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Trump says he deserves Nobel Peace Prize not Abiy Ahmed

US President Donald Trump seems to think that he was overlooked for last year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Why, what did he say? "I'm getting to tell you about the Nobel Peace Prize; I'll let you know that. I made a deal, I saved a rustic, and that I just heard that the top of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country. I said: 'What, did I even have something to try to to with it?' Yeah, but you recognize, that is the way it's. As long as we all know, that's all that matters... I saved an enormous war. I've collected a few of them."

Who was he talking about? Although he didn't name the Nobel Peace lottery winner or the country, it's clear that Mr Trump was about Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Mr Abiy, 43, is Africa's youngest head of state. He came into office in April 2018 after months of anti-government protests forced his predecessor to resign.

Mr Abiy has introduced massive liberalizing reforms to Ethiopia, shaking up what was a tightly controlled nation.

He freed thousands of opposition activists from jail and allowed exiled dissidents to return home. He has also allowed the media to work freely and appointed women to prominent positions.

And in October last year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - the sole head of state to win the prize since Mr Trump was elected in 2016.

Why did he win the Nobel Peace Prize? The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Mr Abiy was honoured for his "decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea".

The two countries fought a bitter border war from 1998-2000, which killed tens of thousands of individuals . Although a ceasefire was signed in 2000, the neighbours technically remained at war until July 2018, when Mr Abiy and Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace deal. So for two decades, the long border was closed, dividing families and making trade impossible.

The Nobel Committee said it hoped the peace agreement would help to cause positive change to the citizens of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Since the peace affects Eritrea, Mr Abiy has also been involved in peace processes in other African countries, the committee said.

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Qasem Soleimani Crisis puts Mid-East friends and foes on edge

Imagine, if you'll, a Middle East situation room with four of the region's key leaders who are watching the recent confrontation between the US and Iran unfold.

At the table is Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; caretaker Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi; and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Iran's Lebanese ally, the militant Hezbollah movement.

They've just been taking note of what seemed like a "mission accomplished" speech from US President Donald Trump. Most of them, although perhaps not all, are breathing a sigh of relief. But they're scratching their heads about what this turbulent week means for his or her future.

For Mohammed bin Salman, the speech signals an immediate danger averted.

Indeed, the prince has previously been outspoken about what he's called the "evil" nature of Iran's leadership in recent years. But the Saudis are urging de-escalation since Mr Trump ordered the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani during a drone strike in Baghdad, scared of becoming engulfed during a spiral of conflict between their ally, Washington, and their enemy, Tehran.

And if Saudi Arabia had been caught within the crossfire, there was no guarantee the US would have struck back on its behalf. It didn't last year when two oil installations were disabled in an attack blamed on Iran.

That experience deepened doubt that the Saudis could believe the person within the White House, who appeared to be telegraphing that he didn't want to urge drawn into another Middle East war.

So they began exploring diplomatic options to scale back tensions with Iran.

But wait, is that the equation change? Is that the Trump administration more prepared now to require action in its ongoing confrontation with Iran? Or did Soleimani, that master military strategist, take a wrong step across the "red line" of targeting Americans?

"You've needed to understand elections," let's say Mr Netanyahu is saying.

The conversation turns to the recent attack on the US embassy in Baghdad during a protest by supporters of Iran-backed Iraqi militias.

It goes something like this: "OK, no-one was hurt, there wasn't much damage, so Soleimani thought he'd escape with sending a robust message. But Mr Trump was probably brooding about the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Iran, which sunk [then President] Carter.

"It's even more likely he was brooding about the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, that he's lambasted the Obama administration. He also tweeted that the incident was the 'Anti-Benghazi'. He didn't want to go into a presidential election year looking weak."

US officials have variously justified the killing as self-defence to stop an "imminent" attack on American interests, and a show of deterrence to Iran to signal that the president's previous restraint wasn't a symbol of weakness.

The Israeli prime minister is nearly certainly hoping it is the latter.

The Israelis were deeply concerned by the shortage folks military retaliation last year for alleged Iranian attacks within the region.

"It would be better if we weren't alone," the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, General Aviv Kochavi, said darkly in end-of-the-year remarks.

"Suddenly we are not any longer alone!" crowed Israeli defence correspondent Alex Fishman after the strike on Soleimani. "This may be a strategic miracle!"

The Israelis also are obviated their favourite enemy.

Israeli analysts say Qasem Soleimani was the author and executor of an idea to entrench an Iranian military presence - via proxies and otherwise - in countries around Israel, what they call a "ring of fire".

