Donald Trump has said the US “will no longer deal with” the British ambassador after leaked memos revealed the diplomat had described the White House administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional”. In an extraordinary outburst, Trump said of Kim Darroch: “I do not know the ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US. We will no longer deal with him.” The US president added that Theresa May and her representatives had made “a mess” of Brexit having failed to listen to his advice. “I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way,” he said, adding that “the good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new prime minister”. A Downing Street spokesman said that May had “full faith” in the British ambassador and that it was Darroch’s job to provide an “honest and unvarnished” assessment of the US administration.
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has said a contentious bill that would have allowed extradition to the Chinese mainland is “dead”. But in a press conference following weeks of mass protests, the city’s head stopped short of saying that the legislation would be withdrawn completely. Lang said that she felt “heartbroken” by the divisions over the process, which she described as a “complete failure”. If not withdrawn immediately, the bill will become defunct at the end of the current legislative session.
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