Sunday, December 11, 2016
Trump denies CIA Russia meddling report
President-elect Donald Trump has said he "doesn't believe" a CIA assessment that Russian hackers tried to sway the election in his favour.
In an interview with Fox News being broadcast later, he blamed Democrats for "ridiculous" news reports that said Russia was behind the hacks.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied the hacking accusations.
Senior Republicans have now joined Democrats in calling for a full investigation into the intelligence.
Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a joint statement with top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer and others that the CIA's report "should alarm every American".
According to US media which have viewed the Fox interview in advance, Mr Trump also said:
he does not require daily intelligence briefings because he's a "smart person"
his children will run his company but will not "make deals"
the phone call with Taiwan that prompted protests from China was not planned in advance
he won't be bound by "One China" policy unless Beijing makes concessions on trade
a series of big environmental decisions including US participation in the Paris climate change deal will come quickly
Mr Trump, an outsider who stunned the political world by beating Hillary Clinton in last month's election, will assume office on 20 January.
Obama orders intelligence community review of 2016 election hacking
President Obama has ordered his intelligence agencies to conduct a review of hacking during the 2016 presidential election and present their findings before he leaves office, a top adviser said Friday.
Obama's counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco disclosed the review to reporters in Washington Friday morning.
"We maybe have crossed into a new threshold," Monaco said. Monaco did not say if the report would be made public.
The intelligence community already has probed suspected foreign intervention in the U.S. election, having concluded earlier that Russia-backed actors likely were involved in breaching and releasing Democratic Party emails during the 2016 cycle.
The final weeks of the White House race also were rocked by WikiLeaks’ publication of Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s hacked emails.
PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION URGES BETTER CYBERSECURITY
At the time, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange denied the Russian government or any other “state parties” were the source for the 50,000 emails, which fueled weeks of embarrassing coverage for the Clinton campaign detailing behind-the-scenes discussions and arguments among Clinton advisers and family members.
Obama’s directive to his intelligence agencies to conduct a full review and report to him before he leaves office on Jan. 20 could serve to fuel more questions about the integrity of the election – at a time when President-elect Donald Trump’s advisers and allies are battling with Clinton stalwarts still bitter over the race.
Many Democrats believe the disclosures in emails stolen from Democratic Party officials and Podesta’s account benefited Trump. Democratic senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee have asked Obama to declassify more information about Russia's role in the hacks.
Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told “Fox & Friends” on Friday that Democrats “won’t learn the lessons” from the 2016 race.
"A little self-awareness would do for a team that is blaming everybody but themselves for this. It’s Bernie Sanders’ fault … It’s the alt-right’s fault," she said. "It’s … fake news’ fault. It’s Russian interference. It’s James Comey. ... How about you had no message?"
Trump allies also are still trying to fight attempts by Green Party candidate Jill Stein to seek a recount in key battleground states, though so far the recount efforts have sputtered and not made much of a difference in the final tally.
In a separate development, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp confirmed to Fox News on Friday that there was an attempted cyber-breach on his state’s systems in mid-November – and an extensive forensic review linked the IP address to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Kemp said he is unsure whether this was a rogue actor in the department, or an outside party that accessed DHS systems or was spoofing their address.
In a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, Kemp asked whether DHS was aware of the attempt and, “if so, why DHS was attempting to breach our firewall.”
Kempt said the intruder was trying to scan “certain aspects of the Georgia Secretary of State’s infrastructure,” and the breach was unsuccessful.
Obama's counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco disclosed the review to reporters in Washington Friday morning.
"We maybe have crossed into a new threshold," Monaco said. Monaco did not say if the report would be made public.
The intelligence community already has probed suspected foreign intervention in the U.S. election, having concluded earlier that Russia-backed actors likely were involved in breaching and releasing Democratic Party emails during the 2016 cycle.
The final weeks of the White House race also were rocked by WikiLeaks’ publication of Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s hacked emails.
PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION URGES BETTER CYBERSECURITY
At the time, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange denied the Russian government or any other “state parties” were the source for the 50,000 emails, which fueled weeks of embarrassing coverage for the Clinton campaign detailing behind-the-scenes discussions and arguments among Clinton advisers and family members.
Obama’s directive to his intelligence agencies to conduct a full review and report to him before he leaves office on Jan. 20 could serve to fuel more questions about the integrity of the election – at a time when President-elect Donald Trump’s advisers and allies are battling with Clinton stalwarts still bitter over the race.
Many Democrats believe the disclosures in emails stolen from Democratic Party officials and Podesta’s account benefited Trump. Democratic senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee have asked Obama to declassify more information about Russia's role in the hacks.
Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told “Fox & Friends” on Friday that Democrats “won’t learn the lessons” from the 2016 race.
"A little self-awareness would do for a team that is blaming everybody but themselves for this. It’s Bernie Sanders’ fault … It’s the alt-right’s fault," she said. "It’s … fake news’ fault. It’s Russian interference. It’s James Comey. ... How about you had no message?"
Trump allies also are still trying to fight attempts by Green Party candidate Jill Stein to seek a recount in key battleground states, though so far the recount efforts have sputtered and not made much of a difference in the final tally.
In a separate development, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp confirmed to Fox News on Friday that there was an attempted cyber-breach on his state’s systems in mid-November – and an extensive forensic review linked the IP address to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Kemp said he is unsure whether this was a rogue actor in the department, or an outside party that accessed DHS systems or was spoofing their address.
In a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, Kemp asked whether DHS was aware of the attempt and, “if so, why DHS was attempting to breach our firewall.”
Kempt said the intruder was trying to scan “certain aspects of the Georgia Secretary of State’s infrastructure,” and the breach was unsuccessful.
Erdogan's AK Party submits bill to empower presidency
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has submitted to parliament a bill granting extended powers to the presidency and abolishing the prime ministry, among other major changes.
The 21-article constitutional change, if adopted, would take Turkey away from its current parliamentary system, and introduce an executive presidency, a move that worry critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Saturday’s proposed constitutional changes are expected to be discussed at the relevant parliamentary commission first, before the bill is brought to a parliamentary hearing and if passed there, put to a referendum. Government officials have pointed at the spring of 2017 for a possible referendum.
Erdogan became Turkey's first president to be elected by popular vote in 2014, after serving three terms as prime minister.
He said numerous times that the popular vote had transformed his presidency compared to the past presidencies, which were seen as largely ceremonial.
The 21-article constitutional change, if adopted, would take Turkey away from its current parliamentary system, and introduce an executive presidency, a move that worry critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Saturday’s proposed constitutional changes are expected to be discussed at the relevant parliamentary commission first, before the bill is brought to a parliamentary hearing and if passed there, put to a referendum. Government officials have pointed at the spring of 2017 for a possible referendum.
Erdogan became Turkey's first president to be elected by popular vote in 2014, after serving three terms as prime minister.
He said numerous times that the popular vote had transformed his presidency compared to the past presidencies, which were seen as largely ceremonial.
Paolo Gentiloni named as Italy's new prime minister
Italy has gotten its fifth prime minister in as many years - after the resignation of Matteo Renzi in the wake of a crushing referendum defeat.
The man tapped to be the new premier is Paolo Gentiloni, who has served as foreign minister under Mr Renzi.
A soft-spoken, 62-year-old heir to an aristocratic family, Mr Gentiloni is seen as a safe pair of hands to shepherd Italy to its next general election, due in a little over a year.
He is a center-left politician of the Democratic Party and is close to Mr Renzi.
Mr Gentiloni received the mandate from the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, and is now expected to put together a Cabinet.
He said he would try to form the government "as soon as possible" and that it would move "within the same framework" as the reformist government of Mr Renzi.
