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Cyber attack thwarted by flipping 'kill switch' but experts fear new blitz

Europe and Russia were left reeling today by a malicious global cyber attack that used leaked NSA tools to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows and spread ransomware across networks around the world.

Tens of thousands of users from London to St. Petersburg logged on yesterday to find ominous threats to delete their suddenly encrypted computer files unless they cough up $300 or more in Bitcoin payments to the unknown perpetrators, security experts and intelligence officials told ABC News today.

A message saying “Oops, your important files are encrypted” flashed across screens all over the world. According to The New York Times, experts estimated that before the last affected computers are unlocked, victims could collectively pay more than $1 billion to the attackers.

The attack appears to have been thwarted by private cyber security researchers who identified and triggered the malware’s "kill switch," which halted the attacks before it spread throughout U.S. networks, a senior U.S. intelligence official confirmed, but it is unclear whether, the official said, a modified attack will soon be launched.

"That is a huge concern right now," said Darien Huss, a senior security research engineer at Proofpoint who was among the researchers who helped disable the virus, called "WannaCry," told ABC News today. "It would not be very difficult at all to re-release this ransomware attack without a kill switch or without an approved kill switch that only they can activate."

Huss is also worried about copycats, who could "take the exploit code that was used in this attack and implement it into their own virus."

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Trump had Russia on his mind when he decided to fire Comedy

President Trump reveals he planned to fire Comey before DOJ recommendation

President Donald Trump said today he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he made the decision to fire FBI director James Comey, despite the official administration line that Comey’s removal had nothing to do with it.

Until this evening, the White House had publicly denied that Trump was considering the handling of the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties with Russia when he decided to fire Comey.

When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won,'" Trump said Thursday during an interview with NBC News.

However, later in the interview, he said that he backs a full investigation into Russian meddling in the election.

I want that thing to be absolutely done properly,” Trump said, but later adding, “There's no collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians. The other thing is the Russians did not affect the vote.”

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted that the Russia investigation was a "total hoax" and a taxpayer charade.

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North Korea crisis: North in another 'failed' missile launch

Breaking News: North Korea crisis: North in another 'failed' missile launch.

North Korea has test-fired another ballistic missile, South Korean and US military officials say.

The missile exploded shortly after take-off, they said - the second failed launch in the past fortnight.

US President Donald Trump accused North Korea of showing "disrespect" towards China and its president.

The missile was fired from a site in South Pyeongan province, north of Pyongyang, in the early hours of Saturday local time, South Korea said.

It came just hours after the United Nations Security Council discussed North Korea's missile program.

Mr Trump tweeted: "North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!"

Mr Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and praised him for "trying very hard" on North Korea.

Trump fears 'major major' conflict with North Korea

North Korea crisis: Why now?

How mixed signals could spell disaster

North Korea's missile program

Tensions in the region have increased lately, with both North and South Korea conducting military exercises.

North Korea is believed to be continuing efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads and fit them on long-range missiles capable of reaching the US.

It is not known what kind of missile was unsuccessfully launched on Saturday, however, one official told Reuters it was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17.

The land-based, anti-ship ballistic missile has already had two failures, but its message is that US, South Korean and Japanese ships should beware.

Meanwhile, an American aircraft carrier - the USS Carl Vinson - has reportedly arrived in the region after it was sent to the Korean peninsula as part of Mr Trump's "armada".

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said in a statement that the "unidentified missile" was fired "from a site in the vicinity of Bukchang in Pyeongannam-do (South Pyeongan Province)" early on Saturday.

Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, also said the launch had occurred near the Bukchang airfield.

He added that the missile did not leave North Korean territory.

'A clear challenge'

After Saturday's failed launch, the Japanese government condemned the test and said it had lodged a strong protest with North Korea through its diplomatic channels.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is currently in London, said it was a "clear challenge against the international community".

He added: "Since it is fully conceivable that there'll be possibility for further provocation, we'd like to maintain a close co-ordination with the United States, our ally, to maintain a high status of alert. We'd like to be watertight to ensure safety for our citizens."

Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had called on the rest of the world to help force North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Mr Tillerson warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the Council did not act, saying it was "likely only a matter of time before North Korea develops the capability to strike the US mainland".

The US would use military force if necessary, he said.

Mr Tillerson accused Council members of not fully enforcing existing sanctions against the North, and called on China in particular to use its trade links as influence.

But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the key to solving the problem did not lie with his country.

How else has tension risen?

Among other developments in recent weeks:

North Korea carried out an earlier failed missile launch and held a massive military parade in an apparent show of strength

The US deployed a group of warships and a submarine to the region

Pyongyang reacted angrily, threatening a "super-mighty pre-emptive strike"

The US began installing a controversial $1bn (£775m) anti-missile system called Thread in South Korea - which Mr Trump said South Korea should pay for. Seoul said on Friday there was "no change" in its position that the US would pay for it

Mr Tillerson and US Vice President Mike Pence visited South Korea, reiterating that "all options were on the table" in dealing with the North

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Zimbabwe's wet season helps with bumper crops

Latest  Braking News  Zimbabwe's wet season helps with bumper crops

Maize crop damaged by heavy rains in Chivi, Zimbabwe [Aaron Ufumeli/EPA]

A country able to export excess food following good spells of rain and a concerted effort by the government.

A year after a state of emergency was declared in Zimbabwe, the country is now able to export excess food.

Lat year, the Command Agriculture program was launched in response to the shrinking agricultural output and drought.

This provided finance, seed, fertilizer and pesticides. The goal was to make Zimbabwe self-sufficient in maize and the move was a success.

I would say, frankly speaking, there may be elements of food insecurity, but there is no hunger," said Bishow Parajuli, the UN resident coordinator in Zimbabwe.

We were facing lots of challenges when the drought came in but the proactiveness of the government and strong partnership addressed all issues of famine and hunger.

Of course, there's food insecurity, malnutrition issues and that is what we are working on at the moment

READ MORE: Zimbabwe floods killed 246, made thousands homeless

The 2016-17 rainfall season in Zimbabwe officially ended in the first week of April and this season's rainfall was in excess.

This contributed greatly to an abundant crop in many areas of agriculture but, as is often the case, came in flash-flood amounts.

The country's Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that for the first time in almost two decades, Zimbabwe will produce enough maize to be able to export the grain.

Now the problem is where to store saleable produce - for future use or export. Dry storage is surprisingly necessary as conditions even in late April have been wet, following a surprisingly humid and windy March.

The agricultural situation did not look so rosy during the heavy rains.

In January, the downpours were damaging crops and washing away topsoil and dirt roads. The tobacco cash crop was turning yellow through nutrient leaching and maize stems were flattened by storm gusts.

Damage to roads and bridges from fast-flowing floodwater cut off access to markets.

Zimbabwe last experienced such conditions in 1999.

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From A+ to F, voters grade President Trump as he nears 100 days in office

With President Donald Trump nearing 100 days in office and 96 percent of voters who picked him in November saying they'd do it again today ABC News' David Muir traveled to countries in three battleground states to see how residents would grade the commander-in-chief.

Muir, the anchor of "World News Tonight, spoke with voters in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin; just 77,000 votes in those three states decided the election. 

Muir went to countries where the difference in the vote between Trump and Hillary Clinton was 1 percent or less.

ANALYSIS: How Trump accomplished so little yet so much in first 100 days

President Trump at 100 days: No honeymoon but no regrets (POLL)

In Michigan's Saginaw County, just two hours north of Detroit, the difference in votes was just 1 percent between the two candidates.

Marianne Bird, who voted for Trump in November, said that she'd give the president a B-minus and that she wanted to see compromise in Washington, D.C.

I think he can't do everything on his own, said Bird, a teacher who also works the register at Fuzzy's Diner in Saginaw. The stonewalling isn't helping somebody like me. It might help people on the East Coast and the West Coast, but it's not helping people in the middle -- and I think it's the people in the middle that voted Trump in.

The election is over, she said.

