Seven persons were killed and three others seriously injured after two cars collided on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samruddhi Expressway, in Jalna district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred around 11 pm on Friday (June 28) near Kadvanchi village, they said.

The victims were residents of Malad (East) in Mumbai and Buldhana district, the police said.

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"A multi-utility vehicle (MUV) going from Nagpur to Mumbai and a car heading in the opposite direction collided head-on, resulting in the death of six persons on the spot. One more person succumbed to injuries at a hospital later," a police official said.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the MUV broke through the crash barrier and fell off on the left side of the road. Local villagers and police rushed to the scene to rescue the persons trapped in mangled remains of the vehicles, he said.

Dr Umesh Jadhav, a medical officer at the Government District Hospital in Jalna, said six bodies were brought to the hospital for post-mortem. Three injured persons are being treated here, while one critically injured person who was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district died later.

Three of the deceased are from Mumbai, while as many others are from Buldhana district. One person who was shifted to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is yet to be identified, he said.

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The three injured persons are from Mumbai, he added.

The Samruddhi Highway is a 701-kilometer six-lane expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. The first phase of the highway connecting Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated in December 2022.

Seven persons were killed and three others seriously injured after two cars collided on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samruddhi Expressway, in Jalna district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday.

Seven persons were killed and three others seriously injured after two cars collided on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samruddhi Expressway, in Jalna district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred around 11 pm on Friday (June 28) near Kadvanchi village, they said. The victims were residents of Malad (East) in Mumbai and Buldhana district, the police said. Also read: Delhi airport forms committee to probe roof collapse "A multi-utility vehicle (MUV) going from Nagpur to Mumbai and a car heading in the opposite direction collided head-on, resulting in the death of six persons on the spot. One more person succumbed to injuries at a hospital later," a police official said. The impact of the collision was so severe that the MUV broke through the crash barrier and fell off on the left side of the road. Local villagers and police rushed to the scene to rescue the persons trapped in mangled remains of the vehicles, he said. Dr Umesh Jadhav, a medical officer at the Government District Hospital in Jalna, said six bodies were brought to the hospital for post-mortem. Three injured persons are being treated here, while one critically injured person who was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district died later. Three of the deceased are from Mumbai, while as many others are from Buldhana district. One person who was shifted to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is yet to be identified, he said. Also read: Five Indian soldiers killed in tank accident near LAC in Ladakh The three injured persons are from Mumbai, he added. The Samruddhi Highway is a 701-kilometer six-lane expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. The first phase of the highway connecting Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated in December 2022.

Seven dead, three injured as two vehicles collide on Samruddhi Expressway

In Hong Kong, six former members of staff at defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit collusion foreign forces in a closely watched national security case.

Hong Kong: Apple Daily ex-staff plead guilty to collusion

China does not tolerate foreign forces intervening in Taiwan issues and has to make strong responses to such acts of 'collusion', the government said on Wednesday after the island reported the largest incursion to date of Chinese aircraft. 
 
Twenty-eight Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the Chinese-claimed island's government said. 
 
The incident came after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments China condemned as 'slander'. 
 
Asked at a news conference whether the military activity was related to the G7 statement, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said it was Taiwan's government that was to blame for tensions. Beijing believes the island's government is working with foreign countries to seek formal independence. 
 
"We will never tolerate attempts to seek independence or wanton intervention in the Taiwan issue by foreign forces, so we need to make a strong response to these acts of collusion," Ma said. 
 
Democratically-ruled Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China's air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. 
 
However, this time not only did the Chinese aircraft fly in an area close to the Pratas Islands, but the bombers and some of the fighters flew around the southern part of Taiwan near the bottom tip of the island, according to Taiwan's defence ministry. 
 
The fly-by happened on the same day the US&nbsp;Navy said a carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan had entered the disputed South China Sea. 
 
"The Ronald Reagan Strike group did not interact with any Chinese military aircraft," Carrier Strike Group 5 spokesperson Lt&nbsp;Cmdr&nbsp;Joe Keiley said in an emailed statement responding to questions on whether the Chinese aircraft had approached them. 
 
"During the strike group's South China Sea operations, all communications between ships and aircraft have been consistent with international norms and have not impacted our operations." 
 