But by and enormous, Israeli officials are quiet about the drone strike, just like the Saudis seemingly hoping to avoid getting caught within the crossfire.

Mr Abdul Mahdi probably seems like he has been thrown into a fireplace during the past week.

The US strike toppled him off the tightrope on which he's been trying to balance alliances with both the US and Iran.

The Iraqi foreign ministry summoned ambassadors from both countries to chastise them for using Iraq as their battleground.

He is often grateful that Iran gave President Trump a face-saving thanks to stepping off the trail to war, by firing missiles at bases that caused no casualties.

But he's still within the hot seat.

The US may be demanding if inconsistent ally. Yet when cornered, Mr Abdul Mahdi found it safer to side with the pro-Iran forces in Iraq.

The influential Shia politicians and militias are given a replacement shot of legitimacy after months of widespread protests against their grip on the country. They've condemned America's violation of Iraqi sovereignty and demanded that its 5,200 troops there leave.

It's not clear what is going on to return of that. But the fallout from the assassination has created uncertainty about the endurance of a US military presence. Mr Abdul Mahdi has said there is no other way "otherwise we are speeding toward confrontation".

That is the goal of Hassan Nasrallah.

As one of the foremost senior figures left standing in Qasem Soleimani's regional network of proxy forces - the US airstrike also killed the influential Iraqi paramilitary leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis - he feels a load of responsibility to continue the general's mission and to avenge his death.

That should specialise in hitting US military assets, he has said. Thus far he hasn't mentioned Israel - Hezbollah's usual target. Perhaps the Iranians don't think it is an excellent idea to reignite that front on top of everything else immediately.

Hassan Nasrallah is perhaps still trying to game out the new landscape - what does this mean for the so-called "axis of resistance" now that its prime architect is gone; and the way will he step into the breach given the turmoil in Lebanon that's challenged Hezbollah's domestic political dominance?

Let's imagine that, after this meeting breaks up, the Hezbollah chief plans to debrief Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who's been engaged with a rare visit by Russian President Putin.

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Why Meghan and Harry have Canada in their sights

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to step back as "senior" royals and live part-time in North America, Canada has been aflutter.

Will the royal couple make the right North their home? Where will they live? What is going to they do?

While we don't know where they shall settle, it had been confirmed to the BBC's royal correspondent that Meghan had left for Canada.

She and therefore the prince had been within the UK to form their announcement, following a six-week Christmas holiday in greater Victoria, on Vancouver Island.

Our correspondent said Buckingham Palace was "blindsided" by the couple's statement.

If they are doing to choose Canada as their home, here's why we should not be surprised.

Meghan returns to Canada as Queen seeks an answer Harry and Meghan step back: What we all know thus far Where do they get their money? A Victorian Christmas The pair were spotted hiking within the woods outside of Victoria over the vacations, consistent with Canadian media.

Musician David Foster, who is originally from the world, told the Daily Mail that he helped arrange for them to remain on the secluded estate of a lover. His wife Katherine McPhee visited lyceum with Meghan in l. a.

Since then, international media has flocked to the town amid speculation that the couple may plan to settle there semi-permanently.

"There's media from across the country and around the world, and from your country from across the pond that is already looking to line up shop here," Scott Fee, the news director at local CHEK-TV, told BBC Breakfast.

"So the tabloids are on the way if not already here."

A deluge of the press is perhaps precisely not what the royal couple hoped for. Last October, Prince Harry and Meghan publicly revealed their struggles under the media spotlight, and that they hinted at it in their recent announcement regarding their decision to measure part-time in North America.

"This geographic balance will enable us to boost our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to specialise in a subsequent chapter," read their statement, which was posted on the couple's official Instagram on 8 January.

What about Toronto? Meghan has had close ties to Canada for several years, although she is an American citizen by birth and her mother lives in California.

She lived in Toronto for six years while filming the tv series Suits. During their courtship, Prince Harry visited her in her Seaton Village home, and she or he joined him at the 2017 Invictus Games, which were held within the city.

Her ties to Toronto didn't sever when she moved across the pond.

The Mulroney's, Meghan Markle and her life among Toronto 'royalty.' One of her closest friends, Jessica Mulroney, lives in Toronto together with her husband, Ben Mulroney, the son of a former prime minister. Their three young children were even a neighbourhood of Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding.

It has been speculated, but not confirmed, that baby Archie stayed with the Mulroney clan in the week while Meghan and therefore the prince flew to the united kingdom.

What can Canada offer? By and enormous, what Canada offers the royal couple may be a degree of privacy and informality that they're not afforded within the UK.

