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Pakistan’s ex-PM Nawaz Sharif faces corruption trial

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Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif faces corruption trial

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images
Image caption Nawaz Sharif denies any wrongdoing

Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has appeared in court in connection with two cases of alleged corruption.

He and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of properties in London.

They deny any wrongdoing, while their supporters say the cases are a political vendetta.

Mr Sharif, 67, resigned as prime minister in July after the country's Supreme Court disqualified him over undeclared income.

The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau to investigate and conduct a trial into the Sharif family's wider finances.

  • Nawaz Sharif's Panamagate explained
  • How a font exposed 'fake' documents
  • Profile: Nawaz Sharif

Mr Sharif returned to Pakistan from London on Thursday after weeks of speculation. He had been staying in the UK capital while his wife underwent cancer treatment.

On Friday morning, the former prime minister, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law appeared in Islamabad's accountability court. The proceedings are now under way.

Mr Sharif's first court appearance will be keenly watched both in Pakistan and abroad, the BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan says.

Last month, the court issued bailable arrest warrants after Mr Sharif failed to show up for previous hearings.

What are the allegations?

They stem from the 2016 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies.

They revealed that three of them owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.

The companies were allegedly used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London's Mayfair area.

Despite documents from the Panama Papers suggesting that the beneficial owner of the luxury central London flats was Mr Sharif's daughter Maryam, she later claimed that she was only a trustee – and that it was her brother who was the beneficial owner.

To prove her point, Maryam Nawaz produced a trust deed signed by both her and her brother dated February 2006.

But a British forensic expert later said the document was "fake" or had been "falsified" because it was typed in the Calibri font, which was not commercially available until 2007.

The insinuation that the offshore companies were meant to hide or launder ill-gotten wealth or to avoid taxes called Mr Sharif's credentials into question.

  • Sharif's son defends offshore companies

Mr Sharif, who in July was serving as prime minister for a record third time, was less than a year away from becoming the first head of government in Pakistani history to complete a full term in office.

He held the office from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 until he was toppled in a bloodless coup in October 1999.


Source – bbc.com

World

ISIS claims responsibility for NYC attack, calls driver ‘soldier of the Caliphate’

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ISIS claims responsibility for NYC terror attack, calls driver 'soldier of the Caliphate'

PlayJewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

WATCH NYC terror suspect did a dry run of vehicle attack: Prosecutors

    The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for the deadly Halloween day terror attack in New York City in the group's weekly newsletter, al-Naba.

    "On Tuesday, 11 Safar, one of the soldiers of the Islamic State attacked a number of crusaders on a street in New York City, close to the monument for the 9/11 raid, which resulted in killing and wounding more than 60 crusaders, and unto Allah is all praise," the newsletter said in a translation by SITE Intelligence Group, a company that tracks extremist groups.

    It's unclear why the group claims 60 people were wounded or killed. The attack, allegedly carried out by Uzbek national Sayfullo Saipov, actually killed eight people and wounded 12 others, according to the NYPD.

    The "11 Safar" is a reference to the attack occurring in the second month of the Islamic calendar.

    NYC terror suspect called a friend just before attack, official says NYC terror suspect 'wanted to kill as many people as he could': Complaint How the deadly New York City truck attack unfolded Why vehicle attacks, ISIS' preferred method of terror, are so hard to prevent

    The newsletter calls Saipov "one of the soldiers of the Caliphate" and claims the attack inspired "fear in crusader America."

    "The grace of Allah, the operation instilled fear in crusader America, prompting them to increase security measures and intensify actions against immigrants to America," the newsletter stated.

    PHOTO: A police officer walks past the wreckage of a Home Depot pickup truck, a day after it was used in an terror attack, in New York City, Nov. 1, 2017.Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
    A police officer walks past the wreckage of a Home Depot pickup truck, a day after it was used in an terror attack, in New York City, Nov. 1, 2017.

    Saipov, NYPD police have said, shouted "Allahu Akbar" — or "God is Greatest" in Arabic — after intentionally driving a rented truck onto a bike and pedestrian path in lower Manhattan just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday and running down 20 people. The suspect also left a handwritten note in Arabic at the scene saying ISIS "would endure forever," according to authorities.

    "He did this in the name of ISIS, and along with the other items recovered at the scene was some notes that further indicate that," said John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. "He appears to have followed almost exactly to a 'T' the instructions that ISIS has put out in its social media channels before with instructions to their followers on how to carry out such an attack."

