Donald Trump has blocked numerous sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, as a row with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky deepens.

The sanctions were passed by the US Congress and signed into law by Trump in September.

But the US president issued an executive order on Friday night saying that suspending some was in the US “national interest”, prompting a backlash from US lawmakers.

It comes after the White House said Katie Zacharia is “transitioning out” of the role of press secretary just days after taking the job.

The US president said on Friday he suggested to Zacharia she should “reconsider” the job.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#DonaldTrump #Russia #BBCNews #BBCNews

source

There have been violent clashes between protesters and police in French cities, during the latest day of demonstrations against education standards and the cost of living.

At least 400 people were arrested during what the French government described as an “escalation in violence”, as more than 500,000 people took to the streets.

In Paris riot police used tear gas and water cannon on crowds. Buildings were set alight in the capital and other areas, including in Limoges where a large fire broke out in the town hall.

There was looting in several cities, with widespread vandalism against city halls and businesses. In Lyon the city’s tourist office was burned. Police said “hostile individuals” prevented firefighters from tackling the blaze.

The interior ministry said the protests involved “targeted acts of violence” from “hooded individuals” in places, including parts of the capital and also Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers. Damage to buildings was reported across France, including in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier and Valence.

Hundreds of thousands of students have protested in recent weeks over staff shortages and dilapidated facilities in the country’s lycées – secondary schools attended by 15 to 18-year-olds. They were joined in the latest protests by trade union members and other protest groups. These included the so-called gilets jaunes ‘yellow vest’ movement, who demonstrated against cost-of-living hikes for over a year from 2018.

The protests come as Frances faces a period of deep political uncertainty. President Emmanuel Macron will leave office next year and polls suggest April’s presidential election could come down to a fight between the leader of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the hard-left La France Insoumise party.

Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by James Waterhouse and Katya Adler.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

source

Violence broke out across France on Saturday during the latest day of demonstrations against hardship in schools and the cost of living.

At least 1,200 people were arrested during what the French government described as an “escalation in violence” alongside an estimated 550,000 taking to the streets.

In Paris, there were significant clashes into the evening with riot police, who used tear gas and water cannon on crowds.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#France #BBCNews

source

The jury in Russell Brand’s rape trial won’t see a TV documentary that a complainant says led her to come forward.

Judge Mr Justice Bennathan said it would be unfair to show the Channel 4 Dispatches programme because the allegations it contains have not been tested in court, but said that jurors will hear about it during the trial.

The 51-year-old actor and comedian faces seven charges – three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.

The allegations, made by six female complainants, span a 10-year period between 1999 and 2009. He denies the charges.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#RussellBrand #BBCNews

source

There have been sobering warnings this week from MI5, the UK’s AI Minister and a number of security officials – AI is already a threat to our lives.

But despite those fears, innovation and AI development continues at breakneck speed.

So this week on AI Decoded we focus in on that central question of AI – should we accelerate the development of ever more powerful AI systems, or slow down before the risks become unmanageable?

It’s the question at the centre of a major new film, Artificial, which explores the growing divide between OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever over the answer.

To discuss it all, Marc Cieslak and Dr Stephanie Hare are joined by technology futurist Bernard Marr and AI safety researcher Roman Yampolskiy, one of the world’s leading voices on the risks posed by superintelligent AI.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

0:00 – Introduction
2:14 – The real threat of AI
10:05 – Waging war on data centres
12:03 – Can we control super intelligence?

#RomanYampolskiy #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #BBCNews

source