Although Canadian media has undoubtedly taken a keen interest in their exploits here, Canada doesn't have an equivalent tabloid culture or paparazzi as Britain or the US. The country also features a lot more secluded spots where they might, if they wanted to, hide far away from the flash of bulbs.

Don't think creepy cabin within the woods - think luxurious estates on pristine lakes surrounded by pine trees, located on dirt roads that might make it difficult for caravans of photographers to follow their trail.

It is telling that there wasn't one paparazzi photograph of the couple during the six weeks they were on Vancouver Island.

They certainly wouldn't be the primary royal to form Canada their home.

Prince Andrew, Prince Harry's paternal uncle who has come under scrutiny since the arrest and suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, spent six months on exchange at Lakefield College School and maintained close ties with the school's community after leaving.

Princess Patricia of Connaught, the granddaughter of Victoria, lived in Canada together with her parents when her father, Prince Arthur, was appointed the governor. There, she was much beloved, and her portrait was even used on the one-dollar banknote issued in 1917.

Indeed, before 1952, all of Canada's governors-general were a part of the British aristocracy, which has led some to take a position that Prince Harry could keep it up the tradition.

How they need to try to do their own thing In 2018, writing for the National Post, Tristan Hopper suggested that the Duke of Sussex should consider taking over the role. It's appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the prime minister, to be her representative within Canada.

"One of the chief pitfalls of the work of governor is that it takes smart, ambitious Canadians and essentially imprisons them during a palace with strict instructions to try to do what they're told," he wrote.

Prince Harry had lived his whole life in an unreal bubble of security and privilege where even the slightest partisan nod could yield a week's worth of Daily Mail headlines. If there's anyone who knows the way to be clothed in immense power that they never, ever use, it is the House of Windsor."

This week, a poll conducted for the Postmedia newspaper chain by Dart and Maru/Blue Voice Canada also suggested that 60% of Canadians would approve if he were to become governor.

One thing the royal couple might get to consider is immigration laws. Canada is a component of the Commonwealth and Prince Harry's grandmother the Queen is that the head of state so although he will see her face on the currency, he is not a citizen.

As a Briton, the prince is entitled to spend up to 6 months a year as a visitor in Canada - anything longer than that, and he would need to apply for a visa. As an American citizen, equivalent rules apply for his wife.

What do Canadians think? The couple has come under attack within the UK after the BBC revealed the palace wasn't informed of their decision to step down from most of their royal duties and to hunt to become financially independent.

World's media split on the royal move Writing within the Daily Mail, Piers Morgan said the couple wants to "keep all the trimmings of royal life with none of the hard, boring bits, and therefore the right to take advantage on their status however they choose".

But Canadian media has taken a decidedly more friendly tone.

In the Globe and Mail, Anne Donahue expressed glee that the couple could be moving to Canada, and called their decision to step faraway from the royal circus a "fairy-tale ending".

"Meghan and Harry's option to step back has sparked the sort of change during which everybody wins. They've begun to assist dismantle an establishment that always seems a historical relic. and they are very publicly choosing to prevent putting up with the nonsense, on their dime and in their way - an influence move."

Not most are thrilled.

On Friday, the Monarchist League of Canada cautioned Prince Harry and Meghan that "any public support for his or her desire to occupy a replacement, hybrid role combining their royal status with more personal freedom could disappear quickly were there to develop a sense that, even inadvertently, that they had in how showed disrespect to The Queen, whose style is self-effacing and whose watchword is duty."

But by and enormous, Canadians are pretty chuffed at the thought - and they are willing to sweeten the pot if it helps convince them to remain.

Coffee-and-doughnuts franchise Tim Hortons offered them free coffee for all times.

That promotion led to a considerable backlash of its own.

Some of the company's franchises have come under attack over staff wages, and for a way they treat homeless patrons, and lots of took to Twitter to inform Tim Hortons their money should be getting to the community, not the Sussexes.

"Wow, mention tone-deaf. Mapped out paying your workers a wage before you begin giving freebies to the rich," tweeted Erin Carson DeWolfe.