    Authorities also reported Saipov had ISIS propaganda, including about 90 videos, on his cell phone, which inspired him to carry out the deadly attack.

    PHOTO: Mourners attended a vigil Thursday night to honor the victims of the terror attack that killed eight people in lower Manhattan.APTV
    Mourners attended a vigil Thursday night to honor the victims of the terror attack that killed eight people in lower Manhattan.

    The newsletter released Thursday also claims this was "one of the most prominent attacks to target crusaders in America" since Stephen Paddock is alleged to have killed 58 people in the Las Vegas shooting on Oct. 1. The FBI says it has not uncovered any connections between the suspect and any foreign terrorist groups.

    "The FBI stated there is no apparent tie to international terrorism," one senior official told ABC News. "Perhaps ISIS is just trying to take credit."

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    Source – abcnews.go.com

    World

    American troops caught in deadly Niger ambush told to proceed despite mission concern

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    American troops caught in deadly Niger ambush told to proceed despite mission concerns

    PlayObtained by ABC News

    WATCH New information on the deadly ambush in Niger

      The operation in Niger that led to the death of four American soldiers was not a reconnaissance mission, as initially described by U.S. officials, but instead a kill or capture mission conducted without additional support requested by Nigerien forces, four senior Nigerien officials told ABC News.

      The American team leader also expressed concerns about the mission, after a second U.S. and Nigerien unit was unable to join them for the operation, a senior U.S. intelligence source said.

      While top Pentagon officials have described the mission as “reconnaissance,” local Nigerien military commanders said the Oct. 4 mission was always to kill or capture one of the most dangerous terrorist leaders in the country known locally as Dandou and code-named “Naylor Road” by the Americans.

      ABc News
      PHOTO: Niger Story Map

      Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford told reporters last week that the group of 12 U.S. and 30 Nigerien soldiers was on a "reconnaissance mission" when they were ambushed by about 50 ISIS-linked fighters outside the village of Tongo Tongo.

      Dunford emphasized that the U.S. was in an "advise and assist" role when partnering with the Nigerien force, but multiple sources in Niger told ABC News that the mission was American organized and led from the start.

      Dandou is believed to be responsible for a number of attacks in Niger and has ties to ISIS and al-Qaeda, ABC News has learned. Nigerien officials said they believe he was involved in the deadly ambush against U.S. troops that killed Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright and Sgt. La David Johnson.

      PHOTO: U.S. soldiers killed during an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4, 2017. Clockwise from top left, Army Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Sergeant La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29.Department of Defense via EPA
      U.S. soldiers killed during an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4, 2017. Clockwise from top left, Army Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Sergeant La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29.

      Yet, even among American and Nigerien sources close to the investigation, there is discrepancy about the initial mission assigned to the team. While the Nigeriens insist it was “kill or capture” from the start, two U.S. intelligence sources told ABC News the team was first asked to meet local leaders and were only assigned the “Naylor Road” mission on their way back to base.

      Either way, the team proceeded in search of the target’s campsite in an overnight raid. The change in plan meant the team was out for over 24 hours, potentially putting them at greater risk.

      “They should have been up and back in a day,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told ABC News. “But they were up there so long on a mission that morphed, they were spotted, surveilled and ultimately hit.”

      One Nigerien military officer told ABC News that this second phase of the operation led the group to the Niger-Mali border, a dangerous area known to locals as the "red zone." The U.S. State Department warned on Monday that "terrorist organizations, armed groups and smugglers" operate in the area.

      Dunford, however, told reporters last week that leaders on the ground assessed enemy contact was unlikely during the mission.

      A Nigerien officer said he asked for more soldiers and weapons to bolster the operation, but claimed that request was rejected by the American side.

      PHOTO: Members of the Special Forces cry at the tomb of Army Sgt. La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East cemetery, Oct. 21, 2017 in Hollywood, Fla. Sgt. Johnson and three other U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger.Gaston De Carden/AFP/Getty Images
      Members of the Special Forces cry at the tomb of Army Sgt. La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East cemetery, Oct. 21, 2017 in Hollywood, Fla. Sgt. Johnson and three other U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger.

      And there were more concerns raised later in the day.

      A second team, also comprised of American and Nigerien forces, was supposed to join the mission, but for reasons that remain unclear, they were unable to do so. While one U.S. official told ABC News that weather had grounded the team, another senior American source disputed that claim and said miscommunication may have been to blame.

