Icetruck

Dubai Air Show opens with Emirates' $15.1B Boeing buy

The biennial Dubai Air Show opened Sunday with hometown long-haul carrier Emirates making a $15.1 billion buy of Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, as the world's biggest defense companies promoted their weapons amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Other airlines also are taking part, but missing from the trade show this year is one of the region's largest long-haul carriers, Qatar Airways, amid diplomatic fallout between Qatar and four Arab nations.

The Boeing announcement came after a several hours of delays by Emirates amid rumors of a possible Airbus sale involving its A380 aircraft, a major workhorse for the airline. Journalists asked Emirates CEO and Chairman Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum about Boeing's European competitor Airbus, specifically its A350.

"We were comparing two apples," he said, but found that the Boeing 787 is "the best option" for Emirates. Delivery begins in 2022.

The sale comes as the Qatar dispute is now in its fifth month with no resolution in sight. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar in June over its ties with Iran and its support of Islamist groups, accusing the small Gulf state of supporting extremists, charges it denies. The Arab quartet cut direct flights with Qatar and closed their airspace to Qatari aircraft.

Qatar Airways previously had played a big role in the Dubai Air Show, reserving a large pavilion and displaying its latest aircraft to visitors.

At the start of the air show, Dubai-based Emirates, the Middle East's largest carrier, unveiled new, state-of-the-art, first class private suites.

In an industry first, passenger suites in the middle aisle without windows will be fitted with "virtual windows" relaying the sky outside via fiber optic cameras on the plane. There's also a video call feature in the suites that connects passengers to the cabin crew, as well as temperature control and various mood lighting settings.

Emirates President Tim Clark declined to say how much a ticket in the 40 square-foot (3.7-square-meter) private suite will cost. The private suites will be available on the airline's Boeing 777.

In previous years, major Mideast carriers have flexed their spending power at the Dubai Air Show, including $140 billion in new orders announced in 2013 before the collapse of oil prices. Prices have rebounded recently to around $60 a barrel.

Regional tensions have spiked further since Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation last week in a pre-recorded video on a Saudi television station from Saudi Arabia. His surprise resignation has raised questions about whether the kingdom forced Hariri to resign in order to wreck the government and pressure the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.

Saudi Arabia also has tightened its blockade on Yemen after Iranian-allied rebels there launched a missile at the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last week. The Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in March 2015, has killed at least 10,000 civilians and pushed millions to the brink of famine. The United Nations and aid groups warn that the blockade could bring millions of people closer to "starvation and death."

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Indonesia museum removes Hitler display after protests

An Indonesian visual effects museum that encouraged visitors to take selfies with a waxwork of Hitler against a giant image of the Auschwitz extermination camp has removed the exhibit after protests.

The De Mata Trick Eye Museum's marketing officer said the statue was removed Friday night following an Associated Press story highlighting outrage from Jewish and rights groups.

Human Rights Watch had denounced the exhibit as "sickening" and the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, which campaigns against Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, had demanded its immediate removal.

The museum, which has waxworks of about 80 famous people, had the Hitler figure on display since 2014.

It initially defended the exhibit as "fun" and said it was one of the most popular waxworks with visitors to the infotainment-style museum in the central Java city of Yogyakarta.

On Sunday, the space at the museum occupied by Hitler was empty and the image of Auschwitz, where more than 1 million people were exterminated by the Nazi regime, was gone.

It was not the first time Nazism and its symbols have been normalized or even idealized in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation and home to a tiny Jewish community.

A Nazi-themed cafe in the city of Bandung where waiters wore SS uniforms caused anger abroad for several years until reportedly closing its doors at the beginning of this year.

In 2014, a music video made by Indonesian pop stars as a tribute to presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto stirred outrage with its Nazi overtones.

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Bahrain says militants hit oil pipeline, opening new front

An explosion ripped through a pipeline belonging to Bahrain's state-run oil company and sent flames shooting up into the night sky, with government officials on Saturday blaming the blast on an attack by militants guided by Iran.

No one was injured in the explosion late Friday night near the Shiite village of Buri and no militant group immediately claimed the blast. However, it potentially opens a new front in the low-level insurgency plaguing Bahrain since its 2011 Arab Spring protests.

