After the Mueller Report was made public, we ask Is it a clean chit or is it politically damaging for Trump? Watch full video to know more.

Mueller Report: Is it a clean chit for Donald Trump?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-says-facebook-made-mistakes-on-user-data-vows-curbs-36672">Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg</a> has said that Facebook is enhancing its security features and working towards making the social media platform a&nbsp;secure place to ensure the integrity of upcoming elections in India.

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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/everything-you-want-to-know-about-cambridge-analytica-36662">Everything you want to know about Cambridge Analytica</a>

With the social media giant facing increasing criticism over its alleged links with Cambridge Analytica which reportedly manipulated Facebook data during the US presidential elections, Zuckerberg said&nbsp;&nbsp;Facebook is enhancing its security features and is working towards making the social media platform a &quot;secure place&quot;&nbsp;to ensure&nbsp;integrity of the upcoming general elections in India due to be held in 2019.

During an&nbsp;interview&nbsp;to a US daily, Zuckerberg said that the massive focus for Facebook right now is to &quot;not only focus on 2018 mid-term elections of US but the Indian elections and other major upcoming elections around the world.&quot;

&quot;We have a responsibility to do this not only for the 2018 midterms in the US, which are going to be a huge deal this year, and that&#39;s just a huge focus of us. But there&#39;s a big election in India this year,&quot; the Facebook founder said.

Zuckerberg also mentioned about artificial intelligence(AI) tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections.

According to reports, such tools were used for the first time during the 2017 French elections.

Amid the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach row, Indian IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had warned Facebook on Wednesday to take &quot;stringent&quot;&nbsp;action against any attempt to influence polls through data theft.

Ravi Shankar Prasad went a step forward and threatened Zuckerberg that he could be summoned to India if needed.

Uk based data analysis company, Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London&#39;s Observer reported on Saturday (March 18).

The reports have mentioned that the firm has worked for some Indian clients as well.

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Zuckerberg also mentioned about the artificial intelligence tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that Facebook is enhancing its security features and working towards making the social media platform a secure place to ensure the integrity of upcoming elections in India. × Also read: Everything you want to know about Cambridge Analytica With the social media giant facing increasing criticism over its alleged links with Cambridge Analytica which reportedly manipulated Facebook data during the US presidential elections, Zuckerberg said Facebook is enhancing its security features and is working towards making the social media platform a "secure place" to ensure integrity of the upcoming general elections in India due to be held in 2019. During an interview to a US daily, Zuckerberg said that the massive focus for Facebook right now is to "not only focus on 2018 mid-term elections of US but the Indian elections and other major upcoming elections around the world." "We have a responsibility to do this not only for the 2018 midterms in the US, which are going to be a huge deal this year, and that's just a huge focus of us. But there's a big election in India this year," the Facebook founder said. Zuckerberg also mentioned about artificial intelligence(AI) tools that Facebook is going to use to prevent fake news and information manipulation during elections. According to reports, such tools were used for the first time during the 2017 French elections. Amid the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach row, Indian IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had warned Facebook on Wednesday to take "stringent" action against any attempt to influence polls through data theft. Ravi Shankar Prasad went a step forward and threatened Zuckerberg that he could be summoned to India if needed. Uk based data analysis company, Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday (March 18). The reports have mentioned that the firm has worked for some Indian clients as well.

Facebook enhancing security features to ensure integrity of upcoming elections in India: Zuckerberg

Amid the row of data theft by the UK based company, Cambridge Analytica in collusion with social media platform Facebook, Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad warned of strong actions against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said &quot;Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated&quot;, adding, &quot;we have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India&quot;.

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Mr. Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India : Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/tACPLs755F">pic.twitter.com/tACPLs755F</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976389079146336257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday during which he also alleged that Congress has also hired Cambridge&nbsp;Analytica for 2019&nbsp;elections and asked about the role of of the data analysis company&#39;s role in Rahul Gandhi&#39;s social media profile.

