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Chinese President Xi makes state visit to Vietnam

Vietnam gave Chinese President Xi Jinping the red carpet treatment Sunday at the start of a state visit, as the two communist neighbors try to broaden their economic ties and work on resolving territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Xi and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, reviewed an honor guard and headed for talks behind closed doors. It was Xi's first overseas trip since consolidating his power at a party congress last month.

Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump, among others, just finished an Asia-Pacific economic summit in the Vietnamese coastal city of Danang.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang said that his country wants to end disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful means.

"It's our policy to settle disputes in the East Sea through peaceful negotiations and with respect for diplomatic and legal process in accordance with international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said, referring to the South China Sea.

Quang made the comments Sunday during a joint news conference with Trump. Trump had offered during a meeting earlier Sunday with Quang to serve as a mediator on the South China Sea disputes.

Vietnam and China, along with four other governments, claim all or parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop rich natural resources and occupies one of the world's busiest sea lanes.

China in recent years has built artificial islands and increased its militarization there, drawing criticism from Washington, which argues that the U.S. has a national interest in freedom of navigation in sea lanes critical for world trade.

Vietnam has become the most vocal opponent of China's moves after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte softened his country's stance on China.

Tran Viet Thai of the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy said Xi's visit is important to build mutual trust.

"The visit marks a new step forward in Vietnam-China relations," he said. "Hopefully the relations will continue to stabilize, because the two sides currently share great interests in broadening their cooperation and maintaining stability."

Bilateral relations plunged to their lowest level in years when China in 2014 parked a giant oil rig in an area claimed by Vietnam. The incident sparked deadly anti-China protests for several weeks.

The two communist neighbors have in recent months experienced spats over the South China Sea. In July, Vietnam had to suspend an oil and gas exploration project conducted by Spain's Repsol company, under apparent pressure from China. In September, Vietnam protested live-fire drills by China near the Paracel islands.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

60,000 join far-right march on Poland's Independence Day

Tens of thousands of nationalists marched in a demonstration organized by far-right groups in Warsaw Saturday, as Poles celebrated their country's Independence Day.

The far-right march was one of many events marking Poland's rebirth as a nation in 1918 after being wiped off the map for 123 years. Earlier in the day, President Andrzej Duda presided over state ceremonies also attended by European Union president Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister.

But the march has become the largest Independence Day event in recent years, overshadowing official state observances and other patriotic events. Some participants expressed sympathy for xenophobic or white supremacist ideas, with one banner reading, "White Europe of brotherly nations."

Participants marched under the slogan "We Want God," words from an old Polish religious song that President Donald Trump quoted during a visit to Warsaw earlier this year. Speakers spoke of standing against liberals and defending Christian values.

Many carried the national white-and-red flag as others set off flares and firecrackers, filling the air with red smoke. Some also carried banners depicting a falanga, a far-right symbol dating to the 1930s.

Police estimated that 60,000 people took part. Many were young men, some with their faces covered or with beer bottles in hand, but families and older Poles also participated.

The march has become one of the largest such demonstration in Europe, and on Saturday it drew far-right leaders from elsewhere in Europe, including Tommy Robinson from Britain and Roberto Fiore from Italy.

State broadcaster TVP, which reflects the conservative government's line, called it a "great march of patriots," and in its broadcasts described the event as one that drew mostly regular Poles expressing their love of Poland, not extremists.

"It was a beautiful sight," Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. "We are proud that so many Poles have decided to take part in a celebration connected to the Independence Day holiday."

A smaller counter-protest by an anti-fascist movement also took place. Organizers kept the two groups apart to prevent violence. However, there was one incident in which the nationalists pushed and kicked several women who chanted anti-fascism slogans and had a banner saying "Stop Fascism."

Independence Day marks Poland regaining its sovereignty at the end of World War I after being partitioned and ruled since the late 18th century by Russia, Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Duda oversaw ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, walking past a military guard before the raising of the flags and cannon salutes. After delivering a speech he took part in a wreath-laying ceremony, kneeling and crossing himself at the monument to all unknown soldiers killed fighting for the country.

Tusk, who attended at Duda's invitation, also paid his respects at the monument.

Ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski noted that Poland has not always been fully independent since 1918, a reference to Germany's occupation during World War II and the decades spent under Moscow's direction during the Cold War.

Still, he said: "The Polish state was internationally recognized the whole time and that is a great achievement."

