<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-new-york-times-pays-homage-by-filling-entire-front-page-with-names-of-coronavirus-victims-300669" hreflang="en">The New York Times pays homage by filling entire front page with names of coronavirus victims</a>

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The newspaper will name 1,000 deaths, that is equal to 1 per cent of total casualties in the United States.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-new-york-times-pays-homage-by-filling-entire-front-page-with-names-of-coronavirus-victims-300669">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-records-1127-coronavirus-deaths-in-24-hours-johns-hopkins-300667" hreflang="en">US records 1,127 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins</a>

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The global number of novel coronavirus cases has passed 5.25 million with more than 339,000 deaths, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT Saturday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-records-1127-coronavirus-deaths-in-24-hours-johns-hopkins-300667">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-discusses-new-policies-for-increasing-nuclear-war-deterrence-report-300671" hreflang="en">North Korea discusses new policies for increasing 'nuclear war deterrence': Report</a>

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Discussions at the Central Military Commission meeting also centred on "putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation" in line with the "building and development of the armed force <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-discusses-new-policies-for-increasing-nuclear-war-deterrence-report-300671">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxfords-covid-19-vaccine-trial-has-50-chance-of-success-says-project-leader-300677" hreflang="en">Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine trial has 50% chance of success, says project leader</a>

The University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine trial has only a 50% chance of success, said Adrian Hill, director of Oxford's Jenner Institute, which has teamed up with drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc to develop the vaccine. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxfords-covid-19-vaccine-trial-has-50-chance-of-success-says-project-leader-300677">READ MORE</a>

WATCH|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/dominic-cummings-broke-lockdown-rules-defended-by-boris-johnson-300672" hreflang="en">Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules; Defended by Boris Johnson</a>

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The New York Times pays homage by filling entire front page with names of coronavirus victims The newspaper will name 1,000 deaths, that is equal to 1 per cent of total casualties in the United States.

The New York Times pays homage by filling entire front page with names of coronavirus victims The newspaper will name 1,000 deaths, that is equal to 1 per cent of total casualties in the United States. READ MORE US records 1,127 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins The global number of novel coronavirus cases has passed 5.25 million with more than 339,000 deaths, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT Saturday. READ MORE North Korea discusses new policies for increasing 'nuclear war deterrence': Report Discussions at the Central Military Commission meeting also centred on "putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation" in line with the "building and development of the armed force READ MORE Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine trial has 50% chance of success, says project leader The University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine trial has only a 50% chance of success, said Adrian Hill, director of Oxford's Jenner Institute, which has teamed up with drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc to develop the vaccine. READ MORE WATCH| Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules; Defended by Boris Johnson ×

Morning News Brief: US coronavirus cases, the New York Times pay homage to deceased, and more

April 8 in history: Times Square renamed, first Hispanic woman in space and more

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign said on Wednesday that it had filed a libel suit against New York Times, accusing it of intentionally publishing false and defamatory opinion piece which claimed Trump's "overarching deal" with Russia in the 2016 elections.

Responding to the questions on the suit during White House press conference, Trump said that the news organisation "got a lot wrong over the last number of years".&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-asks-new-york-times-to-disclose-sources-that-us-is-ramping-up-cyber-attacks-on-russia-228519">Donald Trump asks New York Times to disclose sources that US is ramping up cyber attacks on Russia</a>

"If you read it, you'll see it's beyond an opinion. That's not an opinion. That's something much more than an opinion. They did a bad thing. And there'll be more coming."

The lawsuit is on the opinion published in the New York Times on March 27, 2017 by Max Frankel, with a headline: "The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo”. A subhead from the opinion piece said: "The campaign and the Kremlin had an overarching deal: help beat Hillary Clinton for a new pro-Russian foreign policy."&nbsp;

The opinion added: “Collusion – or a lack of it – turns out to have been the rhetorical trap that ensnared President Trump’s pursuers.”

“There was no need for detailed electoral collusion between the Trump campaign and Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy because they had an overarching deal: the quid of help in the campaign against Hillary Clinton for the quo of a new pro-Russian foreign policy, starting with relief from the Obama administration’s burdensome economic sanctions. The Trumpites knew about the quid and held out the prospect of the quo.”

The New York Times knowingly "published false and defamatory statements" against Trump, the draft copy of the suit said. &nbsp;

"The Times' own previous reporting had confirmed the falsity of these statements. But The Times published these statements anyway, knowing them to be false, and knowing it would misinform and mislead its own readers," it said, blaming the media organisation's "extreme bias against and animosity toward the campaign", and "exuberance to improperly influence the presidential election in November 2020".&nbsp;

Replying to the suit, a New York Times spokesperson said: "The Trump campaign has turned to the courts to try to punish an opinion writer for having an opinion they find unacceptable. Fortunately, the law protects the right of Americans to express their judgements and conclusions, especially about events of public importance. We look forward to vindicating that right in this case."