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Will Congress Party depend on data theft and manipulation to win elections? What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi? : Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology <a href="https://t.co/OgCfg7O91N">pic.twitter.com/OgCfg7O91N</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976380775846248449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He also warned Mark Zuckerberg against trying to &quot;influence India&#39;s electoral process through undesirable means.&quot;

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We support free exchange of ideas on social media but any attempt by social media including FB of trying to influence India&#39;s electoral process through undesirable means will not be tolerated. Let Facebook note it very clearly: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister <a href="https://t.co/6ryszflHhR">pic.twitter.com/6ryszflHhR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976383428248653826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He also asked Congress of &quot;how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica&#39;s CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. The company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India&quot;.

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We ask Congress that how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica&#39;s CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. Company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India:Union Min RS Prasad
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976387976430260224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in the day Ravi Shankar Prasad also made a series of tweets in which alleged citing media reports that Rahul Gandhi&#39;s social media profile popularity was increased by using bots.

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There were news reports about use of bots to artificially increase the social media following of Rahul Gandhi in recent time: <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rsprasad</a>
&mdash; RSPrasad Office (@OfficeOfRSP) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRSP/status/976365846737178624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the Congress has denied&nbsp;all allegations regarding the issue.

Social media and digital communication head, Divya Spandana clarified on Twitter that &quot;news about Congress engaged/engaging with Cambridge Analytica is absolutely false.&quot;

Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London&#39;s Observer reported on Saturday (March 18). 
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Ravi Shankar Prasad said 'Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated'

Amid the row of data theft by the UK based company, Cambridge Analytica in collusion with social media platform Facebook, Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad warned of strong actions against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday. Ravi Shankar Prasad said "Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated", adding, "we have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India". Mr. Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India : Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/tACPLs755F — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday during which he also alleged that Congress has also hired Cambridge Analytica for 2019 elections and asked about the role of of the data analysis company's role in Rahul Gandhi's social media profile. Will Congress Party depend on data theft and manipulation to win elections? What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi? : Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology pic.twitter.com/OgCfg7O91N — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × He also warned Mark Zuckerberg against trying to "influence India's electoral process through undesirable means." We support free exchange of ideas on social media but any attempt by social media including FB of trying to influence India's electoral process through undesirable means will not be tolerated. Let Facebook note it very clearly: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister pic.twitter.com/6ryszflHhR — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × He also asked Congress of "how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica's CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. The company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India". We ask Congress that how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica's CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. Company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India:Union Min RS Prasad — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × Earlier in the day Ravi Shankar Prasad also made a series of tweets in which alleged citing media reports that Rahul Gandhi's social media profile popularity was increased by using bots. There were news reports about use of bots to artificially increase the social media following of Rahul Gandhi in recent time: @rsprasad — RSPrasad Office (@OfficeOfRSP) March 21, 2018 × Meanwhile, the Congress has denied all allegations regarding the issue. Social media and digital communication head, Divya Spandana clarified on Twitter that "news about Congress engaged/engaging with Cambridge Analytica is absolutely false." Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday (March 18).

Ravi Shankar Prasad warns Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg of 'strict actions'

Facebook Inc said Russian agents created 129 events on the social media network during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to testimony to Congress, shedding more light on Russia&#39;s purported disinformation drive aimed at voters.

Facebook, in a written statement to U.S. lawmakers released on Thursday and dated Jan. 8, said that 338,300 different Facebook accounts viewed the events and that 62,500 marked that they would attend. The company said it did not have data about which of the events took place.

Facebook, the world&#39;s largest social media network, said in September only that Russians had created &quot;several promoted events.&quot;

Copies of the event pages that have surfaced since then show that at least some of them were political rallies centered on divisive subjects, such as immigration. Russia denies the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that it tried to meddle in American democracy.

Facebook delivered the details to Congress this month in response to written questions from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-banned-in-china-but-it-uses-it-elsewhere-to-spread-state-produced-propaganda-nyt-23817" target="_blank">Facebook banned in China but it uses it elsewhere to spread &#39;state-produced propaganda&#39;</a>

Facebook said that it had found &quot;overlap&quot; between the online marketing done in 2016 by Russian agents and by President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign and called it &quot;insignificant.&quot; The company said it was not in a position to either substantiate or disprove allegations of collusion between the two camps.

