Donald Trump's campaign has lodged a formal complaint against the UK's Labour Party, accusing it of meddling in the upcoming US presidential election. The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission, claims that the British party has been recruiting members to campaign on behalf of Trump's political rival, Democratic Party presidential nominee, US Vice-President Kamala Harris, in key battleground states.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:116,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:17,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1801}">Blatant foreign interference</h2>

In a letter rife with historical references, including the American Revolution, Trump's legal team requested an immediate investigation into "blatant foreign interference".

It stated,&nbsp;"When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tells-voters-us-elections-a-choice-between-four-years-of-incompetence-or-greatness-attacks-fema-769675">Trump tells voters US elections a choice between 'four years of incompetence or greatness', attacks FEMA</a>

The letter noted the recent 243rd anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown and said "This past week marked the 243 anniversary of the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Yorktown, a military victory that ensured that the United States would be politically independent of Great Britian." Here, Trump's campaign misspelt Britain, whether by mistake or on purpose, it is not known.

The Trump campaign's grievance centres around reports that Labour Party volunteers have been campaigning for Harris. According to the Guardian, these volunteers are campaigning on their own, not in an official capacity.

However, the letter demands an investigation into what it claims are&nbsp;"apparent illegal foreign national contributions made by the Labour Party of the United Kingdom," to Harris's campaign.

It then goes on to refer to a "volunteer exemption" in US election law that allows foreign nationals to volunteer but prohibits compensation of any type.

"They (foreign nationals) may not be compensated, foreign nationals may not make expenditures, and they may not direct or control activities of US campaigns," states the letter.

The complaint cites a since-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, head of operations at the Labour Party, in which she reportedly mentioned that 100 current and former party members were heading to the US to campaign.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-echoes-trumps-voting-machine-conspiracy-theories-pushes-for-paper-ballots-just-too-easy-to-hack-769131">Elon Musk echoes Trump's voting machine conspiracy theories, pushes for paper ballots: 'Just too easy to hack'</a>

The backlash Patel's social media post received from Republicans was swift. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to declare that "foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in US elections." Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a vocal Trump supporter, said "This is illegal" before deleting his post after being corrected by a community note.

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Hello <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:367,&quot;y&quot;:749,&quot;w&quot;:71,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:400,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2434}" href="https://twitter.com/UKLabour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UKLabour</a>. 
 
You are breaking <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:404,&quot;y&quot;:780,&quot;w&quot;:39,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:437,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2465}" href="https://twitter.com/FEC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FEC</a> laws. 
 
Foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in U.S. elections. 
 
Please go back to the UK and fix your own mass immigration problems that are ruining your country. 
 
See next post for FEC laws.👇 <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:408,&quot;y&quot;:904,&quot;w&quot;:149,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:441,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2589}" href="https://t.co/aJXsgjitSD">pic.twitter.com/aJXsgjitSD</a>
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:478,&quot;y&quot;:935,&quot;w&quot;:100,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:511,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2620}" href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1846956872823156915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Susie Wiles, co-manager of Trump's campaign, described the situation as another instance of foreign influence aimed at undermining the will of the American people. She stated, "In two weeks, Americans will once again reject the oppression of big government that we rejected in 1776. The flailing Harris-Walz campaign is seeking foreign influence to boost its radical message—because they know they can’t win the American people."

(With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump's campaign has lodged a formal complaint against the UK's Labour Party, accusing it of meddling in the upcoming US presidential election. The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission, claims that the British party has been recruiting members to campaign on behalf of Trump's political rival, Democratic Party presidential nominee, US Vice-President Kamala Harris, in key battleground states.

