Ex-aide Bannon has lost his mind - Trump


Former White House aide Steve Bannon "lost his mind" after he lost his job at the White House, US President Donald Trump has said.
The president disavowed Mr Bannon after he was quoted in a new book describing a meeting between Mr Trump's son and a group of Russians as "treasonous".
The Russians had offered Donald Trump Jr damaging information on Hillary Clinton at the June 2016 meeting.
Mr Bannon's quote appears in a new book by journalist Michael Wolff.
"Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind," Mr Trump said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates, often described as the most talented field ever assembled in the Republican party," he continued.
"Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isn't as easy as I make it look. Steve had very little to do with our historic victory, which was delivered by the forgotten men and women of this country."
Mr Bannon, the president's former chief strategist, was considered a key player in the Trump White House and helped shape Mr Trump's "America First" campaign message before he left his post in August.
He returned to his role as the head of the right-wing Breitbart News website, where he said he planned to help Mr Trump's administration as a "wingman outside".
Mr Trump reportedly spoke to Mr Bannon as recently as 13 December, the day of the special US Senate election in Alabama that saw the defeat of Republican Roy Moore, whom Mr Bannon supported.
The president reportedly spoke to his former chief strategist for 15 minutes, according to the New York Times.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said she believed Mr Trump's last conversation with Mr Bannon took place "in the early part of December".
The president's comments came hours after the explosive new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, revealed that Mr Bannon called Mr Trump Jr's meeting "treasonous" and "unpatriotic".
Speaking to the author, Mr Bannon said of the investigation into whether there was any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign: "They're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV."
Mr Wolff's book also alleges that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told Mr Trump during a meeting last February that the British intelligence services may have been spying on him and his campaign, according to a report in The Times newspaper.
In March the then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer told journalists UK intelligence services could have been involved in an alleged spying operation on Trump Tower in New York. GCHQ said the allegation was "nonsense".
The Times says Mr Blair was hoping to get a job advising Mr Trump on the Middle East. A spokeswoman for Mr Blair told The Times that the allegations were a "total fabrication" and said Mr Blair had not suggested himself as Mr Trump's Middle East envoy.

An inevitable break-up

Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington
Donald Trump swept to the presidency in part on the back of Steve Bannon and his Breitbart conservative media empire. Now we will see how he fares when he's at war with them.
The president's blistering reply to Mr Bannon's comments appears to indicate that the bridge between the politician and his ideological spirit guide has been reduced to cinders. But how will Mr Trump's legion of supporters react? It is never wise to underestimate their dedication to the man himself, above all else.
No matter the outcome of this coming battle, this has to be viewed as a devastating failure for Mr Bannon personally. After spending years advocating for an anti-establishment conservative populism, he finally had a seat in the halls of power. He said in early 2017 that his goal was nothing short of the "deconstruction of the administrative state".
Now he is on the outside again, besieged by long-time antagonists and former allies. His president recently signed a tax bill embraced by corporate interests. His first post-2016 foray into elective politics, the Alabama Senate race, ended in humiliating defeat.
Perhaps, given all this, the Bannon-Trump feud was as inevitable as it is certain to be vicious.

Emails show Mr Trump Jr agreed to meet Russian associates in June 2016 on the premise that they had damaging information against his father's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. The meeting was also attended by Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and aide, and then campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Mr Bannon reportedly told Mr Wolff that the three senior campaign officials "should have called the FBI immediately" after the meeting, according to US media reports.
The Senate, House of Representatives and a special counsel are all investigating alleged Russian interference in the presidential election and alleged attempts to undermine Mrs Clinton - a claim denied by the Kremlin. Mr Trump has also vehemently denied any collusion.
Mrs Sanders described the book as "filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House".
"Participating in a book that can only be described as a trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy".


