Israel claims the city as its capital, following the occupation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war with Syria, Egypt and Jordan. Back at home, Mr Trump is facing allegations he, or his campaign, co-ordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. As expected, Mr Trump is calling this fake news and continues to blame defeated Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton for spreading rumours and distrust. So far, accusations levelled against Mr Trump have failed to stick, despite the best efforts of the Democratic Party. However, the Middle East may prove to be a task yet beyond his abilities, just as stopping North Korea's nuclear programme has been, so far.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 06, 2017 16:07 UTC