Donald Trump's campaign has lodged a formal complaint against the UK's Labour Party, accusing it of meddling in the upcoming US presidential election. The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission, claims that the British party has been recruiting members to campaign on behalf of Trump's political rival, Democratic Party presidential nominee, US Vice-President Kamala Harris, in key battleground states. Blatant foreign interference In a letter rife with historical references, including the American Revolution, Trump's legal team requested an immediate investigation into "blatant foreign interference". It stated, "When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them." Also read | Trump tells voters US elections a choice between 'four years of incompetence or greatness', attacks FEMA The letter noted the recent 243rd anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown and said "This past week marked the 243 anniversary of the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Yorktown, a military victory that ensured that the United States would be politically independent of Great Britian." Here, Trump's campaign misspelt Britain, whether by mistake or on purpose, it is not known. The Trump campaign's grievance centres around reports that Labour Party volunteers have been campaigning for Harris. According to the Guardian, these volunteers are campaigning on their own, not in an official capacity. However, the letter demands an investigation into what it claims are "apparent illegal foreign national contributions made by the Labour Party of the United Kingdom," to Harris's campaign. It then goes on to refer to a "volunteer exemption" in US election law that allows foreign nationals to volunteer but prohibits compensation of any type. "They (foreign nationals) may not be compensated, foreign nationals may not make expenditures, and they may not direct or control activities of US campaigns," states the letter. The complaint cites a since-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, head of operations at the Labour Party, in which she reportedly mentioned that 100 current and former party members were heading to the US to campaign. Also read | Elon Musk echoes Trump's voting machine conspiracy theories, pushes for paper ballots: 'Just too easy to hack' The backlash Patel's social media post received from Republicans was swift. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to declare that "foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in US elections." Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a vocal Trump supporter, said "This is illegal" before deleting his post after being corrected by a community note. Hello @UKLabour. You are breaking @FEC laws. Foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in U.S. elections. Please go back to the UK and fix your own mass immigration problems that are ruining your country. See next post for FEC laws.👇 pic.twitter.com/aJXsgjitSD — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 17, 2024 × Susie Wiles, co-manager of Trump's campaign, described the situation as another instance of foreign influence aimed at undermining the will of the American people. She stated, "In two weeks, Americans will once again reject the oppression of big government that we rejected in 1776. The flailing Harris-Walz campaign is seeking foreign influence to boost its radical message—because they know they can’t win the American people." (With inputs from agencies)

Trump files complaint against UK Labour Party, claims 'blatant foreign interference' in 2024 US Elections

Ahead of the February general elections, the chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that his party won’t accept the results if any external interference is observed.

He claimed while speaking at a workers’ convention that parties with a two-thirds majority in the current parliament have agreed on the future setup. However, he stopped short of naming the parties he was referring to.

Notably, Bilawal’s party had backed the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) in the previous coalition government with Shehbaz Sharif being the prime minister.

<h2>Bhutto urges CJP and CEC to ensure fair elections</h2>

Earlier, he also urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to ensure a level playing field for all parties and fair elections.

“State institutions should play their role within the constitutional framework to ensure free, fair and impartial elections to steer the country out of the existing economic crisis,” he was quoted by Dawn as saying.

“We will accept only the decision of people’s vote and will not accept anyone else’s decision at all, because the existing problems can be solved only by a government elected by the people,” he said.

He also expressed doubts about how those who had run away from local elections were suddenly claiming that they would get a two-thirds majority, taking a jab at the Pakistan Muslim League party.

<h2>PTI expresses similar concerns</h2>

Along with Bhutto, former prime minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also levelled allegations of election interference.

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas: Who is killing terrorists in Pakistan?

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Both parties allege the caretaker government was giving "preferential treatment" to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and that attempts were being made to pave the way for PML-N's return to power.

<h2>Caretaker PM hits back</h2>

Responding to the allegations, Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said Sunday (Nov 19) that the “victim card” could be a “narrative” of any political party.

In an interview with Pakistan’s Geo News, Kakar said holding the elections at the earliest was his utmost priority. “We want to hand over the responsibilities to the [upcoming] elected government,” he was quoted as saying.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-court-acquits-ex-pm-shehbaz-ten-others-in-major-housing-corruption-case-660318">Also read:&nbsp;Pakistan court acquits ex-PM Shehbaz Sharif, 10 others in major housing corruption case</a>

Notably, the general elections are scheduled for February 8, 2024, as announced by the ECP.

The notice stated that the general elections would be held on February 8, 2024, in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of the February general elections, the chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that his party won’t accept the results if any external interference is observed.