The explosion damaged cars and nearby buildings, forcing firefighters to evacuate those close to the flames in Buri, just outside of the capital, Manama. Authorities later extinguished the blaze on the pipeline belonging to the state-run Bahrain Petroleum Co.

Bahrain's interior minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, said in a statement that the blast was "the latest example of a terrorist act performed by terrorists in direct contact with, and under instruction from, Iran." He did not say what caused the explosion, nor did he name any suspects.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa later tweeted that the explosion had targeted a pipeline running between the island nation and neighboring Saudi Arabia, which provides financial and security support to the kingdom.

This "is a dangerous Iranian escalation aimed at terrorizing citizens and damaging the world's oil industry," the minister tweeted.

Iran had no immediate comment Saturday, though it long has denied being behind Bahrain's militant groups.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported late Saturday that the kingdom would halt pumping its own crude oil into Bahrain for refining over the pipeline explosion, potentially affecting the island's gasoline market.?

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, faces occasional attacks from local Shiite militant groups as the kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family continues a crackdown on all dissent, imprisoning or forcing politicians and activists into exile. Independent news gathering there has grown more difficult, with the government refusing to accredit two AP reporters and others .

However, that campaign of bombings and shootings had not seen the island's oil infrastructure targeted, even immediately after Emirati and Saudi forces helped Bahrain put down its 2011 Arab Spring protests.

Bahrain produced some 64,000 barrels of crude oil a day in 2016, far lower than the other oil-producing nations of the Persian Gulf, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It has faced increasing financial pressure in recent years.

———

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz .

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Trump says Putin insulted by US election meddling claim

President Vladimir Putin feels insulted by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election, Donald Trump has said after meeting him briefly at an Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam.

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

Mr Trump, who defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, said the allegations were a "Democratic hit job".

The US intelligence community concluded earlier that Russia had indeed tried to sway the poll in favour of Mr Trump.

Mr Trump later tweeted that he had "good discussions" with his Russian counterpart when they crossed paths at the summit. He also called out "hater and fools" who do not realise that "having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing".

Skip Twitter post 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 by @realDonaldTrump

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

The Latest: Vietnam wants peaceful end to sea disputes

The Latest on President Donald Trump's visit to Asia (all times local):

12:05 p.m.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang says his country wants to settle disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful negotiations.

Quang made the comments Sunday during a joint appearance with President Donald Trump, who is on a brief state visit to Vietnam. Trump had offered during an earlier meeting Sunday with Quang to serve as a mediator on the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Vietnam and China along with four others claim all or parts of the strategic waters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam for a state visit later Sunday. Disputes over the South China Sea are expected to be high on the agenda during Xi's talks with Vietnamese leaders.

———

11:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump has highlighted trade issues in meetings with Vietnam's prime minister and the secretary general of its Communist Party.

Trump told Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong (nuh-WEE'-ihn FOO Trawng) that trade has become a very important element in the relationship between the two countries.

The president delivered a similar message later to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (nuh-WEE'-ihn SOO'-an FOOK). Trump urged Vietnam to buy missiles and other weapons systems from the United States, seeming to suggest that it would help erase a trade imbalance. Trump says the U.S. "makes the greatest missiles in the world."

Outside of trade, Trump says he looks forward to the onetime adversaries U.S. and Vietnam having a fantastic relationship for years to come.

———

11:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says stronger U.S. relations with Russia would benefit the globe and suggests that Russian sanctions may be lifted.

Trump says in Vietnam that Russia has been "very heavily sanctioned" and "it's now time to get back to healing a world that is shattered and broken." The president is pointing to the need to work with Russia to solve problems in Syria, North Korea and Ukraine.

Trump says he believes "having Russia in a friendly posture as opposed to always fighting them is an asset."

Congress slapped sanctions on Russia last summer for interfering in the 2016 election. Those sanctions were in addition to existing U.S. penalties on Russia for its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine and 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

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11:05 a.m.

President Donald Trump says it would be a "good thing" for North Korea and the world if he and Kim Jong Un become friends.

But he immediately cast doubt on whether that could happen. Trump has spoken forcefully against North Korea and its nuclear threat while traveling in Asia.

Trump tweeted about the North Korean leader on Saturday, saying he had tried "so hard" to be Kim's friend and that "maybe someday that will happen!"