"I am aware of the urgent need to give Italy a government with full powers," he said.
Mr Gentiloni, if confirmed, will have to deal with a looming crisis in the troubled banking sector and ongoing relief efforts after a series of deadly earthquakes between August and October.
The next general election is due by February 2018. But Mr Gentiloni might survive only a few months as many political parties demand an early vote once a new electoral law is approved by Parliament.
Mr Renzi resigned hours after losing the 4 December referendum on constitutional changes. He had made the reform a centrepiece of his government and staked his premiership on its outcome.
Mr Gentiloni had a career in journalism before moving into politics as a campaign manager for a former Rome mayor, Francesco Rutelli, in the mid 1990s.
He was appointed communications minister in 2006 but his efforts to reform the Italian television market never made it into law.
He became Italy's top diplomat in 2014 - a surprise decision by Mr Renzi given Mr Gentiloni's lack of international experience. Diplomats say he has dealt competently with a number of difficult events, such as the migration crisis.
Mr Gentiloni becomes the fifth Italian prime minister since 2011.
The man tapped to be the new premier is Paolo Gentiloni, who has served as foreign minister under Mr Renzi.
A soft-spoken, 62-year-old heir to an aristocratic family, Mr Gentiloni is seen as a safe pair of hands to shepherd Italy to its next general election, due in a little over a year.
He is a center-left politician of the Democratic Party and is close to Mr Renzi.
Mr Gentiloni received the mandate from the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, and is now expected to put together a Cabinet.
He said he would try to form the government "as soon as possible" and that it would move "within the same framework" as the reformist government of Mr Renzi.
"I am aware of the urgent need to give Italy a government with full powers," he said.
Mr Gentiloni, if confirmed, will have to deal with a looming crisis in the troubled banking sector and ongoing relief efforts after a series of deadly earthquakes between August and October.
The next general election is due by February 2018. But Mr Gentiloni might survive only a few months as many political parties demand an early vote once a new electoral law is approved by Parliament.
Mr Renzi resigned hours after losing the 4 December referendum on constitutional changes. He had made the reform a centrepiece of his government and staked his premiership on its outcome.
Mr Gentiloni had a career in journalism before moving into politics as a campaign manager for a former Rome mayor, Francesco Rutelli, in the mid 1990s.
He was appointed communications minister in 2006 but his efforts to reform the Italian television market never made it into law.
He became Italy's top diplomat in 2014 - a surprise decision by Mr Renzi given Mr Gentiloni's lack of international experience. Diplomats say he has dealt competently with a number of difficult events, such as the migration crisis.
Mr Gentiloni becomes the fifth Italian prime minister since 2011.
Explosion at Cairo's Coptic cathedral kills 25, wounds dozens
A bomb explosion inside the main Coptic Christian cathedral in Egypt's capital, Cairo, has killed 25 people and wounded dozens.
Some reports say a bomb was lobbed into a chapel adjacent to one of the cathedral's walls but others said it was planted inside.
The spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christian community, Pope Tawadros II, has his office in St Mark's Cathedral in the centre of the city.
State television reported that a security official said a bomb made of TNT appeared to have been the cause of the explosion.
Ambulances lined up outside the church in the capital's Abbasiya district to evacuate the dead and wounded.
A crowd gathered outside the church chanted: "Tell the sheikh, tell the priest, Egyptians' blood is not cheap".
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but jihadists in Sinai have targeted Christians before, as well as Muslims they accuse of working with the government.
Cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous, who rushed to the chapel after he heard the blast, said: "I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene."
Another witness Mariam Shenouda said: "Everyone was in a state of shock. There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes."
Some reports say a bomb was lobbed into a chapel adjacent to one of the cathedral's walls but others said it was planted inside.
The spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christian community, Pope Tawadros II, has his office in St Mark's Cathedral in the centre of the city.
State television reported that a security official said a bomb made of TNT appeared to have been the cause of the explosion.