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign said on Wednesday that it had filed a libel suit against New York Times, accusing it of intentionally publishing false and defamatory opinion piece which claimed Trump's "overarching deal" with Russia in the 2016 elections.

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign said on Wednesday that it had filed a libel suit against New York Times, accusing it of intentionally publishing false and defamatory opinion piece which claimed Trump's "overarching deal" with Russia in the 2016 elections. Responding to the questions on the suit during White House press conference, Trump said that the news organisation "got a lot wrong over the last number of years". Also read: Donald Trump asks New York Times to disclose sources that US is ramping up cyber attacks on Russia "If you read it, you'll see it's beyond an opinion. That's not an opinion. That's something much more than an opinion. They did a bad thing. And there'll be more coming." The lawsuit is on the opinion published in the New York Times on March 27, 2017 by Max Frankel, with a headline: "The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo”. A subhead from the opinion piece said: "The campaign and the Kremlin had an overarching deal: help beat Hillary Clinton for a new pro-Russian foreign policy." The opinion added: “Collusion – or a lack of it – turns out to have been the rhetorical trap that ensnared President Trump’s pursuers.” “There was no need for detailed electoral collusion between the Trump campaign and Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy because they had an overarching deal: the quid of help in the campaign against Hillary Clinton for the quo of a new pro-Russian foreign policy, starting with relief from the Obama administration’s burdensome economic sanctions. The Trumpites knew about the quid and held out the prospect of the quo.” The New York Times knowingly "published false and defamatory statements" against Trump, the draft copy of the suit said. "The Times' own previous reporting had confirmed the falsity of these statements. But The Times published these statements anyway, knowing them to be false, and knowing it would misinform and mislead its own readers," it said, blaming the media organisation's "extreme bias against and animosity toward the campaign", and "exuberance to improperly influence the presidential election in November 2020". Replying to the suit, a New York Times spokesperson said: "The Trump campaign has turned to the courts to try to punish an opinion writer for having an opinion they find unacceptable. Fortunately, the law protects the right of Americans to express their judgements and conclusions, especially about events of public importance. We look forward to vindicating that right in this case."

Trump campaign sues New York Times over Russia opinion piece

A trove of leaked Chinese government documents reveals details of its clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country's western Xinjiang region under President Xi Jinping, the New York Times reported on Saturday. WION speaks to Dr. Halmurat Uyghur, President of Uyghuraid for more clarity on this.

China's Uighur 400+ documents leaked, leak reveals details of Xinjiang clampdown

President Donald Trump doesn't like what he reads in two of America's biggest newspapers, The New York Times and Washington Post, so he won't be getting them any longer.

"We did not renew our subscription, that is correct. This will be a significant cost savings to taxpayers," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told AFP.

Trump on Monday had told Fox News, the television network that he watches daily and relies on for largely friendly coverage,&nbsp;that he didn't want to get the papers because they are "fake."

Grisham also told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the White House plans to require all federal agencies to cancel their subscriptions to the two newspapers.

"I have no doubt the hardworking reporters of The New York Times and Washington Post will continue to do quality journalism regardless of whether the president acknowledges he reads them," White House Correspondents' Association president Jonathan Karl told the WSJ.

"Pretending to ignore the work of a free press won't make the news go away, or stop reporters from informing the public and holding those in power accountable," he added.

The Times and particularly the Post are not the biggest newspapers by circulation, but they have an outsized influence in national politics and especially in coverage of the White House.

President Donald Trump doesn't like what he reads in two of America's biggest newspapers, The New York Times and Washington Post, so he won't be getting them any longer.

President Donald Trump doesn't like what he reads in two of America's biggest newspapers, The New York Times and Washington Post, so he won't be getting them any longer. "We did not renew our subscription, that is correct. This will be a significant cost savings to taxpayers," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told AFP. Trump on Monday had told Fox News, the television network that he watches daily and relies on for largely friendly coverage, that he didn't want to get the papers because they are "fake." Grisham also told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the White House plans to require all federal agencies to cancel their subscriptions to the two newspapers. "I have no doubt the hardworking reporters of The New York Times and Washington Post will continue to do quality journalism regardless of whether the president acknowledges he reads them," White House Correspondents' Association president Jonathan Karl told the WSJ. "Pretending to ignore the work of a free press won't make the news go away, or stop reporters from informing the public and holding those in power accountable," he added. The Times and particularly the Post are not the biggest newspapers by circulation, but they have an outsized influence in national politics and especially in coverage of the White House.