A senior official familiar with Taiwan's security planning said that officials believed China was sending a message to the United States as the carrier group sailed through the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and leads into the South China Sea. 
 
"It's strategic intimidation of the US&nbsp;military. They wanted the United States to notice their capability and for them to restrain their behaviour." &nbsp; 
 
Taiwan needs in particular to pay attention to the fact that China's military has started conducting drills in Taiwan's southeastern ADIZ, the source added. 
 
This "to a certain degree was targeting our deployments in the east and increasing air defence pressure around our ADIZ", the source said. 
 
Taiwan's east coast is home to two major air bases with hangers dug out of the side of mountains to provide protection in the event of a Chinese assault. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

China does not tolerate foreign forces intervening in Taiwan issues and has to make strong responses to such acts of 'collusion', the government said on Wednesday after the island reported the largest incursion to date of Chinese aircraft.

China does not tolerate foreign forces intervening in Taiwan issues and has to make strong responses to such acts of 'collusion', the government said on Wednesday after the island reported the largest incursion to date of Chinese aircraft. Twenty-eight Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the Chinese-claimed island's government said. The incident came after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments China condemned as 'slander'. Asked at a news conference whether the military activity was related to the G7 statement, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said it was Taiwan's government that was to blame for tensions. Beijing believes the island's government is working with foreign countries to seek formal independence. "We will never tolerate attempts to seek independence or wanton intervention in the Taiwan issue by foreign forces, so we need to make a strong response to these acts of collusion," Ma said. Democratically-ruled Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China's air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. However, this time not only did the Chinese aircraft fly in an area close to the Pratas Islands, but the bombers and some of the fighters flew around the southern part of Taiwan near the bottom tip of the island, according to Taiwan's defence ministry. The fly-by happened on the same day the US Navy said a carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan had entered the disputed South China Sea. "The Ronald Reagan Strike group did not interact with any Chinese military aircraft," Carrier Strike Group 5 spokesperson Lt Cmdr Joe Keiley said in an emailed statement responding to questions on whether the Chinese aircraft had approached them. "During the strike group's South China Sea operations, all communications between ships and aircraft have been consistent with international norms and have not impacted our operations." A senior official familiar with Taiwan's security planning said that officials believed China was sending a message to the United States as the carrier group sailed through the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and leads into the South China Sea. "It's strategic intimidation of the US military. They wanted the United States to notice their capability and for them to restrain their behaviour." Taiwan needs in particular to pay attention to the fact that China's military has started conducting drills in Taiwan's southeastern ADIZ, the source added. This "to a certain degree was targeting our deployments in the east and increasing air defence pressure around our ADIZ", the source said. Taiwan's east coast is home to two major air bases with hangers dug out of the side of mountains to provide protection in the event of a Chinese assault. (With inputs from agencies)

After massed plane incursion near Taiwan, China says must respond to 'collusion'

The US consulate in Hong Kong has rubbished the reports of diplomats meeting pro-democracy politicians as a breach of the new National Security Law.

The statement came after China's state-owned media house, Global Times, reported a story stating that the recent meeting between the US Consul general&nbsp;Hanscom Smith and pro-democracy politician violates the rules laid out by the new Chinese National Security Law.

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Calling it&nbsp;"ludicrous", the US Consulate in Hong Kong said,&nbsp;"These meetings are neither secretive nor mysterious."

"The suggestion that those who meet with consulate representatives are engaging in 'collusion' is ludicrous," it added.

China imposed the much criticised National Security Law in Hong Kong. The US protested against the aw months ago, too, calling it a tool to hush the pro-democracy voices.

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In its statement, the US consulate called the law "draconian" and said its imposition was "never about security".

"Instead, it was intended to silence democracy advocates and threaten those who engage in even the most routine forms of free speech," it said.

"It would be an enormous tragedy if it crushed the very openness, diversity, and vitality that are at the heart of what makes Hong Kong so unique."

(With inputs from agencies)

The US consulate in Hong Kong has rubbished the reports of diplomats meeting pro-democracy politicians as a breach of the new National Security Law. The statement came after China's state-owned media house, Global Times, reported a story stating that the recent meeting between the US Consul general Hanscom Smith and pro-democracy politician violates the rules laid out by the new Chinese National Security Law.