      The original 12-member team and their Nigerien partners were told to proceed on their own in a convoy of six to eight vehicles, one senior intelligence source said, despite concerns voiced by the American team leader.

      The Americans were traveling in two pickup trucks with mounted machine guns and one unarmed Land Cruiser. A fourth vehicle, said to have been provided to the Nigeriens by the CIA, had specialized surveillance equipment on board.

      Dunford said last week that he had no knowledge of CIA involvement.

      At least one of the American trucks was captured by the attackers after the battle, as well as a vehicle provided by the CIA for the Nigeriens, multiple Nigerien officials said.

      The CIA had no comment when asked by ABC News.

      U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) provided the following statement: "As this incident remains under investigation, it would be inappropriate for AFRICOM to comment at this time."

      Until the ambush, the mission had been unremarkable.

      When the team reached their target, "Naylor Road"’s suspected camp, in the middle of the night they found it empty and burned its remains before getting back into their vehicles as the sun came up.

      They drove south toward their base and stopped in the village of Tongo Tongo around mid-morning so the Nigerien forces could cook and eat breakfast. While there, the Americans met with a village elder, who they now believe was "obviously and deliberately trying to stall them," according to U.S. intelligence sources.

      When they finally departed the village, they had not traveled more than the length of a football field before they were ambushed by what was described as a well-trained, seasoned force who used machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

      The two American pickup trucks managed to get out of the line of fire, only to realize that the Land Cruiser was nowhere to be seen. Unable to reach them, some of the Americans went back on foot and in one of the pickup trucks to look for them while Johnson, who was later killed, provided cover by firing with the machine gun mounted on the back of the other pickup truck.

      It was then that the Land Cruiser, containing the other three Americans killed, was hit by a mortar and then gunfire.

      The Americans continued to fight from their vehicles and on foot. At some point, one of the U.S. pickup trucks was disabled.

      Two hours later, after the first shots were fired and one hour after the Americans called for help, French Mirage jets buzzed low over the battle, causing the attackers to hold their fire and many retreated into the local population. French Puma helicopters, accompanied by a pair of American Green Berets, from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso evacuated the wounded. Later, a U.S. contractor plane would take away the dead after Nigerien and American forces responded and secured the area.

      According to the senior intelligence source, the body of Johnson was not located until two days after the attack. In circumstances that remain unclear he became separated from the rest of the group and his body was turned over by the village to the Nigerien military only as an American attack formation moved in to look for him, the source said.

      ABC News' Luis Martinez, Aicha El Hammar Castano and Angus Hines contributed to this report.

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      Source – abcnews.go.com

      Technology

      Can Apple to live up to the hype for the iPhone X?

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      Can Apple to live up to the hype for the iPhone X?

      The Associated Press
      FILE – In this Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, file photo, the new iPhone X is displayed in the showroom after the new product announcement at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif. Apple is offering a nifty way to unlock its new iPhone X…just stare at it. Face ID, Apple’s name for its facial-recognition technology, replaces the fingerprint sensor found on other models. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

        The iPhone X's lush screen, facial-recognition skills and $1,000 price tag are breaking new ground in Apple's marquee product line.

        Now, the much-anticipated device is testing the patience of consumers and investors as demand outstrips suppliers' capacity.

        Apple said Thursday that iPhone sales rose 3 percent in the July-September quarter, a period that saw the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus come out in the final weeks. Sales could have been higher if many customers hadn't been waiting for the iPhone X, which comes out Friday.

        Apple shipped 46.7 million iPhones during the period, according to its fiscal fourth-quarter report released Thursday. That's up from 45.5 million at the same time last year after the iPhone 7 came out, but represents a step back from the same time in 2015, when Apple shipped 48 million iPhones during the quarter.

        As with recent quarters, one of the main sources of Apple's growth is coming from its services, which are anchored by an app store that feeds the iPhone and other devices.

        Revenue in that division surged 34 percent to $8.5 billion during the July-September period. All told, Apple earned $10.7 billion on revenue of $52.6 billion, compared with a $9 billion profit on revenue of $46.9 billion a year earlier.

        Apple shares were up 2.7 percent in after-hours trading.

        Nonetheless, the just-ended quarter largely became an afterthought once Apple decided to release the iPhone X six weeks after the iPhone 8.

        "The Super Bowl for Apple is the iPhone X," GBH analyst Daniel Ives said. "That is the potential game changer."