Ahead of the February general elections, the chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that his party won’t accept the results if any external interference is observed. He claimed while speaking at a workers’ convention that parties with a two-thirds majority in the current parliament have agreed on the future setup. However, he stopped short of naming the parties he was referring to. Notably, Bilawal’s party had backed the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) in the previous coalition government with Shehbaz Sharif being the prime minister. Bhutto urges CJP and CEC to ensure fair elections Earlier, he also urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to ensure a level playing field for all parties and fair elections. “State institutions should play their role within the constitutional framework to ensure free, fair and impartial elections to steer the country out of the existing economic crisis,” he was quoted by Dawn as saying. “We will accept only the decision of people’s vote and will not accept anyone else’s decision at all, because the existing problems can be solved only by a government elected by the people,” he said. He also expressed doubts about how those who had run away from local elections were suddenly claiming that they would get a two-thirds majority, taking a jab at the Pakistan Muslim League party. PTI expresses similar concerns Along with Bhutto, former prime minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also levelled allegations of election interference. Watch: Gravitas: Who is killing terrorists in Pakistan? × Both parties allege the caretaker government was giving "preferential treatment" to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and that attempts were being made to pave the way for PML-N's return to power. Caretaker PM hits back Responding to the allegations, Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said Sunday (Nov 19) that the “victim card” could be a “narrative” of any political party. In an interview with Pakistan’s Geo News, Kakar said holding the elections at the earliest was his utmost priority. “We want to hand over the responsibilities to the [upcoming] elected government,” he was quoted as saying. Also read: Pakistan court acquits ex-PM Shehbaz Sharif, 10 others in major housing corruption case Notably, the general elections are scheduled for February 8, 2024, as announced by the ECP. The notice stated that the general elections would be held on February 8, 2024, in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan: Won’t accept poll results if meddling takes place, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto warns

Moscow on Saturday condemned Washington for indicting a Russian woman for interfering in US 2018 elections, saying the accusations were fabricated in order to impose further sanctions on Russia.

"We understand that Washington is fabricating a pretext in order to impose its notorious sanctions once more against our country," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying in a statement.

He complained that after previous accusations involving the 2016 presidential elections won by Donald Trump, "in Washington they are now trying to play the same card ahead of the approaching election day in the US."

On November 6, Americans will vote in mid-term congressional elections.

The finance chief of Russia's leading troll farm, named as Yelena Khusyainova, was indicted by the US Justice Department on Friday, becoming the first person to face charges of interfering in next month's vote.

Ryabkov accused "certain US politicians" of waging "a shameful slanderous campaign" in order to gain political advantage and "at the same time put pressure on Russia."

Moscow warned Washington that by "demonstrating enmity," it will "just receive an even more forceful rebuff."

Moscow on Saturday condemned Washington for indicting a Russian woman for interfering in US 2018 elections, saying the accusations were fabricated in order to impose further sanctions on Russia.

Moscow on Saturday condemned Washington for indicting a Russian woman for interfering in US 2018 elections, saying the accusations were fabricated in order to impose further sanctions on Russia. "We understand that Washington is fabricating a pretext in order to impose its notorious sanctions once more against our country," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying in a statement. He complained that after previous accusations involving the 2016 presidential elections won by Donald Trump, "in Washington they are now trying to play the same card ahead of the approaching election day in the US." On November 6, Americans will vote in mid-term congressional elections. The finance chief of Russia's leading troll farm, named as Yelena Khusyainova, was indicted by the US Justice Department on Friday, becoming the first person to face charges of interfering in next month's vote. Ryabkov accused "certain US politicians" of waging "a shameful slanderous campaign" in order to gain political advantage and "at the same time put pressure on Russia." Moscow warned Washington that by "demonstrating enmity," it will "just receive an even more forceful rebuff."

Moscow slams US for 'fabricating' election indictment

In Facebook's "War Room," a nondescript space adorned with American and Brazilian flags, a team of 20 people monitors computer screens for signs of suspicious activity.

The freshly launched unit at Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters in California is the nerve center for the fight against misinformation and manipulation of the largest social network by foreign actors trying to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere.

Inside, the walls have clocks showing the time in various regions of the US and Brazil, maps and TV screens showing CNN, Fox News and Twitter, and other monitors showing graphs of Facebook activity in real time.

Facebook, which has been blamed for doing too little to prevent misinformation efforts by Russia and others in the 2016 US election, now wants the world to know it is taking aggressive steps with initiatives like the war room.

"Our job is to detect ... anyone trying to manipulate the public debate," said Nathaniel Gleicher, a former White House cybersecurity policy director for the National Security Council who is now heading Facebook's cybersecurity policy.

"We work to find and remove these actors."

Facebook has been racing to get measures in place and began operating this nerve center -- with a hastily taped "WAR ROOM" sign on the glass door -- for the first round of the presidential vote in Brazil on October 7.

It didn't take long to find false information and rumors being spread which could have had an impact on voters in Brazil.