Asked at a news conference in Hanoi about the tweet, Trump said a friendship with Kim "might be a strange thing to happen but it's certainly a possibility."

Trump says he doesn't know that friendship will develop, but says it would be "very, very nice if it did."

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10:55 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he believes in the U.S. intelligence agencies despite his past skepticism about Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The president says during a joint news conference with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang that the U.S. intelligence agencies are "currently led by fine people." He adds, "I believe very much in our intelligence agencies."

Trump's comments come a day after he bashed the former heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies as "political hacks" and accused Democrats of trying to sabotage relations between the two countries.

———

10:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is reiterating that "all responsible nations" must act to help stop North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

Trump says at a joint news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, that "we want progress, not provocation" and "we want stability, not chaos." Trump says the U.S. wants peace and not war.

North Korea has been a focal point of Trump's trip to Asia. He is speaking at a news conference with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang.

———

9:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump is offering to serve as a mediator on the South China Sea territorial disputes as he meets with the president of Vietnam.

Trump is telling President Tran Dai Quang he knows Vietnam has had a dispute with China over the strategic waterways.

Trump says he's a "very good mediator and a very good arbitrator" and willing to help.

Trump was speaking to Quang at the start of their meetings in Hanoi. Trump says North Korea "continues to be a problem" and he's hopeful that Chinese President Xi Jinping will "be a tremendous help." Trump says he also hopes that Russia will "be a tremendous help."

Trump says they'll also talk about trade. He says the U.S. will "be treated fairly," adding, "past administrations didn't understand trade."

——

9:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is promising a "tremendous amount of trade" with Vietnam as he arrives at the presidential palace for his meeting with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang.

Trump and Quang spoke briefly to reporters after the U.S. president arrived at the presidential palace in Hanoi on a rainy morning. Trump says they'll be conducting "billions and billions" of dollars in trade.

The two leaders were greeted by young children waving U.S. and Vietnamese flags and then paused as a band played the two countries' national anthems.

Trump is in Hanoi for a brief state visit and will hold a joint news conference with Quang. He'll depart for the Philippines later Sunday for a pair of summits that will close out his trip to Asia.

——

8:10 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is bashing the "haters and fools" he says are questioning his efforts to improve relations with Russia.

Trump, in the final days of a lengthy Asia trip, shared his thoughts in a series of tweets Sunday in Hanoi, Vietnam.

He accused critics of "playing politics" and hurting the country.

The day before, Trump had told reporters that Russia President Vladimir Putin has again denied meddling in the 2016 election. Trump did not make clear whether he believed Putin but did make clear that he did not want to revisit the issue.

Trump has suggested that the ongoing probe into contacts between his campaign and the Russians was hurting the U.S. relationship with Moscow and could hinder efforts to solve crises like Syria and North Korea.

———

8:05 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is exchanging schools yard taunts with North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

Trump says in a tweet from Vietnam: "Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?""

Trump goes on to say sarcastically, "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend" and says that, "maybe someday that will happen!"

Trump has been working to rally global pressure against North Korea's nuclear weapons program on a trip to Asia. That includes a stern speech delivered in South Korea.

Kim's government responded to that speech by calling Trump an "old lunatic."

———

12:50 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is back on the defensive over Russian election meddling and is accusing Democrats of trying to sabotage U.S.-Russia relations.

Speaking to reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin vehemently insisted once again that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections.

The Republican president declined to say whether he believed Putin but made clear he wasn't interested in dwelling on the issue.

Trump is in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a brief state visit. He'll depart for the Philippines later Sunday for a pair of summits that will close out his trip.

Trump and Putin did not have a formal meeting while they were in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but the two spoke informally several times on the event's sidelines.

———

11:15 p.m. Saturday

The Kremlin's spokesman says Vladimir Putin flatly denied any Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election during a short meeting with President Donald Trump.

The Russian president and Trump met Saturday on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific conference in Vietnam.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as telling reporters: "Trump really raised the topic of so-called interference in U.S. elections.

Peskov says, "Putin categorically rejected even the hypothetical possibility that Russia could have in some way interfered in the U.S. electoral process."

———

11:05 p.m.

