Trump suspends US refugee programme and bans Syrians indefinitely

President Donald Trump has banned the entry of Syrian refugees into the US until further notice.

He has also halted the issuing of visas to the nationals of six other mainly Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, for three months.

Mr Trump said the measures were part of new measures to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the US".

Rights groups have condemned the move, saying there is no link between Syrian refugees in the US and terrorism.

Under Mr Trump's wide-ranging executive order, all refugee admissions have been suspended for four months.

Mr Trump signed the order at the Pentagon after a ceremony to swear in Gen James Mattis as defence secretary.

During the ceremony, he said: "I'm establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people."

The text of the order was released several hours after it was signed. Among the measures are:

• Suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days
• A ban on refugees from Syria until "significant changes" are made
• A 90-day suspension on anyone arriving from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, except certain visa categories such as diplomats
• To prioritise future refugee applications from those persecuted for their religion - but only if the person is part of a minority religion in their home country
• A cap of 50,000 refugees in 2017 - less than half of the upper limit under Mr Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama

However, a mention of creating "safe zones" within Syria, seen in an earlier draft, was removed from the final order.

The order also said all immigration programmes should include questions to "evaluate the applicant's likelihood of becoming a positively contributing member of society."

In a TV interview broadcast earlier on Friday, the president said Christians would be given priority among Syrians who apply for refugee status in the future.

Other measures include a broad review of the information required from all countries to approve a visa; a review of visa schemes between nations to ensure they are "truly reciprocal" for US citizens; and the immediate suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Programme.

But the document says exceptions to most restrictions could be made on a case-by-case basis.

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President Trump also signed an executive order aimed at rebuilding the military by "developing a plan for new planes, new ships, new resources and new tools for our men and women in uniform".

Last year, Mr Obama's administration admitted 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US. Neighbouring Canada - whose population is a ninth of that of the US - took in 35,000.

During the election campaign, Mr Trump suggested a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

But he has made no mention of this since his victory last November.

The executive order has been met with criticism from rights organisations, Democrats and notable figures.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris noted that the order had been signed on Holocaust Memorial Day. "Make no mistake - this is a Muslim ban," she wrote.

"During the Holocaust, we failed to let refugees like Anne Frank into our country. We can't let history repeat itself," she said.

And New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "profoundly saddened" and the president had sent "a shamefully different message" than the country's founding beliefs.

Malala Yousafzai, the teenage Nobel Peace Laureate who was shot by the Taliban following her advocacy for women's education in Pakistan, wrote that she was "heartbroken".

"America is turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants - the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life," she added.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also posted a lengthy note, saying he was "concerned" about the president's executive orders, and noting that he, like many Americans, is the descendant of immigrants.

The head of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the use of the words "extreme vetting", saying it was a "euphemism for discriminating against Muslims".

"Identifying specific countries with Muslim majorities and carving out exceptions for minority religions flies in the face of the constitutional principle that bans the government from either favouring or discriminating against particular religions," Anthony Romero said in a statement.

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Chile's worst wildfire destroys town as help arrives

More international help has been arriving in Chile to help the country fight the worst wildfire in the country's modern history.

Russia has sent a super-tanker aircraft capable of carrying tons of water to douse the fires.

The series of fast-spreading fires mostly in Chile's central region, are being fanned by strong winds, high temperatures and a prolonged drought.

One town, Santa Olga, has been completely destroyed by the blaze.

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Trump's aide lambasts US media as 'opposition party'

President Donald Trump's chief strategist has described US mainstream media as "the opposition party", saying it should "keep its mouth shut".

Stephen Bannon also told the New York Times that news organisations had been "humiliated" by their failure to anticipate Mr Trump's election victory.

Media outlets have clashed with the White House over the number of people attending Mr Trump's inauguration.

They have also questioned his claim about millions of illegal ballots.

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In a telephone interview with the newspaper, Mr Bannon said that "the media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while".

"The media here is the opposition party," he said and later added "not the Democratic party".

Mr Bannon also argued that news outlets "don't understand this country".

"They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States."

During the interview he was mostly referring to the "mainstream" or "elite" media, however he specifically mentioned the The New York Times and The Washington Post

He spoke in blunt but calm tones, peppered with a dose of profanities, The New York Times said.

Mr Bannon had been in charge of right-wing Breitbart News website until August, later becoming the campaign CEO for Donald Trump in the final campaign months before the November election.

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Mexico condemns Trump's border wall tax proposal

Mexico has condemned a US suggestion that it may impose a 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for President Donald Trump's planned border wall.

Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said such tax would make Mexican imports more expensive for US consumers and they would end up paying for the wall.

The Mexican president earlier cancelled a visit to the US amid the row of who would pay for the barrier.

The planned wall was one of Mr Trump's key election campaign pledges.

Earlier this week, the president signed an executive order to create a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200km) US-Mexico border.

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Speaking on Thursday, Mr Videgaray said: "A tax on Mexican imports to the United States is not a way to make Mexico pay for the wall, but to a way make the North American consumer pay for it through more expensive avocados, washing machines, televisions.''