They have to do something about health care. You have to do something about jobs. At least, give the guy a chance. That doesn't mean you forget but we have to forgive and we have to move on, Bird said.

Poitier Price, a Marine veteran, and fiancee Tunica McClendon, however, said they'd both give Trump a D-minus.

We don't hear anything from him. ... He's not really answering the questions, Price said.

You talk about draining the swamp? And you can just look at this guy's Cabinet and tell that he loves the swamp. He loves it, he said.

Meanwhile, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, Clinton took the county by only 532 votes.

Frank Roggeman, a Vietnam veteran who voted for Trump, said he was a little disappointed in the current administration.

They couldn't get the health care bill through. And he's having all kinds of problems with the Democrats so it's a little disappointing. I don't blame him," he said.

He said that Trump was trying to keep the promises he'd made to voters during his campaign but that it'd be a "rocky road" if he was unable to do so.

He hasn't built the wall yet. I know he's working on that and he's going back to the health care again and tax reform. So I mean he's trying but I don't know whether he has the political capital to get it done, Roggeman said.

And Debbie Strange, a Navy veteran, said she'd give Trump an F.

If I could give a lower grade, I would, she told Muir. I think he's every embarrassing when he talks to foreign leaders. He doesn't sound like he has a vocabulary more than a third-grader.

Trump's foreign policy moves and his vocal impasse with North Korea concerned Strangio, a garden nursery manager.

He's never made it a secret that he would use nuclear bombs and that scares me. I personally think by the time it's done we're going to be in a World War III, she said.

Retired construction worker Rich Buda, also a Marine, said he'd give Trump an A-plus.

He told us what he's going to do and he's been doing it, Buda told Muir.

Back in the Midwest, in Wisconsin's Sauk County, the vote was also razor thin. Trump won by a mere 109 votes.

At a park in Bonnaroo, the county's largest city, Marlene Buchanan, a grandmother, said she worried about her disabled son and her country.

I am very uncomfortable with Donald Trump, said Buchanan, a Clinton supporter. "He has done some things that I don't agree with and he has also placed people in positions who I feel are definitely not qualified for the roles that they have in his administration.

Buchanan said she'd give the president an F.

But Eric Grunewald, a Trump supporter, said that in his opinion, the president had sort of hit home with gun rights and other issues.

If I had to give the Trump administration a grade, it would probably be a B, B-plus but it's still too early to tell," Grunewald said. "Compared to the Obama administration, I think he's willing to make harsher decisions and do things that the Obama administration was afraid to do.

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Only 37 percent say Trump should repeal and replace Obamacare (POLL)

Update News: Only 37 percent say Trump should repeal and replace Obamacare (POLL)

As President Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress gear up for another attempt at repealing and replacing Obamacare, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds broad public preference for keeping and improving it -- including high levels of support for some of its key components.

See PDF with full results here.

Just 37 percent of Americans in the national survey say Obamacare should be repealed and replaced; 61 percent say it should be kept and fixed instead. Even more broadly, the public by 79-13 percent says Trump should seek to make the current law work as well as possible, not to make it fail as soon as possible, a strategy he’s suggested.

These lopsidedly pro-Obamacare views are far different from the results of an ABC/Post poll in mid-January asking if Americans supported or opposed repealing Obamacare, 46-47 percent. That question did not offer “keeping and improving” it as an alternative -- and it was asked before the contours of the first failed effort to repeal the law were known.

Obamacare’s rising fortunes are reflected in support for two key provisions of the law that Republicans have proposed changing in recent months. Americans by 70-26 percent say coverage for pre-existing conditions should be mandatory nationwide rather than left up to the states. Similarly, 62 percent prefer nationwide minimum insurance coverage standards (for e.g., for preventive services, maternity and pediatric care, hospitalization and prescription drugs); just 33 percent would leave such standards up to the states.

Even among Republicans and conservatives, majorities support a nationwide standard for coverage of pre-existing conditions (54 and 55 percent, respectively). A narrow majority of conservatives (53 percent) and a substantial share of Republicans (46 percent) also support a national standard for minimum coverage in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

Further, just 20 percent of conservatives, a quarter of Republicans, and 28 percent of Trump’s own voters say he should try to encourage failure of the existing law.