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Trump calls Kim Jong-un 'short and fat'

US President Donald Trump has offered Asia his services as a mediator, shortly after tweeting insults.

At the start of a meeting in Hanoi with the Vietnamese president, Mr Trump said he could help arbitrate the regional South China Sea dispute, which includes Vietnam and China.

"I'm a very good mediator and arbitrator," he said.

It came shortly after he called North Korea's Kim Jong-un "short and fat" on Twitter.

China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims to territory in the South China Sea.

"If I can help mediate or arbitrate, please let me know," Mr Trump told his Vietnamese counterpart, Tran Dai Quang.

• Why is the South China Sea contentious?

Ahead of the Hanoi meeting, Mr Trump had fired off a series of angry tweets about his war of words with Kim Jong-un and his relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

Report

End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

On Saturday, North Korea denounced Mr Trump's Asia trip, calling it a "warmonger's visit" and again described the president as a "dotard" – a centuries-old insult for an elderly person.

Mr Trump responded by suggesting in a tweet that Mr Kim was "short and fat", and complaining: "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!"

The president also tweeted out a short tirade over criticism of his handling of Vladimir Putin. Mr Trump told reporters on Saturday that he trusted the Russian leader's word that Russia had not attempted to interfere with the US election, despite a consensus among US intelligence agencies to the contrary.

"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing," the president wrote.

"There [sic] always playing politics – bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!" he added.

He later clarified, after intense criticism, that he supported US intelligence agencies in their conclusion. "As to whether or not I believe it or not, I'm with our agencies. I believe in our… intelligence agencies," he said.

"What he believes, he believes," he added, of Mr Putin's belief that Russia did not meddle.

Skip Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump

When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics – bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

Report

End of Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump

Skip Twitter post 3 by @realDonaldTrump

Does the Fake News Media remember when Crooked Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, was begging Russia to be our friend with the misspelled reset button? Obama tried also, but he had zero chemistry with Putin.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

Report

End of Twitter post 3 by @realDonaldTrump

Asked at a news conference in Vietnam if he could see himself being friends with Mr Kim, the president said: "That might be a strange thing to happen but it's a possibility.

"If it did happen it could be a good thing I can tell you for North Korea, but it could also be good for a lot of other places and be good for the rest the world.

"It could be something that could happen. I don't know if it will but it would be very, very nice."

The Vietnamese leg of Mr Trump's five-nation Asia tour was met with protests. Mai Khoi, a singer and dissident, said police confined her to her home and threatened her with eviction, after she defied a ban on protests.

Ms Khoi, who was barred from standing for parliament last year, said she was escorted home after she flashed a sign insulting the president as his motorcade passed by.

She said she was protesting against Donald Trump's attitude to women and his failure to meet with human rights activists in Vietnam.

Mr Trump will travel to Manila later on Sunday for the final stop on his Asia tour, before flying back to the US.

Source – bbc.com

Trump: Putin and I had 'good discussions' at Apec summit

US President Donald Trump said he had "good discussions" with Russian leader Vladimir Putin when they met briefly at an Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam.

On Twitter, he blasted "haters and fools", who, he said, do not encourage good relations between the countries.

Earlier he said Mr Putin told him he was insulted by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

The US intelligence community has previously concluded that Russia tried to sway the poll in Mr Trump's favour.

"He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," the US president said.

However, after intense criticism, Mr Trump clarified that he supported US intelligence agencies in their conclusion. "As to whether or not I believe it or not, I'm with our agencies. I believe in our… intelligence agencies," he said.

"What he believes, he believes," he added, of Mr Putin's belief that Russia did not meddle.

The two leaders had no formal bilateral talks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) event, but meet in passing on three occasions. They spoke about the Syria crisis and the election allegations, according to Mr Trump.

Republican Senator John McCain, a vehement critic of Mr Trump, called him naive for "taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community".

A CIA statement passed to US media said: "The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed."

Image Copyright @realDonaldTrump @realDonaldTrump Report

In his tweets, Mr Trump also said his predecessor, Barack Obama lacked "chemistry" with President Putin.

The US justice department has appointed special investigator Robert Mueller to examine any possible collusion involving Mr Trump's team, and legal action has already been taken against several former aides.

• Who's who in the drama to end all dramas?

What are the allegations against Russia?

President Trump has refused to acknowledge a reported assessment by the CIA and other intelligence agencies that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the run-up to last year's presidential election.