"On election day, we saw a spike in voter suppression (messages) saying the election was delayed due to protests. That was not a true story," said Samidh Chakrabarti, Facebook's head of civic engagement.

Chakrabarti said Facebook was able to remove these posts in a couple of hours before they went viral.

"It could have taken days."

Humans and machines

At the unveiling of the war room for a small group of journalists including AFP this week, a man in a gray pork pie hat kept his eyes glued to his screen where a Brazilian flag was attached.

He said nothing but his mission was obvious -- watching for any hints of interference with the second round of voting in Brazil on October 28.

The war room, which will ramp up activity for the November 6 midterm US elections, is the most concrete sign of Facebook's efforts to weed out misinformation.

With experts in computer science, cybersecurity and legal specialists, the center is operating during peak times for the US and Brazil at present, with plans to eventually work 24/7.

The war room adds a human dimension to the artificial intelligence tools Facebook has already deployed to detect inauthentic or manipulative activity.

"Humans can adapt quickly to new threats," Gleicher said of the latest effort.

Chakrabarti said the new center is an important part of coordinating activity -- even for a company that has been built on remote communications among people in various parts of the world.

"There's no substitute to face to face interactions," he said.

The war room was activated just weeks ahead of the US vote, amid persistent fears of manipulation by Russia and other state entities, or efforts to polarize or inflame tensions.

The war room is part of stepped up security announced by Facebook that will be adding some 20,000 employees.

"With elections we need people to detect and remove (false information) as quickly as possible," Chakrabarti said.

The human and computerized efforts to weed out bad information complement each other, according to Chakrabarti.

"If an anomaly is detected in an automated way, then a data scientist will investigate, will see if there is really a problem," he said.

The efforts are also coordinated with Facebook's fact-checking partners around the world including media organizations such as AFP and university experts.

Gleicher said the team will remain on high alert for any effort that could lead to false information going viral and potentially impacting the result of an election.

"We need to stay ahead of bad actors," he said. "We keep shrinking the doorway. They keep trying to get in."

In Facebook's "War Room," a nondescript space adorned with American and Brazilian flags, a team of 20 people monitors computer screens for signs of suspicious activity.

In Facebook's "War Room," a nondescript space adorned with American and Brazilian flags, a team of 20 people monitors computer screens for signs of suspicious activity. The freshly launched unit at Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters in California is the nerve center for the fight against misinformation and manipulation of the largest social network by foreign actors trying to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere. Inside, the walls have clocks showing the time in various regions of the US and Brazil, maps and TV screens showing CNN, Fox News and Twitter, and other monitors showing graphs of Facebook activity in real time. Facebook, which has been blamed for doing too little to prevent misinformation efforts by Russia and others in the 2016 US election, now wants the world to know it is taking aggressive steps with initiatives like the war room. "Our job is to detect ... anyone trying to manipulate the public debate," said Nathaniel Gleicher, a former White House cybersecurity policy director for the National Security Council who is now heading Facebook's cybersecurity policy. "We work to find and remove these actors." Facebook has been racing to get measures in place and began operating this nerve center -- with a hastily taped "WAR ROOM" sign on the glass door -- for the first round of the presidential vote in Brazil on October 7. It didn't take long to find false information and rumors being spread which could have had an impact on voters in Brazil. "On election day, we saw a spike in voter suppression (messages) saying the election was delayed due to protests. That was not a true story," said Samidh Chakrabarti, Facebook's head of civic engagement. Chakrabarti said Facebook was able to remove these posts in a couple of hours before they went viral. "It could have taken days." Humans and machines At the unveiling of the war room for a small group of journalists including AFP this week, a man in a gray pork pie hat kept his eyes glued to his screen where a Brazilian flag was attached. He said nothing but his mission was obvious -- watching for any hints of interference with the second round of voting in Brazil on October 28. The war room, which will ramp up activity for the November 6 midterm US elections, is the most concrete sign of Facebook's efforts to weed out misinformation. With experts in computer science, cybersecurity and legal specialists, the center is operating during peak times for the US and Brazil at present, with plans to eventually work 24/7. The war room adds a human dimension to the artificial intelligence tools Facebook has already deployed to detect inauthentic or manipulative activity. "Humans can adapt quickly to new threats," Gleicher said of the latest effort. Chakrabarti said the new center is an important part of coordinating activity -- even for a company that has been built on remote communications among people in various parts of the world. "There's no substitute to face to face interactions," he said. The war room was activated just weeks ahead of the US vote, amid persistent fears of manipulation by Russia and other state entities, or efforts to polarize or inflame tensions. The war room is part of stepped up security announced by Facebook that will be adding some 20,000 employees. "With elections we need people to detect and remove (false information) as quickly as possible," Chakrabarti said. The human and computerized efforts to weed out bad information complement each other, according to Chakrabarti. "If an anomaly is detected in an automated way, then a data scientist will investigate, will see if there is really a problem," he said. The efforts are also coordinated with Facebook's fact-checking partners around the world including media organizations such as AFP and university experts. Gleicher said the team will remain on high alert for any effort that could lead to false information going viral and potentially impacting the result of an election. "We need to stay ahead of bad actors," he said. "We keep shrinking the doorway. They keep trying to get in."

