White House on Wednesday said that outgoing President Donald Trump has&nbsp;pardoned 73 people, including his former aide Steve Bannon, just before he was due to leave the office.

However, Trump did&nbsp;not pardon himself, members of his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Trump&nbsp;leaves office on Wednesday when Joe Biden is sworn in as the nation's next president. White House officials had argued to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;that he should not pardon himself or his family because it might look like they are guilty of crimes, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Trump&nbsp;also pardoned Elliott Broidy, a former top fundraiser for&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;who pleaded guilty last year to violating foreign lobbying laws, and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was serving a 28-year prison term on corruption charges, a senior administration official said.

Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black who were prosecuted on federal weapons offences were also granted pardons.

Bannon, who was a key adviser in&nbsp;Trump's 2016 presidential run, was charged last year with swindling&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;supporters over an effort to raise private funds to build the president's wall on the US-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty.

White House officials had advised&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;against pardoning Bannon. The two men have lately rekindled their relationship as&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;sought support for his unproven claims of voter fraud, an official familiar with the situation said.

Giuliani, who has been at the forefront of unsuccessful efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, has not been charged with a crime, but investigators have been probing his activities in Ukraine.

Prominent allies

Bannon, 67, is the latest prominent political ally to receive clemency from&nbsp;Trump, who has often used the powers of the executive branch to reward loyalists and punish his enemies.

Trump&nbsp;previously pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about his conversation with the former Russian ambassador, and he commuted the prison term for Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress during its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Bannon can still be charged in state court in New York, where a pardon would not help him, said Daniel R. Alonso, a former prosecutor now at the Buckley law firm. Fraud prosecutions are frequently brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Alonso said.

Broidy, who was a top fundraiser for&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;during the 2016 campaign, pleaded guilty in October to violating lobbying laws by attempting to influence the administration on behalf of Chinese and Malaysian interests.

Lil Wayne, 38, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., pleaded guilty in federal court in December to illegally possessing a firearm and faced up to 10 years in prison. He has expressed support for&nbsp;Trump's criminal justice reform efforts.

Kodak Black, 23, who was born Bill Kahan Kapri, is in federal prison for making a false statement in order to buy a firearm.

White House on Wednesday said that outgoing President Donald Trump has pardoned 73 people, including his former aide Steve Bannon, just before he was due to leave the office.

White House on Wednesday said that outgoing President Donald Trump has pardoned 73 people, including his former aide Steve Bannon, just before he was due to leave the office. However, Trump did not pardon himself, members of his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Trump leaves office on Wednesday when Joe Biden is sworn in as the nation's next president. White House officials had argued to Trump that he should not pardon himself or his family because it might look like they are guilty of crimes, according to a source familiar with the situation. Trump also pardoned Elliott Broidy, a former top fundraiser for Trump who pleaded guilty last year to violating foreign lobbying laws, and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was serving a 28-year prison term on corruption charges, a senior administration official said. Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black who were prosecuted on federal weapons offences were also granted pardons. Bannon, who was a key adviser in Trump's 2016 presidential run, was charged last year with swindling Trump supporters over an effort to raise private funds to build the president's wall on the US-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty. White House officials had advised Trump against pardoning Bannon. The two men have lately rekindled their relationship as Trump sought support for his unproven claims of voter fraud, an official familiar with the situation said. Giuliani, who has been at the forefront of unsuccessful efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, has not been charged with a crime, but investigators have been probing his activities in Ukraine. Prominent allies Bannon, 67, is the latest prominent political ally to receive clemency from Trump, who has often used the powers of the executive branch to reward loyalists and punish his enemies. Trump previously pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about his conversation with the former Russian ambassador, and he commuted the prison term for Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress during its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Bannon can still be charged in state court in New York, where a pardon would not help him, said Daniel R. Alonso, a former prosecutor now at the Buckley law firm. Fraud prosecutions are frequently brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Alonso said. Broidy, who was a top fundraiser for Trump during the 2016 campaign, pleaded guilty in October to violating lobbying laws by attempting to influence the administration on behalf of Chinese and Malaysian interests. Lil Wayne, 38, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., pleaded guilty in federal court in December to illegally possessing a firearm and faced up to 10 years in prison. He has expressed support for Trump's criminal justice reform efforts. Kodak Black, 23, who was born Bill Kahan Kapri, is in federal prison for making a false statement in order to buy a firearm.

President Trump pardons 73 people including ex-aide Steve Bannon

A Starbucks cafe in Dublin has compensated an Irish customer of Thai heritage almost $13,000 for a drawing of ''slanty'' eyes on a cup made by an employee.

The incident took place when&nbsp;Suchavadee Foley ordered a chai matcha latte from&nbsp;Starbucks Tallaght but&nbsp;the cup in which it was served had a drawing of ''slanty eyes''.

The&nbsp;Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found&nbsp;Foley had been a victim of racial abuse as it was "clear that the visual depiction relates to her race".

Adjudication officer of the commission&nbsp;Kevin Baneham said the incident ''is as offensive and as unimaginative as a 19th century Punch cartoon”.

The Dublin outlet said, "complainant had not been treated less favourably and others would have drawings composed of them".