The contents of the emails, passed to Wikileaks and posted online, were embarrassing to the Democrats and shook up the presidential campaign, which ended in defeat for Hillary Clinton.

In addition to the Mueller inquiry, congressional committees have been set up to carry out their own investigations.

Relations between the US and Russia have been strained for years, with the Kremlin long accusing Washington of seeking to sway elections in Russia and other ex-Soviet states including Ukraine and Georgia.

While Russian hackers are widely suspected of involvement, there has been no conclusive link to the Kremlin.

Denying that Russia had tried to interfere last year by fostering contacts with Mr Trump's campaign, Mr Putin told reporters in Vietnam: "Everything about the so-called Russian dossier in the US is a manifestation of a continuing domestic political struggle."

• Russia: The 'cloud' over the White House
• 18 revelations from Wikileaks emails
• Russia's 'cyber war' against the West

What does Mr Trump say to the allegations?

He said he believed Mr Putin had been "very insulted by" the allegations and that was "not a good thing" for America.

"He [Putin] said he didn't meddle," he added. "I asked him again."

Asked if he believed Mr Putin, he replied, "He is very, very strong in the fact that he didn't do it. You have President Putin very strongly, vehemently says he has nothing to do with that. Now, you are not going to get into an argument, you are going to start talking about Syria and the Ukraine."

Trump out on a limb again

Aleem Maqbool, BBC News, Da Nang

Donald Trump once again goes against the findings of his own intelligence agencies.

Because although the US justice department is investigating the scale and nature of Russian interference in the election of 2016 (and any links to the Trump campaign), the American intelligence community has already long determined that Russia did, indeed, interfere.

Yet Mr Trump suggested this story was not only entirely fabricated by his political opponents, it might even be costing lives in Syria, because it is getting in the way of his relationship with the Russian president and hampering their ability to help solve the conflict together.

"People will die because of it, and it's a pure hit job, and it's artificially induced and that's a shame," he said.

It is hard to know what the president hopes to achieve with this type of rhetoric. The investigation goes on.

How did the two presidents get on in Vietnam?

Mr Trump and Mr Putin met for the first time in July at a G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg. In Da Nang they were seen chatting briefly on three occasions within 24 hours during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit.

However, they had no formal bilateral meeting, with Mr Putin blaming it on scheduling and protocol.

They had warm words for each other, with the US president talking of their mutual "very good feeling" and the Russian leader describing his counterpart as "well-mannered… and comfortable to deal with".

They did manage to sign off a statement vowing to continue the battle against so-called Islamic State in Syria until the militants are defeated and calling for a political solution to the conflict.

How far has US justice department investigation progressed?

Last month, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to having lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the timing of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia.

He testified that Russian nationals had contacted him in an attempt to gain influence with the Trump campaign, offering "dirt" in the form of "thousands of emails" on Mrs Clinton in April 2016 – two months before the DNC emails were leaked.

Mr Trump has played down the importance of Mr Papadopoulos, calling him a "low-level volunteer" and "liar".

On Saturday, Mr Putin brushed aside US media reports that a woman wrongly identified by Mr Papadopoulos as the Russian president's niece had offered to help broker meetings with Kremlin officials.

"I do not know anything about it and I think it is just some fantasies," Mr Putin said.

Mr Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and an associate were also placed under house arrest on charges of money laundering as a result of the Mueller inquiry, but the charges do not relate to the election.

• What do ex-aides' charges mean for Trump?

Source – bbc.com

'SNL' Has Special Message From DNC: "We're Back"

The show poked fun at the Democratic party following their victories in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this week.

NBC's Saturday Night Live poked fun at the Democratic National Committee with a fake ad stating, "We're back!" following Democrats winning a number of governors races in Virginia and New Jersey this week.

Castmembers Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day and Cecily Strong appeared as Democratic politicians Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Tim Kaine and Dianne Feinstein, respectively.

"We can't just appeal to coastal elites," said McKinnon's Pelosi. “We need mouth breathers from Wisconsin.”

Strong's Feinstein went on to express the need to secure jobs. “Jobs like smuggling immigrants across the border,” she said.

“And converting Confederate monuments to statues of prominent lesbian poets,” McKinnon's Pelosi added.

The fake ad then introduced "fresh new faces" to the party: former SNL castmember Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden, Larry David as Bernie Sanders and McKinnon as Hillary Clinton. McKinnon also later showed up as “Not Hillary,” which was her in the same Clinton outfit and wig, but with a fake mustache.