Facebook launches 'war room' to combat manipulation

China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Beijing does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump accused it of seeking to meddle in the November&nbsp;6 US&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-china-meddling-2018-election-beijing-rejects-charge-167853">congressional elections</a>, reported news agency Reuters.

The international community is clear which country interferes most in other countries' affairs, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was quoted as saying&nbsp;at a regular briefing in Beijing.

Geng urged the US&nbsp;to stop doing things that damaged relations with China.

Trump on Wednesday told a UN&nbsp;Security Council meeting that Beijing was interfering because they did not want his Republican Party to do well, given the party's pugnacious stance on trade.

"China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against my administration," Trump said.

China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Beijing does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs after US President Donald Trump accused it of seeking to meddle in the November 6 US congressional elections, reported news agency Reuters.

China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Beijing does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs after US President Donald Trump accused it of seeking to meddle in the November 6 US congressional elections, reported news agency Reuters. The international community is clear which country interferes most in other countries' affairs, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was quoted as saying at a regular briefing in Beijing. Geng urged the US to stop doing things that damaged relations with China. Trump on Wednesday told a UN Security Council meeting that Beijing was interfering because they did not want his Republican Party to do well, given the party's pugnacious stance on trade. "China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against my administration," Trump said.

China responds to Trump's charges; says it does not interfere in other countries' affairs

The United States on Thursday took its most notable action against Russia since Donald Trump became president, slapping sanctions on a group of Russian individuals and entities, including Moscow&#39;s intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 US election and malicious cyber attacks.

Under pressure to act, the administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian government officials and oligarchs, those closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin.&nbsp;

Thursday&#39;s announcement marked the first time that the US government stated publicly that Russia had attempted to break into the American energy grid, which US security officials have longed warned may be vulnerable to debilitating cyber attacks from hostile adversaries.

Trump has faced fierce criticism in the United States for doing too little to punish Russia for the election meddling and other actions, and a special counsel is looking into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with the Russians, an allegation the president denies.

Combined with the United States joining Britain in blaming Moscow for poisoning a former Russian spy in southern England, the actions represented another plunge in U.S.-Russian relations despite Trump&#39;s stated desire for improved ties.&nbsp;

&quot;The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyber-attacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in announcing the new sanctions.

Trump has frequently questioned a January 2017 finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign using hacking and propaganda in an effort eventually aimed at tilting the race in Trump&#39;s favor. Russia denies interfering in the election.

But Mnuchin was unequivocal in saying that Thursday&#39;s Treasury action &quot;counters Russia&#39;s continuing destabilizing activities, ranging from interference in the 2016 election to conducting destructive cyber-attacks.&quot;

A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump, who campaigned on warmer ties with Putin, has grown exasperated with Russian activity.

The Treasury Department aimed the sanctions at 19 Russian individuals and five groups. Sixteen of the Russian individuals and entities sanctioned were indicted on Feb. 16 as part of Mueller&#39;s criminal investigation. While Trump has frequently called the Russia probe a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; the new sanctions appear to affirm Mueller&#39;s investigative strategy.

Trump told reporters during a White House event with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that &quot;it certainly looks like the Russians were behind&quot; the use of a nerve agent to attack Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent in England. Trump called it &quot;something that should never, ever happen, and we&#39;re taking it very seriously, as I think are many others.&quot;&nbsp;

Russian government hackers since at least March 2016 &quot;have also targeted U.S. government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors,&quot; a Treasury Department statement said.

A senior administration told reporters on a conference call that Russian actors infiltrated parts of the U.S. energy sector.

