I love Trump for being Frank with Africans

*Uganda's Museveni: I love Trump for being frank with Africans*

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has given a speech declaring his "love" for US President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Mr Trump was accused of referring to African nations as "shithole" countries during an immigration meeting. Mr Trump has denied making the remarks but US senators who attended the meeting say that he did. The African Union demanded that Mr Trump apologise for his "clearly racist" comments.

"America has got one of the best presidents ever," Mr Museveni said to laughter during the opening of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. "I love Trump because he tells Africans frankly. The Africans need to solve their problems, the Africans are weak."

Mr Museveni's comments are in opposition to the reaction of many leaders who have condemned Mr Trump's language. On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron told the BBC that he shared Africa's outrage.

Germany plane and helicopter crash in mid-air,killing four

*Germany: Plane ✈ and helicopter crash 💥 in mid-air, killing four*

A small plane and a helicopter have collided in south-western Germany killing four people, police say. A rescue helicopter which had been on a training flight was involved in the crash above the town of Philippsburg, air rescue organisation DRF said.

DRF said the victims were the two helicopter pilots and the two occupants of the plane.

"We do not yet know who was in which aircraft," a police spokesman was quoted as saying by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The crash scene is about five kilometres (three miles) east of Philippsburg, a town which has an operating nuclear power plant.

Congressional Democrats call on facebook, Twitter to urgently investigate and combat Russian bots and trolls

*Congressional Democrats call ☎ on Facebook, Twitter to urgently investigate 👀 and combat Russian bots and trolls*

Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday called on Facebook and Twitter to urgently examine the role of Russian bots and trolls in the growing online campaign to release a classified memo about allegations that the FBI mishandled a classified surveillance request as it probed Russia’s meddling in the 2016 campaign.

Hashtags such as "ReleaseTheMemo" have been trending on Twitter in recent days, and accounts affiliated with Russian influence efforts have been supporting this effort, according to the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a U.S.-based group that examines efforts by Russia and other nations to interfere in democratic institutions. The hashtag has also been shared by Donald Trump Jr. and Rep. Steve King.

The letter to Facebook and Twitter calls for rapid study of these allegations and for the companies to shut down accounts that are involved. The authors are Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Diane Feinstein, both California Democrats; Schiff is ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Feinstein is ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"If these reports are accurate, we are witnessing an ongoing attack by the Russian government through Kremlin-linked social media actors directly acting to intervene and influence our democratic process," wrote Schiff and Feinstein. "This should be disconcerting to all Americans, but especially your companies as, once again, it appears the vast majority of their efforts are concentrated on your platforms. This latest example of Russian interference is in keeping with Moscow’s concerted, covert, and continuing campaign to manipulate American public opinion and erode trust in our law enforcement and intelligence institutions."

The urgent request for investigation, with a report back due on Friday, underscores growing Capitol Hill scrutiny of the influence of social media on American politics, as well as growing concern over release of the classified GOP memo. The letter is addressed to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey.

Pence worries North Korea will hijack the messaging around the Olympics

*Pence worries North Korea 🇰🇵 will ‘hijack the messaging around the Olympics’❗*

A major reason Vice President Pence will attend the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea next month: He is worried North Korea's Kim Jong Un will hijack the Olympics .

“He has grave concerns that Kim will hijack the messaging around the Olympics. The North Koreans have been master manipulators in the past,” a senior White House official told reporters aboard Air Force Two on Tuesday as the vice president returned to the United States from a trip to the Middle East. “It’s a murderous state.”

The official did not want to be identified, as he discussed the internal discussions. Pence plans to speak “truth on the world stage, which is the opposite of what the North Koreans do,” the official said.

“I think a lot of vice presidents in the past have gone ceremoniously to the Olympics, and that’s what they do and that’s great. They cut the ribbon. Check the box,” the official said. “We wouldn’t be making this trip if that’s what it was about.”

The official said the vice president and his staff were alarmed by news this week that South Koreans were dazzled by the arrival of Hyon Song Wol, a singer in North Korea's all-female Moranbong Band and a rising political star in Kim's regime. She led a seven-member delegation to inspect Olympic facilities in the South where the North's Samjiyon orchestra will play on its visit during the games next month. Twenty-two North Korean athletes will compete.

CIA warns Kim Jong Un could use nukes as coercive tool

*CIA warns Kim Jong Un could use nukes as 'coercive' tool*

CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the US intelligence community still considers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be a "rational actor" but that assessment does not mean he is only developing nuclear weapons as a means to preserve his regime.

"We do believe he would use these toolsets beyond self-preservation," Pompeo said at the American Enterprise Institute, adding that Kim is likely prepared to use both nuclear and conventional military forces for "coercive" purposes with the intent of reunifying the Korean peninsula under his rule. While the CIA has long highlighted North Korea's rapid improvements in the capacity and rate of its intercontinental ballistic missile tests, Pompeo emphasized that Pyongyang's progress should be measured by reliability rather than in timelines.

"Kim Jong Un will not rest with one single successful test" that demonstrates he has the ability to hit a US city with a long-range nuclear weapon, Pompeo said. "His next move would be to develop an arsenal" or the capacity to deliver missiles from multiple firing points simultaneously, he added, noting it is "our mission is to make the day that he can do that as far off as possible."

Maduro ready to stand in early presidential poll

*Venezuela: Maduro ready to stand in early presidential poll*

Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly has ordered fresh elections before the end of April. President Nicolas Maduro told thousands of his supporters at a rally that he is ready to seek another six-year term. "It's the right decision. Imperialism and the right were plotting to take over the economy," said Mr Maduro.

The opposition is weakened and divided and many of the president's main potential challengers are in self-imposed exile or in jail. But former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said the government was so unpopular that it could lose the vote.

"The government and its leaders annoy the majority of Venezuelans," he tweeted, urging the opposition to "unite to save democracy". Mr Capriles cannot stand in the presidential vote as he was banned from public office for 15 years in April for mismanaging public funds as governor of Miranda state.