US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has signed an executive order to scrap Obama-era climate change regulations that his administration says are hindering oil drillers and coal miners.

“My administration is putting an end to the war on coal,” Mr Trump said before signing the decree on Tuesday. “With today’s executive action I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy, to reverse government intrusion and to cancel job-killing regulations.”

In announcing his energy plan, Mr Trump said this was the “start of a new energy revolution”.

The new executive order seeks to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels.

As part of the roll-back, Mr Trump will initiate a review of the Clean Power Plan, which restricts greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power plants.

The regulation, which was the former president’s signature effort to curb carbon emissions, has been the subject of long-running legal challenges by Republican-led states and those who profit from burning oil, coal and gas.

Just as former Mr Obama’s climate efforts were often stymied by legal challenges, environmental groups are promising to fight Mr Trump’s pro-fossil fuel agenda in court.

Mr Trump, who has previously called global warming a “hoax” invented by the Chinese, has repeatedly criticised the power-plant rule and others as an attack on American workers and the struggling US coal industry.

RUSSIA ‘FEARS SURPRISE US ATTACK’

Russia claims the US’s deployment of a new antimissile system near its borders could spark a nuclear war.

America’s ABM systems are stationed at sites across Europe and on battleships that patrol Russian borders, The Sun reports.

But it has riled Kremlin hawks who say it is a threat to world peace and could spark an arms race among world superpowers.

According to RT, Viktor Poznikhir, deputy head of operations of the Russian general staff, said: “The presence of American ABM sites in Europe and ABM-capable ships in the seas and oceans close to Russia’s territory creates a powerful clandestine potential for delivering a surprise nuclear missile strike against Russia.”

He added: “We are calling for an equitable and constructive dialogue on antimissile issues aimed at searching for the solutions that take into account the interests of all the parties concerned.”

Russia was “forced to take adequate countermeasures aimed at preventing the existing possible damage to the security of the state as a result of the further build-up of the US ABM capabilities”.

Last month, Mr Trump said he wanted to make the US “top of the pack” when it came to national nuclear arsenals.

Speaking from his desk in the Oval Office, Mr Trump said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea “very easily if they want to”, heaping pressure on Beijing to exert more influence to control Pyongyang.

The president also said he was “very angry” at North Korea’s ballistic missile tests, and said accelerating a missile defence system for Japan and South Korea — two US allies — was one of many options on offer.

NUNES WON’T LEAVE RUSSIA PROBE

House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes has rebuffed growing demands to recuse himself as head of the Russia investigation, saying: “Why would I?”

The calls for him to resign came after revelations he met with a secret source on White House grounds, raising questions about his and the panel’s independence.

Mr Nunes said the pressure for him to resign was typical of politics.

“It’s the same thing as always around this place — a lot of politics, people get heated, but I’m not going to involve myself with that,” he said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan continued to express confidence in Mr Nunes, saying there is no need for the chairman to resign.

Mr Nunes acknowledged on Monday that he reviewed intelligence reports at the White House complex and met a secret source behind his statement that communications involving associates of Mr Trump were caught up in “incidental” surveillance.

The Republican congressman’s disclosure prompted the top Democrat on the committee, Representative Adam Schiff, as well as the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, to call on Mr Nunes to recuse himself from the committee’s Russia probe.

Speaker Ryan says House Intel Committee chair Devin Nunes should not recuse himself from Russia probe. https://t.co/sG0hbjyuYo pic.twitter.com/DMXCIm9m82 — ABC News (@ABC) March 28, 2017

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ‘SQUELCHED TESTIMONY’

A lawyer for former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates wrote in letters last week that the Trump administration was trying to limit her testimony at congressional hearings focused on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The hearing was later cancelled by the House intelligence committee chairman.

Mr Trump fired Ms Yates in January over her refusal to support a ban on Muslim immigration.

In the letters, lawyer David O’Neil said he understood the Justice Department was invoking “further constraints” on testimony Ms Yates could provide on Tuesday.

“We believe that the Department’s position in this regard is overbroad, incorrect, and inconsistent with the Department’s historical approach to the congressional testimony of current and former senior officials,” Mr O’Neil wrote in a March 23 letter to Justice Department official Samuel Ramer.

President Ousts Acting Attorney General Sally Yates President Ousts Acting Attorney General Sally Yates

The lawyer said Ms Yates still intended to testify and would not disclose any classified information. The requirement that she not discuss even non-classified material “is particularly untenable given that multiple senior administration officials have publicly described the same events,” he said.

But the White House on Tuesday denied it sought to block Ms Yates’ testimony.

“I hope she testifies. I look forward to it,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during Tuesday’s briefing. “We have no problem with her testifying, plain and simple.”

Sean Spicer: The White House "took no action that prevented" former acting AG Sally Yates from testifying on Russia https://t.co/w8Kd69CyEI — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 28, 2017

FORD INVESTING IN US AUTO PLANTS

Ford has announced plans to invest $US1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in three Michigan plants, part of a deal with its workers’ union struck in 2015.

Mr Trump, who has repeatedly singled out the auto industry and pressured them to keep plants and jobs in the country, foreshadowed the news in a morning tweet.

“Big announcement by Ford today. Major investment to be made in three Michigan plants. Car companies coming back to U.S. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!,” the president tweeted.

Big announcement by Ford today. Major investment to be made in three Michigan plants. Car companies coming back to U.S. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2017

However, United Auto Workers, the union representing Ford’s workers, had secured a commitment from the company for $US9 billion ($11.8 billion) in investments in US plants, as part of its 2015 labour contract agreement.

The Trump administration took at least partial credit for the news, but Ford and UAW clearly credited their 2015 labour agreement.

“Thanks to collective bargaining, the hardworking men and women at each of these locations will now reap the full fruits of their labour,” UAW-Ford Vice President Jimmy Settles said in a statement.

#Ford investing $1.2B in 3 #Michigan facilities, strengthening our leadership in trucks, SUVs and mobility. pic.twitter.com/f7QgF9JOPY — Ford Motor Company (@Ford) March 28, 2017

WHITE HOUSE PLACED ON LOCKDOWN

The White House was briefly placed on lockdown after a “suspicious package” was discovered on Tuesday.

Secret Service agents reportedly cleared all media and visitors from the North Lawn, with snipers seen roaming the Presidential property.

The US Secret Service said: “Secret Service investigating suspicious package near White House grounds. Road closures in effect.”

Journalist Andrew Feinberg tweeted: “White House on lockdown at 10:25am (1:25am AEDT) for a ‘suspicious package’ per Secret Service Uniformed Division office.”

Two hours later, he tweeted: “Lockdown lifted at 11:37AM. All clear now.”

Lockdown lifted at 11:37AM. All clear now. — Andrew Feinberg (@agfhome) March 28, 2017

— With The Sun.