&quot;We were able to identify where they were located within those business systems and remove them from those business systems,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&#39;DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES&#39;

Mnuchin said there would be additional sanctions against Russian government officials and oligarchs &quot;for their destabilizing activities.&quot; Mnuchin did not give a time frame for those sanctions, which he said would sever the individuals&#39; access to the U.S. financial system.

The new sanctions also include Russian intelligence services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and six individuals working on behalf of the GRU.

Thursday&#39;s action blocks all property of those targeted that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits American citizens from engaging in transactions with them.&nbsp;

The Treasury Department said the sanctions were also meant to counter destructive cyber attacks including the NotPetya attack that cost billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the United States. The United States and Britain last month attributed that attack to the Russian military.&nbsp;

Mueller&#39;s indictment stated that Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages, traveled to the United States to collect intelligence and staged political rallies while posing as Americans.

 
Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, which nearly unanimously passed a new sanctions bill against Russia last summer, had criticized Trump for not punishing Moscow. The Trump administration in January did not announce sanctions against Russia, for now, under the new law.&nbsp;

Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the new sanctions as an important step. &quot;But more must be done,&quot; Royce said in a statement, promising that his committee would &quot;keep pushing to counter Russian aggression.&quot;

The Treasury Department said it would keep pressure on Russia for its ongoing efforts to destabilize Ukraine and occupy the Crimea region, as well as corruption and human rights abuses.

Under pressure to act, the Trump administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian govt officials and oligarchs, those closest to Putin.

The United States on Thursday took its most notable action against Russia since Donald Trump became president, slapping sanctions on a group of Russian individuals and entities, including Moscow's intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 US election and malicious cyber attacks. Under pressure to act, the administration still deferred making a move targeting Russian government officials and oligarchs, those closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thursday's announcement marked the first time that the US government stated publicly that Russia had attempted to break into the American energy grid, which US security officials have longed warned may be vulnerable to debilitating cyber attacks from hostile adversaries. Trump has faced fierce criticism in the United States for doing too little to punish Russia for the election meddling and other actions, and a special counsel is looking into whether Trump's campaign colluded with the Russians, an allegation the president denies. Combined with the United States joining Britain in blaming Moscow for poisoning a former Russian spy in southern England, the actions represented another plunge in U.S.-Russian relations despite Trump's stated desire for improved ties. "The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyber-attacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in announcing the new sanctions. Trump has frequently questioned a January 2017 finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign using hacking and propaganda in an effort eventually aimed at tilting the race in Trump's favor. Russia denies interfering in the election. But Mnuchin was unequivocal in saying that Thursday's Treasury action "counters Russia's continuing destabilizing activities, ranging from interference in the 2016 election to conducting destructive cyber-attacks." A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump, who campaigned on warmer ties with Putin, has grown exasperated with Russian activity. The Treasury Department aimed the sanctions at 19 Russian individuals and five groups. Sixteen of the Russian individuals and entities sanctioned were indicted on Feb. 16 as part of Mueller's criminal investigation. While Trump has frequently called the Russia probe a "witch hunt," the new sanctions appear to affirm Mueller's investigative strategy. Trump told reporters during a White House event with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that "it certainly looks like the Russians were behind" the use of a nerve agent to attack Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent in England. Trump called it "something that should never, ever happen, and we're taking it very seriously, as I think are many others." Russian government hackers since at least March 2016 "have also targeted U.S. government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors," a Treasury Department statement said. A senior administration told reporters on a conference call that Russian actors infiltrated parts of the U.S. energy sector. "We were able to identify where they were located within those business systems and remove them from those business systems," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES' Mnuchin said there would be additional sanctions against Russian government officials and oligarchs "for their destabilizing activities." Mnuchin did not give a time frame for those sanctions, which he said would sever the individuals' access to the U.S. financial system. The new sanctions also include Russian intelligence services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and six individuals working on behalf of the GRU. Thursday's action blocks all property of those targeted that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits American citizens from engaging in transactions with them. The Treasury Department said the sanctions were also meant to counter destructive cyber attacks including the NotPetya attack that cost billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the United States. The United States and Britain last month attributed that attack to the Russian military. Mueller's indictment stated that Russians adopted false online personas to push divisive messages, traveled to the United States to collect intelligence and staged political rallies while posing as Americans. Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, which nearly unanimously passed a new sanctions bill against Russia last summer, had criticized Trump for not punishing Moscow. The Trump administration in January did not announce sanctions against Russia, for now, under the new law. Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the new sanctions as an important step. "But more must be done," Royce said in a statement, promising that his committee would "keep pushing to counter Russian aggression." The Treasury Department said it would keep pressure on Russia for its ongoing efforts to destabilize Ukraine and occupy the Crimea region, as well as corruption and human rights abuses.