Didn't renew our subscription! Trump cancels America's biggest newspapers

The article on 9/11 attacks by the New York times fails to mention Terrorism.

New York Times Blames Airplanes for 9/11 attacks

One again Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan makes Pakistan look like a cavalier. Earlier Imran Khan threatened nuclear war in an article of the New York Times. Now he said in Pakistani Parliament that Pakistan won't use nuclear bomb first.

WION Dispatch: Another flip-flop by Imran Khan, ''Won't use nuclear bomb first''

Michael Phelps paid tribute to Hungarian teenager Kristof Milak's "beautiful technique" after he took down the American legend's long-standing 200 metres butterfly record at the world championships in South Korea.

Phelps described Milak's time of one minute, 50.73 seconds in Gwangju as "incredible", although he admitted his astonishment was tinged with sadness at losing a world record which had stood since 2009.

"As frustrated as I am to see that record go down, I couldn't be happier to see how he did it," Phelps told the New York Times.

"That kid's last 100 was incredible. He put together a great 200 fly from start to finish."

The 19-year-old Milak sliced a whopping 0.78 seconds off Phelps's previous world best, which was achieved during the bodysuit era, after flirting with the record for much of the past season.

"It happened because there was a kid who wanted to do it, who dreamed of doing it, who figured out what it would take to do it," said Phelps, who had a special fondness for the 200m fly.

"(He) worked on his technique until it was beautiful and put in the really, really hard work that it takes to do it - my hat's off to him."

Milak became the first swimmer to go under 1:51 minutes, while his winning margin was, remarkably, more than three seconds as Japan's Daiya Seto finished a distant second and the South African Chad le Clos third.

Le Clos, who famously beat Phelps in the 2012 London Olympic final, shrugged: "Kristof is in another league - he's a hell of a lot faster than all of us."

Milak said he was "honoured" to break a world record held by Phelps, who he had worshipped growing up and watched videos of to polish his technique.

"I wasn't expecting to break the record," he admitted. "But if you put in the hard work, good things happen and I was ready. I just tried to block everything out and find a good rhythm."

Michael Phelps paid tribute to Hungarian teenager Kristof Milak's "beautiful technique" after he took down the American legend's long-standing 200 metres butterfly record at the world championships in South Korea.

Michael Phelps paid tribute to Hungarian teenager Kristof Milak's "beautiful technique" after he took down the American legend's long-standing 200 metres butterfly record at the world championships in South Korea. Phelps described Milak's time of one minute, 50.73 seconds in Gwangju as "incredible", although he admitted his astonishment was tinged with sadness at losing a world record which had stood since 2009. "As frustrated as I am to see that record go down, I couldn't be happier to see how he did it," Phelps told the New York Times. "That kid's last 100 was incredible. He put together a great 200 fly from start to finish." The 19-year-old Milak sliced a whopping 0.78 seconds off Phelps's previous world best, which was achieved during the bodysuit era, after flirting with the record for much of the past season. "It happened because there was a kid who wanted to do it, who dreamed of doing it, who figured out what it would take to do it," said Phelps, who had a special fondness for the 200m fly. "(He) worked on his technique until it was beautiful and put in the really, really hard work that it takes to do it - my hat's off to him." Milak became the first swimmer to go under 1:51 minutes, while his winning margin was, remarkably, more than three seconds as Japan's Daiya Seto finished a distant second and the South African Chad le Clos third. Le Clos, who famously beat Phelps in the 2012 London Olympic final, shrugged: "Kristof is in another league - he's a hell of a lot faster than all of us." Milak said he was "honoured" to break a world record held by Phelps, who he had worshipped growing up and watched videos of to polish his technique. "I wasn't expecting to break the record," he admitted. "But if you put in the hard work, good things happen and I was ready. I just tried to block everything out and find a good rhythm."

Phelps hails 'incredible' Hungarian teenager Milak after losing world record

US semiconductor firm <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bills-targeting-chinas-huawei-and-zte-190862">Micron Technology</a> said Tuesday it has resumed some sales to Chinese technology giant Huawei despite a ban imposed by President Donald Trump on national security grounds.

The comments from Micron came as the New York Times reported that some American firms have found ways to get around the sanctions on Huawei.

Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of Micron, said a company review determined "that we could lawfully resume shipping a subset of current products" not affected by the export restrictions.