Ambulances lined up outside the church in the capital's Abbasiya district to evacuate the dead and wounded.
A crowd gathered outside the church chanted: "Tell the sheikh, tell the priest, Egyptians' blood is not cheap".
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but jihadists in Sinai have targeted Christians before, as well as Muslims they accuse of working with the government.
Cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous, who rushed to the chapel after he heard the blast, said: "I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene."
Another witness Mariam Shenouda said: "Everyone was in a state of shock. There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes."
Islamic State recaptures ancient Syrian city Palmyra, activists say
Islamic State has regained control of Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, activists and a news agency affiliated with the militant group have said.
The reports came amid conflicting information over the fate of the city in central Syria.
IS re-entered Palmyra on Saturday - the first time since they were expelled nine months ago.
Then heavy Russian airstrikes and Syrian army troops appeared to have repelled the push, forcing the militants to retreat to the city's outskirts.
Now, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants were back in control.
The AMAQ news agency, which is affiliated with Islamic State, said the group had captured a castle overlooking the city.
Russia's defence ministry had said earlier that its jets had launched 64 strikes and killed more than 300 militants during the operation, backing up the Syrian army.
IS has been advancing on the town for days, gaining control of some oil and gas fields on its outskirts along the way.
It was not clear who controlled the fields now.
The IS push in Palmyra comes days the group in the Iraqi city of Mosul launched a major counterattack that surprised Iraqi soldiers, killing at least 20 and halting their advance.
Iraqi special forces units have entered the eastern outskirts of the largest remaining IS-held city in Iraq, but their advance has been greatly slowed by both a desire to limit civilian casualties and the resilience of the IS fighters.
Adama Barrow urges Yahya Jammeh to accept defeat
Adama Barrow, president-elect of The Gambia, has called on Yahya Jammeh to accept the outcome of last week's election after the incumbent overturned the result in a sudden political U-turn.
Jammeh, who has ruled the West African country for 22 years, conceded defeat in a public address last week, but rejected the outcome early on Saturday citing "abnormalities" with the electoral process.
Changing his position on the election results, Jammeh said: "after a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election. I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process."
Barrow said that Jammeh had no constitutional right to reject the results and appealed to him "to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive power".
"I urge him to change his current position and accept the verdict of the people in good faith for the sake of the Gambia our homeland."
Later on Saturday, in a unanimous statement the 15-member UN Security Council demanded Jammeh "respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow".
Jammeh's announcement presents an unexpected and severe challenge to the incoming Barrow administration, which was already grappling with how to take the reins of power and deal with the army, which for two decades was loyal to the president.
The latest official figures gave Barrow a narrower win than initially announced - 43.29 percent of the votes for Barrow and 39.64 for Jammeh. Voter turnout was at 59 percent.
The African Union called Jammeh's rejection of the results "null and void" since he had already conceded defeat.
"The Chairperson of the Commission strongly urges President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition and transfer of power," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, AU chief, said, also calling on The Gambia's security forces to remain neutral.
Widespread unease
Soldiers were seen placing sandbags in strategic locations across the capital Banjul on Friday, a development that prompted widespread unease among the population, who had been panic-buying food before the vote, due to fear of unrest.
Witnesses told Reuters news agency that there was particular nervousness about Jammeh's statement that he would deal harshly with any troublemakers who took to the streets.
Reacting on social media, Isatou Touray, Opposition spokesperson, criticised what she called a "violation of democracy" and called on the people to "remain calm, lucid, vigilant and not retreat".
The US state department said in a statement that Jammeh's rejection of the results was an egregious attempt to undermine a credible election and remain illegitimately in power.
Mankeur Ndiaye, Senegal's foreign minister, called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council and "solemnly" warned Jammeh not to harm Senegal's interests or its citizens in Gambia.
Senegal, which has Gambia's only land border, and entirely surrounds the small riverside country, is a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Its army intervened in Gambia in 1981, during a coup.
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