The White House Correspondents Association is voicing concerns about press access during President Donald Trump's trip to Asia.

Reporters and photographers traveling with the president were barred from covering any of the events at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the coastal city of Danang on Saturday.

Reporters have also voiced concerns that Trump declined to take questions in China, though he has held press conferences in Japan and South Korea and spoke to reporters at length aboard Air Force One Saturday.

Margaret Talev, the correspondents association president, says in a statement the group is "concerned that access on this trip has eroded more significantly" and that "notice about changes or new coverage restrictions has often come with too short of notice to be able to react effectively."

———

8:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is praising Vietnam in brief remarks before a state dinner, calling the nation "one of the great miracles of the world."

He says the United States and Vietnam have "come a long way," in an apparent reference to the Vietnam War.

Trump added that "there is nothing more impressive" than the success of the country. He spoke during a state dinner featuring local flavors.

On the menu: steamed rice powder rolls "with fluffy pemmican"; shrimp rolled in fried egg; a seafood soup made with fish maw, shrimp, scallop and shark fin; and Dong Tao chicken rolled with lotus and mushrooms.

Besides dinner, Trump is scheduled for talks with Vietnamese leaders before heading to the Philippines, his last stop on the trip.

———

7:25 p.m.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Saturday issued its first official statement on President Donald Trump's trip to Asia, slamming Trump for trying to denuclearize the North.

The ministry said that Trump's trip "is a warmonger's trip for confrontation with our country, trying to remove our self-defensive nuclear deterrent."

It accused Trump of trying to demonize North Korea, keep it apart from the international community and undermine its government.

The ministry said, "Reckless remarks by an old lunatic like Trump will never scare us or stop our advance. On the contrary, all this makes us more sure that our choice to promote economic construction at the same time as building up our nuclear force is all the more righteous, and it pushes us to speed up the effort to complete our nuclear force."

North Korea is not known to have tested any of its missiles or nuclear devices since Sept. 15, a relative lull after a brisk series of tests earlier this year.

———

7:20 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is brushing off recent reports that the U.S. commerce secretary had interest in a company that does business with a major Russian company with possible ties to Putin relatives.

Reports this week said Wilbur Ross is a shareholder in a shipping company that relies on the Russian company Sibur for much of its revenue. A man reported to be one of Putin's sons-in-law is believed to be a major Sibur shareholder.

Putin said Saturday that "This is nothing more than business. It never had and does not have any relation with politics."

Putin also rejected any Russian connection to the recently indicted former campaign manager of President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort.

Manafort is charged with offenses including failing to register as a foreign agent while advising the party of Viktor Yanukovych, the Russia-friendly Ukrainan president who was ousted amid massive street protests in 2014.

———

6:55 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the lack of a formal meeting with President Donald Trump at a conference in Vietnam reflects continuing tense relations between their countries.

Putin and Trump had several brief exchanges Friday night and Saturday as world leaders gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. They did not have a formal, one-on-one meeting.

Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying that the lack of a formal meeting shows that U.S.-Russia relations have "not yet emerged from the state of crisis."

But he was also quoted as blaming the absence of a sit-down on scheduling conflicts and "certain matters of the protocol" that couldn't be worked out.

———

5:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he didn't see Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH'-bay) take a tumble on the golf course.

But he says, if it was Abe, "I'm very impressed because (Abe is) better than any gymnast I've ever seen."

Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One as it headed toward Hanoi, Vietnam, for meetings and a state banquet.

Japan's TV Tokyo aired footage of a player identified as Abe trying repeatedly to hit his ball out of a steep bunker. As he finally made the shot, Trump began walking away, and Abe ran up the side of the bunker to catch up.

But just as the 63-year-old prime minister stepped onto the grass, he slipped, making a backward flip down into the sand. He quickly stood up and picked up his cap.

———

5:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Russia President Vladimir Putin once again denied meddling in the 2016 election during their conversations Saturday at a summit in Vietnam.

And Trump still won't say definitively whether he believes Putin.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that every time Putin sees him he says: "I didn't do that."

Says Trump: "And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it."

Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to try to help Trump win. Multiple investigations are also under way to determine whether Trump campaign officials colluded with them.

Trump dismissed the heads of those agencies as "political hacks." He says there's plenty of reason to be suspicious of their findings.

