President Donald Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court Nominee

On Monday, President Trump announced D.C. appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, as his pick for the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Kavanaugh is a father-of-2 who served as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for 12 years.
Even before Trump announced Kavanaugh as his pick on Monday night, Democrats promised an epic confirmation battle to delay his confirmation.

But President Trump has enough votes to confirm his Supreme Court pick.
Protestors gathered outside the Supreme Court hours before Trump announced his SCOTUS pick.
Kavanaugh is Trump’s 2nd SCOTUS nominee since his election in 2016. Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch to the bench in 2017.

Trump passed over Chicago appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett as his SCOTUS pick due to the uphill battle he would face to get her confirmed.
Democrats and liberals argued that Coney Barrett is a staunch conservative with anti-abortion and anti-LGBT views.
Democrats opposed Coney Barrett’s devout Catholicism and her affiliation with a church that teaches traditional American values, such as wives submitting to their husbands.
Coney Barrett, 46, and her husband Jesse have seven children, including two girls adopted from Haiti (pictured).
Justice Kennedy will retire on July 31 after 30 years on the bench.

Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis quit

Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis has resigned two days after the cabinet approved a plan to retain strong alignment with the European Union even after leaving the bloc, British media reported on Sunday .

The resignation will be a blow to Prime Minister Theresa May, who is trying to win over Brexit hardliners in her own Conservative Party ahead of a fresh round of negotiations with Brussels this month.

A long - time eurosceptic , Davis was appointed two years ago to head up the newly- created Department for Exiting the European Union after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a historic referendum .

He became the face of Brexit, leading the British delegation in talks with Brussels , although his role was overshadowed in recent months as May and her aides took an increasingly key role in the negotiations .
The 69 - year - old had reportedly threatened to quit several times over a perceived lack of firmness in Britain’s negotiating stance but had remained strictly loyal to the prime minister in public.

The resignation comes just hours before May was due in parliament to explain her plan for Britain to adopt EU rules on goods after Brexit , amid anger from MPs in her own party who want a cleaner break .
Conservative MP Peter Bone said Davis had “done the right thing”, adding: “The PM ’ s proposals for a Brexit in name only are not acceptable. ”
Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery said: “This is absolute chaos and Theresa May has no authority left . ”
May’s plan would create a free trade area with the EU for goods, to protect supply chains in areas such as manufacturing, while maintaining flexibility for Britain’ s dominant service sector .

It is unclear whether Brussels will accept this , after repeatedly warning Britain it cannot “cherry - pick ” bits of its single market.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson , a leading Brexit supporter, was widely reported to have described the plan as a “turd” before agreeing to support it.
– Special forces training –
Davis, a sharp operator and a gut -instinct politician , was a “Leave ” campaigner in the referendum on Britain’s EU membership.

He was well acquainted with the Brussels beat : he was Europe minister between 1994 and 1997 as the European issue tore apart then Conservative prime minister John Major ’s government.
Born to a single mother and brought up on a public housing estate in London, Davis went on to study molecular and computer sciences at Warwick University in central England.
From there , he took a higher degree in business at the London Business School , attending the advanced management programme at elite US university Harvard while pursuing a career on the board of sugar giant Tate and Lyle .

Davis also served as a reservist in the Special Air Service, the British army’s elite special force unit.
Noted for his love of climbing and flying , his ascent in politics began in 1987 when he was elected to parliament, representing a seat in northern England .

He became a government whip ensuring party discipline and later , as Major ’s Europe minister, delighted in the nickname “Monsieur Non ”. Davis then chaired the powerful public accounts committee in the lower House of Commons from 1997 to 2001 . He ran for the Conservative leadership in 2001 and came fourth, but was made party chairman.

Davis was the front - runner in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership contest, but lost out to David Cameron, shedding momentum after a party conference speech fell flat .
He stayed on as the party’s home affairs spokesman , but dramatically resigned his seat to force a by -election in protest at the Labour government’s erosion of civil liberties. He won the seat back but the move cost him his place in Cameron ’s top team .

When the Conservatives returned to power in 2010 , he never got a government post and spent his time on the backbenches campaigning on civil liberties issues .

When Cameron resigned after defeat in the Brexit referendum , Davis was appointed back in government by May, Cameron’ s replacement.

