nearby village breached the security of the settlement and carried out a stabbing attack. The Palestinian, who was shot and wounded at the scene, is in custody. A fourth Israeli was wounded in the attack, Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service, told CNN. Three Palestinians were killed and many people reportedly were hurt during clashes Friday. Mohammad Fityani, a spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jerusalem, told CNN its crews had dealt with 109 injured people by 3 p.m. local time, and that 72 of them were taken to the hospital. Tensions in Jerusalem’s Old City boiled over into skirmishes after the midday prayer. In one instance, a CNN team outside Herod’s Gate saw Israeli police start forcefully pushing worshipers back and pointing their weapons at them. The officers then fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the worshipers and move them back. CNN’s Richard Roth, Steve Almasy and Samantha Beech contributed to this report.


Brad Parscale played a crucial role on President Donald Trump's campaign as digital director Parscale dismissed the idea that online Russian bots would have been effective House Russia investigators are planning to call on Brad Parscale, the digital director of President Donald Trump’s campaign, as the congressional and federal probes dig into any possible connections between the Trump digital operation and Russian operatives, congressional sources said this week. The House Russia investigation is planning to send an invite to Parscale soon, as they begin scheduling witnesses over the summer, sources said. The Senate intelligence committee is also interested in how Russian bots were able to target political messages in specific districts in critical swing states, although it is not clear if Parscale will be called before the Senate panel as well. The news from the House comes as federal investigators have dug into Jared Kushner’s role overseeing Trump’s data operation – although he has not been identified as a target of the probe. Kushner is expected to talk soon with Senate investigators about the campaign’s data operation. Parscale played a critical role behind the scenes on the Trump campaign, directing online spending and voter targeting with the use of a highly sophisticated data bank built by the Republican National Committee. Parscale, was running the Trump Organization’s digital operation in early 2015, when he was hired onto the Trump campaign – months before Trump officially announced his bid. Parscale told CNN Friday that he had not been contacted by any investigators – either federal or Congressional. Senate investigators in particular have been interested in looking for a link between the prevalence of fake news that supported Trump and was pinpointed in key areas of Rust Belt states that ultimately flipped from blue to red – and helped Trump secure the White House. “There have been reports that their ability to target this information, some reports at least saying that in the last week of the campaign in certain precincts in Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania there was so much misinformation coming talking about Hillary Clinton’s illnesses or Hillary Clinton stealing money from the State Department or other. It completely blanked out any of the back and forth that was actually going on in the campaign,” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said at a March 30 hearing. Interactive: The many paths from Trump to Russia Warner then added, “One of the things that seems curious is would the Russians on their own have that level of sophisticated knowledge about the American political system, if they didn’t at least get some advice from someone in America?” Clint Watts, a former FBI agent and counterterrorism expert, responded that Russian bots masqueraded as conservative voters to support Trump – but did not say whether he believed the Russians had any help from an American political operative in picking out their targets. Related article Mueller investigating Trump for obstruction of justice, Washington Post reports “Part of the reason those bios had conservative Christian, you know, America, all those terms in it is those are the most common ones. If you inhale all the accounts of people in Wisconsin, you identify the most common terms in it, you just recreate accounts that look exactly like people from Wisconsin,” Watts testified. “So that way whenever you’re trying to socially engineer them and convince them that the information is true it’s much more simple because you see somebody and they look exactly like you even down to the pictures. When you look at the pictures, it looks like an American from the Midwest or the South or Wisconsin or whatever the location is. And they will change those, they can reprogram them.” But Parscale dismissed the idea that online bots, controlled by Russian operatives, would have been effective in swinging votes to Trump, noting that Twitter – where those bots operate – was not an effective tool for the campaign itself (albeit a highly effective tool for Trump.) Twitter, Parscale said, is designed for shouting a message to extremes on the left and the right, but Facebook is where influencers can be most effective in moving key swing votes. “Twitter wasn’t even something we focused on in the campaign, we didn’t feel it mattered, Facebook is where 70% voters focused and was the 500-pound gorilla … to win the election,” Parscale said. “Twitter is not where Trump voters were. Over 95% (of the campaign’s online budget) went to Facebook.”