In an additional expression of support for the law, Americans by 43-26 percent say they’d rather see Trump work with Democrats than with conservative Republicans in Congress to change it. Twenty-four percent prefer him to work with both.

Groups

These results reflect the near-universal sentiment among Democrats in favor of the law, majority preference among independents and moderates to keep and improve it, and, as noted, divisions within the GOP and related groups.

For example, 93 percent of Clinton voters and 88 percent of Democrats support keeping Obamacare and trying to improve it, as do two-thirds of independents and even 21 percent of Republicans and 18 percent of Trump voters. Eighty percent of Trump voters and 76 percent of Republicans prefer repeal and replace, as do 71 percent of strong conservatives -- but just 46 percent of “somewhat” conservatives.

There are similar partisan and ideological patterns in support for the key Obamacare provisions tested, nationwide coverage for pre-existing conditions and minimum coverage standards. Large majorities of Democrats, independents, liberals and moderates support these, while Republicans, conservatives and Trump voters are more closely divided.

Similarly, it’s notable that even among Republicans and Trump supporters, only about half favor Trump working with conservative congressional Republicans rather than with the Democrats in Congress on health care. The rest in these groups say he should work with both (30 to 35 percent) or with the Democrats (14 to 11 percent).

Other groups

Among other groups, support for a nationwide standard for covering pre-existing conditions peaks at 78 percent among 50- to 64-year-olds, the age group most likely to need care but generally lacking access to Medicare. Support for this standard is lowest, but still at 62 percent, among under-40s.

In terms of nationwide minimum coverage requirements, support is lowest, 49 percent, among Medicare-covered seniors, vs. 66 percent among all others.

In another age gap, repeal and replace is least popular among under-40s (30 percent) vs. 40 percent among those 40 and older. Support for repeal also rises with income, from 31 percent among those in less than $50,000 households to 41 percent in those with higher incomes.

Men are 7 points more likely than women to favor repeal, and 9 points less likely to support nationwide minimum coverage requirements. Finally, in one of the sharpest splits (beyond partisanship and ideology), nearly half of whites support repealing and replacing the law, while only 16 percent of nonwhites, including 11 percent of blacks and 15 percent of Hispanics, agree.

Methodology

This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cellular telephone April 17-20, 2017, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 1,004 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points, including the design effect. Partisan divisions are 31-24-36 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, New York, with sampling, data collection, and tabulation by Abt Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts. See details on the survey’s methodology here.

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North Korea marks anniversary with massive artillery drill

Breaking News: North Korea marks the anniversary with massive artillery drill.

North Korea's military staged a "large-scale artillery drill" in the country's east Tuesday to mark the founding of the country's army.

A statement from the South Korean military said the live-fire exercises were underway in the Wonsan region on Tuesday afternoon but gave no details on what kinds of weapons and military units took part in the drill.

"Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean military's movements and remains firmly prepared," the statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff says.

North Korea's drills coincided with military exercises held by US and South Korean navies in the Yellow Sea, off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula.

Earlier Tuesday, a US submarine made a port call in South Korea in what US officials said was a show of force amid mounting tensions in the region.

The drills were held as the country commemorated the 85th anniversary of the founding of North Korean army, a significant date in the country's calendar.

A CNN team in North Korea said citizens in the streets of Pyongyang were celebrating Armed Forces Day, with no visible signs of tension.

In a statement after the artillery drills were confirmed, the South Korean President's Office said an emergency meeting had been held to discuss the situation.

Separately, envoys from South Korea, Japan, and the US have been meeting in Tokyo to discuss North Korea's refusal to abandon its nuclear program.

Message to Seoul?

Alex Neill, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia, told CNN the artillery drill was likely to be a message to Seoul.

"It's important for the DPRK to remind the South that very large swathes of the South Korean population are within artillery range of the North," he said, using the official name for North Korea.

"So it is a sign that if the North is provoked or there is preemptive action, then a lot of Seoul and its suburbs would be within artillery range of the North."