Philippines President Calls God ‘stupid’ - Rodrigo Duterte

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte courted controversy after he called God “stupid” for the concept of “original sin” in the Bible’s creation story, news portal Rappler reports.

Addressing a summit in Davao City on Friday, Duterete, an open critic of the Catholic Church, said that he had issues with the Bible and questioned God’s logic,calling him “stupid.”“Adam ate it then malice was born. Who isthis stupid God? Istupido talaga itong putangina kung ganoon (That son of a b**** is stupid if that’s the case),” he said, reported Rappler. “You created somethingperfect and then you think of an event thatwould tempt and destroy the quality of your work,” he added.

Talking about his interpretation of the concept of “original sin,” the president said, “That was your mother and father’s deed – you weren’t born yet, but now you have original sin. What kind of religion is that? I can’t accept it.

”Asserting that he is a spiritual man who does not believe in any religion, Duterte added, “I believe there is a universal mind, but… I cannot picture him as a human being. But I really believe, I have this faith and abiding thing, but don’t believe in religion.”  He made similar remarks earlier this month during a meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea. “If that’s the Catholic God, that’s a lie. Seek God right,” he said.This was, however, not the first time that Duterte has been critical of the Catholic faith, despite the Philippines being a Catholic-majority country.

Earlier, he slammed the priests for portraying his government in a negative light. In 2016, the Philippines president had created a row after he calledPope Francis a “son of a bitch” after his visit to Manila resulted in severe traffic jams. He later apologised to the Vatican for his remarks.

Former US president George Bush hospitalized a day after his wife's funeral

A day after burying his wife Barbara, who died at age 92, former President George H.W. Bush, 93, has been hospitalised after an infection he contracted spread to his blood.    Spokesman to the former president said that Bush was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

“President Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital Sunday after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He is responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. We will issue additional updates as events warrant,”Bush spokesmanJim McGrathsaid in a statement. 

Bush, 94 in a few months, was hospitalised last April for two weeks due to a “mild case of pneumonia.” Earlier in 2017 hewas hospitalized for 16 days, also to be treated for pneumonia. He was temporarily placed on a ventilator and was treated in the intensive care unit.   

The 41st president uses a wheelchair and an electric scooter for mobility after developing a form of Parkinson’s disease, and he has needed hospital treatmentseveral times in recent years for respiratory problems.

[GIST] Sports Reporter Allie LaForce Criticized for Asking LeBron James About the Death of Gregg Popovich’s Wife

LeBron James rushed to the defense of Turner Sports reporter Allie LaForce after she was attacked on Twitter.com last night.

LaForce seemed to blindside the Cavaliers star by asking him about the death of NBA coach Gregg Popovich’s wife, following his 46-point performance against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Popvich’s wife of 40 years, Erin Popovich, passed away on Wednesday after a long illness. She was 67.
LeBron seemed caught off-guard and at a loss for words after LaForce informed him about Mrs. Popvich’s death.

“Um, sh-t.. Um… Obviously I’m a huge Pop fan. I love Pop…,” he said, his voice trailing off.
“That’s such a tragedy and my best wishes go out to Pop and his family,” he continued.

“I know that’s devastating news and holy sh… It’s just a lot. The NBA family, we all sit together and compete every night. But something like this happens, it puts everything in perspective. So I send my, I send my, ah, well wishes and my prayers up to the heavens above. I know the Man above never makes a mistake even when you sometimes have to, um, ask why, but… That’s just terrible news. And, um, best of luck to Pop, man, and everybody in San Antonio; the whole Spurs family.”

LaForce was immediately attacked online for appearing to surprise LeBron, who carried his Cavaliers to a 100-97 victory over the Pacers to even the playoff series at 1-1.
But LeBron posted a video to his Uninterrupted website’s Twitter account, saying he was not blindsided.

“A lot of people think I was blindsided. That is absolutely false,” James said in the video. “Allie LaForce told me she was going to ask me the question and if it was OK. Once I started talking about it on-air, actually my emotions kind of took over and that was just my emotions coming straight from the heart.”

Trump Nominates the First Black Female Brigadier General

Marine Corps Colonel Lorna M. Mahlock is the first black woman ever to be nominated as brigadier general of the U.S. military.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced President Donald Trump’s nomination of Mhalock with a list of other general officer announcements on Tuesday.

