Former US President Barack Obama will make his first visit to Scotland next month, addressing an event that will benefit children's charities and his own Obama Foundation.
Tickets for a table for 10 at the Edinburgh dinner on 26 May - which is being organised by Sir Tom Hunter's The Hunter Foundation - are expected to sell for about £5,000.
Sir Tom, who is also planning to invite some local young people, said he was "really chuffed" that Mr Obama was going to make the trip.
"From the South Side of Chicago to the White House has been an epic, historic journey and it will be a true honour to hear that story from the man who made that journey," Sir Tom said.
"We are both truly proud and delighted to be hosting the 44th president of the United States in Scotland at this event."
Previous events organised by The Hunter Foundation featured George Clooney, Bill Clinton and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Sir Tom commented: "We're always looking for really inspiring speakers to come along to Scotland, and really inspire and inform.
"To be able to get president Obama, we're really chuffed."
To show just how chuffed he is, Sir Tom is planning a special surprise.
"President Obama loves his music," Sir Tom said, "so we're getting some interesting guests."
It is thought to be one of the former President's first major addresses since his second term in the White House came to an end in January.
In February, he was pictured kitesurfing while holidaying with Sir Richard Branson.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Has Donald Trump really got Chinese president Xi Jinping where he wants him?
Donald Trump announced on his Twitter feed last week that his meeting with China would be "a very difficult one" because of the "massive trade deficits".
Then he threatened them on North Korea, warning: "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will."
On the basis of his public comments so far, the President's agenda for this meeting appears to be burnishing his world leader, 'negotiator-in-chief' credentials, by talking tough with Xi Jinping, and demonstrating the art of how these big geopolitical deals are done.
He may believe he has the Chinese president where he wants him.
After taking a phone call from Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen in December, and warning that the "One China" policy (which acknowledges Taiwan as part of China) was up for grabs, Mr Trump then publicly reaffirmed his commitment to it in February, after his first call with Mr Xi.
The White House read-out afterwards said Mr Trump had agreed to honour the policy "at the request of President Xi". Asked what he had got in return, his press secretary, Sean Spicer, said: "The President always gets something."
So perhaps Mr Trump is about to call in his "something".
Perhaps he feels that by dangling his cooperation on Taiwan over Mr Xi, he can extract concessions on other issues, such as North Korea's nuclear ambitions and American manufacturing jobs.
It might sound like a winning strategy, but it's a dangerous one.
Senior Chinese officials have publicly warned the Trump administration that Taiwan is not a bargaining chip; it is a core national interest, and it will be defended as such.
Attempting to tackle them on this issue would be "like lifting a rock to drop on one's own feet," China's foreign minister said. State media threatened that Beijing would have no choice but to "take off the gloves".
This is not just empty rhetoric. Taiwan is an extremely sensitive issue in China, and this is a crucial year for its leader, Mr Xi, who is cultivating an image of strength as the "core" of the Chinese Communist Party ahead of an important party congress this autumn.
:: Sky Views: Is Trump prepared for war with China?
He has no room for negotiation on this, and would have little option for anything but a hard-line response.
Taiwan, incidentally, is equally keen not to be used as a pawn between the two, and has reportedly sought assurances from Washington to this effect.
As to the big wins Mr Trump seeks to extract in return, perhaps the most powerful negotiating strategy from the Chinese side would be to just ask him what it is he would like them to do.
How should Mr Xi tackle the US trade deficit for instance? Order Chinese companies to cease trade? Stop shipping goods to the States? Does he really expect Mr Trump to lay off large numbers of Chinese workers and risk social unrest, in this critical year, to make American manufacturing great again?
Then there is the charge of currency manipulation, which Candidate Trump liked to beat China with on the campaign trail.
It's true that China is manipulating its currency, but not in the way Mr Trump thinks - long gone are the days of artificially deflating the renminbi (RMB) to help Chinese exports - now China's central bank is burning through billions trying to prop its value up.
Would they like them to stop this, and allow the RMB to fall to its true level?
Then he threatened them on North Korea, warning: "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will."
On the basis of his public comments so far, the President's agenda for this meeting appears to be burnishing his world leader, 'negotiator-in-chief' credentials, by talking tough with Xi Jinping, and demonstrating the art of how these big geopolitical deals are done.
He may believe he has the Chinese president where he wants him.