US hits Russians with sanctions for election meddling, cyber attacks

Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;has hired a lawyer to represent him in Russia-related investigations, his office and the lawyer said on Monday, as Republicans voiced concern about a meeting between the US&nbsp;president&#39;s son and a Russian.

Trump Jr&nbsp;hired New York lawyer Alan Futerfas, who specializes in criminal defence.

Futerfas would not say when he was retained or whether he played any part in the statements Trump Jr&nbsp;made over the weekend about a meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Trump Jr&nbsp;met the Russian, Natalia Veselnitskaya, in June 2016, during the presidential election campaign, at Trump Tower in New York.

He has said he agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, described by the New York Times as having links to the Kremlin, after being promised damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trump&#39;s then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, also attended, the Times said. It called the encounter the first confirmed private meeting of members of Donald Trump&#39;s inner circle with a Russian national during the campaign.

Congressional committees and a federal special counsel, Robert Mueller, are investigating whether Russia interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign.

Moscow denies interfering, and Trump, who became president on January&nbsp;20, says there was no collusion.

Futerfas told Reuters: &ldquo;I look forward to assisting Donald Jr&nbsp;and, quite frankly, there is nothing to all of the media buzz about the June 9th, 2016 meeting. That will be proven to be the case.&rdquo;

A Republican member of the US&nbsp;Senate Intelligence Committee, Susan Collins, called on Trump Jr. to testify before the panel, which is looking into accusations of Russian meddling in the election.

&quot;Our intelligence committee needs to interview him and others who attended the meeting,&quot; Senator Susan Collins told reporters at the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the panel &quot;absolutely&quot; wants to speak to Trump Jr. about the meeting. Warner said he and the Republican committee chairman, Richard Burr, will decide later whether to ask Trump Jr. to testify in public or in a classified setting.

&quot;Rest assured, Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;will be someone that we&#39;ll want to talk to,&quot; Warner told reporters outside his Senate office.

Allegations of the Trump campaign&#39;s ties to Russia have cast a shadow over the Republican president&#39;s first months in office.

&nbsp;

White House defends meeting

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said there was nothing inappropriate about the meeting with lawyer Veselnitskaya. &quot;Don Junior took a very short meeting from which there was absolutely no follow-up,&quot; Sanders told reporters.

But Republican Senator Pat Toomey said it was not appropriate for presidential campaigns to solicit or accept negative information about a rival from a Russian.

&quot;It encourages countries to come in and undermine our democratic process. And these countries have great capabilities to do that sort of thing,&quot; he told MSNBC. &nbsp;

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that the Kremlin did not know the identity of the Russian lawyer.

&quot;No, we don&#39;t know who it is and, certainly, we cannot track down all movements of all Russian lawyers both within Russia and abroad,&quot; Peskov said.

A publicist who arranged the meeting with the lawyer last year said he did so at the request of singer and businessman Emin Agalarov, a Moscow-based client of his. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