        But it also brings a potential stumbling block. While conspiracy theorists might suspect that Apple is artificially reducing supply to generate buzz, analysts say the real reason is that Apple's suppliers so far haven't been able to manufacture the iPhone X quickly enough.

        Making the iPhone X is proving to be a challenge because it boasts a color-popping OLED screen, which isn't as readily available as standard LCD displays in other iPhone models. The new iPhone also requires more sophisticated components to power the facial-recognition technology for unlocking the device.

        Even with the iPhone X's delayed release, Apple is still struggling to catch up. Apple is now giving delivery times of five to six weeks for those ordering in advance online (limited supplies will be available in Apple stores for the formal release Friday). Most analysts are predicting Apple won't be able to catch up with demand until early next year.

        The company was optimistic.

        "As we approach the holiday season, we expect it to be our biggest quarter ever," CEO Tim Cook said on an earnings call with analysts Thursday. He added that the company is increasing its iPhone X production capacity every week.

        On Thursday, Apple predicted revenue for this quarter from $84 billion to $87 billion. Analysts, who have already factored in the supply challenges, expect $85.2 billion, according to FactSet.

        Analysts are expecting Apple to ship 80 million iPhones during the current quarter, which includes the crucial holiday shopping season, according to FactSet. That would be slightly better than the same time last year.

        Apple is counting on the iPhone X to drive even higher-than-usual sales during the first nine months of next year — a scenario that might not play out if production problems persist and impatient consumers turn instead to phones from Google or Samsung.

        "What Apple needs to do is manage consumer expectations so they don't get frustrated having to wait for so long for a new phone," Ives said.

        Analysts believe Apple can pull off the juggling act. They are expecting the company to sell 242 million iPhones in the fiscal year ending in September 2018 — the most in the product's history. The previous record was set in 2015 when Apple shipped 231 million iPhones, thanks to larger models introduced just before the fiscal year began. By comparison, Apple shipped nearly 217 million iPhones in its just-completed fiscal 2017.

        If Apple falters, investors are likely to dump its stock after driving the shares up by 45 percent so far this year on the expectation that the iPhone X will be the company's biggest hit yet.

        ———

        Tali Arbel reported from New York.

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        Source – abcnews.go.com

        World

        NYC terror suspect called a friend just before attack, official says

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        NYC terror suspect called a friend just before attack, official says

        PlayObtained by ABC News

        WATCH NYC attack suspect appears to have been influenced by ISIS propaganda

          The man accused of ramming a truck into people on a New York City bike path placed a call immediately before he carried out the attack on Tuesday afternoon, a law enforcement official told ABC News.

          The call was placed to Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, who is described by sources as a friend of suspected attacker Sayfullo Saipov. Kadirov is not being called a suspect.

          The significance of the call Saipov made to Kadirov is not known.

          The FBI had released a poster Wednesday asking for the public's help to find Kadirov when he initially could not be located. But, less than an hour after the poster went public, Assistant Director in Charge Bill Sweeney announced that agents were no longer looking for Kadirov.

          At least eight people were killed in Tuesday's incident, which is being investigated as a terror attack, and another 12 were injured.

          Saipov, 29, was allegedly "inspired" to commit the attack after watching ISIS videos on his cellphone and he "wanted to kill as many people as he could," according to a federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday by prosecutors in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

          Saipov wanted the black-and-white flag of ISIS displayed in his hospital room after allegedly revealing to authorities he had planned to strike more people on a bridge had he not crashed into a school bus, according to the complaint.

          “During the interview with law enforcement, Saipov requested to display ISIS’s flag in his hospital room and stated that he felt good about what he had done,” the complaint states.

          NYC terror suspect 'wanted to kill as many people as he could': Complaint 8 dead after truck plows into people in New York City in 'cowardly act of terror': Mayor How the deadly New York City truck attack unfolded Why vehicle attacks, ISIS' preferred method of terror, are so hard to prevent Trump responds to NYC attack: Suspect is 'a very sick and deranged person' Sayfullo Saipov identified as suspect in New York City vehicle attack: Officials

          Saipov allegedly rented the truck from a Home Depot in Passaic, New Jersey, Tuesday around 2 p.m. ET. He exited the bridge at 2:43 p.m. and drove southbound on the West Side Highway in New York City, according to license plate readers on the George Washington Bridge.