The employee accused of making the drawing on the cup is from Brazil and she drew a smile because she thought the customer was glamorous.

A spokeswoman for Starbucks said it was "deeply sorry".

"We have no tolerance for discrimination of any kind at Starbucks," she said.

"We accept the adjudicator's conclusion that our partner did not intend to harass this customer and we have retrained the team at this store to ensure this does not take place again."

A Starbucks cafe in Dublin has compensated an Irish customer of Thai heritage almost $13,000 for a drawing of ''slanty'' eyes on a cup made by an employee. The incident took place when Suchavadee Foley ordered a chai matcha latte from Starbucks Tallaght but the cup in which it was served had a drawing of ''slanty eyes''.

A Starbucks cafe in Dublin has compensated an Irish customer of Thai heritage almost $13,000 for a drawing of ''slanty'' eyes on a cup made by an employee. The incident took place when Suchavadee Foley ordered a chai matcha latte from Starbucks Tallaght but the cup in which it was served had a drawing of ''slanty eyes''. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found Foley had been a victim of racial abuse as it was "clear that the visual depiction relates to her race". Adjudication officer of the commission Kevin Baneham said the incident ''is as offensive and as unimaginative as a 19th century Punch cartoon”. The Dublin outlet said, "complainant had not been treated less favourably and others would have drawings composed of them". The employee accused of making the drawing on the cup is from Brazil and she drew a smile because she thought the customer was glamorous. A spokeswoman for Starbucks said it was "deeply sorry". "We have no tolerance for discrimination of any kind at Starbucks," she said. "We accept the adjudicator's conclusion that our partner did not intend to harass this customer and we have retrained the team at this store to ensure this does not take place again."

Starbucks customer gets $13,000 compensation over 'slanty' eyes drawing on cup

Russian President Vladimir Putin,&nbsp;dressed in nothing but a pair of blue swimming trunks, submerged himself in icy water on Tuesday to fulfil&nbsp;an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany.

The Kremlin said in a statement that the tradition "celebrates one of the main Christian holidays,&nbsp;the baptism of the Lord."

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The Russian leader shed a thick coat and boots, as temperatures hovered at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and stepped into a pool surrounded by snow and facing a large cross made of ice outside Moscow.

Putin, 68, grew up under Communist rule where open shows of religion were frowned upon. As president, he has become a frequent attendee of Russian Orthodox ceremonies and has given the church a major voice in society.

For orthodox Christians across Russia,&nbsp;January 19 is a special occasion as it commemorates the baptism of Jesus in river Jordon and its called&nbsp;Epiphany.

Russian authorities install wooden steps to facilitate access for worshippers throughout the country wishing to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ.

While the ritual has become popular among Russian politicians and even foreign diplomats, the Orthodox Church has said the event is not actually a canonical tradition and dismiss it as a fad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in nothing but a pair of blue swimming trunks, submerged himself in icy water on Tuesday to fulfil an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in nothing but a pair of blue swimming trunks, submerged himself in icy water on Tuesday to fulfil an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany. The Kremlin said in a statement that the tradition "celebrates one of the main Christian holidays, the baptism of the Lord." Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in nothing but a pair of blue swimming trunks, submerged himself in icy water to fulfil an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany. pic.twitter.com/GEnWxlyJbx — WION (@WIONews) January 20, 2021 × The Russian leader shed a thick coat and boots, as temperatures hovered at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and stepped into a pool surrounded by snow and facing a large cross made of ice outside Moscow. Putin, 68, grew up under Communist rule where open shows of religion were frowned upon. As president, he has become a frequent attendee of Russian Orthodox ceremonies and has given the church a major voice in society. For orthodox Christians across Russia, January 19 is a special occasion as it commemorates the baptism of Jesus in river Jordon and its called Epiphany. Russian authorities install wooden steps to facilitate access for worshippers throughout the country wishing to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ. While the ritual has become popular among Russian politicians and even foreign diplomats, the Orthodox Church has said the event is not actually a canonical tradition and dismiss it as a fad.

Watch: Russian President Vladimir Putin submerges himself in icy water to mark Orthodox Epiphany

Workers trapped in a Chinese gold mine for more than nine days received more medical and food supplies on Tuesday, including bandages, blankets and porridge, but one of the group is in a critical condition with a severe head injury, state media said.

However,&nbsp;the miners had requested evening sausage and pickles as well as porridge but medical experts decided they should not eat hard food having only just regained their strength.&nbsp;

Fortified by the food and medical supplies - the fourth consignment to reach the group,&nbsp;two workers who had previously been very weak were able to walk again on Tuesday, Xinhua reported, citing a member of the rescue team.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-workers-still-trapped-in-chinas-gold-mine-notes-sent-to-rescuers-357409">Several workers still trapped in China's gold mine; notes sent to rescuers</a>

A total of 22 workers were left trapped in the Hushan mine, in Shandong province, after an explosion on January&nbsp;10. A week later, it emerged that at least 12 of them were still alive as a note retrieved from the mine said: "We hope the rescue won't stop."

A drilled channel on Sunday&nbsp;located 11 of the miners, who were working more than 600 metres underground, and rescuers were subsequently able to speak to them via wired telephone.