US President Donald Trump's eldest son admitted to meeting a Russian lawyer to get damaging information on Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump Jr has hired a lawyer to represent him in Russia-related investigations, his office and the lawyer said on Monday, as Republicans voiced concern about a meeting between the US president's son and a Russian. Trump Jr hired New York lawyer Alan Futerfas, who specializes in criminal defence. Futerfas would not say when he was retained or whether he played any part in the statements Trump Jr made over the weekend about a meeting with a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr met the Russian, Natalia Veselnitskaya, in June 2016, during the presidential election campaign, at Trump Tower in New York. He has said he agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, described by the New York Times as having links to the Kremlin, after being promised damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trump's then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, also attended, the Times said. It called the encounter the first confirmed private meeting of members of Donald Trump's inner circle with a Russian national during the campaign. Congressional committees and a federal special counsel, Robert Mueller, are investigating whether Russia interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign. Moscow denies interfering, and Trump, who became president on January 20, says there was no collusion. Futerfas told Reuters: “I look forward to assisting Donald Jr and, quite frankly, there is nothing to all of the media buzz about the June 9th, 2016 meeting. That will be proven to be the case.” A Republican member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, Susan Collins, called on Trump Jr. to testify before the panel, which is looking into accusations of Russian meddling in the election. "Our intelligence committee needs to interview him and others who attended the meeting," Senator Susan Collins told reporters at the US Capitol. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the panel "absolutely" wants to speak to Trump Jr. about the meeting. Warner said he and the Republican committee chairman, Richard Burr, will decide later whether to ask Trump Jr. to testify in public or in a classified setting. "Rest assured, Donald Trump Jr will be someone that we'll want to talk to," Warner told reporters outside his Senate office. Allegations of the Trump campaign's ties to Russia have cast a shadow over the Republican president's first months in office. White House defends meeting White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said there was nothing inappropriate about the meeting with lawyer Veselnitskaya. "Don Junior took a very short meeting from which there was absolutely no follow-up," Sanders told reporters. But Republican Senator Pat Toomey said it was not appropriate for presidential campaigns to solicit or accept negative information about a rival from a Russian. "It encourages countries to come in and undermine our democratic process. And these countries have great capabilities to do that sort of thing," he told MSNBC. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that the Kremlin did not know the identity of the Russian lawyer. "No, we don't know who it is and, certainly, we cannot track down all movements of all Russian lawyers both within Russia and abroad," Peskov said. A publicist who arranged the meeting with the lawyer last year said he did so at the request of singer and businessman Emin Agalarov, a Moscow-based client of his.

Trump Jr hires lawyer for Russia probes, admits meeting Russian to get dirt on Clinton

President Donald Trump called his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a &quot;high-quality person&quot; on Tuesday after disclosures about the latter&#39;s meeting last year with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have information incriminating Trump&#39;s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

&quot;My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency,&quot; Trump said in a brief statement read to reporters by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

Sanders told reporters that all other questions on the matter should be referred to either his son&#39;s lawyer or the president&#39;s outside counsel.

Earlier on Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. posted on Twitter a chain of emails between himself and Rob Goldstone, a publicist who helped to arrange the June 9, 2016, meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, who says she is a private lawyer and denies having Kremlin ties.

&quot;If it&#39;s what you say I love it especially later in the summer,&quot; Trump Jr. replied in the email exchange after Goldstone said the information offered was &quot;part of Russia and its government&#39;s support for Mr. Trump.&quot;

The disclosures could provide ammunition for U.S. investigators probing whether there was collusion between the Kremlin and Trump&rsquo;s Republican presidential campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to hurt Clinton and help Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Sanders said Trump was &quot;frustrated&quot; by the focus on Russia.

&quot;The president is, I would say, frustrated with the process of the fact that this continues to be an issue, and he would love for us to be focused on things like ... the economy, on healthcare, on tax reform, on infrastructure,&quot; Sanders said.

Asked about the fact that the words &quot;perjury&quot; and &quot;treason&quot; were now being used in the public conversation about the Trump campaign&#39;s contacts with Russians, Sanders said, &quot;I think those new words are ridiculous.&quot;

Donald Trump Jr. posted on Twitter a chain of emails between himself and Rob Goldstone, a publicist who helped to arrange the June 9, 2016, meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya

President Donald Trump called his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a "high-quality person" on Tuesday after disclosures about the latter's meeting last year with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have information incriminating Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. "My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency," Trump said in a brief statement read to reporters by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Sanders told reporters that all other questions on the matter should be referred to either his son's lawyer or the president's outside counsel. Earlier on Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. posted on Twitter a chain of emails between himself and Rob Goldstone, a publicist who helped to arrange the June 9, 2016, meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, who says she is a private lawyer and denies having Kremlin ties. "If it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer," Trump Jr. replied in the email exchange after Goldstone said the information offered was "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." The disclosures could provide ammunition for U.S. investigators probing whether there was collusion between the Kremlin and Trump’s Republican presidential campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to hurt Clinton and help Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Sanders said Trump was "frustrated" by the focus on Russia. "The president is, I would say, frustrated with the process of the fact that this continues to be an issue, and he would love for us to be focused on things like ... the economy, on healthcare, on tax reform, on infrastructure," Sanders said. Asked about the fact that the words "perjury" and "treason" were now being used in the public conversation about the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians, Sanders said, "I think those new words are ridiculous."

Trump calls son 'high-quality person', 'applauds' his 'transparency'

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