———

5:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is blaming Democrats for creating an "artificial barrier" to U.S.-Russian relations by accusing Russia of meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump tells reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi that the allegations, which he's dismissed as a witch hunt in the past, are damaging his ability to work with Russia. And he says that's putting lives at stake.

He says the "artificial barrier" gets in the way of putting global pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Without that obstacle, Trump says, "we could really be helped a lot, tremendously with Russia having to do with North Korea."

He goes on to say that, "If we can save many, many, many lives by making a deal with Russia having to do with Syria, and then ultimately getting Syria solved and getting Ukraine solved and doing other things, having a good relationship with Russia's a great, great thing. And this artificial Democratic hit job gets in the way," he says, adding that, "people will die because of it."

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Warsaw nationalist march draws tens of thousands

Tens of thousands of people joined a nationalist march in Warsaw on Saturday, organised to coincide with Poland's independence day.

Marchers chanted religious slogans such as "God, honour, country" and some called out racist chants including "Pure Poland, white Poland".

An "anti-fascist" counter-protest attracted about 2,000 people.

Police estimated that 60,000 people took part in the main march.

It attracted far-right agitators from elsewhere in Europe, including Tommy Robinson from the UK and Roberto Fiore from Italy.

Kamil Staszalek, 30, said he was there to "honour the memory of those who fought for Poland's freedom".

"I'd say some people here do have extreme views, maybe even 30% of those marching, but 70% are simply walking peacefully, without shouting any fascist slogans," he told the AFP news agency.

Supporters of the country's governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party took part in the annual march, which takes place alongside other events.

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak called the event a "beautiful sight".

"We are proud that so many Poles have decided to take part in a celebration connected to the Independence Day holiday," he said.

Andy Eddles, a British language teacher who has been living in Poland for 27 years, said he was "shocked that they're allowed to demonstrate on this day".

"It's 50,000 to 100,000 mostly football hooligans hijacking patriotism," the 50-year-old, who joined the counter-protest, told AFP.

"For me it's important to support the anti-fascist coalition, and to support fellow democrats, who are under pressure in Poland today," he said.

The nationalist marchers carried Polish flags and threw red smoke bombs. Pawel, 21, from the southern city of Rzeszow told AFP it was "important because religion is important in our country and we don't want Islamisation, of Europe or especially Poland".Other events were also held in the city for Independence Day, which marks the country regaining independence 123 years after it was carved up by Tsarist Russia, Prussia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

An official ceremony was hosted by President Andrzej Duda.

All living former Polish presidents attended, as well as the European Union president Donald Tusk.

"Independence Day has always been and will continue to be a celebration of all Poles and not just one party. No politician in Poland has ever had nor will ever have a monopoly on patriotism," Mr Tusk said as he arrived at the airport in Warsaw.

Poland was the only EU country to vote against Mr Tusk's reelection as EU president in March.

The conservative tack taken by the country's ruling PiS party, including anti-migrant and pro-logging reforms, has put it increasingly at odd with Brussels.

Source – bbc.com

Iraq: Mass graves discovered near Hawija

Mass graves containing at least 400 bodies have been found near Hawija, an Iraqi city that was occupied by Islamic State (IS) fighters until last month.

Kirkuk province's governor, Rakan Said, said they were found at an airbase just outside the city.

Some of the victims were in civilian clothes but others were wearing the jumpsuits that IS used to dress people who were condemned to death.

Mr Said said the base had been "turned into an execution ground".

General Mortada al-Luwaibi said the Iraqi military found the graves after local residents gave "witness accounts".

Iraqi forces have discovered dozens of mass graves in areas that were once under IS control. Last year the Associated Press published a survey of mass graves that identified 72 sites. They could contain from 5,200 to more than 15,000 bodies, the news agency said.

• Survivors give evidence as mass graves are discovered
• The war against ‘Islamic State’ in maps and charts

Since then the military has retaken more ground from IS.

Hawija is 240km (150 miles) north of Baghdad and was retaken last month after being under IS control since 2013.

Source – bbc.com

'SNL' Skewers Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore

“You, sir, are too Alabama."