"We're really going to lace into people if they don't say what's politically correct, like these comics out there that think it's okay to make jokes about concentration camps. That guy should rot in hell," said David's Sanders, alluding to the comic actor's own controversial monologue last week hosting SNL.

Saturday Night Live
Read the full article – Hollywoodreporter.com

George Takei, Richard Dreyfuss respond in harassment scandal

George Takei took to Twitter on Saturday to deny groping a male model and Richard Dreyfuss said he never exposed himself to a female writer helping him with a TV script, both back in the 1980s.

Takei, the 80-year-old "Star Trek" icon, said in a series of tweets that events described by Scott R. Brunton in The Hollywood Reporter "simply did not occur," and he does not remember ever knowing Brunton.

"Right now it is a he said/he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago. But those that know me understand that non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful," Takei tweeted.

Dreyfuss, meanwhile, told the New York magazine blog Vulture he flirted and even kissed Los Angeles writer Jessica Teich over several years but thought it was a "consensual seduction ritual." The fact that "I did not get it," he said, "makes me reassess every relationship I have ever thought was playful and mutual."

Teich told Vulture she first met Dreyfuss at a theater where she worked and they spent hours together over several years after she was hired to develop a script for an ABC comedy special. The actor, she said, made continual, overt and lewd comments and invitations but she never told anyone. Dreyfuss, now 70, called Teich a friend of more than 30 years.

In 1987, Teich said, she was summoned to his trailer on the set of one of his films and he exposed his genitals to her. Dreyfuss agent Barry McPherson on Saturday said his client denies ever exposing himself to Teich. As for other encounters with Teich, Dreyfuss said he is now "horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn't consensual."

Teich said she decided to speak out after Dreyfuss tweeted support for his son, Harry, after the younger Dreyfuss went public with accusations that Kevin Spacey groped his crotch when he was 18.

Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter he was 23 when he first met Takei at a bar. Brunton was living in Hollywood and working as a waiter at the time. They exchanged numbers, speaking by telephone from time to time, when he rang up Takei after breaking up with a boyfriend. Takei invited him to dinner and the theater, Brunton said. He said the two went to Takei's condo for drinks after.

He said he grew dizzy and "must have passed out," awaking to his pants around his ankles and Takei groping him. He said he extricated himself and left.

The Hollywood Reporter said Friday it spoke to four longtime friends of Brunton who said he had confided in them about Takei years ago.

Also Saturday, an audio clip surfaced from Takei's appearance on Howard Stern's radio show last month. The interview was recorded less than two weeks after sexual assault accusations against fallen film mogul Harvey Weinstein were made public. Stern and Takei were discussing the "irony" of the Weinstein case and the audiotape of President Donald Trump boasting about grabbing women's genitals years ago, when Stern asked Takei whether he had ever grabbed a man's genitals against his will.

Takei, a staunch opponent of the Republican president, initially was silent, then said "uh oh" and laughed. Stern asked again and Takei said, "Some people are kind of skittish, or maybe, um, uh, afraid, and you're trying to persuade."

Stern and his co-host, Robin Quivers, persisted, asking Takei whether he ever held a job over somebody for sex and he said no.

Quivers asked if he did "this grabbing at work." Takei said, "It was either in my home. They came to my home."

Meanwhile, "Supergirl" and "Arrow" executive producer Andrew Kreisberg has been suspended by Warners Bros. Television Group pending an investigation of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching accusations made by 19 former and current employees.

The accusations first were reported by Variety, which did not identify the 15 women and four men who accused Kreisberg.

Kreisberg told Variety, "I have made comments on women's appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized. Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek."

Warners Bros. confirmed the suspension Saturday and said in a statement, "We take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously."

Kreisberg's shows run on the CW network.

In another development in the barrage of sexual assault, harassment and rape allegations to rock the entertainment industry and other fields, Massachusetts prosecutors will meet with the son of a former Boston TV news anchor who said Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted the teenage boy at a Nantucket restaurant.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe told The Boston Globe on Friday the meeting "will occur soon."

Heather Unruh told reporters Wednesday that Spacey stuck his hand down her then-18-year-old-son's pants and grabbed his genitals while the two of them were at a restaurant in July 2016. Unruh said Spacey ultimately left to use the bathroom and when he was out of sight, her son ran away.

Spacey's lawyer didn't immediately return an email seeking comment Saturday.