After taking a phone call from Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen in December, and warning that the "One China" policy (which acknowledges Taiwan as part of China) was up for grabs, Mr Trump then publicly reaffirmed his commitment to it in February, after his first call with Mr Xi.
The White House read-out afterwards said Mr Trump had agreed to honour the policy "at the request of President Xi". Asked what he had got in return, his press secretary, Sean Spicer, said: "The President always gets something."
So perhaps Mr Trump is about to call in his "something".
Perhaps he feels that by dangling his cooperation on Taiwan over Mr Xi, he can extract concessions on other issues, such as North Korea's nuclear ambitions and American manufacturing jobs.
It might sound like a winning strategy, but it's a dangerous one.
Senior Chinese officials have publicly warned the Trump administration that Taiwan is not a bargaining chip; it is a core national interest, and it will be defended as such.
Attempting to tackle them on this issue would be "like lifting a rock to drop on one's own feet," China's foreign minister said. State media threatened that Beijing would have no choice but to "take off the gloves".
This is not just empty rhetoric. Taiwan is an extremely sensitive issue in China, and this is a crucial year for its leader, Mr Xi, who is cultivating an image of strength as the "core" of the Chinese Communist Party ahead of an important party congress this autumn.
:: Sky Views: Is Trump prepared for war with China?
He has no room for negotiation on this, and would have little option for anything but a hard-line response.
Taiwan, incidentally, is equally keen not to be used as a pawn between the two, and has reportedly sought assurances from Washington to this effect.
As to the big wins Mr Trump seeks to extract in return, perhaps the most powerful negotiating strategy from the Chinese side would be to just ask him what it is he would like them to do.
How should Mr Xi tackle the US trade deficit for instance? Order Chinese companies to cease trade? Stop shipping goods to the States? Does he really expect Mr Trump to lay off large numbers of Chinese workers and risk social unrest, in this critical year, to make American manufacturing great again?
Then there is the charge of currency manipulation, which Candidate Trump liked to beat China with on the campaign trail.
It's true that China is manipulating its currency, but not in the way Mr Trump thinks - long gone are the days of artificially deflating the renminbi (RMB) to help Chinese exports - now China's central bank is burning through billions trying to prop its value up.
Would they like them to stop this, and allow the RMB to fall to its true level?
'Mr Potato Head' Don Rickles dies at age of 90
US comedian Don Rickles - the voice of Mr Potato Head in the Toy Story movies - has died at the age of 90.
Rickles' publicist and friend Paul Shefrin said he passed away at his home in Los Angeles from kidney failure.
Born in New York, his rapid-fire delivery was often ad-libbed, Rickles saying that he had developed a brand of 'mockery humour' because he was not good at performing more conventional jokes, earning him the nickname "Mr Warmth".
His style delighted Hollywood royalty, nightclub audiences, and politicians by - all in good fun - hurling invective at them.
Those subject to his put-downs included Dean Martin, Johnny Carson and Frank Sinatra.
When Sinatra attended one of his shows, Rickles quipped: "Hey, Frank, make yourself at home. Hit somebody."
Sinatra laughed.
Rickles' publicist and friend Paul Shefrin said he passed away at his home in Los Angeles from kidney failure.
Born in New York, his rapid-fire delivery was often ad-libbed, Rickles saying that he had developed a brand of 'mockery humour' because he was not good at performing more conventional jokes, earning him the nickname "Mr Warmth".
His style delighted Hollywood royalty, nightclub audiences, and politicians by - all in good fun - hurling invective at them.
Those subject to his put-downs included Dean Martin, Johnny Carson and Frank Sinatra.
When Sinatra attended one of his shows, Rickles quipped: "Hey, Frank, make yourself at home. Hit somebody."
Sinatra laughed.
Working age benefits sacrificed to cut deficit
Bereaved families and those who have three or more children will have their benefits limited after changes to tax credits come into effect today.
Chancellor Philip Hammond told Sky News that the Government has had to make "tough decisions" to help reduce the deficit and honour manifesto commitments.
The Treasury claims tax cuts, which also kick in today, will put more money in people's pockets and help rebalance the economy in favour of working families.
Working age benefits will be frozen from today, a measure which was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne in 2015.
Inflation stands at 2.3%, so the move will amount to a real terms cut for many households.
Added to that, a new two-child limit will apply to the tax credit system, so any third babies born from today won't be entitled to support.