Neill said nuclear and chemical weapons could also be delivered via artillery strikes.

"As (North Korea has) one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, again artillery can be used for that. Sarin gas doesn't have to be dropped," he said.

Trump: North Korea is 'a real threat'

Relations between North Korea and the US and South Korea have deteriorated in recent months, as the rhetoric and military posturing on both sides has increased.

Fears have mounted in recent weeks that North Korea could soon conduct a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the status quo with nuclear-armed North Korea was unacceptable, calling for new sanctions on the country.

"This is a real threat to the world, whether we want to talk about it or not," Trump said at a lunch for ambassadors of countries who sit on the Security Council.

"North Korea's a big world problem, and it's a problem we have to finally solve. People put blindfolds on for decades and now it's time to solve the problem."

The Trump administration has taken the unusual step of calling the entire US Senate to a meeting at the White House, for a briefing on North Korea with the US secretaries of Defense and State.

Some analysts voiced concerns Trump was backing himself into a corner with his fierce rhetoric on North Korea, leading both countries to a point where "bad things are going to happen."

USS Vinson deployed as tensions build

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced it would be sending the USS Vinson, an aircraft carrier, to the Korean Peninsula after US officials said they anticipated a fresh round of nuclear tests and missile launches.

Its deployment was met with threats by the North Koreans.

State-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun said over the weekend in an editorial the country could sink a "nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike."

North Korea held an enormous military parade held to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung on April 15.

Prior to the celebrations, satellite images had shown the rogue state could be preparing for another nuclear test.

In the end, no nuclear test was held that day, but a performance on the Day of the Sun still showed a propaganda video where missiles struck the United States and a US flag was left in flames.

Latest News 

China urges restraint in dealing with North Korea

Tensions have recently soared between North Korea and the US over missile tests [File: EPA]

The appeal comes during Xi phone call to Trump following rising speculation N Korea may hold a sixth nuclear test this week.

China's President Xi Jinping has called for restraint when dealing with North Korea during a telephone call with US President Donald Trump, according to Chinese state media.

The official broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi on Monday as telling Trump that China strongly opposed North Korea's nuclear weapons program, which is in violation of UN Council resolutions, and hoped all parties will exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation" on the Korean Peninsula.

The Trump administration has warned that all options, including a military strike, are "on the table" to halt North Korea's ambitions of developing a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the US mainland.

The phone call, which took place on Monday morning Beijing time, came amid speculation that North Korea could hold a sixth nuclear test this week.

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France urged to reject Le Pen in presidential vote run off

Breaking News 

France urged to reject Le Pen in presidential vote run-off

(CNN)France's defeated political establishment has begun to rally against the far-right leader Marine Le Pen as she goes head-to-head against political novice Emmanuel Macron in the final race for the French presidency.

As Le Pen celebrated the highest-ever voting tally for her Front National party, candidates knocked out in the first round began to endorse Macron, who ended his insurgent campaign with a result that confounded expectations.

Macron, a pro-European centrist, took first place with 23.9%, while the anti-immigrant, anti-EU Le Pen came second at 21.4%, with 97% of polling stations declared on Monday. Both go through to a runoff on May 7 after emerging top of a fractured field of 11 candidates in the first round.

The result amounted to a comprehensive rejection of traditional politics in France. It is the first time since the establishment of the fifth French Republic in 1958 that no candidate from the two main political parties of the left and right has made it into the second round of the presidential vote.

Macron goes through to the second round as the clear frontrunner, with most voters expected to switch to him from mainstream defeated candidates. Le Pen, meanwhile, faces an uphill struggle.

The French stock markets rose on Monday morning, and the euro jumped to its highest level since November against the dollar as investors bet against the chances of Le Pen winning.

There was relief in Europe, too: Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, described Macron as a patriot.

The chief of staff for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the result showed France and Europe could win together" and added: The center is stronger than the populists think.

Francois Fillon, the mainstream Republican candidate whose campaign foundered amid corruption allegations, emerged swiftly from his defeat with words of support for Macron.