In New York, a subpoena in a Weinstein rape investigation requesting all medical treatment records from a therapist for "Boardwalk Empire" actress Paz de La Huerta is too broad and would be embarrassing and damaging to her, her lawyers said in court papers.

De la Huerta told police Oct. 25 the media mogul raped her twice in 2010. The Manhattan district attorney's office has subpoenaed her therapist, who told Vanity Fair she recalled de la Huerta telling her about the sexual assaults. But the subpoena seeks "any and all medical treatment records" from the therapist, both handwritten and typed.

De la Huerta's lawyers argued the information is protected by doctor-client confidentiality laws and she should have the opportunity to review the records before anything is turned over. They also argued the request sought too much information beyond just the 2010 allegations.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Rajoy to kick off campaiging in Catalonia ahead of elections

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is visiting Catalonia to begin campaigning for his Popular Party, ahead of regional elections there next month.

Mr Rajoy is expected to address a meeting of supporters of the conservative party on Sunday morning.

His visit comes after 750,000 people rallied in Barcelona to protest against the detention of Catalan leaders.

The Catalan government declared independence in October, prompting Mr Rajoy to sack and jail its leaders.

The prime minister's visit on Sunday will be his first to the region since the upheaval, which saw the national government implement direct rule two weeks ago.

• Reality Check: Would Catalonia be a viable country?
• Basque leaders worry about Catalan chaos

The crisis was sparked by a disputed referendum held in Catalonia in October, in which the independence campaign won 92% of the vote, from a turnout of 43%.

Many of those who were against independence did not cast votes, refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the referendum.

The Spanish government responded to the referendum by dissolving the Catalan parliament, imposing direct rule, and calling a snap regional election on 21 December.

Since the crackdown by Madrid, Catalonia's sacked President Carles Puigdemont has gone into self-imposed exile in Belgium, and his top allies have been prosecuted.

A lawyer whose firm represents two of his imprisoned former ministers told BBC News that their situation had been made worse by Mr Puigdemont's decision to flee.

'We are a republic!'

Protesters in Barcelona on Saturday shone phone torches in unison at sunset, as calls were made to free eight Catalan ministers and two grassroots campaign leaders.

They marched behind a banner declaring "We are a republic", and carried placards that said the 10 Catalan detainees were political prisoners.

The sacked former ministers are being investigated for alleged rebellion and sedition, while the two activists were arrested over a mass protest before the referendum.

There were performances and speeches to the crowd. Protesters chanted "Puigdemont for president" and a cellist played a traditional Christmas carol, The Song of the Birds, which is associated with Catalans driven into political exile.

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The left-wing ERC party, a key ally of Mr Puigdemont, has announced that some of the prisoners, including party leader Oriol Junqueras, as well as some of the sacked ministers who also went to Belgium, will stand on its electoral list.

However, the ERC has rejected a call from Mr Puigdemont to fight the election as part of a single pro-independence bloc with other parties – as they did in 2015.

A recent opinion poll in Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia suggests that the ERC will win the biggest share of the vote in December.

In another development, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, condemned Catalonia's pro-independence leaders.

Ms Colau, who was elected in 2015 on an anti-capitalist platform and whose party is standing in the regional parliamentary election for the first time, said leaders of the independence movement had "tricked the population for their own interests".

"They've provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want," she told a meeting of her Catalonia in Common party.

Source – bbc.com

Questions about Russian meddling follow Trump to Asia

Questions about Russian meddling in the 2016 election have followed President Donald Trump overseas to Asia.

Trump said during a news conference Sunday in Vietnam's capital that he believes U.S. intelligence agencies, which have concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help him win. But Trump also says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when Putin claims his country did no such thing.

"I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election," Trump said of Putin at a news conference with Vietnam's president in Hanoi. "As to whether I believe it, I'm with our agencies."

He added, "As currently led by fine people, I believe very much in our intelligence agencies."

Top U.S. intelligence officials, including those at the CIA, have concluded that Russia interfered in the election to help the Republican Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. A special counsel and multiple Congressional committees are also investigating potential collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign aides. That probe has so far led to the indictments of Trump's former campaign chairman and another top aide for financial and other crimes unrelated to the campaign, as well as a guilty plea from a Trump foreign policy adviser.

Trump's comment came shortly before he took off for the Philippines, the final stop of his five-country maiden trip to Asia. Trump is slated to attend a pair of international summits over the next two days as well as meet with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte several times while in Manila.