That benefit was worth up to £2,780 a year until the child reached adulthood.
:: UK prices rising faster after Brexit vote
There are also changes to the "family element" of universal credit which will not be paid for any new claims or new babies, although it won't affect families already in the system.
Bereavement payments are changing too with the lump sum paid to families after a parent dies rising to £3,500.
They'll also receive greater monthly payments of £350, but the time limit will be reduced to 18 months.
Previously it was guaranteed until the youngest child left full time education.
:: Households pay £21.31 more for food so far in 2017
The Government's tax cuts also come into effect today with the personal tax allowance - the amount you can earn before you start paying tax - rising to £11,500.
And the threshold for higher rate taxpayers is also going up by £2,000 to £45,000.
Charities, welfare groups and opposition parties say the changes will benefit the wealthy, while struggling working families will feel the pinch.
The Resolution Foundation claims that 80% of the tax gains will go to the richest half of households, while two thirds of the benefit cuts will fall on the poorest third of households.
It suggests that changes to the child tax credit could affect 160,000 families in 2017-18, rising to 640,000 by 2020-21.
A Government spokesman said: "Our reforms are incentivising work and restoring fairness to the system for those who need it as well as the taxpayers who fund it".
"This policy helps ensure that parents on benefits have to make the same choices as those supporting themselves solely through work," he told Sky News.
"Current claimants won't see any reduction in their benefits as a result of this policy, and we will continue to pay child benefit for all children in a household."
Chancellor Philip Hammond told Sky News that the Government has had to make "tough decisions" to help reduce the deficit and honour manifesto commitments.
The Treasury claims tax cuts, which also kick in today, will put more money in people's pockets and help rebalance the economy in favour of working families.
Working age benefits will be frozen from today, a measure which was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne in 2015.
Inflation stands at 2.3%, so the move will amount to a real terms cut for many households.
Added to that, a new two-child limit will apply to the tax credit system, so any third babies born from today won't be entitled to support.
That benefit was worth up to £2,780 a year until the child reached adulthood.
:: UK prices rising faster after Brexit vote
There are also changes to the "family element" of universal credit which will not be paid for any new claims or new babies, although it won't affect families already in the system.
Bereavement payments are changing too with the lump sum paid to families after a parent dies rising to £3,500.
They'll also receive greater monthly payments of £350, but the time limit will be reduced to 18 months.
Previously it was guaranteed until the youngest child left full time education.
:: Households pay £21.31 more for food so far in 2017
The Government's tax cuts also come into effect today with the personal tax allowance - the amount you can earn before you start paying tax - rising to £11,500.
And the threshold for higher rate taxpayers is also going up by £2,000 to £45,000.
Charities, welfare groups and opposition parties say the changes will benefit the wealthy, while struggling working families will feel the pinch.
The Resolution Foundation claims that 80% of the tax gains will go to the richest half of households, while two thirds of the benefit cuts will fall on the poorest third of households.
It suggests that changes to the child tax credit could affect 160,000 families in 2017-18, rising to 640,000 by 2020-21.
A Government spokesman said: "Our reforms are incentivising work and restoring fairness to the system for those who need it as well as the taxpayers who fund it".
"This policy helps ensure that parents on benefits have to make the same choices as those supporting themselves solely through work," he told Sky News.
"Current claimants won't see any reduction in their benefits as a result of this policy, and we will continue to pay child benefit for all children in a household."
Donald Trump: Russia's role in Syria atrocities 'disappointing'
Donald Trump has criticised Russia and suggested the US may take on a more forceful role in Syria after a devastating chemical attack killed dozens of civilians.
During a news conference he told reporters that the poison gas attack, which killed at least 72 people, was an "affront to humanity," which had changed his attitude on dealing with the conflict.
:: Latest: Syria post-mortems 'show chemical weapons used'
Mr Trump said the atrocity - which he blamed on Syrian President Bashar al Assad - "crossed many, many lines," but he stopped short of saying how he would tackle the crisis.
In an interview with The New York Times, the President also said Moscow's role in the long-running civil war was "disappointing" - adding it was a "very sad day for Russia because they're aligned".
His remarks came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia needed to "think carefully about their continued support for the Assad regime", as he warned America was in "no doubt" that the embattled Syrian government was responsible for the attack.