According to the People's Daily said one worker was in a coma, in a critical condition, after sustaining a head injury in the blast, while two were "mildly unwell" and eight in good health. One more worker has been located in another section of the mine, while the whereabouts of the other 10 remain unknown.

The trapped&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-goldmine-traps-22-workers-in-china-356234">miners</a>&nbsp;have been able to send notes to rescuers, the local government said as authorities heard knocking sound.

Chinese officials sacked two top officials in Qixia after the explosion dismissing&nbsp;Qixia&nbsp;Communist Party secretary Yao Xiuxia and deputy secretary Zhu Tao.

Authorities said they would investigate and "severely punish" those responsible for the accident which led to reporting delay denying rescue teams precious time to reach the trapped mine workers last week.

The blast had damaged the exit ladder from the mine even as local officials plan to lower food and telephone lines into the mine.

Workers trapped in a Chinese gold mine for more than nine days received more medical and food supplies on Tuesday, including bandages, blankets and porridge, but one of the group is in a critical condition with a severe head injury, state media said.

Workers trapped in a Chinese gold mine for more than nine days received more medical and food supplies on Tuesday, including bandages, blankets and porridge, but one of the group is in a critical condition with a severe head injury, state media said. However, the miners had requested evening sausage and pickles as well as porridge but medical experts decided they should not eat hard food having only just regained their strength. Fortified by the food and medical supplies - the fourth consignment to reach the group, two workers who had previously been very weak were able to walk again on Tuesday, Xinhua reported, citing a member of the rescue team. Also read: Several workers still trapped in China's gold mine; notes sent to rescuers A total of 22 workers were left trapped in the Hushan mine, in Shandong province, after an explosion on January 10. A week later, it emerged that at least 12 of them were still alive as a note retrieved from the mine said: "We hope the rescue won't stop." A drilled channel on Sunday located 11 of the miners, who were working more than 600 metres underground, and rescuers were subsequently able to speak to them via wired telephone. According to the People's Daily said one worker was in a coma, in a critical condition, after sustaining a head injury in the blast, while two were "mildly unwell" and eight in good health. One more worker has been located in another section of the mine, while the whereabouts of the other 10 remain unknown. The trapped miners have been able to send notes to rescuers, the local government said as authorities heard knocking sound. Chinese officials sacked two top officials in Qixia after the explosion dismissing Qixia Communist Party secretary Yao Xiuxia and deputy secretary Zhu Tao. Authorities said they would investigate and "severely punish" those responsible for the accident which led to reporting delay denying rescue teams precious time to reach the trapped mine workers last week. The blast had damaged the exit ladder from the mine even as local officials plan to lower food and telephone lines into the mine.

Mine workers trapped in China ask for sausage and pickles

Melania Knauss Trump came to her role as first lady as an enigma. No one knew how the former Slovene model who became Donald Trump’s third wife would adapt to the role her predecessor Michelle Obama had redefined.

Even as Melania Trump’s husband ignored the traditions of his predecessors, she at first tried to follow hers after arriving in Washington from New York months after Donald Trump: hiring a staff, talking about child care as the mother of a young son, and finding her own causes while any attention she got tended to be for the designer clothes she wore at every public appearance.

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c2e97a66-f1c6-4f8f-9465-65a71b3db786" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2818%29_18.jpg" />

FILE -- First lady Melania Trump steps out of a vehicle for the opening dinner of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France on Aug. 24, 2019. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)

But as the years went by, her efforts lost steam, undermined by a series of public spectacles created by her husband as well as her own self-inflicted public relations disasters and the hostility she felt from the media. Like the president, she began to pay less attention to traditional niceties, most memorably when leaked expletive-filled audio surfaced of her saying how much she could not stand the White House Christmas decorations.

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0f64d8d9-7eca-40f4-a0d7-b29bfed73baa" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2816%29_23.jpg" />

FILE -- Ballerinas perform as first lady Melania Trump arrives to meet with children from Joint Base Andrews at the White House on Nov. 27, 2017. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times)

Described by White House officials as in a state of shock after the election, Melania Trump joined with her husband in insisting that he had actually won. But by the new year, she was house-hunting in Florida and was emotionally checked out well in advance of the mob’s attack on the Capitol and the day that her husband’s false claims were finally put to rest.

She never reached out to the incoming first lady, Jill Biden, about transition matters, and made no effort to give her a tour of the White House, as is customary for departing first ladies. Instead, Melania Trump focused on packing up the White House, even as her husband has tried to make time standstill.

After weathering four years of tumult — reports of her husband’s infidelity, a kidney condition that required a hospital stay and never-proven rumours that she did not even live at the White House — what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him.

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bb9ed877-954e-4375-992e-8993889008cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2817%29_19.jpg" />

FILE -- President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their son, Barron Trump, board Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Aug. 16, 2020. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)

Last week, as the nation reeled after the Capitol riot, Melania Trump used her platform partly for payback.

She lamented that "salacious gossip" had been spread about her, leaving most people confused about what she was talking about. It turned out to be Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide who published an unflattering tell-all book about their relationship and who released audio recordings.