Duterte has come under fierce criticism from human rights groups for overseeing a violent drug war complete with extrajudicial killings. Trump has previously praised Duterte's handling of his nation's drug problems.

Questions about whether Trump believed the intelligence community's conclusion about Russian election meddling have trailed Trump since January, when he said for the first time at a news conference shortly before taking office that he accepted Russia was behind the election year hacking of Democrats that roiled the White House race.

But the issue wasn't settled.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday on his way to Hanoi, Trump had said that Putin again vehemently denied the allegations — this time on the sidelines of an economic conference in the seaside city of Danang. Trump danced around questions of whether he believed Putin, but stressed Putin's denials. He also accused Democrats of using the issue to try to sabotage relations between the two countries, putting lives at risk.

"Every time he sees me, he said: 'I didn't do that.' And I believe — I really believe — that when he tells me that, he means it," Trump said, arguing that it made no sense for him to belabor the issue when Russia could be helpful to the U.S. in dealing with North Korea, Syria and other places.

Trump also lashed out Saturday at the former heads of the nation's intelligence agencies, claiming there were plenty of reasons to be suspicious of their findings. "I mean, give me a break. They're political hacks," Trump said.

In a tweet sent Sunday from Hanoi, Trump bashed the "haters and fools" he said were questioning his efforts to improve relations with Russia and accused critics of "playing politics" and hurting the country.

Trump's Saturday comments sparked criticism from lawmakers with ties to the intelligence community.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the party's presidential nominee in 2008, said in a statement that Trump's faith in Putin's denial was "naive."

"There's nothing 'America First' about taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community," McCain wrote, referring to Putin's former career in Soviet intelligence. "Vladimir Putin does not have America's interests at heart."

Trump, in the Hanoi news conference, also pointed to sanctions that have been imposed on Russia as punishment for their meddling in the election. "They were sanctioned at a very high level, and that took place very recently," he said. "It's now time to get back to healing a world that is shattered and broken."

A day before leaving for Manila, Trump had acknowledged his warm relationships with many authoritarian leaders — but said that he has great relationships with everyone.

"I'll be honest with you, I think I have a great relationship with every person in that room today," he said after leaving the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

Trump said he felt some obligation to raise issues of human rights abuses during his travels. "But I also raise issues on many other things," he said.

Trump was originally slated to depart Manila for Washington on Monday but opted to extend his trip a day amid criticism that he would be departing before the East Asia Summit.

———

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.

———

Follow Lemire and Colvin on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and http://twitter.com/@colvinj

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Source – abcnews.go.com

'SNL' skewers Roy Moore over sexual misconduct allegations

Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore was the perfect fodder for the cold open of "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday just days after a report of sexual misconduct was leveled against him.

The Washington Post reported this week that Moore engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old when he was 32 and pursued other girls when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his 30s.

Moore has adamantly denied all of the allegations.

In the sketch, cast member Mikey Day, clad in Moore's signature cowboy hat and vest, enters the vice president's office for a meeting with Mike Pence, played by Beck Bennett.

"Voters in Alabama will never elect someone who's had relations with a minor," Bennett's Pence says.

"You sure about that?" Day's Moore responds.

"No," Bennett deadpans.

Bennett, as Pence, relays that the administration would like Moore to step aside in the election.

"Don't think of it as ending your campaign, think of it as going to conversion therapy to turn yourself into someone who's no longer a candidate," he says.

Kate McKinnon's Jeff Sessions also makes a cameo, rolling out of a cabinet to tell Moore that he isn't used to not being the creepiest person in the room.

Saturday's episode featured "Girls Trip" star Tiffany Haddish and Taylor Swift as the musical guest.

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Iran denies involvement in Bahrain pipeline attack

Iran has denied allegations it was behind a militant attack on a pipeline outside Bahrain's capital.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi was quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency Sunday as rejecting the "baseless and fake claims" and "childish finger-pointing" from Bahraini authorities.

Bahrain has been combatting a low-level insurgency since the Sunni monarchy quashed a 2011 Arab Spring uprising led by majority Shiites.

Bahrain's interior minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, said Saturday's blast was "the latest example of a terrorist act performed by terrorists in direct contact with and under instruction from Iran."

Gulf tensions have intensified in recent days after Sunni-led Saudi Arabia blamed Shiite Iran for a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Shiite rebels that was intercepted near Riyadh. Iran has denied any involvement.

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Source – abcnews.go.com