Trump blasts Pakistan 'deceit' in first tweet of the year


President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving the United States while receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid.
In his first tweet of the year, he also alleged Pakistan harboured terrorists.
Pakistan reacted angrily to the tweet, saying all the funding was accounted for and that Mr Trump was bitter due to the "US defeat in Afghanistan".
The US is considering withholding more than $250m (£185m) in aid that it delayed sending to Islamabad in August.
The move is being considered due to Pakistan's perceived failure to crack down more effectively on terror groups, The New York Times reports.
"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," Mr Trump wrote.
He added: "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told Pakistan's Geo TV: "We have already told the US that we will not do more, so Trump's 'no more' does not hold any importance,"Pakistan is ready to publicly provide every detail of the US aid that it has received."‏
US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale was summoned to the foreign officeon Monday to hear a protest over Mr Trump's tweet.
Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan tweeted that the US had given Pakistan "nothing but invective & mistrust".
Mr Trump has criticised Pakistan for offering a "safe haven" to terrorists in the past.
In a speech in August, he said: "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting."
"It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace", he added.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also put pressure on Pakistan over its perceived backing for the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The US is a key ally to the country, which enjoys a special status as a non-Nato alliance partner.
But Mr Tillerson has said aid funding "could be on the table for discussion if in fact they are unwilling to change their posture or change their approach to how they are dealing with the numerous terrorist organisations that find safe haven in Pakistan".
Pakistan has already had millions of dollars of US aid withheld for allegedly not taking enough action against the Taliban-allied Haqqani network.
The New York Times said US officials had been denied access to a member of the organisation who they believed could help with information on an American hostage.
The Afghan Ambassador to the US Hamdullah Mohib and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai both welcomed Mr Trump's latest tweet.
Mr Karzai said the tweet "on Pakistan's duplicitous position over the past 15 years is vindication that the war on terror is not in bombing Afghan villages and homes but in the sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan".

Time's Up: Women launch campaign to fight sexual harassment


More than 300 actresses, writers and directors have launched a project to help fight sexual harassment in the film industry and other workplaces.
The initiative, which is called Time's Up, was announced via a full-page advert printed in the New York Times.
The Hollywood project is described as a "unified call for change from women in entertainment for women everywhere".
It comes in the wake of sexual abuse allegations by high-profile actresses against film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Legal funding

In a "solidarity letter" published on its website, Time's Up says the "struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard" must end, adding: "Time's up on this impenetrable monopoly."
The letter, which is aimed at "every woman... who has had to fend off sexual advances", goes on to say that such harassment can often continue because "perpetrators and employers never face any consequences".
The campaign, which is backed by hundreds of actresses including Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Eva Longoria and Emma Stone, has already raised more than $13m (£9.6m) of its $15m target.
The money raised will be used to fund legal support for both female and male victims of sexual harassment at work.
The project is aimed primarily at those who are unable to meet the payments to defend themselves, such as agricultural or factory workers, caretakers and waitresses.
It also calls for "gender inequality and the imbalance of power" to be addressed, stressing the need for more women to gain positions of authority and parity of pay.
In December, Time magazine named "the Silence Breakers" - women and men who spoke out against sexual abuse and harassment - as its "Person of the Year" for 2017.
Last year also saw the rise of the #MeToo hashtag, which inspired a global movement of women and men to share their stories of sexual abuse and harassment.
The term gained momentum after actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter to ask victims of sexual assault to come forward in a show of solidarity.


One treated after fire in Manchester block of flats


One person was taken to hospital after a large fire broke out in a block of flats in Manchester city centre.
The blaze started at about 16:00 GMT on the ninth floor of a 12-storey block in Joiner Street, near the Arndale Centre, before spreading to other floors.
The fire service said four properties were affected and a 23-year-old man was treated for smoke inhalation.
The service said flames had spread to the other floors via wooden balconies and no external cladding was involved.

'Temporary accommodation'

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue said the eighth floor of the 12-storey building - which adjoins a 20-storey block - suffered smoke damage, while floors 10 and 11 were affected externally.
At the height of the incident 12 fire appliances were at the scene, including aerial appliances.
"A number of people have been evacuated and temporary accommodation will be set up for those who need it," the force said in a statement.
"Crews remain on the scene making sure the building and the area are safe."
The force said the man who was treated for smoke inhalation was taken to hospital by a family member.
Shoppers watched as fire crews dealt with the fire.
Eyewitness Les Gunn said there had been "lots of smoke and debris".
Mark Denby, who had been in a nearby cafe, said: "There were groups of people congregating on street corners looking up at a tower block and I saw a building ablaze... and flames licking up the side of the building.
"The flames kept going up the side of the building - it was pretty horrifying."
'Heroic job'
He said fire engines had arrived "in quick succession" and people applauded the crews for "doing a heroic job".
Andrew Hirst, 36, said cheering could be heard as fire crews put out the blaze.
He said: "You could hear the crowd's cheers as it was going down and you could see the torches from the firemen searching the burned out apartments right next door to the other apartments that were still frighteningly ablaze."
Earlier the fire service tweeted: "The fire had spread to multiple floors but we have things well under control here."It said emergency services, including police and paramedics, had done an "amazing job".
Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell tweeted that the building was "safely evacuated"."Paramedics & others are at the scene to triage all those affected but no serious injuries known."
BBC Sport journalist Saj Chowdhury, who was near the scene, said the fire was "doused quite quickly".Police said there were road closures in Joiner Street and in Church Street, between High Street and Tib Street.