Winston Wolkoff had written an op-ed article denouncing Melania Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, an article that went barely noticed by others until the first lady called attention to it. As first lady, Melania Trump released more statements about Winston Wolkoff than almost any other topic.

A spokesperson for Melania Trump did not respond to questions Tuesday.

“I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks and false misleading accusations on me — from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda,” Melania Trump wrote in a statement released on the White House’s official website.

On Monday, Melania Trump struck a different tone in what amounted to a farewell video. She promoted her time as the first lady, and her nascent platform, Be Best, again asking the rest of the country to uphold ideals that her husband has spent four years ignoring.

“Use every opportunity to show consideration for another person,” Melania Trump said. “In all circumstances, I ask every American to be an ambassador of Be Best. To focus on what unites us, to raise above what divides us, to always choose love over hatred, peace over violence, and others above yourself.”

Melania Trump’s friends say that she is a better person than the country ever saw, who at times tried unsuccessfully to be a moderating influence on her husband and was angered by how he handled their final months in the White House.

“Melania is and will continue to be the most popular Trump,” Kellyanne Conway, the former counsellor to the president, said in an interview. “She will use her platform for the good of others. As first lady, she was fully engaged, but not overexposed. There remain a curiosity and a mystery about her.”

But publicly she has shown a side that critics felt could be confoundingly callous and, like her husband, dramatically self-pitying. In 2018, while returning from a visit to a Texas border town to meet detained migrant children, Melania Trump made what turned out to be her most explicit fashion statement, wearing a jacket emblazoned with the phrase, “I really don’t care. Do U?”

Months later, Melania Trump tried to explain her choice in an interview, only to refer to herself as “the most bullied person in the world” during a misstep-laden trip to Africa. Her reputation never recovered from that episode. While at several points in her husband’s presidency, the first lady enjoyed higher popular ratings than he did, the bursts in popularity never lasted long.

“I think she never came out from under the shadow of her husband for a variety of reasons,” said Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University who studies first ladies. “The times that she attempted to define a more independent identity from him just didn’t seem to have staying power.”

<img alt="Trump" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fbe099d2-dd64-41a7-b69f-d79a799f6fb4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2819%29_16.jpg" />

FILE -- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump converse while waiting to receive Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as their guests for dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the U.S. ambassador, in London on June 4, 2019. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Melania Trump was never comfortable in Washington, people who knew her said, and it showed. She began the presidency frightened by the personal security risks associated with it, friends said, and she tailored her relationship with the public accordingly. Efforts to find a staff for her were tense at first; she briefly considered Kayleigh McEnany as her own spokesperson, but the first lady did not care for her, administration officials said at the time.

Instead of forging lasting relationships with the Washington establishment, the first lady always seemed to see her status as temporary, and to the extent, she liked the relocation, it was because her teenage son, Barron, was happy, family friends said.

“I think she was a reluctant first lady and she did it for her husband,” society publicist R. Couri Hay, who was an acquaintance of Melania Trump’s in New York, said in an interview. After she leaves Washington, he added, “I think that you will find that she will be even less visible, and less available.”

In the end, if she is not remembered for her physical and emotional absence, Melania Trump’s most lasting contributions could be the aesthetic changes she oversaw in the White House.

The updates were meant to make life in the White House more functional for the first family and their visitors, if not the visiting public: One design choice involved embossing balls in the White House bowling alley with the phrase “The President’s House.”

In a message posted to the White House website on Monday, Melania Trump said that during her time at the White House, she ordered the restoration of an elevator, the repair of wallpaper in the Family Dining Room and — in the middle of the pandemic — the revamping of the Rose Garden.

Melania Trump is keeping a White House adviser, Marcia Lee Kelly, to help her in the post-presidency, but for now, she is focused on looking for a suitable place to live around the Jupiter, Florida, area and in Palm Beach, people briefed on the search said. And her involvement with the Trump presidency is not over — she is expected to be involved in the design of Donald Trump’s presidential library, which the president has described as a job for Melania Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump.

But when she leaves Washington on Wednesday, Melania Trump risks being remembered as the first lady who showed up to Washington late and left early — in every meaningful sense.

“She’s the reluctant first lady at best,” Hay said. “Quite frankly, I think America should just let her go.”

Melania Knauss Trump came to her role as first lady as an enigma. No one knew how the former Slovene model who became Donald Trump’s third wife would adapt to the role her predecessor Michelle Obama had redefined.