He also stressed that paying for Mr Trump's wall "is not negotiable" for Mexico.

Earlier on Thursday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said a 20% tax could generate approximately $10bn (£8bn) in tax revenue per year.

"Right now our country's policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous", he said, adding that the tax will "easily pay for the wall".

But Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, later said that the border tax is only one of several options being considered.

Border tax unacceptable - Will Grant, BBC News, Mexico City

President Enrique Pena Nieto would have been perceived as very weak if he had travelled to Washington for talks and for many here it would have been tantamount to accepting Mr Trump's central claim - that Mexico will pay for the US border wall.

If that is not up front, then it may come eventually - perhaps under the latest proposal being floated by Donald Trump's White House, a massive 20% border tax on Mexican imports.

As Mexico exports some $300bn of goods a year to the US, the impact of such a proposal would be felt across the country.

Furthermore, the idea of funding a wall through a new tariff is simply unacceptable to most ordinary Mexicans who view the wall as unnecessary, inhumane, expensive and ineffective.

As their elected leader, at least for the next 18 months, Enrique Pena Nieto was left with little option but to deliver that message to the White House - by not going there in person.

The rift between the neighbours and trade partners has deepened just days into Mr Trump's presidency.

After Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto pulled out of next week's summit, Mr Trump said the meeting would have been "fruitless" if Mexico didn't treat the US "with respect" and pay for the wall.

Earlier Mr Pena Nieto said he "lamented" the plans for the barrier.

In a televised address, the Mexican leader told the nation: "I've said time and again: Mexico won't pay for any wall."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned that US consumers may wind up bearing the cost of the proposed tax.

"Any tariff we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth", he wrote online.

"Build that wall" was one of Mr Trump's campaign rally slogans.

Mr Trump's executive orders also called for hiring 10,000 immigration officials to help boost border patrol efforts.

"A nation without borders is not a nation," Mr Trump said. "Beginning today the United States gets back control of its borders."

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In other developments:

• UK Prime Minister Theresa May addressed a group of Republican Congressmen ahead of talks with President Trump on Friday. She called for an end to foreign interventions overseas to "remake the world in our own image"
• Chief White House strategist Stephen Bannon said that the media should "keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while" and that he views the press as "the opposition party"
• The White House is planning additional executive actions in the coming days, one of which will reportedly curb refugee admissions
• Mr Trump told US media that he had made his selection for Supreme Court nominee, and will announce the name next Thursday

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Shia LaBeouf charged during anti-Trump protest He Will Not Divide Us

Shia LaBeouf has been charged with assault and harassment after being arrested during a protest against US President Donald Trump in New York.

The actor and artist has been appearing a live video stream called He Will Not Divide Us since President Trump's inauguration on Friday.

The New York Police Department said Mr LaBeouf was involved in a dispute in the early hours of Thursday.

No-one else was charged and Mr LaBeouf has now been released.

During the incident, a 25-year-old man sustained scratches after a verbal confrontation escalated to a physical confrontation, a police spokesman said.

According to TMZ, a member of the public walked in front of the camera and said something the actor objected to.

Mr LaBeouf then allegedly took hold of the man's scarf. Police said he also pushed the man, who refused medical attention.

The actor could be seen in handcuffs walking off with a police officer in the live video stream. He must attend a court hearing on 7 April.

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What is He Will Not Divide Us?

• He Will Not Divide Us is a video stream broadcasting live from the Museum of Moving Image in New York
• Mr LaBeouf co-founded the project, which has been running since the inauguration of President Trump on 20 January, with Luke Turner and Nastja Ronkko
• The public is invited to deliver the words "he will not divide us" into a camera mounted on a wall outside the museum
• Some celebrities, such as Jaden Smith, have already appeared on the live stream
• It is a protest against President Trump's presidential campaign and controversial policies
• The stream is due to run for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the next four years while President Trump is in office

One fellow protestor was heard saying: "Shia took a hit for us... he came out and tried to protect us."

On Monday, Mr LaBeouf told the Associated Press the public participatory project was not exclusively motivated by President Trump.

"We're anti-division out here. Everyone's invited," the actor said. "I'm just saying, be nice to each other."

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Gambia's new President Adama Barrow to return home

Gambia's new President, Adama Barrow, says he will return to the country on Thursday to assume power - days after his predecessor left.

Mr Barrow, who has been staying in neighbouring Senegal, won elections in December.

However a handover was stalled when Gambia's president of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh, refused to step aside.

He left for exile at the weekend after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.

Mr Barrow was sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in Senegal a week ago, but a public inauguration on home soil is planned soon, aides say.

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'Excited'

Mr Barrow, 51, expects a "big, big welcome" when he arrives back in Banjul. he told the International Business Times UK.

"I think it will be the biggest in the history of our country."

He added that he was "very excited" after the "very difficult transition".

The president is to be accompanied by the UN envoy for West Africa, Mohamed ibn Chambas. He has said the UN will help uphold security in The Gambia.