Trump denies any collusion and has described investigations by congressional panels and a special counsel as a witch hunt.

Facebook has previously said some 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on Instagram.

Facebook, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google testified about misuse of their services before three congressional committees in October and November.

Also in its written response to follow up questions, Facebook said that last year it removed Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab from its list of free anti-virus offerings to users who go to the social media site from a computer that may be infected with malicious code.

Facebook said it no longer provided Kaspersky Lab as a recommended anti-virus option but that it was &quot;unable to easily reconstruct how many Facebook users downloaded Kaspersky software.&quot;

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied allegations by U.S. security officials that its software could enable Russian espionage, a fear that led to the U.S. government last year to ban the use of its products in federal computer networks.

A Kaspersky spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the testimony.

Facebook said it was also in the process of &quot;phasing out internal use of a different Kaspersky antivirus product&quot; that does not transmit data back to Kaspersky Lab. It did not name the product.

In separate written responses, Google said Kaspersky Lab had not been approved for use in its corporate systems and that a review had not found any installation of its products. Twitter also said it did not use Kaspersky Lab.

Facebook also said it would take &quot;significant steps&quot; in the coming weeks to notify users of an online tool it released last month that allows them to check whether they have followed or liked Facebook pages or Instagram accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, a suspected Russian troll farm.

Facebook said 338,300 different Facebook accounts viewed the events and that 62,500 said they would attend

Facebook Inc said Russian agents created 129 events on the social media network during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to testimony to Congress, shedding more light on Russia's purported disinformation drive aimed at voters. Facebook, in a written statement to U.S. lawmakers released on Thursday and dated Jan. 8, said that 338,300 different Facebook accounts viewed the events and that 62,500 marked that they would attend. The company said it did not have data about which of the events took place. Facebook, the world's largest social media network, said in September only that Russians had created "several promoted events." Copies of the event pages that have surfaced since then show that at least some of them were political rallies centered on divisive subjects, such as immigration. Russia denies the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that it tried to meddle in American democracy. Facebook delivered the details to Congress this month in response to written questions from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Also read: Facebook banned in China but it uses it elsewhere to spread 'state-produced propaganda' Facebook said that it had found "overlap" between the online marketing done in 2016 by Russian agents and by President Donald Trump's campaign and called it "insignificant." The company said it was not in a position to either substantiate or disprove allegations of collusion between the two camps. Trump denies any collusion and has described investigations by congressional panels and a special counsel as a witch hunt. Facebook has previously said some 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on Instagram. Facebook, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google testified about misuse of their services before three congressional committees in October and November. Also in its written response to follow up questions, Facebook said that last year it removed Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab from its list of free anti-virus offerings to users who go to the social media site from a computer that may be infected with malicious code. Facebook said it no longer provided Kaspersky Lab as a recommended anti-virus option but that it was "unable to easily reconstruct how many Facebook users downloaded Kaspersky software." Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied allegations by U.S. security officials that its software could enable Russian espionage, a fear that led to the U.S. government last year to ban the use of its products in federal computer networks. A Kaspersky spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the testimony. Facebook said it was also in the process of "phasing out internal use of a different Kaspersky antivirus product" that does not transmit data back to Kaspersky Lab. It did not name the product. In separate written responses, Google said Kaspersky Lab had not been approved for use in its corporate systems and that a review had not found any installation of its products. Twitter also said it did not use Kaspersky Lab. Facebook also said it would take "significant steps" in the coming weeks to notify users of an online tool it released last month that allows them to check whether they have followed or liked Facebook pages or Instagram accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, a suspected Russian troll farm.

Facebook: Russian agents created 129 US election events

US President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Russia investigation special counsel Robert Mueller last year but later reversed course, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president&#39;s campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election, which Trump has repeatedly criticized and views as an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency.