Melania Knauss Trump came to her role as first lady as an enigma. No one knew how the former Slovene model who became Donald Trump’s third wife would adapt to the role her predecessor Michelle Obama had redefined. Even as Melania Trump’s husband ignored the traditions of his predecessors, she at first tried to follow hers after arriving in Washington from New York months after Donald Trump: hiring a staff, talking about child care as the mother of a young son, and finding her own causes while any attention she got tended to be for the designer clothes she wore at every public appearance. FILE -- First lady Melania Trump steps out of a vehicle for the opening dinner of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France on Aug. 24, 2019. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) But as the years went by, her efforts lost steam, undermined by a series of public spectacles created by her husband as well as her own self-inflicted public relations disasters and the hostility she felt from the media. Like the president, she began to pay less attention to traditional niceties, most memorably when leaked expletive-filled audio surfaced of her saying how much she could not stand the White House Christmas decorations. FILE -- Ballerinas perform as first lady Melania Trump arrives to meet with children from Joint Base Andrews at the White House on Nov. 27, 2017. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times) Described by White House officials as in a state of shock after the election, Melania Trump joined with her husband in insisting that he had actually won. But by the new year, she was house-hunting in Florida and was emotionally checked out well in advance of the mob’s attack on the Capitol and the day that her husband’s false claims were finally put to rest. She never reached out to the incoming first lady, Jill Biden, about transition matters, and made no effort to give her a tour of the White House, as is customary for departing first ladies. Instead, Melania Trump focused on packing up the White House, even as her husband has tried to make time standstill. After weathering four years of tumult — reports of her husband’s infidelity, a kidney condition that required a hospital stay and never-proven rumours that she did not even live at the White House — what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. FILE -- President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their son, Barron Trump, board Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Aug. 16, 2020. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) Last week, as the nation reeled after the Capitol riot, Melania Trump used her platform partly for payback. She lamented that "salacious gossip" had been spread about her, leaving most people confused about what she was talking about. It turned out to be Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide who published an unflattering tell-all book about their relationship and who released audio recordings. Winston Wolkoff had written an op-ed article denouncing Melania Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, an article that went barely noticed by others until the first lady called attention to it. As first lady, Melania Trump released more statements about Winston Wolkoff than almost any other topic. A spokesperson for Melania Trump did not respond to questions Tuesday. “I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks and false misleading accusations on me — from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda,” Melania Trump wrote in a statement released on the White House’s official website. On Monday, Melania Trump struck a different tone in what amounted to a farewell video. She promoted her time as the first lady, and her nascent platform, Be Best, again asking the rest of the country to uphold ideals that her husband has spent four years ignoring. “Use every opportunity to show consideration for another person,” Melania Trump said. “In all circumstances, I ask every American to be an ambassador of Be Best. To focus on what unites us, to raise above what divides us, to always choose love over hatred, peace over violence, and others above yourself.” Melania Trump’s friends say that she is a better person than the country ever saw, who at times tried unsuccessfully to be a moderating influence on her husband and was angered by how he handled their final months in the White House. “Melania is and will continue to be the most popular Trump,” Kellyanne Conway, the former counsellor to the president, said in an interview. “She will use her platform for the good of others. As first lady, she was fully engaged, but not overexposed. There remain a curiosity and a mystery about her.” But publicly she has shown a side that critics felt could be confoundingly callous and, like her husband, dramatically self-pitying. In 2018, while returning from a visit to a Texas border town to meet detained migrant children, Melania Trump made what turned out to be her most explicit fashion statement, wearing a jacket emblazoned with the phrase, “I really don’t care. Do U?” Months later, Melania Trump tried to explain her choice in an interview, only to refer to herself as “the most bullied person in the world” during a misstep-laden trip to Africa. Her reputation never recovered from that episode. While at several points in her husband’s presidency, the first lady enjoyed higher popular ratings than he did, the bursts in popularity never lasted long. “I think she never came out from under the shadow of her husband for a variety of reasons,” said Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University who studies first ladies. “The times that she attempted to define a more independent identity from him just didn’t seem to have staying power.” FILE -- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump converse while waiting to receive Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as their guests for dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the U.S. ambassador, in London on June 4, 2019. After four weathering years of tumult, what was most memorable at the end was not how different Melania Trump seemed from her husband, but how similar she was to him. (Doug Mills/The New York Times) Melania Trump was never comfortable in Washington, people who knew her said, and it showed. She began the presidency frightened by the personal security risks associated with it, friends said, and she tailored her relationship with the public accordingly. Efforts to find a staff for her were tense at first; she briefly considered Kayleigh McEnany as her own spokesperson, but the first lady did not care for her, administration officials said at the time. Instead of forging lasting relationships with the Washington establishment, the first lady always seemed to see her status as temporary, and to the extent, she liked the relocation, it was because her teenage son, Barron, was happy, family friends said. “I think she was a reluctant first lady and she did it for her husband,” society publicist R. Couri Hay, who was an acquaintance of Melania Trump’s in New York, said in an interview. After she leaves Washington, he added, “I think that you will find that she will be even less visible, and less available.” In the end, if she is not remembered for her physical and emotional absence, Melania Trump’s most lasting contributions could be the aesthetic changes she oversaw in the White House. The updates were meant to make life in the White House more functional for the first family and their visitors, if not the visiting public: One design choice involved embossing balls in the White House bowling alley with the phrase “The President’s House.” In a message posted to the White House website on Monday, Melania Trump said that during her time at the White House, she ordered the restoration of an elevator, the repair of wallpaper in the Family Dining Room and — in the middle of the pandemic — the revamping of the Rose Garden. Melania Trump is keeping a White House adviser, Marcia Lee Kelly, to help her in the post-presidency, but for now, she is focused on looking for a suitable place to live around the Jupiter, Florida, area and in Palm Beach, people briefed on the search said. And her involvement with the Trump presidency is not over — she is expected to be involved in the design of Donald Trump’s presidential library, which the president has described as a job for Melania Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump. But when she leaves Washington on Wednesday, Melania Trump risks being remembered as the first lady who showed up to Washington late and left early — in every meaningful sense. “She’s the reluctant first lady at best,” Hay said. “Quite frankly, I think America should just let her go.”

