Renzi, leader of the centre-left Democratic party, is also keen for an early election in which he may perform better than the ballot scheduled for Spring 2018. ?The consensus among political players is to have an election in spring 2018; there is no appetite for an early vote other than from Renzi,? he said. Italy?s highest court has opened the way for early elections in 2017 after favouring a form of proportional representation in a ruling that could bolster former prime minister Matteo Renzi?s chances of making a comeback. He said the referendum defeat hurt, but stressed that the blog was a way to ?walk towards the future?. The law had been a cornerstone of Renzi?s broader reform plan and one he hoped would end decades of political instability.

Protesters near the White House in Washington who are opposing President Trump`s executive order have been speaking to the BBC`s Rajini Vaidyanathan. The Trump administration is standing firm over its ban on immigration from seven countries despite court rulings and mass demonstrations.

"Both President Trump and President Putin are hopeful that after today`s call the two sides can move quickly to tackle terrorism and other important issues of mutual concern. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin mentioned a discussion of sanctions in their statements about the roughly hour-long call. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks by phone with Russia`s President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 28, 2017. A White House statement said he and Merkel agreed NATO must be capable of confronting "21rst century threats. "The positive call was a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia that is in need of repair," the White House said.

May?s first trip to the White House had earlier been celebrated as a triumph, with Trump accepting a personal invitation to Buckingham Palace. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a political storm on her return from visiting Donald Trump for her repeated failure to condemn the U.S. president?s order limiting immigration from Muslim-majority countries. Nadhim Zahawi, an Iraqi-born Tory lawmaker, pointed out that the ban covered him and his wife. Only when journalists heckled her to answer for a second time did she respond: ?The United States is responsible for the United States? own policy on refugees.?Going into the White House, May knew that Trump?s policies toward Muslims were going to be a problem for her domestic audience. Another Tory, Sarah Wollaston, said Trump should not be invited to address Parliament in his state visit to London later this year.

Chief of Staff Reince Priebus called the 20 percent tax on Mexican imports is one of a "buffet of options. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox in a video posted on Twitter implored Trump to rethink his position. Trump later was asked by NBC News about the 20 percent import tax and replied, "We`re going to tax people coming in. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday afternoon that President Donald Trump was not formally proposing a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for his controversial border wall, but rather considering it among a menu of options. "I`m deeply concerned by President Trump`s statements today reaffirming his commitment to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)," McCain said.