The Republican leader gave the order in June 2017, according to the Times, but White House counsel Don McGahn refused, saying it would have a &quot;catastrophic effect&quot; on Trump&#39;s presidency.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/make-peace-or-lose-aid-trump-to-palestinians-30798" target="_blank">&#39;Make peace&#39; with Israel or lose aid,&nbsp;Trump tells Palestinians</a>

After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump backed down, The Times reported, citing four anonymous sources.

White House counsel Ty Cobb declined to comment on the matter, the newspaper said.

Trump had accused Mueller of three conflicts of interest that he argued disqualified him from running the probe, The Times said.

The alleged conflicts were as follows: Mueller had terminated his membership at a Trump golf course over a dispute about fees, had previously represented the president&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and had been interviewed for a possible return as director of the FBI before he was appointed as special counsel.

On Wednesday, Trump for the first time directly said that he would cooperate with Mueller, whose investigation he had previously dismissed as a &quot;witch hunt.&quot;

&quot;I would love to do it,&quot; Trump told reporters in the White House when asked about testifying.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-rolls-out-plan-for-path-to-citizenship-for-18-million-dreamers-30797" target="_blank">Trump unveils plan offering citizenship, in 10-12 years, to 1.8 million &#39;Dreamers&#39;</a>

&quot;I would do it under oath, absolutely,&quot; he added.

Any interview of a US president in an investigation is fraught with issues of executive privilege -- how much and in what context the US leader can be forced to disclose information.

In Trump&#39;s case, it also raises deep concerns that his shoot-from-the-hip outspokenness could jeopardize his own legal position.

Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president's campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election

US President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Russia investigation special counsel Robert Mueller last year but later reversed course, The New York Times reported Thursday. Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president's campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election, which Trump has repeatedly criticized and views as an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency. The Republican leader gave the order in June 2017, according to the Times, but White House counsel Don McGahn refused, saying it would have a "catastrophic effect" on Trump's presidency. Also read: 'Make peace' with Israel or lose aid, Trump tells Palestinians After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump backed down, The Times reported, citing four anonymous sources. White House counsel Ty Cobb declined to comment on the matter, the newspaper said. Trump had accused Mueller of three conflicts of interest that he argued disqualified him from running the probe, The Times said. The alleged conflicts were as follows: Mueller had terminated his membership at a Trump golf course over a dispute about fees, had previously represented the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and had been interviewed for a possible return as director of the FBI before he was appointed as special counsel. On Wednesday, Trump for the first time directly said that he would cooperate with Mueller, whose investigation he had previously dismissed as a "witch hunt." "I would love to do it," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked about testifying. Also read: Trump unveils plan offering citizenship, in 10-12 years, to 1.8 million 'Dreamers' "I would do it under oath, absolutely," he added. Any interview of a US president in an investigation is fraught with issues of executive privilege -- how much and in what context the US leader can be forced to disclose information. In Trump's case, it also raises deep concerns that his shoot-from-the-hip outspokenness could jeopardize his own legal position.

Trump ordered Mueller's firing but reversed course: NYT

Former US&nbsp;National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN&nbsp;vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied.&nbsp;

In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN&nbsp;missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States.&nbsp;

The efforts made on Israel&#39;s behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-aide-flynn-pleads-guilty-to-lying-about-russia-links-25647">Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links</a>

A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump&#39;s transition team at a &quot;high level&quot; to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration to veto the draft UN&nbsp;resolution.&nbsp;

According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump&#39;s son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution.&nbsp;

Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents.

Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day.&nbsp;

The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US&nbsp;citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it &ndash; in 1802 and 1852 &ndash; and neither was convicted.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues.

A second go-round

After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote.

In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain&#39;s Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution.

A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council&#39;s five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted.

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said.

Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN&nbsp;mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez &ndash; who was the charge d&#39;affaires - minutes before the vote.

A member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution

Former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied. In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States. The efforts made on Israel's behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text. Also read: Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump's transition team at a "high level" to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama's administration to veto the draft UN resolution. According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution. Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents. Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day. The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it – in 1802 and 1852 – and neither was convicted. Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues. A second go-round After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote. In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain's Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council's five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said. Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez – who was the charge d'affaires - minutes before the vote.