The US consulate in Hong Kong has rubbished the reports of diplomats meeting pro-democracy politicians as a breach of the new National Security Law. The statement came after China's state-owned media house, Global Times, reported a story stating that the recent meeting between the US Consul general Hanscom Smith and pro-democracy politician violates the rules laid out by the new Chinese National Security Law. Also read:Facebook removes small pro-Trump network based in Romania Calling it "ludicrous", the US Consulate in Hong Kong said, "These meetings are neither secretive nor mysterious." "The suggestion that those who meet with consulate representatives are engaging in 'collusion' is ludicrous," it added. China imposed the much criticised National Security Law in Hong Kong. The US protested against the aw months ago, too, calling it a tool to hush the pro-democracy voices. Also read: Hong Kong government denies China's COVID-19 team collecting DNA samples of residents In its statement, the US consulate called the law "draconian" and said its imposition was "never about security". "Instead, it was intended to silence democracy advocates and threaten those who engage in even the most routine forms of free speech," it said. "It would be an enormous tragedy if it crushed the very openness, diversity, and vitality that are at the heart of what makes Hong Kong so unique." (With inputs from agencies)

US consulate in Hong Kong denies Global Times' allegations of collusion with pro-democracy leaders

Mueller report reveals that there was no collusion between Russi-US. Watch full video to know more.

Mueller Report: No collusion between Russia-US

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office said in a sentencing memo released Saturday that President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/paul-manafort-allegedly-lied-about-giving-polling-data-to-russian-report-189113">Donald Trump's former campaign director Paul Manafort was a "bold" criminal</a> who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law.&nbsp;

Manafort, 69, who pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges, faces sentencing on March 13. The memo addressed to the judge in charge of his case did not recommend a specific sentence -- but outlined the gravity of his crimes.

It said he violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone who would commit similar crimes.

Manafort is one of six former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

"Manafort committed an array of felonies for over a decade, up through the fall of 2018," the memo said, naming crimes including tax fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, bank fraud and violating a law related to lobbying.

"His criminal actions were bold," it continued, pointing out that they continued after he was charged, including attempting to tamper with witnesses, and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyer.

Mueller's office last week said it agreed with a Justice Department calculation that Manafort should face up to 24 years in prison, after he was found to have violated a plea deal which agreed to a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Earlier this month, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed with prosecutors that Manafort had "intentionally" lied to investigators about his contacts with a suspected Russian operative, Konstantin Kilimnik, in 2016 and 2017 -- despite having pledged to cooperate as part of his September plea agreement.&nbsp;

Jackson also ruled that Manafort had lied about a secretive payment he made to a law firm, and lied on another occasion when investigators queried him about a separate, still secret investigation related to the Mueller probe.

Dated Friday, the memo was expected to be made public on Friday evening -- but was not released until Saturday, with several passages redacted.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office said in a sentencing memo released Saturday that President Donald Trump's former campaign director Paul Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office said in a sentencing memo released Saturday that President Donald Trump's former campaign director Paul Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law. Manafort, 69, who pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges, faces sentencing on March 13. The memo addressed to the judge in charge of his case did not recommend a specific sentence -- but outlined the gravity of his crimes. It said he violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone who would commit similar crimes. Manafort is one of six former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. "Manafort committed an array of felonies for over a decade, up through the fall of 2018," the memo said, naming crimes including tax fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, bank fraud and violating a law related to lobbying. "His criminal actions were bold," it continued, pointing out that they continued after he was charged, including attempting to tamper with witnesses, and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyer. Mueller's office last week said it agreed with a Justice Department calculation that Manafort should face up to 24 years in prison, after he was found to have violated a plea deal which agreed to a maximum sentence of 10 years. Earlier this month, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed with prosecutors that Manafort had "intentionally" lied to investigators about his contacts with a suspected Russian operative, Konstantin Kilimnik, in 2016 and 2017 -- despite having pledged to cooperate as part of his September plea agreement. Jackson also ruled that Manafort had lied about a secretive payment he made to a law firm, and lied on another occasion when investigators queried him about a separate, still secret investigation related to the Mueller probe. Dated Friday, the memo was expected to be made public on Friday evening -- but was not released until Saturday, with several passages redacted.

Robert Mueller: Former Trump campaign manager broke law 'repeatedly and brazenly'

US President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his presidential campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organized hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run.