I promise you, extremism can only bring unhappiness and division to France, he said, describing the National Front as a party of violence and intolerance.

We have to choose what is preferable for our country, and I am not going to rejoice. Abstention is not in my genes, especially when an extremist party is close to power," he said. There is no other choice but to vote against the far right.

He argued that Le Pen's economic and social programs would bankrupt the country, particularly if France dropped the euro as its currency, as the far-right leader has threatened.

The Socialist Party's candidate, Benoit Hamon, also warned against a Le Pen victory. I appeal to you in the strongest terms to beat the National Front by voting for Emmanuel Macron, even though he is not part of the Left, Hamon wrote on Twitter.

Hamon secured just 6.4% of the vote, a disastrous showing for the Socialist Party, whose candidate Francois Hollande won the presidency in 2012 but whose popularity has sunk during his term.

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve tweeted his support for Macron, calling on voters to back him in the second round to combat the National Front's disastrous project to take France backward and to divide the French people.

But far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has refused to say who he would back, criticizing both candidates for having no stance on the environment or the future of civilization, and who both challenge the welfare and social accord of the country.

More Details

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/24/europe/french-presidential-election/index.html

How Trump accomplished so little yet so much in first 100 days.

ANALYSIS: How Trump accomplished so little yet so much in first 100 days.

Amid the chaos and disruption that have defined President Trump's first 100 days, a giant contradiction breaks through.

Few modern presidents have accomplished so little in the opening months of their time in office. And yet few modern presidents have done more.

Trump has so far failed to deliver on most of the cornerstone commitments of his candidacy. His legislative agenda is stalled; his foreign-policy evolutions have brought more tensions, not fewer; and his travel ban and border wall have been effectively blocked by the other branches of government.

President Trump at 100 Days: No honeymoon, but no regrets (POLL)

A look at Trump's presidency as it reaches 100-day mark

Trump flips on campaign promise to label China as currency manipulator

In terms of basic governance, Trump may even struggle to avoid a government shutdown right around the mark of Day 100. The president has conducted himself in a way that has veered wildly from facts –- with time wasted on unsubstantiated accusations that threaten to diminish the power of the presidency.

Yet while the "swamp" has not been drained, Trump can claim credit for delivering on a more basic promise to the voters who supported him during the campaign.

He has redefined the office of president. He has shaken government institutions to their core with a freewheeling, hard-charging style that can only be labeled Trumpian.

As the president approaches the critical marking period of 100 days in office, Washington stands remade far more than Trump has been changed by Washington.

His impact stretches far beyond, with a White House that dominates headlines every day -– in multiple directions. Allies are still figuring Trump out, and hostile nations are only hoping to understand his triggers –- when bluster turns to action.

Trump has said he likes surprises, and both supporters and those who loathe him are still hanging on every word. What he says –- and what he tweets –- drive conversations in all realms of life, with Trump seemingly comfortable with creating chaos wherever he weighs in.

Last week, the president was seeming to contradict himself on the import of the 100-day mark. He predicted that he won't get credit for what he did during the "ridiculous standard of the first 100 days," even while launching late pushes to get his agenda moving ahead.

He has a typically audacious, if unrealistic, vision for the week of voting on health care and tax reform in the coming days –- all while keeping funding for the government flowing.

Overall, public perceptions of his first 100 days seem grim. In the new ABC News-Washington Post poll released Sunday, 53 percent disapprove of Trump's performance as president and 56 percent say he's accomplished little or nothing in his first 100 days.

Yet the survey finds not a hint of buyer's remorse among the president's backers. Ninety-six percent of those who report having voted for him in November say it was the right thing to do. If the election were held again today, the poll even shows the possibility of a Trump victory in the popular vote.

Nothing has come easy for this president, but he does seem to enjoy the fight. Virtually every move or statement has brought an immediate and aggressive reaction –- not just from political opponents, but from the judicial branch, Congress, and even bureaucrats in the agencies he now leads.

Democrats and others who oppose Trump call it resistance, but it has brought governing to a virtual halt. The president stars in this reality show, one that happens to have real-world consequences.

