Donald Trump: ‘Iran has formally been put on notice’ for firing missile

“Claims made by US President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser are baseless, repetitive and provocative,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said, quoted by state news agency

Mr Trump on Thursday tweeted that Iran was “on notice” after testing a ballistic missile. He also claimed the country was on its “last legs” before the nuclear deal struck under his predecessor.

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“Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing ballistic missile. Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the US made with them,” Mr Trump tweeted.

“Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the US came along and gave it a lifeline in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion.”

Iran is one of seven Muslim-majority countries targeted in the US president’s controversial executive order on immigration.

Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile.Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017

Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017

His comments came after Michael Flynn, Mr Trump’s national security adviser, forcefully denounced Iran’s behaviour in his first public remarks since Mr Trump took office.

He accused Iran of threatening US allies and spreading instability throughout the Middle East while faulting the Obama administration for doing too little to stop the Islamic Republic.

“As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice,” General Flynn said from the White House podium.

Senior Trump administration officials said they were actively considering a “range of options” including economic measures and increased support for Iran’s regional adversaries.

The officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, declined repeatedly to say whether military action was being considered.

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National Security Adviser Michael Flynn tells the media that Iran is on notice. Picture: APSource:AP

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON AUSSIE STOUSH

It came as Mr Trump refused to back down from his spat with Mr Turnbull by declaring he needs to make “tough phone calls” because nations are taking advantage of America.

At a speech in Washington DC on Thursday, Mr Trump said the world was in trouble but he was “going to straighten it out”.

“When you hear about the tough phone calls I’m having, don’t worry about it,” Mr Trump told the audience. “Just don’t worry about it.

“They’re tough. We have to be tough,” he said. “It’s time we have to be a little tough folks.

“We are taken advantage of by every nation in the world virtually. “It’s not going to happen anymore.”

Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017

The Washington Post revealed on Wednesday a weekend call between Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull had ended abruptly.

The president in a tweet called an asylum seeker deal between Australia and former US President Barack Obama “dumb”.

COUNTER-TERRORISM ‘TO FOCUS ONLY ON ISLAM’

The Trump administration wants to revamp and rename a US government program designed to counter all violent ideologies so that it focuses solely on Islamist extremism, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The program, “Countering Violent Extremism,” or CVE, would be changed to “Countering Islamic Extremism” or “Countering Radical Islamic Extremism,” the sources said, and would no longer target groups such as white supremacists who have also carried out bombings and shootings in the US.

Such a change would reflect Mr Trump’s election campaign rhetoric and criticism of former President Barack Obama for being weak in the fight against Islamic State and for refusing to use the phrase “radical Islam” in describing it.

The CVE program aims to deter groups or potential lone attackers through community partnerships and educational programs or counter-messaging campaigns in co-operation with companies such as Google and Facebook.

Some proponents of the program fear that rebranding it could make it more difficult for the government to work with Muslims already hesitant to trust the new administration, particularly after Mr Trump issued an executive order last Friday temporarily blocking travel to the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

A source who has worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security on the program said Trump transition team members first met with a CVE task force in December and floated the idea of changing the name and focus.

 

TRUMP THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FEDERAL FUNDS

Mr Trump threatened to withdraw federal funding from the University of California at Berkeley following violent protests on campus against a planned appearance by a controversial editor of conservative news website Breitbart.

Hundreds of students and other protesters chanting “shut him down” smashed windows at the California campus, set wooden pallets on fire and threw fireworks and rocks as police in full riot gear responded with teargas.

 

The university was placed on lockdown as the sold-out appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative firebrand, was cancelled Wednesday evening.

“If UC Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view — NO FEDERAL FUNDS?” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

Mr Trump’s top political adviser Stephen Bannon is the former chairman of Breitbart News.

 

 

 

Yiannopoulos, who is the Breitbart technology editor, is known for his provocative social media posts and was banned from Twitter in July for fuelling abuse directed at Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones.

The British journalist is a vocal supporter of Mr Trump — nicknaming the US president “Daddy” during his election campaign — and has become one of the faces of America’s “alt-right” movement.

Similar protests at the University of California at Davis last month also forced the cancellation of speeches by Mr Yiannopoulos and former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli.

 

PRISON HOSTAGE SITUATION OVER TRUMP

Delaware prison officials say one hostage is dead and a second is alert and talking after authorities entered a building at the state’s largest prison where inmates had taken staff members hostage.

Inmates at the James T Vaughn Correctional Centre in Smyrna, Delaware told a local newspaper that concerns about their treatment and the leadership of the United States had prompted their actions.

The inmates took four corrections department workers hostage at 10.30am on Wednesday (2.30am AEDT Thursday).

 

An inmate told The News Journal in Wilmington their reasons “for doing what we’re doing” included “Donald Trump. Everything that he did. All the things that he’s doing now. We know that the institution is going to change for the worse.”

That caller reportedly said their main concern was proper education for prisoners.

They also said they want effective rehabilitation for all prisoners and information about how money is allocated to prisons.

 

TRUMP CALLS FOR SCHWARZENEGGER PRAYERS

Mr Trump, who remains listed as executive producer for The New Celebrity Apprentice, used an address at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday to bash his successor.

He asked those gathered to pray for Arnold Schwarzenegger because of the “ratings disaster.”

“The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster,” Mr Trump said. “And I want to just pray for Arnold if we can, for those ratings.”

 

Mr Trump, who was introduced at the breakfast by the show’s creator, Mark Burnett, said the show had been a “tremendous success” but then he ran for president.

He said the show then hired a “big, big movie star” to replace him, adding, “We know how that turned out.”

It wasn’t the first time Mr Trump went after Schwarzenegger.

Last month, Mr Trump tweeted: “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got ‘swamped’ (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT.”

Schwarzenegger hit back at Mr Trump, suggesting that the President return to TV and let him take over the billionaire’s current job.

“Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don’t we switch jobs?” he said. “You take over TV because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job, and people can finally sleep comfortably again.”

TRUMP GOLF COURSE IN $US5.7M PAYOUT

A Trump-owned Florida golf course must immediately repay $US5.7 million ($7.5 million) to 65 former members who had been denied membership refunds after he bought the club in 2012, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

District Judge Kenneth Marra ruled that Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter violated contracts the members had signed with the previous owner, Ritz-Carlton. The average payment will be about $US87,000 if the ruling is upheld.

The Trump Organisation vowed to appeal, saying in a statement that “We respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision. At the time Trump purchased the Club, it was suffering financially, making it unlikely that these members would ever get back their deposits.”

The 65 were on a resignation waiting list when Trump bought the club for $US5 million.

Testimony last year showed Mr Trump got a below-market price for the club by agreeing to be on the hook for potentially $US41 million in refundable membership deposits.

Also, the contracts the members signed with Ritz-Carlton stated that if that company sold the club, the new owner would be responsible for any refundable deposits that were due.