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France protests PM offers pension compromise in bid to end strike

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has offered a concession to unions during a bid to finish nationwide strikes against proposed pension reforms. In a letter, Mr Philippe said he was willing to withdraw a proposal which might raise the age at which workers can claim their pension from 62 to 64. One of France's largest unions, the CFDT, welcomed the announcement saying it showed a willingness to compromise. However, the CGT union called the proposal "a smokescreen". In a statement, it said it had been "more determined than ever" to prevent the reforms. Industrial action against President Emmanuel Macron's planned pension reform is in its 38th day and has severely disrupted France's transport system - particularly trains. Protesters again took to the streets of Paris and other cities on Saturday. Within the capital, police fired tear gas at some groups of protesters who smashed windows and set light to rubbish bins and billboards. Why are French workers on a nationwide strike? Mr Philippe's announcement followed talks between ministers and union leaders on Friday. The government says the reforms are necessary to form the system fairer and more sustainable, but unions say workers will lose out. "To demonstrate my confidence within the social partners... I'm willing to withdraw from the bill the short-term measure I had proposed" to line a so-called "pivot age" of 64 with effect from 2027, he wrote in his letter to the union leaders. President Macron described it as "a constructive compromise".

Laurent Berger, Secretary-General of the CFDT, hailed the government's concession as "a victory" for the union. Writing on Twitter, he said it marked "the government's willingness to compromise". "We obtained the withdrawal of the middle age, a victory for the CFDT! We'll now continue our action for a fairer and more integrated retirement system," he said. However, the CGT said it might still demand "the withdrawal" of the pension reforms. It called on people "to participate massively in strikes and demonstrations planned for next week". Police fired tear gas to disperse individual sections of the gang in Paris.

French politician and former Socialist Party presidential candidate Ségolène Royal said it had been "better late than never". "I hope that it'll allow the resumption of great discussions. It is an initiative, it'll take more," she said, consistent with Le Figaro newspaper. What is the strike about? Workers are striking over Mr Macron's plans to exchange France's 42 separate pension regimes with a universal points-based system. Unions representing much staff in both the general public and personal sectors warn the plan will remove the foremost advantageous pensions for a variety of jobs and force people to figure longer or face reduced payouts once they retire.

France raised the official retirement age within the past decade from 60 to 62, but it remains one among rock bottom among rich countries - within the UK, for instance, the retirement age for state pensions is 66 and is thanks to rising to a minimum of 67. In November, a report commissioned by Mr Philippe concluded that, under the prevailing system, the country's pension deficit might be as high as €17.2bn by 2025.

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Where Do The Richest Americans Live

Have you checked the most recent "Forbes 400: the complete list of The Richest People in America" yet?

Surprise, Gates, with a net worth of $81 billion, is ranked No. 1 for the 23rd year running. Meanwhile, his friend Warren Buffett fell to 3rd place for the first time in 15 years with a net worth of $65.5 billion.

Thanks to soaring stock prices of hot tech firms, CEOs at the helm of these companies seem to possess been accumulating wealth at a way faster pace than others. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos gained $20 billion to spice up his net worth to $67 billion, making him the second-richest person within the U.S.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg jumped into fourth place, his highest rank ever, with a net worth of $55.5 billion. However, Oracle founder Larry Ellison landed at No. 5 for the first time since 2007. His net worth is $49.3 billion.

Standing on the No. 6 spot is former N.Y. City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CEO of the eponymous firm Bloomberg L.P., who features a net worth of $45 billion.

These six richest multi-billionaires have a combined $363.3 billion at their withdrawal, most of which remains held as stakes within the companies they founded. However, a part of their fortune is vested inland. Mr Gates, for one, owns a Washington mansion worth about $170 million, several horse ranches across the U.S. and shares in some luxury hotel chains through his private investment company, Cascade.

Here, take a glance at the residences the six richest moguls call home:

1. Gates Worth: $81 billion Home: Medina, Washington

Mr Gates, 60, spends most of his time at his 66,000-square-foot Medina, Washington, mansion, nicknamed Xanadu 2.0 after the title character's estate in Citizen Kane. The villa overlooks Lake Washington. It took Mr Gates for seven years and $63.2 million to create this house, which is crammed with many high-tech features. He purchased the lot for $2 million in 1988, but it's now worth an estimated $170 million, consistent with public records.

2. Jeff Bezos Worth: $67 billion Home: Medina, Washington

Mr Bezos, 52, within the process of building his e-commerce empire, scooped up a massive amount of real properties over the years, earning him the No. 26 spot on The Land Report's list of America's largest landowners last year. In terms of residences, he features a 165,000-acre ranch in West Texas, a waterfront house in Washington state, three linked apartments in Manhattan's Century Tower, and a 12,000-square-foot Beverly Hills estate that boasts Tom Cruise as a neighbour, consistent with Forbes.

His home at Medina, Washington, on the brink of Amazon's headquarters, boasts 5.35 acres and about 29,000 square-foot of lebensraum. Apart from the most home, there's also a caretaker's cottage and a 4,500-square-foot boathouse on Lake Washington.

