Daily Mail: Trump didn't speak to me for THREE HOURS after firing me on Twitter says Rex Tillerson as he leaves the State Department without a word of praise for the president
* Rex Tillerson spoke Tuesday afternoon at the State Department hours after Trump fired him on Twitter
* He said it had been more than three hours between the announcement he was going and Trump speaking to him from Air Force One
* Made no tribute to Trump and offered him no thanks as he said he was returning to private life
* Dramatic morning tweet by the president announced that Rex Tillerson has been fired as Secretary of State and replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo
* Tillerson's last act was to blame Russia for the poisoning of its former spy Sergei Skripal at a British pizza restaurant – something White House had not done
* Tillerson, the former boss of Exxon Mobil, had just been on a trip to Africa and was last seen boarding his Air Force place on Monday
* Gina Haspel becomes first ever women to be Director of the CIA after clandestine career and involvement in 'black sites'
* Tillerson had disagreed with Trump on Iran and North Korea, the president said – but he had also been reported to have called the president a 'f***ing moron'
Rex Tillerson bid farewell to the State Department on Tuesday, revealing that President Donald Trump had not told him he was out of a job until three hours after publicly firing him in a tweet heard 'round the world.
And in a statement to reporters, Tillerson pointedly neglected to thank Trump for the opportunity to serve in the role once inhabited by Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster and Henry Kissinger. Instead he thanked 'the 300-plus million Americans' whom he ultimately served, and said he would soon thank his front-office and policy planning staff in person.
He said shortly after 2:00 p.m. that he had talked with Trump around lunchtime. The president's unexpected tweet came before 9:00 a.m.
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MIDDLE EAST
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Syria's war enters its eighth year.
Civilians evacuated in Eastern Ghouta, say reports.
Russia says U.S. plans to strike Damascus, pledges military response.
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Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survives assassination attempt in Gaza. Explosion hits as Palestinian PM Rami Hamdallah enters Gaza.
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Israeli government ends feud that sparked snap election talk.
ASIA
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U.S. detecting some Taliban interest in Afghan peace talks: Mattis.
Afghan troops push back Taliban fighters in Farah province.
Protests after Indian troops kill three rebels in Kashmir.
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China launches mega aid agency in big shift from recipient to donor.
China's National People's Congress: Eye rolls and tame questions.
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AFRICA
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Sierra Leone frontrunners to contest runoff after first-round stalemate.
Dozens killed in troubled eastern DR Congo province. Dozens killed in fresh DR Congo violence.
Three Niger police killed in suspected jihadist attack.
Ethiopians flee to Kenya after Army ‘mistakenly’ kills nine.
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South Sudan refugees return to devastated town.
Burundi ruling party titles Nkurunziza 'visionary' ahead of referendum.
Violent protests in Guinea, disrupt some bauxite shipments.
Drought in South Africa declared state of disaster.
EUROPE
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Only Russia could be behind U.K. poison attack: toxin's co-developer.
Britain's May wins backing of Trump, EU leaders in showdown with Russia.
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EU promises solidarity with Britain over Russian spy poisoning.
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Sergei Skripal poisoning claims get the cold shoulder in Red Square.
Italy's League and 5-Star attack EU budget rules after vote.
Kurdish youth in Germany call for violent protest in Europe.
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Serbia blasts top NATO general over Russia.
Germany's Merkel to press Ukraine peace talks after Russian election.
France reportedly seizes Bashar Assad's uncle's property worth 691 million Euros.
AMERICAS
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Colombia calls ELN rebels back to peace talks.
Venezuela: UN agency warns of humanitarian 'catastrophe'.
Mexico missing students: Key suspect arrested.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
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Iran accuses US of supporting IS in Afghanistan; Washington denies allegation.
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ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
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Sri Lanka demands tougher action from Facebook to lift ban.
