Leonid Bershidsky:

Donald Trump is not one to mince words: He says he doesn’t care if the European Union breaks up, since it is “basically a vehicle for Germany” and calls the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe’s main defense arrangement, “obsolete.” With these statements, the next U.S. president drew sharp battle lines: He, U.K. Brexiteers and other euroskeptics on one side and the rest of Europe on the other.

Uncertainty Over UK Ambassador’s Post; Interim Envoy Was Caught Up…

Lewis Lukens, currently interim charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in London, worked closely with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department from 2008-2011. London With a proposed state visit to the United Kingdom by President Donald Trump reportedly pushed back until the fall, there is also a hint of uncertainty about when Britain will see its next American ambassador.

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 5 Mar 2017

Donald Trump has been urged to provide evidence to support his sensational claim that Barack Obama ordered his phones to be tapped during the election campaign. Republican senator Ben Sasse said the US President’s allegations were “serious” and he should explain the alleged wire-tapping and how he came to know about it.

Today in History

In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed her accession to the British throne following the death of her father, King George VI.

Thousands protest in US, Europe over Trump travel ban

From London and Paris to New York and Washington, thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in American and European cities to protest US President Donald Trump’s travel ban amid a fierce legal battle over the order. The biggest demonstration by far took place in the British capital, where an estimated 10,000 people turned out, chanting “Theresa May: Shame on You” to denounce the British prime minister’s support for the new US leader.

Obama WH photographer throws more shade at Trump

Since we first posted this story, former President Barack Obama’s chief photographer, Pete Souza, the man who documented almost every impactful moment of the Obama presidency, continues to post images to his Instagram account, and its 738,000 followers, in response to President Donald Trump’s actions and policies. A silent, social media, shade-throwing protest told in visuals from the millions of images in Souza’s archive, the photos appear to be Souza’s expression of opposition to the recent moves of the Trump administration.

Nikki Haley just delivered the Trump administration’s most hawkish words yet toward Russia

The US ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday delivered the Trump administration’s strongest words toward Russia since Trump took office. UN ambassador Nikki Haley declared that existing US sanctions would stay in place against Russia stemming from its annexation of the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine, amid renewed fighting in the eastern part of the country this week.

Putin visit to Hungary reveals regional divide over Russia

” A visit by President Vladimir Putin to Hungary this week reveals the vastly different reactions to Putin’s Russia in countries formerly under Moscow’s yoke, and highlights the very different challenges those countries will face in working with the new U.S. administration. On one end of the spectrum is Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government is treating Putin’s visit Thursday as a major event, and where a refurbished memorial to Soviet soldiers who died in World War II was unveiled ahead of his visit.

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Merkel said there’s no solution yet to the problem of how to fairly … . President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.

Trump to honour refugee swap deal with Australia – source

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration will honour a refugee resettlement deal with Australia, a source close to the Australian government said on Sunday. Trump spoke by telephone with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier on Sunday, officials in both countries said, one of a number of conversations the new U.S. president held with world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Trump to honor refugee swap deal with Australia: source

U.S. President Donald Trump , seated at his desk with National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and senior advisor Steve Bannon , speaks by phone with Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January… President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration will honor a refugee resettlement deal with Australia, a source close to the Australian government said on Sunday.

On a busy Saturday, Trump to call world leaders and sign more orders

On a busy Saturday, Trump to call world leaders and sign more orders The Saturday schedule follows a dizzying nine days of action from the new president. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2jHSEje WASHINGTON – Saturday is a full working day in the White House, with President Trump scheduled to make a round of phone calls to world leaders and sign more executive orders.

Time Out with Jenness Mitchell

AFTER calling Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” during a US Presidential debate, Donald Trump’s insult quickly began to trend amongst his opponent’s supporters. At the moment it looks as if Anne Hathaway will join Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson in the two lead roles.

Trump brings Churchill bust back to Oval Office

President Donald Trump restored the bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office immediately after assuming the presidency on Friday, the most notable move in an aesthetic redecoration of the space. Trump signed his first executive orders at the Resolute Desk before new gold curtains with a blue trim, a new sunburst-patterned carpet and new brocade couches.

Schapiro ends as US ambassador on Friday, family stays in Prague

The U.S. ambassador to Prague, Andrew Schapiro, will leave the post on Friday, he told journalists on Tuesday, adding that he will be returning to the Czech Republic because his children will complete their school attendance in the current school year in the country. Schapiro will leave his office on the day of the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Republican Donald Trump.

Trump Endorses American Geopolitical Suicide

Quoted in German from a conversation held in English, Trump predicted Britain’s exit from the EU will be a success and portrayed the EU as an instrument of German domination with the purpose of beating the U.S. in international trade. For that reason, Trump said, he’s fairly indifferent whether the EU breaks up or stays together, according to Bild.

Obama says goodbye

NOVEMBER 16: U.S. President Barack Obama waves before descending from Air Force One upon his arrival on November 16, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. President Obama is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel tomorrow and hold talks with other European leaders on Friday as part of his last trip to Europe as President before continuing to Peru.

Tuesday newspaper round-up: Retail sales, Tesco, Whitbread

UK retail sales continued to grow at the end of last year as Britons made a late dash for Christmas gifts and festive foods, according to industry figures that add to signs the economy ended 2016 on a strong note. The British Retail Consortium pointed to challenges ahead from rising costs and political uncertainty but said its members went into the new year having enjoyed solid sales growth over the crucial Christmas period.

UKa s Johnson woos Trump after May signals clean break with EU

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will meet with key congressional leaders in Washington on Monday as the U.K. seeks to strengthen ties with Donald Trump’s incoming administration a day after Prime Minister Theresa May signaled Britain may quit the European Union single market. The pound fell to a 10-week low after May said in a Sky News television interview on Sunday that leaving the EU will be about “getting the right relationship, not about keeping bits of membership,” suggesting Britain may opt for a so-called hard Brexit.

The Midge: ‘Vague, indecisive, and just like Brown’ … Looks like press honeymoon is over for May

The Midge: GPs want health cash targeted at poorest; Scots Tories to hold conference in Glasgow; unions point finger on inequality Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere. Trump voices fresh scepticism about Russian interference in US election a May to visit Trump ‘next month’ a Retired senior British official says UK cannot buy access to single market a East is East actor Om Puri dies in India a Iceberg quarter of the size of Wales about to break off from ice shelf in Antarctica.

Garbage trucks to block possible Times Square truck attacks

Massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday, describing a security measure meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France. The placement of the 65 trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square is a new element to an already heavily policed event that will include 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs.

AP Poll: US election voted top news story of 2016

This Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 file photo shows the front pages of various British newspapers in London reporting on Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential election. Widely viewed as a long shot, with an unconventional campaign featuring raucous rallies and pugnacious tweets, he outlasted 16 Republican rivals.

Could Angela Merkel save lives by outlawing Christmas?

In the wake of the news that most probably a radical Muslim has driven into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least twelve people and injuring dozens more , the question arises: should Germany outlaw Christmas? After all, it was a Christmas market that triggered the attacker. And even if the attacker wasn’t triggered by the Christmas holiday, such gatherings of Christians make them an easy target for Muslim attackers.