Vice President Mike Pence, who was asked on Fox News whether it was time to renew calls for Mr Assad to be ousted from power, said: "Let me be clear, all options are on the table."
Their comments come a matter of days after several senior Trump administration officials said they were no longer focused on removing Mr Assad from power.
Even though many western countries have blamed the Assad regime for the worst chemical attack seen in Syria for four years, Moscow has insisted that Syrian rebels were behind the attack in Idlib province.
Russian officials said they believed the poison gas contamination was the result of a leak from a rebel chemical weapons depot hit by government airstrikes - a theory described by a senior White House official as not credible.
Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, has also challenged Moscow to stop supporting the regime, and said: "What is your plan? What is your plan to stop these horrific senseless attacks? We had a plan and we had the support and you rejected it to protect Assad."
During a news conference he told reporters that the poison gas attack, which killed at least 72 people, was an "affront to humanity," which had changed his attitude on dealing with the conflict.
:: Latest: Syria post-mortems 'show chemical weapons used'
Mr Trump said the atrocity - which he blamed on Syrian President Bashar al Assad - "crossed many, many lines," but he stopped short of saying how he would tackle the crisis.
In an interview with The New York Times, the President also said Moscow's role in the long-running civil war was "disappointing" - adding it was a "very sad day for Russia because they're aligned".
His remarks came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia needed to "think carefully about their continued support for the Assad regime", as he warned America was in "no doubt" that the embattled Syrian government was responsible for the attack.
Vice President Mike Pence, who was asked on Fox News whether it was time to renew calls for Mr Assad to be ousted from power, said: "Let me be clear, all options are on the table."
Their comments come a matter of days after several senior Trump administration officials said they were no longer focused on removing Mr Assad from power.
Even though many western countries have blamed the Assad regime for the worst chemical attack seen in Syria for four years, Moscow has insisted that Syrian rebels were behind the attack in Idlib province.
Russian officials said they believed the poison gas contamination was the result of a leak from a rebel chemical weapons depot hit by government airstrikes - a theory described by a senior White House official as not credible.
Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, has also challenged Moscow to stop supporting the regime, and said: "What is your plan? What is your plan to stop these horrific senseless attacks? We had a plan and we had the support and you rejected it to protect Assad."
Hero dog dies saving wedding guests from suicide bomber in Nigeria
A dog is being hailed as a hero after stopping a suicide bomber from killing wedding guests.
The guests were in the Nigerian village of Belbelo, near the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, when the teenage bomber tried to detonate her explosives.
Police spokesman Victor Isuku said the bomber, believed to be from Boko Haram, had been making her way into the wedding party on Sunday morning when the dog attacked her.
"This forced the suspect to detonate her explosive, while battling to wriggle herself from the claws and jaws of the dog," he said in a statement reported by Nigerian media.
"The dog stopped the teenage suicide bomber from detonating her strapped improvised explosive devices on the wedding crowd of people."
No guests were injured but the dog was killed by the explosion, alongside the bomber.
No further details were given about the dog, which is understood to have belonged to one of the wedding party guests.
:: Boko Haram teen bride paid 40p for suicide bombing in northern Nigeria
Mr Isuku said the attempted bombing happened just a few hours after three other suicide bombers blew themselves up at two other locations not far from the wedding ceremony.
Islamist group Boko Haram has a history of using women or children for such assaults, especially in Borno state, of which Maiduguri is the capital.
The females can be used as sex slaves or human bombs, while boys are also abducted and forced to fight.
Back in December, two girls, thought to be aged seven or eight, were blamed for a double suicide bombing in Maiduguri that killed one person and injured 17.
Boko Haram has been fighting Nigeria's government since 2009 to impose hardline Islamic rule over the country's mainly Muslim north.
Since then, at least 20,000 people have been killed, more than 2.5 million have had to flee their homes and thousands of women and girls have been abducted by the group.
Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has said the Islamic uprising had been "technically defeated".
However, the Nigerian army is still struggling against the suicide attacks, looting and indiscriminate killing.
The guests were in the Nigerian village of Belbelo, near the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, when the teenage bomber tried to detonate her explosives.
Police spokesman Victor Isuku said the bomber, believed to be from Boko Haram, had been making her way into the wedding party on Sunday morning when the dog attacked her.
"This forced the suspect to detonate her explosive, while battling to wriggle herself from the claws and jaws of the dog," he said in a statement reported by Nigerian media.