NBC's Saturday Night Live took aim at Republican Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore in Saturday's cold open. Moore, accused of making inappropriate advances and sexual contact by an Alabama woman when she was 14, has been at the center of controversy this week for the allegations, which surfaced in a recent Washington Post exposé.

SNL castmember Mikey Day, dressed in a cowboy hat and leather vest, appeared as Moore to meet with Beck Bennett’s Vice President Mike Pence. “It’s all lies — I’m not that guy,” Day's Moore said.

“It’s hard to convince people that you’re not into young girls when you’re dressed like Woody from Toy Story,” Bennett's Pence replied.

Day’s Moore was looking for assistance, however. “Can’t you call the boss?” he asked. “I’m sorry, I’m not going to call Vladimir Putin about this,” said Bennett's Pence.

Castmember Kate McKinnon, reprising her role as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then emerged from a nearby cabinet to offer some advice to Day’s Moore. “I’m usually the creepiest one in the room, but I look at you and I’m, like, 'Oh, my God,'” she told Day.

“You, sir, are too Alabama,” McKinnon's Sessions told Day's Moore. She then dismissed him and pulled out a stuffed possum from the cabinet.

Saturday Night Live
Read the full article – Hollywoodreporter.com

The Latest: Trump offers to mediate on South China Sea

The Latest on President Donald Trump's visit to Asia (all times local):

9:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump is offering to serve as a mediator on the South China Sea territorial disputes as he meets with the president of Vietnam.

Trump is telling President Tran Dai Quang he knows Vietnam has had a dispute with China over the strategic waterways.

Trump says he's a "very good mediator and a very good arbitrator" and willing to help.

Trump was speaking to Quang at the start of their meetings in Hanoi. Trump says North Korea "continues to be a problem" and he's hopeful that Chinese President Xi Jinping will "be a tremendous help." Trump says he also hopes that Russia will "be a tremendous help."

Trump says they'll also talk about trade. He says the U.S. will "be treated fairly," adding, "past administrations didn't understand trade."

——

9:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is promising a "tremendous amount of trade" with Vietnam as he arrives at the presidential palace for his meeting with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang.

Trump and Quang spoke briefly to reporters after the U.S. president arrived at the presidential palace in Hanoi on a rainy morning. Trump says they'll be conducting "billions and billions" of dollars in trade.

The two leaders were greeted by young children waving U.S. and Vietnamese flags and then paused as a band played the two countries' national anthems.

Trump is in Hanoi for a brief state visit and will hold a joint news conference with Quang. He'll depart for the Philippines later Sunday for a pair of summits that will close out his trip to Asia.

——

8:10 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is bashing the "haters and fools" he says are questioning his efforts to improve relations with Russia.

Trump, in the final days of a lengthy Asia trip, shared his thoughts in a series of tweets Sunday in Hanoi, Vietnam.

He accused critics of "playing politics" and hurting the country.

The day before, Trump had told reporters that Russia President Vladimir Putin has again denied meddling in the 2016 election. Trump did not make clear whether he believed Putin but did make clear that he did not want to revisit the issue.

Trump has suggested that the ongoing probe into contacts between his campaign and the Russians was hurting the U.S. relationship with Moscow and could hinder efforts to solve crises like Syria and North Korea.

———

8:05 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is exchanging schools yard taunts with North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

Trump says in a tweet from Vietnam: "Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?""

Trump goes on to say sarcastically, "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend" and says that, "maybe someday that will happen!"

Trump has been working to rally global pressure against North Korea's nuclear weapons program on a trip to Asia. That includes a stern speech delivered in South Korea.

Kim's government responded to that speech by calling Trump an "old lunatic."

———

12:50 a.m. Sunday

President Donald Trump is back on the defensive over Russian election meddling and is accusing Democrats of trying to sabotage U.S.-Russia relations.

Speaking to reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin vehemently insisted once again that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections.

The Republican president declined to say whether he believed Putin but made clear he wasn't interested in dwelling on the issue.

Trump is in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a brief state visit. He'll depart for the Philippines later Sunday for a pair of summits that will close out his trip.

Trump and Putin did not have a formal meeting while they were in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but the two spoke informally several times on the event's sidelines.

———

11:15 p.m. Saturday

The Kremlin's spokesman says Vladimir Putin flatly denied any Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election during a short meeting with President Donald Trump.

