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Guardian
Simon Tisdall is an assistant editor and foreign affairs columnist of Britain's Guardian newspaper.
PROFILE
Simon Tisdall
Guest
FROM Simon Tisdall
To the Point
Is America's "pivot to Asia" a thing of the past? So many of his Department's top jobs are still unfilled that Rex Tillerson seems like a lonely Secretary of State, and as a diplomat, he's an amateur. His trip to Asia — just one reporter included — was full of contradictions, with tweets from the President adding to the confusion. It's not clear if he threatened North Korea, advocated nuclear weapons for Japan and South Korea--or if he'll seek common ground with China. And there's another big question: how much is the Trump White House running the show?
To the Point
Iran Reponds to UN Demands Iran has until the end of this month for a final response to the UN Security Council 's incentive package for halting the enrichment of uranium that could lead to building a nuclear bomb. Today, Iran met its own deadline, proposing what's described in Tehran as "a new formula," which has not as yet been released to the public. At the United Nations , where the US and other Security Council members are studying the response, US Ambassador John Bolton called the move " a significant moment ." Nevertheless, nobody thinks Tehran will stop enriching uranium. If it refuses, can the UN agree on punishment for Iran's suspected progress in building a nuclear bomb? The available options might hurt Council members as much as they hurt Iran. Is military action still "on the table?" What are the political stakes inside Iran?
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?