 Several thousand West African soldiers remain in The Gambia amid reports that rogue pro-Jammeh elements are embedded in the country's security forces.

The West African force had threatened to drive Mr Jammeh from office if he did not agree to go.

A new inauguration will be organised soon at the national stadium in Banjul, his spokesman Halifa Sallah said.

"It will be an occasion to show strength. Everyone will be invited. The president will address his people,'' he told Senegalese radio.

Mr Jammeh, who was a 29-year-old army lieutenant when he came to power in a 1994 coup, had refused to accept the results of the December election.

After his departure, reports emerged that more than $11m (£8.8m) had disappeared from The Gambia's state coffers.

However a presidential adviser said the police had been asked to investigate and would determine if anything was missing.

Mr Jammeh has not commented on the allegations.

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Quick facts: Adama Barrow

• Member of the Fula ethnic group, born in 1965 - the year of Gambian independence
• Reportedly worked as a security guard in the UK in the early 2000s while studying there
• Returned home in 2006 to set up property business
• Supports English Premier League football team Arsenal
• Nominated as the candidate for coalition of seven opposition parties, promising greater respect for human rights
• A devout Muslim who is reportedly married with two wives and five children

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May to vow to renew special relationship ahead of Trump meeting

Theresa May is to vow to renew the UK's special relationship with the US "for this new age" as she prepares to meet Donald Trump for the first time.

She travels to Philadelphia on Thursday to address Republican leaders at an event attended by the US president.

She will tell them that after Brexit, a "sovereign, global" Britain wants to enhance ties with its "old friends".

On Friday, Mrs May will be the first world leader to hold face-to-face talks with Mr Trump in the White House.

Post-Brexit trade opportunities, security and intelligence co-operation and the future of Nato are likely to feature siginifcantly in the talks.

Mrs May has said her goal is to build on the historic relationship between the two nations, underpinned by their shared values and common interests.

But she has said she "won't be afraid" to speak candidly to Mr Trump on matters where they disagree, having criticised remarks the businessman has made in the past about women and Muslims.

Becoming the first foreign leader to be invited to visit the White House since Mr Trump's inauguration has been seen as something of a coup for Mrs May.

The government is keen to capitalise on the US president's strong personal and business links to the UK and his support for Brexit - which he has described as a "smart move".

'Hour of need'

In her speech to the annual Republican retreat on Thursday, Mrs May will stress the unique contribution that the US and UK have made to the modern world and the institutions that underpin it, such as Nato and the United Nations.

She will say that just as the two nations have worked hand-in-hand to "defeat evil" and to "open up the world" in the past, they now have an opportunity to "lead, together, again".

"The UK is by instinct and history a great, global nation that recognises its responsibilities to the world," she will say.

"And as we end our membership of the European Union, we have the opportunity to reassert our belief in a confident, sovereign and global Britain, ready to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

"So as we rediscover our confidence together - as you renew your nation just as we renew ours - we have the opportunity, indeed the responsibility, to renew the special relationship for this new age."

Although the UK cannot begin to negotiate trade deals with the US or other countries until it leaves the EU, Mr Trump has said he wants a "quick" deal after that happens and the two leaders are expected to discuss future co-operation.

Ted Malloch, who has been tipped as a future US ambassador to the European Union, has told the BBC the outline of a free trade deal could be done in as little as 90 days.

"There won't be a deal signed in the White House of Friday, but there could be an agreement for a framework going forward where people are empowered to have that kind of conversation behind closed doors," said Prof Malloch, who works at Henley Business School.

"That's very positive, I think, and it also sends a signal that the United States is behind Great Britain in its hour of need."

But other economists have warned that although the UK and US are already significant trade partners, negotiating a bilateral agreement from scratch could take years and face many potential obstacles.

Mr Trump's protectionist rhetoric in his inauguration speech and his apparent hostility to existing global trade deals - he has already withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and urged major reform of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) - have raised question marks about his commitment to an equal partnership.

'No blank cheque'

Labour has urged Mrs May not to give Mr Trump a "blank cheque" over trade, warning UK interests must be put first and there can be no question of watering down food safety standards and opening up the NHS to foreign procurement in return for concessions.

During Friday's visit, Mrs May will present a hamper of produce from her Chequers country retreat to First Lady Melania Trump as well as an engraved quaich - a Scottish toasting cup - to the US president.

The groundwork for the two-day visit was laid before Christmas when two of Mrs May's closest aides met members of the Trump transition team, while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has also held talks with members of the president's circle.

Mrs May, however, will not be the first British politician to meet Mr Trump since his election victory.

He met former UKIP leader Nigel Farage in New York and was interviewed by former cabinet minister Michael Gove for the Times newspaper - meetings which are said to have dismayed some in Downing Street.

Mr Trump is expected to make a cameo appearance at the three-day Republican retreat in Philadelphia, an annual strategy event held behind closed doors.

Although the party also controls the House of Representatives and the Senate, Mr Trump fell out with many leading party figures during the presidential campaign.

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