The Russian president and Trump met Saturday on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific conference in Vietnam.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as telling reporters: "Trump really raised the topic of so-called interference in U.S. elections.

Peskov says, "Putin categorically rejected even the hypothetical possibility that Russia could have in some way interfered in the U.S. electoral process."

———

11:05 p.m.

The White House Correspondents Association is voicing concerns about press access during President Donald Trump's trip to Asia.

Reporters and photographers traveling with the president were barred from covering any of the events at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the coastal city of Danang on Saturday.

Reporters have also voiced concerns that Trump declined to take questions in China, though he has held press conferences in Japan and South Korea and spoke to reporters at length aboard Air Force One Saturday.

Margaret Talev, the correspondents association president, says in a statement the group is "concerned that access on this trip has eroded more significantly" and that "notice about changes or new coverage restrictions has often come with too short of notice to be able to react effectively."

———

8:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is praising Vietnam in brief remarks before a state dinner, calling the nation "one of the great miracles of the world."

He says the United States and Vietnam have "come a long way," in an apparent reference to the Vietnam War.

Trump added that "there is nothing more impressive" than the success of the country. He spoke during a state dinner featuring local flavors.

On the menu: steamed rice powder rolls "with fluffy pemmican"; shrimp rolled in fried egg; a seafood soup made with fish maw, shrimp, scallop and shark fin; and Dong Tao chicken rolled with lotus and mushrooms.

Besides dinner, Trump is scheduled for talks with Vietnamese leaders before heading to the Philippines, his last stop on the trip.

———

7:25 p.m.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Saturday issued its first official statement on President Donald Trump's trip to Asia, slamming Trump for trying to denuclearize the North.

The ministry said that Trump's trip "is a warmonger's trip for confrontation with our country, trying to remove our self-defensive nuclear deterrent."

It accused Trump of trying to demonize North Korea, keep it apart from the international community and undermine its government.

The ministry said, "Reckless remarks by an old lunatic like Trump will never scare us or stop our advance. On the contrary, all this makes us more sure that our choice to promote economic construction at the same time as building up our nuclear force is all the more righteous, and it pushes us to speed up the effort to complete our nuclear force."

North Korea is not known to have tested any of its missiles or nuclear devices since Sept. 15, a relative lull after a brisk series of tests earlier this year.

———

7:20 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is brushing off recent reports that the U.S. commerce secretary had interest in a company that does business with a major Russian company with possible ties to Putin relatives.

Reports this week said Wilbur Ross is a shareholder in a shipping company that relies on the Russian company Sibur for much of its revenue. A man reported to be one of Putin's sons-in-law is believed to be a major Sibur shareholder.

Putin said Saturday that "This is nothing more than business. It never had and does not have any relation with politics."

Putin also rejected any Russian connection to the recently indicted former campaign manager of President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort.

Manafort is charged with offenses including failing to register as a foreign agent while advising the party of Viktor Yanukovych, the Russia-friendly Ukrainan president who was ousted amid massive street protests in 2014.

———

6:55 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the lack of a formal meeting with President Donald Trump at a conference in Vietnam reflects continuing tense relations between their countries.

Putin and Trump had several brief exchanges Friday night and Saturday as world leaders gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. They did not have a formal, one-on-one meeting.

Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying that the lack of a formal meeting shows that U.S.-Russia relations have "not yet emerged from the state of crisis."

But he was also quoted as blaming the absence of a sit-down on scheduling conflicts and "certain matters of the protocol" that couldn't be worked out.

———

5:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he didn't see Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH'-bay) take a tumble on the golf course.

But he says, if it was Abe, "I'm very impressed because (Abe is) better than any gymnast I've ever seen."

Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One as it headed toward Hanoi, Vietnam, for meetings and a state banquet.

Japan's TV Tokyo aired footage of a player identified as Abe trying repeatedly to hit his ball out of a steep bunker. As he finally made the shot, Trump began walking away, and Abe ran up the side of the bunker to catch up.

But just as the 63-year-old prime minister stepped onto the grass, he slipped, making a backward flip down into the sand. He quickly stood up and picked up his cap.

———

5:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Russia President Vladimir Putin once again denied meddling in the 2016 election during their conversations Saturday at a summit in Vietnam.