Melania Trump’s legacy: Missteps, mystery and, in the end, absence

Kremlin on Tuesday denied accusations made by&nbsp;Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic who was jailed at the weekend, who had claimed&nbsp;that an opulent palace belonged to the Russian leader.

Kremlin&nbsp;spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the palace allegations were old and untrue.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alexei-navalny-due-in-court-on-wednesday-kremlin-troubled-by-calls-of-illegal-protests-357725">Navalny due in court on Wednesday; Kremlin 'troubled' by calls of protests</a>

The allegations, which first surfaced in 2010 when a businessman wrote about them to then-President Dmitry Medvedev complaining of official graft, came as Navalny's supporters urge people to join nationwide protests on Saturday.

Navalny and his anti-corruption foundation published what they said were previously unseen photographs and detailed 3-D visualizations based on floor plans of the lavish interior along with a paper trail they said proved the 100 billion-rouble ($1.36 billion) Black Sea palace ultimately belonged to Putin.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/alexei-navalny-urges-his-supporters-to-hit-the-streets-says-dont-be-silent-take-to-the-streets-357651/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The video, which has attracted more than 3 million views on YouTube, showed the palace contained a casino, theater, ornate Tsarist-style interiors and an underground ice rink.

Navalny and his allies have released several investigations into alleged official corruption, using them to try to increase support for the opposition politician and his movement.

Navalny is being held in pre-trial detention for alleged parole violations after returning from Russia on Sunday for the first time since being poisoned last summer.

A Facebook events page for the planned protest in Moscow suggested around 2,000 people planned to go.

Navalny said in the video that it was time for Russians to force a change in leadership.

"Stop waiting and spending our lives and our taxes on the enrichment of these people," he said. "Don't be silent!"

Navalny faces four legal cases, all of which he says are politically motivated, that could see him jailed for years if found guilty.

A court in Moscow is due to hear one of them on Wednesday - allegations that he defamed a World War Two veteran, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Peskov told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the&nbsp;Kremlin&nbsp;regarded Navalny's protest calls as alarming, but said it did not fear mass demonstrations. Mass gatherings are banned in Moscow during the coronavirus pandemic.

Peskov said the authorities would not be influenced by foreign countries calling for sanctions against Russia over its treatment of Navalny.

"This is an absolutely domestic matter and we will not allow anyone to interfere in it," he said.

Kremlin on Tuesday denied accusations made by Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic who was jailed at the weekend, who had claimed that an opulent palace belonged to the Russian leader.

Kremlin on Tuesday denied accusations made by Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic who was jailed at the weekend, who had claimed that an opulent palace belonged to the Russian leader. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the palace allegations were old and untrue. Also read: Navalny due in court on Wednesday; Kremlin 'troubled' by calls of protests The allegations, which first surfaced in 2010 when a businessman wrote about them to then-President Dmitry Medvedev complaining of official graft, came as Navalny's supporters urge people to join nationwide protests on Saturday. Navalny and his anti-corruption foundation published what they said were previously unseen photographs and detailed 3-D visualizations based on floor plans of the lavish interior along with a paper trail they said proved the 100 billion-rouble ($1.36 billion) Black Sea palace ultimately belonged to Putin. The video, which has attracted more than 3 million views on YouTube, showed the palace contained a casino, theater, ornate Tsarist-style interiors and an underground ice rink. Navalny and his allies have released several investigations into alleged official corruption, using them to try to increase support for the opposition politician and his movement. Navalny is being held in pre-trial detention for alleged parole violations after returning from Russia on Sunday for the first time since being poisoned last summer. A Facebook events page for the planned protest in Moscow suggested around 2,000 people planned to go. Navalny said in the video that it was time for Russians to force a change in leadership. "Stop waiting and spending our lives and our taxes on the enrichment of these people," he said. "Don't be silent!" Navalny faces four legal cases, all of which he says are politically motivated, that could see him jailed for years if found guilty. A court in Moscow is due to hear one of them on Wednesday - allegations that he defamed a World War Two veteran, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Peskov told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the Kremlin regarded Navalny's protest calls as alarming, but said it did not fear mass demonstrations. Mass gatherings are banned in Moscow during the coronavirus pandemic. Peskov said the authorities would not be influenced by foreign countries calling for sanctions against Russia over its treatment of Navalny. "This is an absolutely domestic matter and we will not allow anyone to interfere in it," he said.

Kremlin rejects Navalny's accusations regarding Putin's wealth dossier

Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"We are, out of an abundance of caution, taking action and immediately removing them from the line of duty at the Capitol and the events taking place," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

Two of the 12 were removed from duty for making "inappropriate comments or texts," said National Guard Commander General Daniel Hokanson.&nbsp;

The two were sent home, he said, declining to explain what was said in the comments.

They were pulled from the force "out of an abundance of caution," he said.