          Shortly after 3 p.m., Saipov allegedly began plowing into cyclists and pedestrians on a bike path in lower Manhattan near West Houston Street and the West Side Highway. The suspect then drove south for about a mile, leaving behind strewn bodies and crumpled bicycles, police said.

          The suspect crashed into a school bus near Chambers Street, just across from Stuyvesant High School. He emerged from the car with a paintball gun and a pellet gun, allegedly shouting "Allahu Akbar," an Arabic phrase that translates to "God is Greatest," before being shot in the abdomen by NYPD officer Ryan Nash, authorities said.

          PHOTO: A map of schools in the vicinity of the New York City attack that occurred on Oct. 31, 2017.ABC News
          A map of schools in the vicinity of the New York City attack that occurred on Oct. 31, 2017.

          Saipov was transported to a hospital for treatment and is expected to survive. Officials say he acted alone.

          City officials announced Thursday that the transportation department would begin to install concrete blockers in 57 spots along the bike path lining the West Side Highway beginning at 59th Street and heading into lower Manhattan. This will prevent cars from accessing the path but allow bikes and joggers to do so, they said.

          Two cellphones, a stun gun, a document with text in Arabic and English and a black bag containing three knives were recovered from the truck. Saipov allegedly admitted to writing the document and told authorities the cellphones belonged to him, according to the criminal complaint.

          One of the cellphones contained 90 videos, most of which appear to be "ISIS-related propaganda," including one with instructions on how to make an improvised explosive device, the complaint states.

          PHOTO: Authorities stand near a damaged Home Depot truck after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York.Bebeto Matthews/AP
          Authorities stand near a damaged Home Depot truck after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York.

          Saipov was wheeled into court for his initial appearance before a judge Wednesday night. He was charged with providing support to ISIS and violence and destruction of motor vehicles, making him eligible for the death penalty. A plea was not entered.

          Saipov has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. ET.

          "He did this in the name of ISIS, and along with the other items recovered at the scene was some notes that further indicate that," John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said Wednesday morning. "He appears to have followed almost exactly to a 'T' the instructions that ISIS has put out in its social media channels before with instructions to their followers on how to carry out such an attack."

          PHOTO: New York City terror suspect, Sayfullo Saipov, appears in federal court, Nov. 1, 2017, in New York City.Jane Rosenberg/NNS
          New York City terror suspect, Sayfullo Saipov, appears in federal court, Nov. 1, 2017, in New York City.

          Saipov was born in Uzbekistan. He entered the United States through New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2010, according to law enforcement sources. He had a green card that allowed him permanent legal residence in the country, sources said.

          The green card came via a government program called the Diversity Visa Lottery, which hands out about 55,000 visas per year.

          After entering the country, Saipov first lived in Ohio before moving to Tampa, Florida. He then moved to Paterson, New Jersey, where he has lived with his wife and three children for several years, according to law enforcement sources.

          PHOTO: Bicycles and debris lay on a bike path after a motorist drove onto the path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people, Oct. 31, 2017.Craig Ruttle/AP
          Bicycles and debris lay on a bike path after a motorist drove onto the path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people, Oct. 31, 2017.

          During an interview with law enforcement while in custody, Saipov allegedly revealed that he began planning an attack in the United States about a year ago. He allegedly decided to use a truck "to inflict maximum damage against civilians" and rented one prior to Tuesday's attack to "practice making turns" with the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

          "Saipov planned to use the truck to strike pedestrians in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and then proceed to the Brooklyn Bridge to continue to strike pedestrians. Saipov wanted to kill as many people as he could," the complaint states. "Saipov wanted to display ISIS flags in the front and back of the truck during the attack, but decided against it because he did not want to draw attention to himself."

          Saipov allegedly chose to carry out the attack on Halloween "because he believed there would be more civilians on the street for the holiday," the complaint states.

          He was allegedly motivated to commit the attack after watching a video in which ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "questioned what Muslims in the United States and elsewhere were doing to respond to the killing of Muslims in Iraq," according to the complaint.

          ABC News' Mark Crudele, Tara Fowler, Joshua Hoyos, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

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          Source – abcnews.go.com

          World

          White House was unaware top adviser testified before grand jury

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          White House was unaware top adviser testified before grand jury

          PlayCharlie Neibergall/AP Photo

          WATCH White House was unaware top adviser testified before grand jury

            The White House first learned one of its senior staffers met with the grand jury hearing the case presented by the special counsel into alleged Russian meddling into the 2016 election not from the staffer but from media reports, sources with knowledge of the investigation tell ABC News.