Iran protests: Violence on third day of demonstrations

Some anti-establishment protests happening in Iranian cities have turned violent, video footage shows.
They began three days ago - initially in protest at falling living standards - and are the biggest show of dissent since huge pro-reform rallies in 2009.
Demonstrators have ignored a warning by Iran's interior minister to avoid "illegal gatherings".
Two demonstrators are reported dead in Dorud after sustaining gunshot wounds in a video posted on social media.
Videos filmed elsewhere in the country show protesters setting fire to a police vehicles and there are reports of attacks on government buildings.

What started the protests?

The current protests began in Mashhad on Thursday over living standards and rising food prices, and by Friday had spread to several major cities.
The Iranian authorities are blaming anti-revolutionaries and agents of foreign powers for the outbreak.
Overall, the numbers said to be taking part in demonstrations range from hundreds in some places to thousands in others - but demonstrations do not appear to be taking place on a massive scale.
Slogans have been chanted against both Mr Rouhani and Mr Khamenei, and clerical rule in general.
Demonstrators were reportedly heard on Friday yelling slogans like "The people are begging, the clerics act like God".
There is also anger at Iran's interventions abroad. In Mashhad, some chanted "not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran", a reference to what protesters say is the administration's focus on foreign rather than domestic issues.

What's happening now?

Much of the information about what is occurring is emerging on social media, making it difficult to confirm anything.
In the town of Abhar in northern Iran, demonstrators have set fire to large banners bearing the picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Meanwhile in Arak in central Iran, protesters have reportedly set fire to the local headquarters of the pro-government Basij militia.
In the capital Tehran, large numbers of protesters gathered at Azadi square, BBC Persian reports. A senior Revolutionary Guards' figure in Tehran said the situation in the city was under control.
Demonstrators would be met with "the nation's iron fist" if they continued, Brigadier-General Esmail Kowsari told student news agency ISNA.
In Mashhad, in the north-east, protesters burned police motorcycles in a confrontation caught on video.
There are also numerous reports of people losing internet access on their mobile phones.
In Kermanshah, western Iran, a demonstrator called Makan told BBC Persian that protesters were beaten up "but we couldn't tell if it was the police or the Basij militia".
"I'm not protesting against President Rouhani - and yes he needs to improve the economy - but it's the system that is rotten," he said. "It's the Islamic Republic and its institutions that need reform."
Earlier, protesters at Tehran University called for Ayatollah Khamenei to step down and there were clashes with police.
Thousands of pro-government demonstrators turned out earlier on Saturday for big rallies across the country, organised in advance to mark the eighth anniversary of the suppression of the 2009 street protests.

'An eye-opening three days'

By BBC Persian correspondent Kasra Naji
Although small, the anti-government protests on Saturday took on a much greater importance than the government-sponsored rallies.
It's not every day that there are thousands of people voicing opposition to the government.
As night fell, reports were still coming of protests in at least nine cities. There have been clashes with the police in some places.
The common factor in all of them has been protesters' demand for an end to clerical rule in Iran.
Widespread discontent is not limited to complaints about rising prices or widespread unemployment.
It has been an eye-opening three days for the government, which has been careful not to provoke the protesters too much.

What has the reaction been?

The CEO of popular mobile messaging app Telegram said an Iranian account had been suspended for calling for attacks on police, after a complaint by Iran's communications minister.
In the US, President Donald Trump tweeted: "Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!"
Iran's foreign ministry called earlier comments from Mr Trump and other US officials "opportunistic and deceitful".


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