The removal of the other 10 troops was also unexplained, but was "unrelated to the events taking place at the Capitol or to the concerns that many people have noted on extremism," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

The actions against the 12 came amid concerns that the far-right extremists who took a part in the assault on the US Capitol on January 6 have associates or sympathisers in the US military.

Concerned about a possible threat to Biden or others, the FBI has investigated whether there were extremists among the up 25,000 National Guard troops being deployed in Washington to keep security for the inauguration.

We "want to make sure that we have the right people in the security bubble," General William Walker, head of the Washington National Guard, told Fox News on Monday.

Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday. "We are, out of an abundance of caution, taking action and immediately removing them from the line of duty at the Capitol and the events taking place," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. Two of the 12 were removed from duty for making "inappropriate comments or texts," said National Guard Commander General Daniel Hokanson. The two were sent home, he said, declining to explain what was said in the comments. They were pulled from the force "out of an abundance of caution," he said. The removal of the other 10 troops was also unexplained, but was "unrelated to the events taking place at the Capitol or to the concerns that many people have noted on extremism," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. The actions against the 12 came amid concerns that the far-right extremists who took a part in the assault on the US Capitol on January 6 have associates or sympathisers in the US military. Concerned about a possible threat to Biden or others, the FBI has investigated whether there were extremists among the up 25,000 National Guard troops being deployed in Washington to keep security for the inauguration. We "want to make sure that we have the right people in the security bubble," General William Walker, head of the Washington National Guard, told Fox News on Monday.

12 US National Guard troops pulled from inauguration after far-right probe

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-grieves-americas-covid-19-victims-on-eve-of-inauguration-357834" hreflang="en">Joe Biden grieves America's COVID-19 victims on eve of inauguration</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8d072f2-51b3-4484-9db4-759f23a52b7a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_148.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/washington-prepares-for-bidens-inauguration-with-final-dress-rehearsals-357790" hreflang="en">Washington prepares for Biden's inauguration with final dress rehearsals</a>

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-farewell-address-trump-touts-new-beginning-for-make-america-great-again-357839" hreflang="en">In farewell address, Trump touts new beginning for 'Make America Great Again'</a>

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/goodwill-gesture-india-begins-export-of-coronavirus-vaccines-to-six-nations-357837" hreflang="en">'Goodwill gesture': India begins export of coronavirus vaccines to six nations</a>

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Joe Biden grieves America's COVID-19 victims on eve of inauguration Washington prepares for Biden's inauguration with final dress rehearsals In farewell address

Joe Biden grieves America's COVID-19 victims on eve of inauguration Washington prepares for Biden's inauguration with final dress rehearsals In farewell address, Trump touts new beginning for 'Make America Great Again' 'Goodwill gesture': India begins export of coronavirus vaccines to six nations

Morning news brief: Biden grieves America's COVID-19 victims on eve of inauguration and more

US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday gave a tearful goodbye to his constituency Delaware while honouring late son Beau and thanking the people for their unwavering support.

"When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart. I only have one regret, that he's (late son Beau) not here" said&nbsp;Biden, his voice shaking with emotion.

Tears rolled down Biden's cheeks at a farewell ceremony in his hometown of Wilmington,&nbsp;Delaware, where he paid tribute to his late son Beau, a rising politician who died of brain cancer in 2015 aged 46.

Biden&nbsp;thanked friends and family who had gathered to see him off at a National Guard centre named after his son Beau - whose death from cancer in 2015 contributed to then-Vice President&nbsp;Biden's decision not to seek the White House in 2016.

"It's deeply personal that our next journey to Washington starts here, a place that defines the very best of who we are as Americans," he said. National Guard troops assist law enforcement and deal with domestic emergencies.

"I know these are dark times, but there is always light. That's what this state has taught me the most," said&nbsp;Biden.

Biden, who served Delaware as a senator for more than three decades and had run for president unsuccessfully two times before winning in November, said his one regret was that Beau, who served as attorney general in Delaware, was not there.

"We should be introducing him as president,"&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;said, tears streaming down his face.

"Don't tell me things can't change. They can, and they do,"&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;said. "I'm truly honoured to be your next president and commander in chief."

After the ceremony,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;flew to Washington to appear at a Lincoln Memorial remembrance for COVID-19 victims.&nbsp;

Biden, a veteran Democratic senator who also served as vice president to Barack Obama, is staying overnight with his wife Jill in Blair House, a residence for heads of state and other important visitors across the street from the White House.

His inaugural speech will last between 20-30 minutes, according to a source familiar with preparations, and "he will reach out to all Americans, and call on every citizen to be part of meeting the extraordinary challenges facing all of us."

US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday gave a tearful goodbye to his constituency Delaware while honouring late son Beau and thanking the people for their unwavering support.

