US appeals court rules against Trump on travel ban

Los Angeles

A US court on Thursday unanimously refused to reinstate Donald Trump's ban on refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, dealing the new president and his controversial law-and-order agenda a major defeat.

The San Francisco federal appeals court's ruling on Mr Trump's executive order - issued on Jan 27 with no prior warning and suspended by a lower court a week later - capped a turbulent first three weeks of his presidency.

A defiant Mr Trump quickly pledged to battle on, tweeting within minutes of the decision: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" "It's a …