If confirmed, Mahlock will be the first black woman to be appointed to one the highest military positions in the world.

Mahlock is currently the deputy director of operations, plans, policies and operations directorate at the Marine Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to a press release from the U.S.

Department of Defense.
The leftist media largely ignored this news last week.

National Enquirer Paid $30K to Trump Tower Doorman Who Claimed Trump Had Baby with Housekeeper

The National Enquirer reportedly paid a former Trump Tower doorman $30,000 for informationabout a salacious rumor before the 2016 presidential election.The Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. signed former Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin to an exclusive contract that prohibited him fromsharing his scoop with any othermedia outlet.

According to the NY daily News, the contract subjected the ex-doorman to a $1 million penalty if he violated the agreement.SajudinclaimedTrump fathered an illegitimate child with a formerhousekeeper at Trump Tower. But the woman at the center of the rumor emphatically denied the allegation.Sajudin’s ex-wife alsocalled hima liarwho is “infamous for making up stories”.

CNN confirmed Sajudin was released from his contract after the 2016 election when an investigation into his allegations was determined to be a false rumor. AMIalso paidan ex-Playboy Playmate $150,000 for the rightsto her exclusive story about an affair she allegedly had with Trump.On Monday, the Feds raided the office and home of Trump’s longtime attorney, Michael Cohen, seeking documents related to the payments.

The Enquirer formed a team of writers to investigate the illegitimate child allegations, but the story was later dropped when they determined the ex-doorman lied.

When areporter contactedSajudin this week for a comment,he said he would only talk in exchange for payment.“If there’s no money involved with it, I’m not getting involved,” he allegedly told the reporter.

Source -  Sandra Rose 

[Corruption] S.Korean Charges Another Ex- President

South Korean prosecutors formally charged jailed ex-President Lee Myung-bak with a range of corruption charges on Monday, making him the country's fourth leader to face a criminal trial in about two decades.

Last Friday, Lee's conservative successor, Park Geun-hye, was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a separate corruption scandal for which she was removed from office following months of huge anti-government rallies.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it charged Lee with taking a total of 11 billion won ($10 million) in bribes from the country's spy agency, Samsung and others.Lee Myung-bak has also been charged with embezzling about 35 billion won ($33 million) in funds from DAS and evading corporate taxes totaling 3 billion won ($281,270), according to the prosecutors.

Most of Lee's alleged crimes took place while he served as president from 2008 to 2013 or when he was a leading conservative ruling party candidate before winning the 2007 election, prosecutors said.

[Donald Trump] I didn’t know my lawyer paid prostitute $130k

Stormy Daniels’s attorney said on Thursday that President Trump claims he was unaware of the $130,000 payment his attorney made to the porn star days before the 2016 election.

“He’s effectively thrown, Michael Cohen now under the bus,” Michael Avenatti said.

“This is an undisciplined guy, who you know, he finally cracked. We knew he would crack eventually. We’d been patient, I’ve been waiting, and low and behold, who would have thought that it would arrive on this Thursday on this glorious day in New York,” he continued.

Avenatti said they he would file a petition to depose the president on Monday.
“My understanding is that he denied a couple subsequent questions as to whether he has set up a fund from which this payment would be made or reimbursed.

“I find that quite interesting. And I find that certainly a topic that we’re going to explore in connection with his deposition, which we’re going to be making a petition for on Monday,” he said.

Trump for the first time publicly acknowledged the scandal regarding Daniels’s claim that the two had an extramarital affair on Thursday, telling reporters on Air Force One that he did not know where his attorney Michael Cohen obtained the funds to pay Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford.

The money was part of an agreement to stop her from publicly discussing her affair with Trump and was made in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

“You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You’ll have to ask Michael,” Trump said.

Brave reporter asks Sheriff Mann about losing certification appeal after he was arrested for soliciting sex from men in public park

DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann is fighting to keep his certification a year after he was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover cop in Piedmont Park. Sheriff Mann and his attorney, Noah Pines, attended a Peace Officer Standards and Training Council appeals hearing in February.

[IMAGE]

The POST Council voted to revoke Mann‘s law enforcement certification last September following his late night arrest in the park.
After February’s meeting, the POST Council denied Mann’s appeals to keep his certification. Mann needs the certification to remain in office as Sheriff.