3. Warren Buffett Worth: $65.5 billion Home: Omaha, Nebraska

Although the shrewdest investor on earth holds multiple land investments, Mr Buffett, 86, is understood for living humbly.

His home sits on a corner in Omaha, Nebraska, which he bought in 1958 for $31,500. Mr Buffett has lived there ever since. The house, initially inbuilt 1921, underwent several expansions to form it a comfortable and cosy 6,500-square-foot home for the person who features a net worth of over $65.5 billion.

4. Mark Zuckerberg Worth: $55.5 billion Home: Palo Alto, California

The youngest most prosperous entrepreneur docks most of his wealth in schools, health and other philanthropies. His land portfolio includes his range in Palo Alto and a 9.9-million pied-a-terre near Dolores Park in San Francisco.

Mr Zuckerberg, 32, purchased his first Craftsman-style 5,000-square-foot range in Palo Alto in 2011 for $7 million. He snapped up four of the homes surrounding his field in the subsequent years for about $43.8 million to raised keep his privacy. But his decision to level and rebuild those four homes has been stalled.

5. Larry Ellison Worth: $49.3 billion Home: Woodside, California

Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison, 72, has an in-depth land portfolio. He has bought up large parts of whole neighbourhoods in Malibu and around Lake Tahoe. He owns a $70-million Beechwood Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island; a garden villa in Kyoto, Japan; and 98% of the land of Lanai, Hawaii's sixth-largest island, which he purchased in 2012 for $500 million, consistent with published reports.

His estate in Woodside, California, with an estimated value of $110 million, is modelled after 16th-century Japanese architecture, complete with a human-made 2.3-acre lake.

6. Michael Bloomberg Worth: $45 billion Home: Manhattan, New York

Former NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 74, has quite a dozen of properties worldwide. He spends most of his time at his Upper Estate Side townhouse, but he also owns estates within the Hamptons in NY, even as in London, Bermuda, Colorado and Florida.

Mr Bloomberg's townhouse, located at 17 East 79th St., spans five stories with a limestone exterior. During his three terms as mayor, Mr. Bloomberg lived within the townhouse rather than Gracie Mansion. However, he apparently features a decide to turn it into a mega-mansion. Since 1989, he has been gradually buying up units at 19 East 79th St., the townhouse co-op that's right nearby to his current residence. Out of the six groups within the white 1880 Greek-revival-style building, Bloomberg now owns five of them, consistent with The NY Observer.

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Iran Admits It Accidentally Shot Down A Ukrainian Jetliner Because Of Human Error

Iran on Friday said it accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 thanks to a human error within the aftermath of launching missile strikes against military bases in Iraq.

Iran initially blamed the Jan. 8 incident, which killed all 176 people on board, on the breakdown. Still, after conducting its investigation, the govt said the jetliner was shot down during heightened fears folks military retaliation.

In a statement issued on Saturday local time, Iran said that after beginning from Imam Khomeini Airport, Iranian soldiers mistook the jetliner for hostile aircraft. At the same time, it had been near a facility thanks to its altitude and shape.

Iran added that it had been taking steps to stop similar mistakes within the future.

In a statement on Twitter, Iran's secretary of state blamed human error "at the time of crisis caused by US adventurism."

A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of an internal investigation by Armed Forces:

Human error at the time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster

Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and other affected nations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Twitter also said investigators "continue to spot & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake."

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects "a full admission of guilt" and for Iran "to bring those responsible to justice." Ukraine is sending search-and-rescue workers and can assist with the investigation, he added during a statement on Facebook, the Washington Post reported.

"We expect from Iran assurances of readiness for a full and open investigation, bringing the perpetrators to justice, returning the bodies of the dead, payment of compensations, official apologies through diplomatic channels," Zelensky said. "We hope that the investigation will continue within the future without artificial delays and obstacles."

The admission comes after officials from Canada, Ukraine, and other countries who lost citizens within the crash formed a response group on behalf of the victims' families calling for a "full and transparent investigation into the explanation for the fatal crash." Earlier Friday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he had been pushing Iran to offer his government access to the investigation.

Nearly 60 Canadians were killed within the incident, also as an outsized contingent of Iranians.

Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, Vadym Prystaiko, said that Iran had given Ukrainian investigators access to the plane's black boxes, the crash site, and other aspects of the investigation. 11 Ukrainians were on board the flight.

Prystaiko said during a press conference that debris and body parts were scattered over an outsized area, including settlements which forensic expert was still working to spot the dead.