Trump took to Twitter, his favourite means of communication, to address the multiple court filings that dropped on Friday in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller's sweeping investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

"AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" the president said.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1071389414239162369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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“This is collusion illusion, there is no smoking gun here. At this late date, after all that we have gone through, after millions have been spent, we have no Russian Collusion. There is nothing impeachable here.” <a href="https://twitter.com/GeraldoRivera?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeraldoRivera</a> Time for the Witch Hunt to END!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1071434642555920385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While the filings indeed did not appear to reveal evidence of collusion, they did offer a wealth of new information about what Mueller's team is looking into, along with other federal prosecutors in New York.

Prosecutors directly implicated Trump in efforts to buy the silence of two women who claimed they had had affairs with him, saying he directed his then-attorney Michael Cohen to offer them hush money.

"With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election," the New York prosecutors said.&nbsp;

"In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1," they added, referring to Trump.

The payments are technically unrelated to the Russia probe, but prosecutors painted a damning picture of the "extensive, deliberate, and serious criminal conduct" of Cohen -- once a member of Trump's inner circle of trusted aides.

In August, the 52-year-old Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in connection with the payments.

"Cohen deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election," prosecutors said.

'Synergy on a government level' 
In a separate sentencing memo, Mueller said that Cohen was in contact with a Russian national as far back as November 2015 -- months before Trump formally won the presidential nomination and well before previously reported contacts -- who offered "synergy on a government level."

That Russian national claimed to have ties to the Kremlin and repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The individual said the meeting could have a "phenomenal" impact "not only in political but in a business dimension as well," but Cohen never followed up, Mueller said.

That combination of political and business interests could spell trouble for Trump, whose real estate empire was seeking to build a signature tower in Moscow as late as mid-2016 in the midst of his White House bid.

Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project.&nbsp;

Recent filings in the Mueller probe have suggested the White House knew that Cohen planned to lie to lawmakers about his contacts with Russians.

Due to his "relevant" and "substantial" help, Mueller declined to recommend additional jail time, but Cohen is still expected to face four to five years behind bars.

Multiple 'lies' 
Also on Friday, new twists and turns emerged in the case against Trump's onetime campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted in August of financial fraud and witness tampering charges and pleaded guilty to a second set of charges a month later.

Prosecutors accused Manafort of multiple "lies" to investigators: about his contacts with administration officials even after striking a plea deal; about a debt payment; and about his interaction with a suspected Russian intelligence officer.

The breach of the plea deal could lead to a stiffer jail sentence than the 10 years originally envisaged for the 69-year-old veteran Republican consultant.

Manafort has been convicted mostly on charges related to his work for pro-Moscow politicians in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014.

But he has also been investigated for his possible role in alleged campaign collusion with Russia during the election.

Mueller has been inching ever closer to the White House, and on Friday, Trump fired off a feverish volley of tweets against a probe he dubs a "witch hunt," accusing Mueller of "big time conflicts of interest" and alleging he coerced false testimony from witnesses.

For House Democrat John Garamendi, these may be "the opening days of an impeachment."

Trump is a president who "clearly has surrounded himself with criminals," he told CNN.