Trump has also contradicted himself on the question of whether he evolves. That argument is settled, though: He moves when it suits him, either because he's learning or because it's advantageous -– or maybe just because it feels right to him at the time.

He might yet grow into the presidency, to a point where he could start to notch real accomplishments. But the changes he's brought to Washington and to the office he holds figure to outlast his presidency.

More Details: 

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Afghan defence chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack

Asia News: Afghan defense chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack

Afghanistan's defense minister and army chief of staff have resigned in the wake of a Taliban attack that left scores of soldiers dead, the presidential palace says.

The attack happened on Friday at an army base near Mazar-e Sharif.

Insurgents targeted troops leaving Friday prayers at the base's mosque and in a canteen, the army said.

It was the Taliban's deadliest attack on the armed forces since US-led forces drove them from power in 2001.

The resignations coincided with the arrival of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on an unannounced visit to Kabul. He is due to meet both Afghan officials and US troops.

Insurgents are also reported to have attacked a base in Khost, in eastern Afghanistan on Monday. A car bomb detonated at the entrance to Camp Chapman, a US-operated base, and there were a number of Afghan casualties, Reuters news agency reported.

How did the Mazar-e Sharif attack unfold?

A group of about 10 Taliban insurgents dressed in Afghan military uniforms and driving military vehicles made their way into the base in the northern city and opened fire.

Many of those who died were young recruits training at the base. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the young soldiers struggled to work out who was friend or foe.

The attackers were armed with guns, grenades and some were wearing suicide vests, reports said. The defense ministry said the attackers were all killed.

It is not clear exactly how many soldiers died. The Afghan defense ministry has not released firm casualty figures, only saying more than 100 people were killed or injured.

Other officials have told BBC that at least 136 people died - 124 coffins had been sent out to different parts of the country and 12 soldiers had not yet been identified, they said.

But some sources say the toll was even higher. One eyewitness told the BBC he counted 165 bodies.

At the scene today - By Justin Rowlatt, BBC News, Mazar-e Sharif

The bodies have all been removed but the scale of the carnage still is horrifically apparent. Buildings are pock-marked with bullet holes and there are sprays of blood on the walls and floors.

A few workers are cleaning up. They wear face masks against the smell and I notice that among the rubble they are shoveling are shoes and pieces of fabric.

A team of forensics officers from America and Germany cluster around one of the two pick-up trucks the Taliban fighters used to enter the base. They are collecting blood and other samples.

The floor of the vehicle is littered with spent cartridges, the windscreen is shattered and there is also evidence of the deadly subterfuge the Taliban team used to enter the base.

They were wearing Afghan army uniforms and one was pretending to be injured with a bloodied bandage on his head and a drip in his arm. The tube from that drip is still on the back seat.

The commander of the base, General Katawazai, said the long battle to regain control of the base was the most difficult he had ever experienced. He had to make sure he didn't fire on his own troops.

But, when I asked what impact it had had on morale he surprised me. He said the attack had actually raised morale: "Now my men are even more determined to fight the Taliban," he said.

Why have officials stepped down?

The resignations of Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief Qadam Shah Shaheem were announced in a one-line statement from the presidential palace.

No explanation was given but the attack has caused widespread anger in Afghanistan, with many questioning the government's ability to counter the Taliban insurgency.

It comes just weeks after the assault on the military hospital in Kabul, which left dozens of people dead.

That attack was blamed on the so-called Islamic State, but many have questioned the official narrative, saying the attackers shouted pro-Taliban slogans.

In both recent attacks, people have questioned the inability of the authorities to prevent them, the lack of clarity regarding death tolls and the possibility of insider involvement.

The recent fall of Sangin in the south - a strategically important center - has also shaken confidence in the defense establishment.

So the security situation is deteriorating?

Since the US-led Nato troops ended their mission, the Afghan military has struggled to contain the insurgents.

According to a US government estimate in November 1016, the government had uncontested control of only 57% of the country, down from 72% a year earlier. Since then, Sangin has fallen in the south.