            Former Trump campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis recently testified before that grand jury into his role on President Donald Trump’s campaign. Clovis currently serves as the senior White House adviser to the Department of Agriculture.

            Clovis’ testimony comes on the heels of another Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleading guilty to lying to federal authorities. As part of Papadopoulos’ admission of guilt, details of emails were disclosed that showed him describing to top Trump campaign officials communications he had with contacts in Russia.

            The correspondence between Papadopoulos and a group of foreign nationals detail that within weeks of being described by Trump as an important part of his national security team, Papadopoulos was in London meeting with people who said they could deliver “dirt” on rival candidate Hillary Clinton, including “thousands of emails.”

            The emails indicate multiple top level campaign officials that Papadopoulos communicated with including one listed as a “campaign supervisor”.

            Sources familiar with the emails tell ABC News the “campaign supervisor” was Sam Clovis.

            Clovis appeared to encourage Papadopoulos to engage with Russian contacts; in one instance Clovis responded directly to Papadopoulos, hailing him for his “great work” and saying “I would encourage you” to “make the trip, if it is feasible”, referring to a trip the young campaign adviser pitched to go abroad.

            An attorney for Clovis confirmed his role in the communications to ABC News, adding that he has not spoken to Papadopoulos since the 2016 election and any trip he would have taken would not have been authorized by the campaign and would have been done on his own personal time and money.

            A White House source familiar with the investigation tells ABC News “the White House was surprised to learn Mr. Clovis had been contacted by the Special Counsel’s office as part of their separate probe of Mr. Papadopoulos’ activities.”

            Clovis’ lawyer, Victoria Toensing, told ABC News he is not under investigation.

            The special counsel’s office has been calling witnesses for the last several months for both interviews at their Department of Justice offices in addition to testifying before a newly impaneled grand jury. White House staffers who have been called to meet with Mueller have usually kept the President’s legal team in the loop.

            Clovis was the president’s pick to serve as undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture and was scheduled to face a Senate confirmation hearing next week. However, as scrutiny mounted into his testimony and qualifications for the post Clovis wrote President Trump on Thursday asking his name be withdrawn from consideration.

            ABC News' Justin Fishel and Tara Palmeri contributed to this report

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            Source – abcnews.go.com

            World

            New York truck attack: Trump urges death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov

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            New York truck attack: Trump urges death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov

            Media playback is unsupported on your device
            Media captionNew York truck attack: Who is Sayfullo Saipov?

            US President Donald Trump has repeated calls for the suspect in the New York truck attack to get the death penalty.

            But Mr Trump backed away from his call a day earlier to send Sayfullo Saipov to Guantanamo Bay, saying "that process takes much longer".

            The suspect, who allegedly drove along a Manhattan cycle path killing eight people, told police he "felt good" about Tuesday's Halloween attack.

            Later, so-called Islamic State (IS) said it had carried out the attack.

            The attacker was "one of the caliphate soldiers", it said in its weekly al-Naba newspaper, without providing evidence to support the claim.

            The victims were five Argentines who had travelled to New York to celebrate 30 years since their high school graduation, a young mother from Belgium and two Americans.

            Mr Saipov, 29, an Uzbek immigrant, was shot at the scene by police, according to officials. Investigators say he told them he was inspired by IS.

            Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

            NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!

            — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2017

            Report

            End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

            Could Trump's remarks jeopardise a fair trial?

            Mr Saipov, who appeared in court on Wednesday in a wheelchair, faces federal terrorism charges, which means the government could override New York state's ban on capital punishment.

            "There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed," tweeted the Republican president, a native New Yorker, on Thursday morning.

            Repeating his initial call tweeted overnight for Mr Saipov to be executed, Mr Trump added: "Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!"

            However, some legal commentators suggest that Mr Trump's comments could be seen as prejudicial to a trial.

            Earlier this week, a military judge said he would consider a lighter sentence for Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who deserted his Afghan base, because of Mr Trump's previous urging for that defendant to face the death penalty.

            Is there a precedent for this?

            It is unusual for US presidents to hold forth on pending criminal cases, but not unheard of.

            Image copyright Reuters
            Image caption Mr Saipov, who was shot and injured by police, appeared in court in a wheelchair

            In 1970, lawyers for mass murderer Charles Manson called for a mistrial after President Richard Nixon declared the cult leader guilty – in the middle of his trial.