US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday gave a tearful goodbye to his constituency Delaware while honouring late son Beau and thanking the people for their unwavering support. "When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart. I only have one regret, that he's (late son Beau) not here" said Biden, his voice shaking with emotion. Tears rolled down Biden's cheeks at a farewell ceremony in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, where he paid tribute to his late son Beau, a rising politician who died of brain cancer in 2015 aged 46. Biden thanked friends and family who had gathered to see him off at a National Guard centre named after his son Beau - whose death from cancer in 2015 contributed to then-Vice President Biden's decision not to seek the White House in 2016. "It's deeply personal that our next journey to Washington starts here, a place that defines the very best of who we are as Americans," he said. National Guard troops assist law enforcement and deal with domestic emergencies. "I know these are dark times, but there is always light. That's what this state has taught me the most," said Biden. Biden, who served Delaware as a senator for more than three decades and had run for president unsuccessfully two times before winning in November, said his one regret was that Beau, who served as attorney general in Delaware, was not there. "We should be introducing him as president," Biden said, tears streaming down his face. "Don't tell me things can't change. They can, and they do," Biden said. "I'm truly honoured to be your next president and commander in chief." After the ceremony, Biden flew to Washington to appear at a Lincoln Memorial remembrance for COVID-19 victims. Biden, a veteran Democratic senator who also served as vice president to Barack Obama, is staying overnight with his wife Jill in Blair House, a residence for heads of state and other important visitors across the street from the White House. His inaugural speech will last between 20-30 minutes, according to a source familiar with preparations, and "he will reach out to all Americans, and call on every citizen to be part of meeting the extraordinary challenges facing all of us."

Joe Biden gives tearful goodbye to Delaware while honouring late son Beau

January 20 in history: China cedes Hong Kong, first basketball game and more

In a way endorsing the India policy of outgoing US President Donald Trump, a top incoming Biden Administration official said India has been a bipartisan success story of successive American administrations.

''India has been a bipartisan success story of our successive administrations,''&nbsp;Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken told members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Responding to a Senator's question during his marathon confirmation hearing that lasted more than four hours, Blinken said this relationship started towards the end of the Clinton administration.

''During the Obama administration, we deepened cooperation on defence procurement and information sharing, and the Trump administration carried that forward including its concept of Indo-Pacific and to make sure we were working with India so that no country in the region including China could challenge its sovereignty and also working with it on concerns that we share about terrorism,''&nbsp;he said.

Blinken said there are many ways the two countries can deepen the cooperation between them and one area that has a lot of promise and necessity is climate.

''Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has been a very strong advocate of renewable energy and different technologies. I think there is very strong potential for our countries to work together," Blinken said.

A confidante of President-elect Joe Biden, Blinken had served as the Deputy Secretary of State in the second term of the Obama Administration and the National Security Advisor to Biden when he was the vice president.

During virtual India's Independence Day celebrations last year organized by the Biden Campaign, Blinken had batted for an India-US relationship.

''The Vice President (Biden) has long been a champion of stronger ties with India. I saw this firsthand, I started working for him in 2002 on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Then, of course, the Obama-Biden administration and his years as Vice President.

"But if you go back 15 years, Joe Biden had a vision for the future of US-India relations. In 2006, he said, my dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States,''&nbsp;Blinken said on August 15 during the virtual event.

''Well, we're not quite there, but it's a terrific vision, and one that I know he will act to realize, as president of the United States.''

&nbsp;He was the driving force of the lifting of nuclear sanctions on India, and then the passage of this landmark India civil nuclear deal. And this is something I got to see up close and personal with him in the Senate,? Blinken said.&nbsp;

In a way endorsing the India policy of outgoing US President Donald Trump, a top incoming Biden Administration official said India has been a bipartisan success story of successive American administrations.

In a way endorsing the India policy of outgoing US President Donald Trump, a top incoming Biden Administration official said India has been a bipartisan success story of successive American administrations. ''India has been a bipartisan success story of our successive administrations,'' Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken told members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Responding to a Senator's question during his marathon confirmation hearing that lasted more than four hours, Blinken said this relationship started towards the end of the Clinton administration. ''During the Obama administration, we deepened cooperation on defence procurement and information sharing, and the Trump administration carried that forward including its concept of Indo-Pacific and to make sure we were working with India so that no country in the region including China could challenge its sovereignty and also working with it on concerns that we share about terrorism,'' he said. Blinken said there are many ways the two countries can deepen the cooperation between them and one area that has a lot of promise and necessity is climate. ''Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has been a very strong advocate of renewable energy and different technologies. I think there is very strong potential for our countries to work together," Blinken said. A confidante of President-elect Joe Biden, Blinken had served as the Deputy Secretary of State in the second term of the Obama Administration and the National Security Advisor to Biden when he was the vice president. During virtual India's Independence Day celebrations last year organized by the Biden Campaign, Blinken had batted for an India-US relationship. ''The Vice President (Biden) has long been a champion of stronger ties with India. I saw this firsthand, I started working for him in 2002 on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Then, of course, the Obama-Biden administration and his years as Vice President. "But if you go back 15 years, Joe Biden had a vision for the future of US-India relations. In 2006, he said, my dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States,'' Blinken said on August 15 during the virtual event. ''Well, we're not quite there, but it's a terrific vision, and one that I know he will act to realize, as president of the United States.'' He was the driving force of the lifting of nuclear sanctions on India, and then the passage of this landmark India civil nuclear deal. And this is something I got to see up close and personal with him in the Senate,? Blinken said.

US Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken says India has been a bipartisan success story

From religious services to a musical night: A comprehensive guide to the Joe Biden's inauguration day

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