Trump's son-in-law cleared to be adviser

WASHINGTON • The Justice Department has said US President Donald Trump's appointment of his son-in-law Jared Kushner as a senior White House adviser does not violate federal anti-nepotism laws.

In a 14-page opinion issued last Saturday, government lawyers said the President's hiring authority exempted White House positions from federal laws barring him from appointing relatives to lead a federal agency.

The White House, the department said, is not technically an "executive agency".

NYTIMES

Turbulence ahead: German minister

BERLIN • German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier yesterday predicted turbulent times ahead for the world following Mr Donald Trump's inauguration.

"In these times of fresh global disorder... there is a lot at stake," he wrote in a commentary in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that he would seek dialogue with the United States.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Pope on Trump: 'We must wait and see'

MADRID • Pope Francis yesterday said he would not give an opinion of the new US President until he saw the policies that Mr Donald Trump implemented.

"I think that we must wait and see. I don't like to get ahead of myself nor judge people prematurely," the Pope told Spanish daily El Pais in an interview.

With a series of national elections set to take place in Europe, he also warned against populism.

REUTERS