            Nixon backtracked and the judge allowed the case to go ahead.

            Mr Trump has previously called for capital punishment to be applied in high-profile cases.

            In 1989, when a group of five black and Latino men were charged with a particularly brutal rape of a woman in New York City, Mr Trump paid $85,000 for an ad in city newspapers with the headline "Bring Back the Death Penalty!"

            The five defendants were later cleared by DNA evidence.

            What did the New York suspect say?

            Prosecutors say Mr Saipov spoke freely to them, waiving his right to avoid self-incrimination while in custody.

            According to federal court papers, he said:

            • The attack was a year in the planning and he carried out a trial run with a rental truck last month
            • He originally planned to target the Brooklyn Bridge as well
            • He wanted to display IS flags on the truck, but decided not to draw attention to himself
            • He was inspired by 90 graphic and violent propaganda videos found on his phone – in particular, one in which IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi asks what Muslims are doing to avenge deaths in Iraq.
            Media playback is unsupported on your device
            Media captionDamian Erskine: "I gave the NYC attack supect five stars on Uber".

            Mr Saipov was charged with one count of providing material support and resources to IS and another count of violence and destruction of motor vehicles.

            • Read more on the suspect
            • Why Uzbek migrants are radicalised

            Was suspect on law enforcement's radar?

            CBS News quotes an intelligence source as saying Mr Saipov was known to US authorities after his name was associated with the subjects of FBI counter-terrorism investigations in 2015.

            The source says the suspect had some contact with individuals who were considered radicalised extremists, at least one of whom was Uzbek. It is unclear whether those being investigated were in the US or overseas.

            Media playback is unsupported on your device
            Media captionBabtunde Ogunnyi describes the moment a truck hit people on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan

            It is not known if Mr Saipov, who was not the main focus of the investigation, was interviewed at that time by the FBI.

            The FBI meanwhile says they have located a second Uzbek man, 32-year-old Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, who was wanted for questioning in connection with Tuesday's attack.

            • What is the diversity green card lottery?
            • How did Trump do in his terror response?

            Who were the victims?

            Image copyright AFP
            Image caption This image of the Argentine friends was taken moments before they flew to New York. Hernán Ferrucci (far left), Alejandro Damián Pagnucco (second from left), Ariel Erlij (third from left), Hernán Mendoza (third from right) and Diego Angelini (second from right) were all killed

            The five Argentines – all men aged 48 or 49 – were named as Hernán Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damián Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernán Ferrucci.

            Belgian officials said Anne-Laure Decadt, a 31-year-old mother-of-two from Staden in Flanders, was also killed. Three Belgians were wounded.

            The two Americans have been identified as Darren Drake, 32, and Nicholas Cleves, 23.

            Twelve others were injured, four of whom remain in critical condition.

            • Read more on the victims


            Source – bbc.com

            Technology

            Trump’s Twitter account briefly ‘deactivated’ by employee

            _98595053_twitter

            Trump's Twitter account briefly 'deactivated' by employee

            Image copyright Twitter
            Image caption For a short time visitors could only see a message that read: "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"

            US President Donald Trump's Twitter account briefly vanished on Thursday, but has since been restored, the social media company has said.

            It said that the @realdonaldtrump account was "deactivated" by an employee, later clarifying that it was their last day in the job.

            The account was down for 11 minutes, and Twitter is now investigating.

            Mr Trump – who is an active Twitter user with 41.7 million followers – has not commented on the issue.

            On Thursday evening, visitors to Mr Trump's page for a short time could only see a message that read "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"

            • Trump on Twitter: A history of the man and his medium
            Image copyright Twitter
            Image caption Donald Trump has been actively using Twitter to promote his policies and attack his opponents

            After the account was restored, Mr Trump's first tweet was about the Republican Party's tax cuts plan.

            @POTUS, the official account of the US president, was unaffected.

            Twitter said it was investigating the problem and taking steps to avoid it happening again.

            It later said in a tweet: "Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day. We are conducting a full internal review."

            Mr Trump joined Twitter in March 2009.

            He has been actively using the social media platform to promote his policies and also attack his political opponents both during the presidential campaign in 2016 and since taking office in January.


            Source – bbc.com

            World

            Trump’s Twitter account briefly ‘deactivated’

            _98595053_twitter

            Trump's Twitter account briefly 'deactivated'

            Image copyright Twitter
            Image caption For a short time visitors could only see a message that read: "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"

            US President Donald Trump's Twitter account briefly vanished on Thursday, but has since been restored, the social media company has said.