"The dog stopped the teenage suicide bomber from detonating her strapped improvised explosive devices on the wedding crowd of people."
No guests were injured but the dog was killed by the explosion, alongside the bomber.
No further details were given about the dog, which is understood to have belonged to one of the wedding party guests.
:: Boko Haram teen bride paid 40p for suicide bombing in northern Nigeria
Mr Isuku said the attempted bombing happened just a few hours after three other suicide bombers blew themselves up at two other locations not far from the wedding ceremony.
Islamist group Boko Haram has a history of using women or children for such assaults, especially in Borno state, of which Maiduguri is the capital.
The females can be used as sex slaves or human bombs, while boys are also abducted and forced to fight.
Back in December, two girls, thought to be aged seven or eight, were blamed for a double suicide bombing in Maiduguri that killed one person and injured 17.
Boko Haram has been fighting Nigeria's government since 2009 to impose hardline Islamic rule over the country's mainly Muslim north.
Since then, at least 20,000 people have been killed, more than 2.5 million have had to flee their homes and thousands of women and girls have been abducted by the group.
Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has said the Islamic uprising had been "technically defeated".
However, the Nigerian army is still struggling against the suicide attacks, looting and indiscriminate killing.
Theresa May warns internet giants over extremist material
Theresa May has warned internet giants they are failing to deal with the scourge of online extremist material.
Speaking to reporters on her trip to the Middle East, Mrs May was asked specifically about Google and its YouTube video sharing service.
The Prime Minister said some progress had been made in tackling terror and hate being spread in cyberspace, but more must be done.
Mrs May said: "We continue to talk to the companies. The Home Secretary met them last week.
"We think that there is more that they could and should be doing and we will be continuing to encourage them to do more."
She said approximately 250,000 pieces of material have been taken down from the internet through the counterterrorism internet referral unit since 2010.
Mrs May added: "The Government has already spent quite a lot of time talking with the companies about what they can do and what we think they should be doing. They have made some progress.
"I think it's very important that we do see action from the companies.
"We will continue to press them to make sure, because as we know, material on the internet can have an impact when it is seen by other people."
In the wake of the Westminster terror attack last month, Home Secretary Amber Rudd met with Google, Twitter, and Facebook to discuss the amount of extremist material on the sites.
Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Ms Rudd warned the firms would "get a lot more than a ticking off" and insisted social media companies must do more as part of the drive to combat terrorism.
Ms Rudd also called for encrypted networks to build "back doors" into their system so terrorists' messages can be accessed during investigations.
Her comments came after it emerged that Westminster attacker Khalid Masood sent an encrypted message via WhatsApp just minutes before his murderous assault.
While in Riyadh, Mrs May has also held talks with Saudi security officials and ministers about the shared problem of so-called "foreign fighters" returning from fighting for Islamic State in Syria.
Speaking to reporters on her trip to the Middle East, Mrs May was asked specifically about Google and its YouTube video sharing service.
The Prime Minister said some progress had been made in tackling terror and hate being spread in cyberspace, but more must be done.
Mrs May said: "We continue to talk to the companies. The Home Secretary met them last week.
"We think that there is more that they could and should be doing and we will be continuing to encourage them to do more."
She said approximately 250,000 pieces of material have been taken down from the internet through the counterterrorism internet referral unit since 2010.
Mrs May added: "The Government has already spent quite a lot of time talking with the companies about what they can do and what we think they should be doing. They have made some progress.
"I think it's very important that we do see action from the companies.
"We will continue to press them to make sure, because as we know, material on the internet can have an impact when it is seen by other people."
In the wake of the Westminster terror attack last month, Home Secretary Amber Rudd met with Google, Twitter, and Facebook to discuss the amount of extremist material on the sites.
Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Ms Rudd warned the firms would "get a lot more than a ticking off" and insisted social media companies must do more as part of the drive to combat terrorism.
Ms Rudd also called for encrypted networks to build "back doors" into their system so terrorists' messages can be accessed during investigations.
Her comments came after it emerged that Westminster attacker Khalid Masood sent an encrypted message via WhatsApp just minutes before his murderous assault.
While in Riyadh, Mrs May has also held talks with Saudi security officials and ministers about the shared problem of so-called "foreign fighters" returning from fighting for Islamic State in Syria.
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