"It is tough to mention how long it's going to take," he said.

Earlier in the week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the evidence indicated that the plane, which was on the way to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was shot down by an Iranian SAM.

On Friday, the prime minister said his government's focus "remains closure, accountability, transparency, and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims."

"This may be a national tragedy, and every one Canadians are mourning together," he added during a statement.

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Marianne Williamson's Campaign Is Over, But The Memes Will Transcend

Marianne Williamson, the famous author and spiritual guide who briefly stole the main target of the first Democratic primary debates, has ended her campaign for president.

"The primaries could be tightly contested among the highest contenders, and that I don't need to urge within the way of a progressive candidate winning any of them," Williamson said in an email to supporters Friday. "As of today, therefore, I'm suspending my campaign."

The decision came soon after she reportedly laid off her entire campaign staff. At the time, she said that the move wouldn't be the top of her campaign.

"A politics of conscience remains yet possible," Williamson said in her statement Friday. "And yes,…love will prevail."

The candidate never caught on broadly in her campaign for a more spiritual politics "that speaks to the guts," and she or he faded from the first after failing to qualify for the autumn or winter debates. But at the primary debates last summer, she became a topic of fascination and an enormous inspiration for memes together with her atypical ideas, like the urgency of chatting with New Zealand as president.

At the height of her political fame last summer, Williamson was criticized for her views about science, particularly over vaccinations and antidepressants. She features a small but loyal fan base, partially rooted in her years as a leader. She was one among the primary candidates within the primary last year to consistently mention the difficulty of reparations for slavery, with a particular plan for a way to distribute up to $500 billion.

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The Trump Administration Has Been Preparing To Expand The Travel Ban, Documents Reveal

The Trump administration has been preparing to expand its travel ban — which bars individuals from seven countries from entering the U.S. — to limit certain immigrants from several more nations around the world, consistent with internal government documents obtained by BuzzFeed News.

It is unclear whether the administration will issue the restrictions. But the draft documents suggest it's been actively preparing to try to do so by creating materials to interact with the media, alongside a draft presidential proclamation.

The draft materials obtained by BuzzFeed News don't contain the names of the countries being considered. Still, the proclamation includes seven slots that contain descriptors for every nation and varied restrictions. The move would represent just the newest during a series of unprecedented efforts by the Trump administration to tighten immigration — and will pointedly are available a reelection year.

While the countries aren't listed, the descriptions included do list some indicators. Several states are listed as not providing the U.S. with "identity information" and presenting a "risk" of "terrorist travel." One country is an "important strategic partner within the global fight against terrorism" but is failing in "identity management" issues. Another country doesn't "work with us on the border and immigration security issues."

CNN first reported in October that the administration was considering restricting travel from certain countries. The Associated Press reported Friday that the administration was also considering a replacement travel ban.

Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Judy Chu, both Democrats, "un-American" and "dangerous."

"Thousands of families have already been torn apart due to President Trump's discriminatory Muslim Ban that doesn't make us safer. Now, thousands more spouses, parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and friends might be separated by the expansion of this senseless ban," Coons said during a statement. "This policy is wrong, it's un-American, and that I will fight it."

The Chu called it a "dangerous policy rooted in bigotry and xenophobia, sold to the American public through misinformation and innuendo."

The draft presidential proclamation details how, after a review conducted by the Trump administration of the "identity management" and security protocols for 200 countries, the Department of Homeland Security recommended Trump place travel restrictions on lands additionally to the seven already banned, which include Iran, Syria, Libya, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen, and Somalia.

"In addition to maintaining the present restrictions, the Secretary recommended restrictions on additional countries that did not satisfy the baseline criteria, as informed by the outcomes of the new, enhanced methodology," the draft proclamation reads. "Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and therefore the laws of the us of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act... at this moment find that absent measures set forth during this proclamation, the immigrant entry within us of persons described in Section 1 of this proclamation would be detrimental to the interests of us which their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations and exceptions."

Five of the countries listed within the proclamation would have more expansive blocks, consistent with the draft. The draft materials state that the restrictions would impact "approximately 2.5% of all immigrant visas issued by the U.S. Department of State."

"The entry into us of nationals of [Country 1] as immigrants, except as Special Immigrants, is at this moment suspended," reads one section. Special immigrants are religious workers, physicians, and people who worked for the U.S. military abroad, among other specific categories. Two other countries would have their nationals banned from obtaining "diversity visas," meaning random visas given to those from countries that have low rates of immigration to the U.S.