"During the campaign, laws were broken... And now we have the president implicated in that," he said.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his presidential campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organized hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his presidential campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organized hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run. Trump took to Twitter, his favourite means of communication, to address the multiple court filings that dropped on Friday in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller's sweeping investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" the president said. AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 × “This is collusion illusion, there is no smoking gun here. At this late date, after all that we have gone through, after millions have been spent, we have no Russian Collusion. There is nothing impeachable here.” @GeraldoRivera Time for the Witch Hunt to END! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 × While the filings indeed did not appear to reveal evidence of collusion, they did offer a wealth of new information about what Mueller's team is looking into, along with other federal prosecutors in New York. Prosecutors directly implicated Trump in efforts to buy the silence of two women who claimed they had had affairs with him, saying he directed his then-attorney Michael Cohen to offer them hush money. "With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election," the New York prosecutors said. "In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1," they added, referring to Trump. The payments are technically unrelated to the Russia probe, but prosecutors painted a damning picture of the "extensive, deliberate, and serious criminal conduct" of Cohen -- once a member of Trump's inner circle of trusted aides. In August, the 52-year-old Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in connection with the payments. "Cohen deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election," prosecutors said. 'Synergy on a government level' In a separate sentencing memo, Mueller said that Cohen was in contact with a Russian national as far back as November 2015 -- months before Trump formally won the presidential nomination and well before previously reported contacts -- who offered "synergy on a government level." That Russian national claimed to have ties to the Kremlin and repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The individual said the meeting could have a "phenomenal" impact "not only in political but in a business dimension as well," but Cohen never followed up, Mueller said. That combination of political and business interests could spell trouble for Trump, whose real estate empire was seeking to build a signature tower in Moscow as late as mid-2016 in the midst of his White House bid. Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project. Recent filings in the Mueller probe have suggested the White House knew that Cohen planned to lie to lawmakers about his contacts with Russians. Due to his "relevant" and "substantial" help, Mueller declined to recommend additional jail time, but Cohen is still expected to face four to five years behind bars. Multiple 'lies' Also on Friday, new twists and turns emerged in the case against Trump's onetime campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted in August of financial fraud and witness tampering charges and pleaded guilty to a second set of charges a month later. Prosecutors accused Manafort of multiple "lies" to investigators: about his contacts with administration officials even after striking a plea deal; about a debt payment; and about his interaction with a suspected Russian intelligence officer. The breach of the plea deal could lead to a stiffer jail sentence than the 10 years originally envisaged for the 69-year-old veteran Republican consultant. Manafort has been convicted mostly on charges related to his work for pro-Moscow politicians in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. But he has also been investigated for his possible role in alleged campaign collusion with Russia during the election. Mueller has been inching ever closer to the White House, and on Friday, Trump fired off a feverish volley of tweets against a probe he dubs a "witch hunt," accusing Mueller of "big time conflicts of interest" and alleging he coerced false testimony from witnesses. For House Democrat John Garamendi, these may be "the opening days of an impeachment." Trump is a president who "clearly has surrounded himself with criminals," he told CNN. "During the campaign, laws were broken... And now we have the president implicated in that," he said.

Trump denies collusion with Russia, not hush payments to women

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has asked the FBI to look into claims that women were offered money to fabricate sexual assault allegations against Mueller, who leads the probe into Russia's attempts to influence the US&nbsp;election in 2016.

"When we learned last week of allegations that women were offered money to make false claims about the Special Counsel, we immediately referred the matter to the FBI for investigation," Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, said on Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment.

Jack Burkman, a lawyer and Republican operative who has in the past promoted right-wing conspiracies on social media, told Reuters he was speaking to five women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by Mueller, and denied paying them for the information.

He said he would have a news conference close to Washington on Thursday with one of the women who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Mueller in 2010, and that the other four women still needed to be vetted.

Jennifer Taub, a professor at Vermont Law School, said she received an email on October 22 from an individual offering to compensate her if she would discuss her "past encounters" with Mueller, who she says she has never met.

Taub said she found the email, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, to be "creepy" and forwarded it to Mueller's office. The email was sent to her by a person who claimed to be a researcher at Surefire Intelligence, Ltd.

Reuters was unable to connect with anyone at phone numbers listed on Surefire Intelligence's website.

Burkman declined to say if he was working with Surefire.

Mueller is leading the politically sensitive investigation into Russian meddling and possible collusion between Republican Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team and Russian officials.

Burkman has been critical of the Mueller probe and sought to raise funds for Rick Gates and Michael Flynn, two former Trump aides who pleaded guilty to charges brought against them by Mueller's team.

Trump denies any collusion and has repeatedly described Mueller's probe as a partisan "witch hunt."