And Trump still won't say definitively whether he believes Putin.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that every time Putin sees him he says: "I didn't do that."

Says Trump: "And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it."

Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to try to help Trump win. Multiple investigations are also under way to determine whether Trump campaign officials colluded with them.

Trump dismissed the heads of those agencies as "political hacks." He says there's plenty of reason to be suspicious of their findings.

———

5:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is blaming Democrats for creating an "artificial barrier" to U.S.-Russian relations by accusing Russia of meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump tells reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi that the allegations, which he's dismissed as a witch hunt in the past, are damaging his ability to work with Russia. And he says that's putting lives at stake.

He says the "artificial barrier" gets in the way of putting global pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Without that obstacle, Trump says, "we could really be helped a lot, tremendously with Russia having to do with North Korea."

He goes on to say that, "If we can save many, many, many lives by making a deal with Russia having to do with Syria, and then ultimately getting Syria solved and getting Ukraine solved and doing other things, having a good relationship with Russia's a great, great thing. And this artificial Democratic hit job gets in the way," he says, adding that, "people will die because of it."

———

5:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump has landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, as he heads toward the end of his first official visit to Asia.

Trump is attending a state banquet Saturday, before Sunday meetings with Vietnam's president and prime minister. He next stops in the Philippines before heading back to the U.S.

Trump spent the first half of Saturday meeting with world leaders gathered in the seaside city of Danang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Trump has been hammering leaders on trade and urging them to do more to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.

He was also seen chatting on several occasions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

———

4:15 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump say they welcome President Bashar Assad's "recent statement of commitment" to the Geneva process for resolving the conflict in Syria.

Putin and Trump met on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Vietnam.

Assad's commitment to the process, in line with a UN Security Council resolution, implies "constitutional reform and free and fair elections under the supervision of the United Nations" in which all Syrians can participate, including those in the diaspora, a Kremlin statement said.

Trump and Putin also reaffirmed support for de-escalation zones in Syria, including one in the southwest that was agreed to in the presidents' previous meeting in July in Germany. They also called on UN members to increase humanitarian aid contributions for Syria.

———

3:50 p.m.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump have reaffirmed their countries' intentions to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria.

The leaders reached an agreement during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Vietnam on Saturday.

A Kremlin statement says they agreed to support existing communications channels to ensure the security of the U.S. and Russian armed forces, as well as to prevent dangerous incidents involving the forces of partners fighting IS. The Kremlin says they confirmed that these efforts will continue until the final defeat of IS.

The Kremlin says they also agreed that the Syrian conflict "does not have a military solution," and that final resolution must come in the framework of the so-called Geneva Process.

The White House so far has not commented.

———

3:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be having a formal meeting while they're in Vietnam for an economic summit, but they appear to be chumming it up nonetheless.

Snippets of video from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference Saturday show the two leaders chatting and shaking hands at events, including the traditional world leaders' group photo.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election in order to help Trump win. Putin has denied interfering in the election.

Later Saturday, Trump heads to the capital city of Hanoi to attend a state banquet.

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Trump taunts Kim: 'I would NEVER call him short and fat'

President Donald Trump is exchanging school yard taunts with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

In a response to North Korea calling Trump's speech in South Korea "reckless remarks by an old lunatic," Trump tweeted from Hanoi on Sunday morning: "Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?'"

Trump goes on to say sarcastically, "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend — and maybe someday that will happen!"

Trump has been working to rally global pressure against North Korea's nuclear weapons program on a trip to Asia. That includes a stern speech delivered in South Korea's National Assembly on Tuesday, in which he said: "Do not underestimate us. And do not try us. … The weapons you're acquiring are not making you safer, they are putting your regime in grave danger. Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face."

On Saturday, Kim's government responded by accusing Trump of trying to demonize North Korea, keep it apart from the international community and undermine its government.

"Reckless remarks by an old lunatic like Trump will never scare us or stop our advance," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "On the contrary, all this makes us more sure that our choice to promote economic construction at the same time as building up our nuclear force is all the more righteous, and it pushes us to speed up the effort to complete our nuclear force."

North Korea is not known to have tested any of its missiles or nuclear devices since Sept. 15, a relative lull after a brisk series of tests earlier this year.

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