[IMAGE]

The Sheriff was arrested last May after he exposed himself to an undercover Atlanta Police officer. He ran a quarter mile before the officer caught up to him and cuffed him.
In a normal world, Sheriff Mann would have lost his job following his arrest. But in this post-Obama era, people are afraid to condemn a public official for soliciting sex in a public park.

Adhering to Atlanta’s Politically correct code, the POST Council made it clear that they revoked his certification for
running from an officer — not for exposing his junk to that officer .
In Atlanta the message is clear: you can break the law as long as you’re gay — just don’t run from the cops after you do something unlawful.
Rather than terminate him, DeKalb County lawmakers gave Mann the option of suspending himself — which he did.

He was also banned for life from Piedmont Park — but there are other parks in the city where he can still go at night.
Brave Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Nicole Carr stops Mann for a comment every time she sees him in public.
Thursday was no different. She approached the Sherif after he held a press conference to announce he was shuttling 300 inmates to another prison while the jail undergoes mold cleaning.

“On another note, yes I pulled Sheriff Mann aside to address the elephant that’s often in the room with us.” Carr tweeted . “Confirmed POST has denied his certification appeals rooted in last year’s Piedmont Park arrest, guilty plea for running from APD.”

Carr will air her on-the-spot interview with Sheriff Mann tonight on WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta.
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Princess Diana's relatives offer Meghan Markle her tiara to wear on royal wedding day

The family of late Princess Diana are offering her daughter-in-law-to-be Megan Markle a sweet tribute to wear on her Weding day to honor the late Princess of Wales.

Princess Diana's family, the Spencers, have offered Meghan Markle the opportunity to wear one of the late Princess' tiaras on her big day, which takes place on Saturday 19 May.
This revelation was made by expert jeweller David Bader, who regularly deals with celebrity engagements and their diamond-encrusted nuptials.

He told OK! Online: "In [wearing the Spencer tiara], Princess Diana broke with tradition, since the Spencer Tiara is not part of the Crown Jewel Collection.
"It is an amalgamation of heirloom diamond jewellry that was repurposed into a tiara by Princess Diana’s Spencer ancestors, an ‘outer-rim’ noble house that traces its ancestry to the Tudors.

"A Spencer Family member has made it known that the tiara is available to Ms. Markle for her wedding day should she choose to wear it.
"Wearing the Spencer Tiara on her big day would serve as a tribute to honour the memory of Prince Harry’s beloved and iconic mother, Princess Diana."

It has also been claimed by psychic twins Terry and Linda Jamison that Diana will be present at the wedding ceremony as a ghost. Both siblings claim they have the power to deliver messages by spirits who take control of their hands and scrawl comments down for them to deliver.
According to the Daily Star, they say Diana told them: "I will most definitely be present for Harry and Meghan's wedding.

"I was also there for William and Kate's wedding. It will be beautiful, like my own ceremony with a horse and carriage," ghost-Diana continued.
"I am around them all more than they realise."

Jeremy Meeks and Top shop heiress Chloe Green are expecting their first child together

Ex-convict-turned model, Jeremy Meeks and his girlfriend Chloe Green are expecting her first child together.

Multiple sources confirmed the good news to US Weekly, just days after reports emerged that the Top shop heiress, 27, wanted to start a family straight away with her 34-year-old beau.

Jeremy and Chloe's controversial affair started back in June 2017, while he was still legally married to his estranged wife, Melissa Meeks.
In October 2017, Meeks filed for divorce from Melissa whom he shares biological son Jeremy Jr , 7, and two stepchildren.

It was also reported that the controversial couple have since received the blessing of Chloe's business mogul father Philip and mum Tina Green.

Rapper Craig Mack Dies At 46

Craig Mack, one of the artists who laid the foundation for Bad Boy Records, has died. He was 46.
His cause of death has not been released, but he had been ill for some time.

His death comes days after fans celebrated the 21st anniversary of the death of his label mate Christopher Wallace, popularly known as Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.) who was gunned down in a still-unsolved murder on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles.
Mack's 1994 song "Flava in Ya Ear" was the first single off of Sean Comb's Bad Boy label and the subsequent remix featuring artists including The Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J became one of the defining songs of 1990s hip hop.