Russia denies the allegations that it interfered in the election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has asked the FBI to look into claims that women were offered money to fabricate sexual assault allegations against Mueller, who leads the probe into Russia's attempts to influence the US election in 2016.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has asked the FBI to look into claims that women were offered money to fabricate sexual assault allegations against Mueller, who leads the probe into Russia's attempts to influence the US election in 2016. "When we learned last week of allegations that women were offered money to make false claims about the Special Counsel, we immediately referred the matter to the FBI for investigation," Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, said on Tuesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment. Jack Burkman, a lawyer and Republican operative who has in the past promoted right-wing conspiracies on social media, told Reuters he was speaking to five women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by Mueller, and denied paying them for the information. He said he would have a news conference close to Washington on Thursday with one of the women who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Mueller in 2010, and that the other four women still needed to be vetted. Jennifer Taub, a professor at Vermont Law School, said she received an email on October 22 from an individual offering to compensate her if she would discuss her "past encounters" with Mueller, who she says she has never met. Taub said she found the email, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, to be "creepy" and forwarded it to Mueller's office. The email was sent to her by a person who claimed to be a researcher at Surefire Intelligence, Ltd. Reuters was unable to connect with anyone at phone numbers listed on Surefire Intelligence's website. Burkman declined to say if he was working with Surefire. Mueller is leading the politically sensitive investigation into Russian meddling and possible collusion between Republican Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team and Russian officials. Burkman has been critical of the Mueller probe and sought to raise funds for Rick Gates and Michael Flynn, two former Trump aides who pleaded guilty to charges brought against them by Mueller's team. Trump denies any collusion and has repeatedly described Mueller's probe as a partisan "witch hunt." Russia denies the allegations that it interfered in the election.

Robert Mueller's team asks FBI to probe 'false claims' against him

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

The Times report however added that there was no evidence to prove the Trump campaign made use of the proposals.&nbsp;

It added that these efforts seemed unrelated to Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential elections. US intelligence agencies have said they have come to the conclusion that Russia meddled in the elections, trying to help Trump beat his Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

Trump as president has been astonishingly soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also constantly said there was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dubs-robert-muellers-russia-probe-illegal-166051">no collusion</a> between his presidential campaign and Russia.&nbsp;

The allegations of collusion with Russia are being investigated by the Special Counsel Robert S Mueller who has so far indicted over 30 former Trump officials.&nbsp;

One of those officials is Rick Gates, Trump's deputy campaign manager, and the man the New York Times report accuses of asking the Israeli company Psy-Group for the proposals.&nbsp;

The Times reported that Gates sought a proposal to use bogus personas to target and sway delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention by attacking Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's main opponent at the time.

Another proposal described opposition research and "complementary intelligence activities" about Clinton, according to the report.

A third proposal by the company Psy-Group, staffed by former Israeli intelligence operatives, outlined a plan to help Trump using social media to reinforce divisions among rivals, the report said.

Mueller's team has obtained copies of the proposals and questioned Psy-Group, the Times added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton.

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton. The Times report however added that there was no evidence to prove the Trump campaign made use of the proposals. It added that these efforts seemed unrelated to Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential elections. US intelligence agencies have said they have come to the conclusion that Russia meddled in the elections, trying to help Trump beat his Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump as president has been astonishingly soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also constantly said there was no collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia. The allegations of collusion with Russia are being investigated by the Special Counsel Robert S Mueller who has so far indicted over 30 former Trump officials. One of those officials is Rick Gates, Trump's deputy campaign manager, and the man the New York Times report accuses of asking the Israeli company Psy-Group for the proposals. The Times reported that Gates sought a proposal to use bogus personas to target and sway delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention by attacking Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's main opponent at the time. Another proposal described opposition research and "complementary intelligence activities" about Clinton, according to the report. A third proposal by the company Psy-Group, staffed by former Israeli intelligence operatives, outlined a plan to help Trump using social media to reinforce divisions among rivals, the report said. Mueller's team has obtained copies of the proposals and questioned Psy-Group, the Times added. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump official sought Israeli help to disrupt rival campaigns: New York Times

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

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign&#39;s possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday.

In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year&#39;s presidential election.

Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request.

The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016.

Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way.

But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports.

In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia.

The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia.&nbsp;

During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ally-says-he-worked-with-assange-pre-election-to-spread-clinton-emails-in-abusive-twitter-tirade-13089" target="_blank">Roger Stone</a> claimed to have &quot;a perfectly legal back channel&quot; with&nbsp;WikiLeaks&#39; Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton&#39;s emails.&nbsp;

Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also,&nbsp;there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone&#39;s actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump urged National Security Agency chief and Director of National Intelligence to publicly deny any link between his campaign and Russia

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign's possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday. In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year's presidential election. Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request. The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016. Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way. But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports. In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia. The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia. During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor Roger Stone claimed to have "a perfectly legal back channel" with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton's emails. Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also, there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone's actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump asked top two intelligence officials to deny Russia collusion: Reports

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