            It said that the @realdonaldtrump account was "deactivated" by an employee, later clarifying that it was their last day in the job.

            The account was down for 11 minutes, and Twitter is now investigating.

            Mr Trump – who is an active Twitter user with 41.7 million followers – has not commented on the issue.

            On Thursday evening, visitors to Mr Trump's page for a short time could only see a message that read "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"

            • Trump on Twitter: A history of the man and his medium
            Image copyright Twitter
            Image caption Donald Trump has been actively using Twitter to promote his policies and attack his opponents

            After the account was restored, Mr Trump's first tweet was about the Republican Party's tax cuts plan.

            @POTUS, the official account of the US president, was unaffected.

            Twitter said it was investigating the problem and taking steps to avoid it happening again.

            It later said in a tweet: "Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day. We are conducting a full internal review."

            Mr Trump joined Twitter in March 2009.

            He has been actively using the social media platform to promote his policies and also attack his political opponents both during the presidential campaign in 2016 and since taking office in January.


            Source – bbc.com

            Business

            Trump’s Twitter account taken down by employee

            skynews-donald-trump-twitter-not-working_4145741
            A search for Trump's Twitter handle led to an empty page

            By Bethan Staton, News Reporter

            Donald Trump's Twitter account was deactivated by a company employee and was down for 11 minutes before it was restored, Twitter said.

            Twitter blamed a customer-support employee "who did this on the employee's last day".

            The internet was seized by a brief spell of panic just before 11pm on Thursday, when the US President's account disappeared suddenly and without explanation.

            Mr Trump has 41.7 million followers on Twitter and makes extensive use of it for everything from promoting his policies to attacking his opponents.

            While the account was down, a search for @realDonaldTrump returned only a blue background and the line "sorry that page does not exist".

            :: Trump's most memorable tweets
            :: Trump tweets worth retaining by US National Archives

            One of the best moments over the past 9 months. Trump’s twitter shut down briefly by a twitter employee on their last day. Hero. pic.twitter.com/ttUedPkbNM

            — Mohamed Hemish (@MohamedHemish) 3 November 2017

            The sight sent those who witnessed it into a frenzy of disbelief. Many were overjoyed at the disappearance of one of the platform's most powerful and prolific accounts; others furious at the deactivation.

            @jack I need to very seriously tell you that the 70 seconds that Trump's twitter account went away were the happiest 70 seconds of my year.

            — Cabel Sasser (@cabel) 2 November 2017

            Those few precious minutes were like when Andy played the opera record over the Shawshank PA system.

            — southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) 2 November 2017

            Those seeking an explanation suggested the account had been hacked, or perhaps even suspended by Twitter.

            But before long the President's account returned, without fanfare and as mysteriously it had disappeared.

            Twitter quickly responded to the incident, tweeting at first that the account had been inadvertently deactivated due to human error and was being investigated.

            Its explanation was soon changed, however, with a second tweet announcing the deactivation had been carried out "by a Twitter customer-support employee who did this on the employee's last day".

            Earlier today @realdonaldtrump’s account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored. We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again.

            — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) 3 November 2017

            Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee’s last day. We are conducting a full internal review. https://t.co/mlarOgiaRF

            — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) 3 November 2017

            Many users responded with glee to the news, praising the unknown former employee as a hero.

            Folk hero. Songs should be written about this person.

            — Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) 3 November 2017

            Others, however, judged the deletion an affront to the principles of free speech, or expressed concern that a customer-service employee was apparently able to delete whole accounts at their whim.

            It is shocking that some random Twitter employee could shut down the president's account. What if they instead had tweeted fake messages?

            — Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) 3 November 2017

            As the rest of the world struggled to come to terms with the brief absence and swift return of his account, however, Mr Trump seamlessly returned to his usual Twitter form.

            In the hours following his short departure the President tweeted zealously about a tax cut roll out, alleged violations of campaign finance laws and James Comey's leadership, as well as promoting an interview with Fox News.

            My Twitter account was taken down for 11 minutes by a rogue employee. I guess the word must finally be getting out-and having an impact.

            — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2017

            He later addressed the incident: "My Twitter account was taken down for 11 minutes by a rogue employee."

            "I guess the word must finally be getting out-and having an impact," he suggested in explanation.

            More top stories

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            Source – News.sky.com