Pornstar Stormy Daniels offers to return the '$130k she was paid by Trump' in other to speak freely about their alleged affair

The scandal involving President Donald Trump and popular porn star Stormy Daniels has now taken a new twist.

The pornographic film actress who says she had an affair with President Trump, offered on Monday to return the$130,000 she received from Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer in2016 when she signed the hush agreement not to discuss the alleged relationship.

In a letter, her attorney,Michael Avenatti, says Daniels"will pay $130,000 to President Trump by wire transfer, to an account designated by the president" by this Friday.

Trump has never admitted knowledge of the payment to Daniels, which was made by his longtime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen during the 2016 presidential campaign."They should accept this proposal. It's more than fair," said Avenatti in an interview with NPR. "She'll return the money and she'll be free to speak, and in turn the president can provide his version of events and we can allow the American people to decide who's telling the truth and who's not.

"The letter also seeks an agreement that neither Mr. Trump nor the shell company that Mr. Cohen used to pay Ms. Clifford, which he represents as a party to their October 2016 deal, would move to block the broadcast of an interview that Ms. Clifford taped with “60 Minutes” last week. Meanwhile, Trump through his lawyer and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has repeatedly denied that there was an affair between the President and  Daniels.

Blac Chyna forgives her childish teen lover after heblasted her 'head game' ininterview

This is what happens when a grown woman is dating a child.

Last week 29-year-old former stripper Blac Chyna teared up on Instagram Live telling her followers, "Y'all have so much to say about me," just hours after her 18-year-old boy toy lover YBN Almighty Jay joked about dating "old b***hes" and implied Chyna's head game was trash

But it looks like a week later, the couple have kissed and made up because over the weekend Chyna promoted Jay's new music and they alsodid a video for instagram

#ybnalmightyjay &#BlaChyna still going strong ! ?

A post shared byStay Woke Digital ?(@staywokedigital) onMar 11, 2018 at 6:45pm PDT

[Oprah Winfrey] explains why she never wanted children - 'I wouldn't have been a good mum’

64-year-old billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey says she never had children because she doesn’t have motherly instincts.

She said she believes she would have been a terrible mother because she can’t communicate with anyone who cannot speak. Lol.

Oprah opened up about her decision not to have children during a sit down with Gwyneth Paltrow‘s first episode of “The Goop” podcast.Oprah told Paltrow she could never have raised two babies like Paltrow has done because raising babies would have been too frustrating.“I don’t think I would have been a good mother for baby children, because I need you to talk to me, and I need you to tell me what’s wrong,” she said.“I can’t just figure it out. I knew this about myself.

”I was always better with kids once they turned two-and-a-half, three, I had a real resonance with them. Gayle (King) was like, ‘Don’t you love babies?’ I was like, ‘Oh, babies are fine.’ It didn’t feel like [having babies] was for me.”

Akon talks about running for US president in 2020 and picking Mark Zuckerberg as his VP (Watch Video)

American-Senegalese singer,Akon in a new Interview with TMZ spoke about debating with President Donald Trump and how he could probably school him on governance.

During the interview, which held at LAX on Thursday, the 44-year-old singer also dropped a hint on the 2020 Presidential Run saying, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be his running mate if he was to run for Presidency."If I was to run for President I would actually ask [Mark Zuckerberg] to be my running man," he says in the video below.

"Cuz I think sometimes it takes people from the outside to really see life differently, to make differences." He added that Donald has been making a "huge difference" but not in a positive way. "I think Trump would have been a great president if he made decisions for the people," he explains.

"If he was as passionate as he is for his own interests as he is for the people, oh he would have made an amazing president.

"Watch the video below.

Watch Here

[Kim Jong Un] promises to stop all nuclear tests, requests to meet Trump, Trump agrees- South Korean official says

Following talks between South Korea and Pyongyang, South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong., said on Thursday, that North Korea has signaled that it would not test missiles anymore and would be willing to negotiate ending its nuclear weapons program.

Chung Eui-yong also said Kim Jong Un has offered to meet US President, Donald Trump to discuss further details with him as soon as possible.

Eui-Yong said he relayed the message to Trump and he expressed his willingness to meet with the North Korean dictator as soon as in May, but the destination of the meeting wasn't given.
This is an unprecedented move which is very good for everyone.

Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos named world’s richest man (Read More)

House of Reps panel summons Ex-Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, AGF Abubakar Malami, others over diverted pension funds
The Forbes magazine has named the Amazon founder and chief executive, Jeff Bezos, as the world’s richest man with 112bn dollar fortune.

Bezos replaced the Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, who fell back into second place with 90bn dollars.
Forbes calculated that Bezos’s fortune, which is mostly held in Amazon shares, increased by 39.2bn dollars over the past year.
The biggest ever one-year gain. Amazon’s shares have nearly doubled from 846 dollars a share last March to 1,523 dollars per share last night.

Gates, who had topped the Forbes billionaires list for 18 of the last 24 years, saw his fortune rose modestly from 86bn to 90bn dollars.
Collectively, the world’s 2,208 billionaires hold 9.1tn dollars more than three times the gross domestic product (GDP) of the UK.
The billionaires increased their combined wealth by 1.4bn dollars over the past year.

The list is published in Forbes’s latest edition under the headline “The super-rich continue to get richer, widening the gap between them and everyone else”.
Twelve out of the top 15 richest people are from the US, with investor Warren Buffett in third place (with $84bn) and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg in fifth ($71bn).

France’s Bernard Arnault of luxury goods group LVMH is the richest person from outside of the US with a $72bn fortune.
The number of women on the list increased from 227 to 256. A record 72 of the women made their own fortunes.
The world’s richest self-made woman is Hong Kong’s Zhou Qunfei, founder of smartphone screen maker Lens Technology.

The Forbes’ billionaires list is based on share prices and other financial data on 9 February 2018.
The magazine also noted that the U.S president Donald Trump’s fortune had fallen for the second year running in annual ranking of the world’s wealthiest people.
It said that Trump’s net worth had fallen by $400m (£287m) to $3.1bn over the past year.

“ It means the president has slipped more than 200 places in the billionaire rankings from 544th richest last year to 766th this year,’’ it said.
The magazine attributed Trump’s decline in wealth to “a tough New York real estate market, particularly for retail locations; a costly lawsuit and an expensive presidential campaign”.

Trump reached a 25m dollar settlement in a legal dispute about claims that his Trump University real estate courses allegedly defrauded students.
Trump fared better in Forbes’s ranking than in Bloomberg’s billionaires list, which put his net worth at 2.86bn dollars.
Forbes said a record 35 people have joined the list of the world’s billionaires, with the magazine calculating there are now 2,208 people with a net worth of more than 1bn dollars.

Today.ng

[NEWS] Netanyahu, Trump to discuss Iranian `aggression’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday, providing an opportunity to shift attention away from mounting corruption investigations in Israel and towards Netanyahu’s main foreign policy priority, combatting Iran.

The two leaders are expected to present a united front against Iranian “aggression,” especially in Syria, and call for the modification of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, which Trump has threatened to rip up entirely.

In their White House meeting, Netanyahu will also applaud Trump for his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there.
“I intend to discuss with him a series of issues but first Iran – its aggression, its nuclear aspirations, and its aggressive actions in the Middle East in general and on our borders,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.

The visit comes at a difficult time for Netanyahu, with Israel’s attorney general considering whether to act on police recommendations to put the premier on trial for bribery and other charges.
The prime minister and his wife, Sara, landed in Washington on Sunday, two days after the couple spent hours under police questioning in a new probe of alleged regulatory kickbacks to a telecom company.

The White House meeting, along with his speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference on Tuesday, gives Netanyahu a stage to highlight his foreign policy concerns and achievements.

High on this list is winning Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a break from 70 years of US foreign policy. While that decision outraged Palestinians and was internationally condemned, it has buoyed Netanyahu’s popularity at home.
During the AIPAC conference on Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced his country’s plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem in May.

“Do you remember I said at the time that after the United States there would be other countries? Here is another country,” Netanyahu said in a video statement published Monday.
“And now I say to you – there will be other countries,” he added.
Netanyahu has not mentioned any prospects for furthering an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal during his visit.

The nascent peace process appears to have stalled since Trump’s Jerusalem move as Palestinians have said the US can no longer be a “honest broker.”
White House officials insist that they will present a peace plan at an undisclosed time.

Complicating matters is the status of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and the top White House official responsible for forging peace deal, who had his security clearance downgraded, according to US media reports.

NAN.ng