Trump opens first presidential trip abroad in Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump opened his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down Saturday in Saudi Arabia for a visit aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region and moving past the controversies engulfing his young administration. Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One.

Mandel Ngan/Afp/Getty Images Trump opens first presidential trip abroad in Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump opened his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down Saturday in Saudi Arabia for a visit aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region and moving past the controversies engulfing his young administration. Trump flew to Riyadh overnight on Air Force One.

Trump speech: terror war is a battle between good and evil

Draft of Trump's Saudi speech calls terror fight 'a battle between good and evil' - but omits the magic phrase 'radical Islamic terrorism' and says 'we are not here to lecture' Arabs Donald Trump's first overseas speech as president will frame the global fight against ISIS and other Islamist terror groups as 'a battle between good and evil' - but omits the phrase 'radical Islamic terrorism' - according to a draft the Associated Press reported seeing late on Friday. Last year the president repeatedly lambasted his predecessor Barack Obama and his Democratic election opponent Hillary Clinton for avoiding that phrase, but he appears prepared to follow suit when he addresses a multi-nation Muslim summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

In draft of speech, Trump using softer language about Islam

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, wave as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Friday, May 19, 2017, prior to his departure on his first overseas trip. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, wave as they board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Friday, May 19, 2017, prior to his departure on his first overseas trip.

Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia on first presidential foreign trip

US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud stop for coffee, in the presence of First Lady Melania Trump , in the terminal of King Khalid International Airport following Trump's arrival in Riyadh on May 20, 2017.

Worldwide effort set to keep Trump happy on first trip abroad

A giant billboard bearing portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman is seen on a main road in Riyadh, on May 19, 2017. A giant billboard bearing portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman is seen on a main road in Riyadh, on May 19, 2017.

Trump embarks on his first big foreign trip amid turmoil in U.S.

This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: Trump is leaving Friday for his first foreign trip, to the Mideast and beyond, and aides had hoped the disarray at home would have been calmed if not resolved by takeoff time.

Trump to Muslims on first foreign trip: Drive out terrorists

President Donald Trump will use his first visit to the Middle East to call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a "battle between good and evil" and urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. Abandoning some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign, the draft of the speech, slated to be delivered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, envisions new partnerships with America's traditional allies in the Middle East.

Tom Hardy cast as “Spider-Man” baddie Venom

The FBI is now involved in the investigation of an "unprovoked" college campus killing. Early Saturday morning, a black student from Bowie State Univers... -- In his first high-stakes speech abroad on Sunday, President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern nations to "drive out" extremists.&ldqu... The Ag Secretary made a trip to the ranch of Senator Deb Fischer to meet with those in agriculture.

Saudis paid for US veteran trips against 9/11 lawsuit law

A Saudi-funded lobbying campaign involving U.S. military veterans that targeted a new law allowing Sept. 11 victims' families to sue the Middle Eastern country in U.S. courts saw some organizers disclose their activities late or vaguely, stymieing public knowledge of the scale of foreign influence in the campaign.

Saudi Arabia Says Some Oil Producers Reach Deal to Extend Cuts

Gulf Arab oil producers have reached an agreement about a possible extension of output cuts beyond June to reduce stockpiles of crude, Oman's oil minister said. His Saudi Arabian counterpart confirmed that producers arrived at an initial deal on prolonging the cuts.

Trump has ‘verbally’ confirmed visit to the Philippines – official

UNITED STATES President Donald Trump is slated to make his maiden official visit to the Philippines to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit this November, says a Filipino official. Responding to a question fielded by a reporter during a press conference on Wednesday, the Asean 2017 National Organizing Council director-general for operations Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr, said Trump had "verbally" confirmed his attendance for the summit.

U.S. lawmakers raise doubts on sale of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia

A group of U.S. lawmakers said on Monday they had requested more information from President Donald Trump's administration about the potential sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, expressing concern about civilian casualties in Riyadh's campaign in Yemen that delayed the deal last year. Thirty mostly Democratic lawmakers signed the letter to U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, citing expectations that the administration plans to go ahead with the sale.

Saudi Arabia, Israel present de facto united front against Iran

Saudi Arabia and Israel both called on Sunday for a new push against Iran, signaling a growing alignment in their interests, while US lawmakers promised to seek new sanctions on the Shi'ite Muslim power. Turkey also joined the de facto united front against Tehran as Saudi and Israeli ministers rejected an appeal from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for Sunni Gulf Arab states to work with Tehran to reduce violence across the region.