In January 2017, the Trump administration initially banned those from six Muslim-majority countries before federal courts across the country blocked the order. Later, Trump instituted a separate ban, and therefore the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it as constitutional. A waiver process for those included within the ban has led to quite 7,600 immigrants from the barred countries being allowed to enter the U.S., a tenth clearance rate, consistent with a U.S. State Department official's testimony during a September House hearing.

The initial travel ban — also called the "Muslim ban" after Trump pledged during his first campaign to prevent all Muslims from immigrating to the U.S. — targeted only Muslim-majority countries. The DHS media team appears to be preparing for such questions.

"Q: what percentage of those countries are majority Muslim? A: DHS didn't consider or maybe research the predominant religion practised in these or any country as a part of its review. As a result, we might refer you to publicly available information about the demographics of those countries," read one answer of a document titled "response to queries."

The document appears to be a group of questions the agency predicts it'll receive because the proclamation is announced and includes items like "why are these countries facing travel restrictions?" and why the new restrictions include fewer visa categories than the initial travel ban.

The answer states that, just like the already banned seven countries, the new countries are a number of the "lowest-performing within the world." The United States government, however, has found that the to-be-restricted countries have prospects for improvement.

"Each features a functioning government, control over its territory, and maintains relations with us. Most of the new countries have expressed a willingness to figure on correcting their deficiencies. However, it's going to take a while to spot and implement specific improvements," the solution reads.

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Pro-Iran Sources Have Flooded Twitter With Lies — Likely To Prevent A War With The United States

In the week following the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, pro-Iranian disinformation has inundated Twitter, exaggerating the number of USA citizens injured by the Iranian counterattack on Jan. 8 and falsely claiming that US forces were retreating from Kuwait.

These fabrications aren't intended to confuse an audience within us, or one round the globe — but rather a viewer in Iran. Although the Iranian government has one among the world's most active state-sponsored cybersecurity programs, the evidence isn't yet clear who is behind the disinformation. But the goal, experts told BuzzFeed News, is to satisfy an unsettled Iranian public by making it believe its government responded harshly to the death of Soleimani, preventing the necessity for the country to escalate the conflict further.

"Iran is engaged during a conflict with the US, but it's also engaged in an information struggle, and therefore the primary audience is its people." "If you tell your people, 'Hey, we killed 80 Americans and wounded 200,' it means you don't get to do anything, right?" David Patrikarakos, a fellow within the Institute of Iranian Studies at the University of St. Andrews and author of War in 140 Characters and Nuclear Iran, told BuzzFeed News. "Iran is engaged during a conflict with the US, but it's also engaged in an information struggle, and therefore the primary audience is its people."

On Twitter, online propagandists impersonated a reporter from the Israeli news outlet Haaretz to push false claims that the Iranian missile strike injured many US service members. They also pretended to be a replacement York Post reporter to share pro-Iranian propaganda. They hacked the Kuwait state press agency to share inaccurately that US military forces would withdraw from Kuwait. Twitter suspended the fake accounts.

Pro-Iranian rumour campaigns were flying before the missile strikes also. On Monday, a US general was forced to deny false claims that he'd been killed, adding that Iran could be behind the social media accounts that claimed he died the day before in Kenya.

"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top folks Africa Command, said. "This is yet one more example of the lies, propaganda and faux news coming from al-Shabaab and other malign actors like Iran and its proxies."

Aviv Ovadya, the founding father of the Thoughtful Technology Project and a fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, explained why pro-Iranian propagandists might attempt such a campaign: to avoid war. "Misinformation is additionally wont to de-escalate conflicts," he told BuzzFeed News, "by saying to a population that you simply have retaliated during a way that caused the aggressor serious harm."

And Iran's government had good reason to send that message to its people. before the drone strikes that killed Soleimani, the deadliest demonstrations since Iran's Islamic Revolution 40 years ago rocked the country. Between November and December 2019, Iranian security forces killed quite 180 people protesting against their government after a spike in gas prices. Soleimani's death brought the country together, said Patrikarakos, a rally-around-the-flag effect that the Iranian government could also be attempting to maximize.

"The conflict is real enough. But Iran is using it now for max private gain," he said. "When people are calling at the streets mourning Soleimani, they aren't there protesting the regime. That's a huge win for them."

Whatever the provenance, or intent, of the disinformation campaign, it does risk further destabilizing already jittery politicians in both nations.

"In this particular political moment that we're in, I might worry about ensuring people in policy-making positions are vetting their information and ensuring it's coming from trusted sources and not just random people on the web ," Nina Jankowicz, a researcher at the Wilson Center think factory, told BuzzFeed News.

A Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Friday that it had not yet seen evidence of state-backed activity. But the company's investigations can take many months, sometimes building off clues provided by government agencies after the very fact. When Twitter is confident that a state backs a disinformation campaign, it'll publish data sets showing what it's found, because it did last June with Iran and Russia. Twitter announces the info within the hopes that exposing malicious behaviour will deter similar actions within the future.

"We're committed to protecting the integrity of data on Twitter during every peak in global conversations," a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "We'll still closely track any suspicious activity that would potentially manipulate the general public conversation and take swift action if and when it does."

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Donald Trump Is Starting To Fixate On Bernie Sanders

President Donald Trump's election campaign is commencing to sharply attack a rising threat to his power: Bernie Sanders.

The Trump campaign place out two statements targeted on Sanders on, and therefore the Green Mountain State legislator was at the highest of the list of individuals the president attacked at his 1st rally of the year in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday night.

"Bernie Sanders — Crazy Bernie! — has condemned the United States military strike on Soleimani, the world's high terrorist," Trump same in his 1st mention of a Democratic candidate at the rally. Sanders has diode the Democratic field in unambiguously inculpatory the strike that killed Iranian information. Qassem Soleimani last week, natural process his position because of the anti-war candidate.

"Bernie goes up. He's billowing. Crazy Bernie is billowing," Trump same in Toledo.

Until now, the Trump campaign has centred abundant of its electronic messaging on former vice-chairman Joe Biden, and Trump's concern over the threat he may create is at the middle of the legal document inquiry against the president. Email blasts sent by Trump's speedy response director, Andrew Clark, generally target Biden, additionally because the Democrats were leading the legal document inquiry, urban centre Pelosi and Adam Schiff. Since early last summer, the Trump campaign's emails have mentioned Sanders solely a couple of times — nearly always as "Crazy Bernie" and sorted with different candidates running.

That's shifted since the beginning of the year, with Sanders each raising extra money than the other Democrat and rising close to the highest of some polls, associate degree unlikely flip once a heart failure in Gregorian calendar month vulnerable to finish the 78-year-old's campaign.

On Wednesday, the day once the Asian nation retaliated for the strike on Soleimani, the campaign sent around a press release oral communication "Bernie Sanders can't be trustworthy to defend Yankee lives." the subsequent day, it discharged a press release assaultive the candidate a lot of broadly speaking, occupation him a "wealthy fossil fuel-guzzling have."

"Bernie Sanders is dangerous," Trump's campaign advocator Tim Murtaugh told BuzzFeed News. "He believes that eliminating the foremost vicious terror chief on the earth sets a nasty 'precedent' associate degreed he uses an equivalent talking point because of the Iranians and Russians by occupation it an 'assassination.' He can't be trustworthy to stay Americans safe."

Since coming into the race this spring, Sanders has positioned himself in competition with Trump the maximum amount like his Democratic rivals. In his eat Iowa and western states like Ohio and Michigan, Sanders has contended that he's the willdidate United Nations agency can peel away malcontent voters from the president during an election, hosting events sort of a "Bernie Beats Trump" tour through Iowa counties that flipped from Barack Obama within the 2012 election to Trump in 2016.

The Sanders campaign same the shift by Trump signalled new concern. "It seems the Trump campaign has discovered what we've identified right along, that is that Bernie Sanders goes to defeat Donald Trump," microphone Casca, the Sanders campaign's communications director, told BuzzFeed News. "Bernie, United Nations agency has spent his entire life standing with the socio-economic class, goes to pay each moment of the overall election reminding operating Americans that Trump was lying once he same he would stand with them which he would finish the endless wars. He's the foremost corrupt president in Yankee history, and Bernie Sanders goes to comb him out of the White House."

Trump has targeted the white working-class voters Sanders has created central to his campaign, and on Thursday, he positioned the party as "the party of the Yankee employee."

"For decades, career politicians secure to defend the employees of Ohio, and so they visited Washington and voted for equivalent globalist policies that wasted your communities and shipped away your jobs," he told the group. "The Democrat politicians we tend to ar fighting nowadays ar an equivalent one's United Nations agency took a sledgehammer to Ohio jobs in factories and destroyed your factories and destroyed your jobs. {they ar| they're} losing and that we are winning."

Trump mentioned different candidates at the rally, as well as Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Biden. He issued a protracted denouncement on the previous vice president's son, Hunter Biden. "I'll tell you — I form of hope it's Joe," he said. "Because he can hear 'Where is Hunter?' every single dialogue, ninefold a dialogue."