Militants from the so-called Islamic State group have also established a small stronghold in the east and have carried out attacks in Kabul, including targeting Shia communities.

Earlier this month the US dropped its largest ever conventional bomb on suspected IS fighters, killing dozens. But Mirwais Yasini, an Afghan MP from the east, said the US focus on IS was misguided when the Taliban was the biggest threat.

"You drop your biggest bomb on Daesh [IS], but what about the Taliban who kill dozens of our people every day?" Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

What is the US doing?

There are still about 8,400 US troops and 5,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan helping to build local forces.

In February the top US commander in the country, General John Nicholson, said several thousand more were needed. "Offensive capability is what will break the stalemate in Afghanistan," he said.

But White House policy on the Afghan conflict remains unclear. Donald Trump's administration has not yet appointed an ambassador to Afghanistan or set out its strategy for the region.

Recent visits, however, could signal new engagement. Earlier this month, National Security Adviser HR McMaster visited Kabul and said that officials would present Mr Trump with a "range of options".

The surprise arrival of Mr Mattis could suggest new focus from the White House on this long-running conflict.

Details: BBC News.

Al Jazeera and news agencies

Afghan officials resign after Taliban attack

Army chief and defense minister forced to step down as the country mourns a loss of 130 lives in Taliban assault on Army base.

Afghanistan's army chief and defense minister have resigned following a Taliban attack on an army base over the weekend that killed more than 100 people, as the US defense secretary arrived in Kabul on an unannounced visit.

The attack, the biggest ever by the Taliban on a military base in Afghanistan, involved multiple attackers and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which according to some estimates killed over 130 people.

President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of Qadam Shah Shahim, the army chief of staff and Abdullah Habibi, the country's defense minister, on Monday, according to a statement from the president's office.

Jim Mattis was expected to meet Afghan officials and US troops, but his arrival coincided with the Friday's Taliban assault. Sources told Al Jazeera that his arrival is to determine role and goals of the US troops in Afghanistan. 

"It is not an easy time. An attack of this scale has affected many people in this country and of course us as well, but these resignations did not affect our morale," General Dawlat Waziri, a spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told Al Jazeera.

"We will make sure that whoever is responsible for this attack will face our wrath, they [attackers/Taliban] need to get ready now."

IN PICTURES: The Afghans on the front lines fighting the Taliban

Protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday mounting pressure for officials to held accountable, but not many did not participate in the demonstration due to high-security alert in the area.

"Our government is responsible for what happened to our soldiers in Balkh and we want accountability, we demand it," Mustafa Aminizada told Al Jazeera.

"This can not keep going on, it is too much for us. The government needs to make some serious changes."

Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Kabul, said they were forced to resign and their positions were "untenable".

"Given the scale of the attack, which has been described as nothing short of a massacre, there have been growing calls on social media, the local media, the streets and even in parliament for both of these men to go," he said.

"Both of these men were under pressure for a similar attack just over a month ago when infiltrators managed to get inside a hospital and claimed more than 50 lives."

"The defense minister managed to escape a vote of no-confidence in parliament and narrowly held on to his job. So, both men have now taken a logical step."

On Sunday, Afghanistan marked a day of national mourning, with memorial services held at mosques and the Afghan flag flying at half-staff on government buildings and offices across the country.

READ MORE: Hamid Karzai calls MOAB 'brutal act against innocent people'

The attack in Balkh raises serious questions about the Afghan military's capability to stand on its own in the civil war following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of 2014.

"We're also approaching a sensitive time when the Taliban launches its spring offensive. The military has to be on its guard," our correspondent said.


"This attack further undermines the military. There has already been talked about corruption and allegations of poor leadership. This does nothing to strengthen the army at this time."

Al Jazeera's political analyst, Hashmat Moslih, said the attack highlighted the continuous failure of military intelligence as well as the wider intelligence gathering of security forces.

"While the Taliban have homed in on toppling the government, the government's efforts are scattered," he said.

"The government is predominantly engaged in undermining its political rivals within the power-sharing government."

The American and other foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan are now mostly acting in an advisory and training role, with some combat assistance.