Flynn, Kushner targeted several states in failed UN lobbying: Diplomats

Donald Trump&#39;s former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president&#39;s campaign team and Moscow.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year&#39;s election.

Flynn&#39;s admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader&#39;s inner circle might next be in Mueller&#39;s sights.

The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the &quot;very senior&quot; officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump&#39;s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner.

Flynn&#39;s guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation.

The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate &quot;anyone&quot; else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling.

&quot;I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong,&quot; Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital.

&quot;My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel&#39;s office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.&quot;

The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show.

Flynn lied over Russia contacts&nbsp;

Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama.

At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump&#39;s White House national security advisor.

Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia.

According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia&#39;s response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow&#39;s interference in the 2016 election.

The documents say he took that action based on discussions with &quot;a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team.&quot;&nbsp;

After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow&#39;s decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign.

A week earlier, under the instruction of &quot;a very senior member&quot; of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel&#39;s settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings.

While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team&#39;s dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama&#39;s policies.

The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn&#39;s admitted lies about those meetings &quot;mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation.&quot;

&quot;Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn,&quot; said White House attorney Ty Cobb.

Trump still denies Russian interference&nbsp;

Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as &quot;fake news&quot; and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton&#39;s loss at the polls.

&quot;Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia.&nbsp;Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!&quot;.

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Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/934896989539586054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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But Friday&#39;s news made clear that Trump&#39;s inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope.

For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974.

On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: &quot;But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.&quot;

&quot;The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why&quot; Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN.

Fourth person charged by Mueller&nbsp;

Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe.

In October, Trump&#39;s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges.

George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election.

Donald Trump's former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president's campaign team and Moscow. The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election. Flynn's admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump's presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader's inner circle might next be in Mueller's sights. The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the "very senior" officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump's son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner. Flynn's guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation. The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate "anyone" else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling. "I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong," Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital. "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel's office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions." The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show. Flynn lied over Russia contacts Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama. At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump's White House national security advisor. Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia. According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia's response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow's interference in the 2016 election. The documents say he took that action based on discussions with "a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team." After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow's decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign. A week earlier, under the instruction of "a very senior member" of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel's settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings. While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team's dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama's policies. The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn's admitted lies about those meetings "mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation." "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn," said White House attorney Ty Cobb. Trump still denies Russian interference Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as "fake news" and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's loss at the polls. "Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!". Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017 × But Friday's news made clear that Trump's inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope. For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974. On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." "The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why" Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN. Fourth person charged by Mueller Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe. In October, Trump's one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges. George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links

United States attorney general Jeff Sessions will testify before the House Judiciary Committee about issues facing the Justice Department on Nov. 14.

The Democrats will be questioning Sessions about his statements regarding contacts between President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign and the Russian government.

The judiciary committee will have 17 democratic members.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the Russia&#39;s role in the election. He indicated that foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos made Sessions aware of his Contacts with Russian Representatives.

&ldquo;When you appear before our Committee, we intend to ask you about these inconsistencies. We are providing you with notice in advance because we expect you to respond,&rdquo; ranking committee Democrat Rep. John Conyers and his colleagues wrote to Sessions, according to reports in Reuters.&nbsp;

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify before the House Judiciary Committee about issues facing the Justice Department on Nov. 14

United States attorney general Jeff Sessions will testify before the House Judiciary Committee about issues facing the Justice Department on Nov. 14. The Democrats will be questioning Sessions about his statements regarding contacts between President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign and the Russian government. The judiciary committee will have 17 democratic members. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the Russia's role in the election. He indicated that foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos made Sessions aware of his Contacts with Russian Representatives. “When you appear before our Committee, we intend to ask you about these inconsistencies. We are providing you with notice in advance because we expect you to respond,” ranking committee Democrat Rep. John Conyers and his colleagues wrote to Sessions, according to reports in Reuters.

US attorney general Jeff Sessions to face House judiciary panel on November 14