"We have started shipping some orders of those products to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-willing-to-sign-no-spy-agreement-with-us-government-chairman-224403">Huawei</a> in the last two weeks," he said.

"However, there are considerable ongoing uncertainties surrounding the Huawei situation and we are unable to predict the volumes or time periods over which we will be able to ship products to Huawei."

The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, said US chip makers and others have found ways to continue sales, getting around the sanctions by selling goods made outside the United States.

According to the report, the products made by American companies overseas are considered exempt from the prohibition, which could allow Huawei to continue to sell products such as smartphones and servers.

The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

John Neuffer of the Semiconductor Industry Association, a US-based trade group, said in a statement last week that its members "are committed to rigorous compliance" with the sanctions, but noted that "it is now clear some items may be supplied to Huawei" based on the current legal framework.

"Each company is impacted differently based on their specific products and supply chains, and each company must evaluate how best to conduct its business and remain in compliance," Neuffer said.

Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said earlier this month that its overseas smartphone sales had fallen by up to 40 per cent as a result of the ban.

Trump's administration has essentially banned Huawei from the huge US market.

Last month it also added Huawei to an "entity list" of companies barred from receiving US-made components without permission from Washington.

The lack of access to certain technology such as the Google Android system and chip design from British-based ARM Holdings could be crippling for Huawei, which last year was the number two smartphone producer.

The US fears that systems made by Huawei could be used by China's government for espionage via secret security "back doors" built into telecom networking equipment, allegations that the company vigorously denied.

US semiconductor firm Micron Technology said Tuesday it has resumed some sales to Chinese technology giant Huawei despite a ban imposed by President Donald Trump on national security grounds.

US semiconductor firm Micron Technology said Tuesday it has resumed some sales to Chinese technology giant Huawei despite a ban imposed by President Donald Trump on national security grounds. The comments from Micron came as the New York Times reported that some American firms have found ways to get around the sanctions on Huawei. Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of Micron, said a company review determined "that we could lawfully resume shipping a subset of current products" not affected by the export restrictions. "We have started shipping some orders of those products to Huawei in the last two weeks," he said. "However, there are considerable ongoing uncertainties surrounding the Huawei situation and we are unable to predict the volumes or time periods over which we will be able to ship products to Huawei." The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, said US chip makers and others have found ways to continue sales, getting around the sanctions by selling goods made outside the United States. According to the report, the products made by American companies overseas are considered exempt from the prohibition, which could allow Huawei to continue to sell products such as smartphones and servers. The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. John Neuffer of the Semiconductor Industry Association, a US-based trade group, said in a statement last week that its members "are committed to rigorous compliance" with the sanctions, but noted that "it is now clear some items may be supplied to Huawei" based on the current legal framework. "Each company is impacted differently based on their specific products and supply chains, and each company must evaluate how best to conduct its business and remain in compliance," Neuffer said. Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said earlier this month that its overseas smartphone sales had fallen by up to 40 per cent as a result of the ban. Trump's administration has essentially banned Huawei from the huge US market. Last month it also added Huawei to an "entity list" of companies barred from receiving US-made components without permission from Washington. The lack of access to certain technology such as the Google Android system and chip design from British-based ARM Holdings could be crippling for Huawei, which last year was the number two smartphone producer. The US fears that systems made by Huawei could be used by China's government for espionage via secret security "back doors" built into telecom networking equipment, allegations that the company vigorously denied.

United States chip firm says it can 'lawfully' sell some items to Huawei

US President Donald Trump has asked The New York Times to disclose its sources behind the report that claimed that his government was ramping up cyber attacks on Russia's electric power grid as a sign of warning to President Vladimir Putin.

"The story in the @nytimes about the U.S. escalating attacks on Russia's power grid is Fake News, and the Failing New York Times knows it. They should immediately release their sources which, if they exist at all, which I doubt, are phoney. Times must be held fully accountable!" Trump wrote on his official Twitter handle on Monday (local time).

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The story in the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> about the U.S. escalating attacks on Russia’s power grid is Fake News, and the Failing New York Times knows it. They should immediately release their sources which, if they exist at all, which I doubt, are phony. Times must be held fully accountable!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1140804748423118848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Citing unofficial sources, The New York Times report claimed that the US has placed a malware inside the Russian systems operating the nation's power grid so as to conduct cyber attacks if a conflict arises between the two countries in the future.

"Two administration officials said they believed Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place "implants" — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid," said the report.

"Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister," it added.

Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton had recently said that the US was now taking a broader view of the potential digital targets as part of an effort "to say to Russia, or anybody else that's engaged in cyberoperations against us, 'You will pay a price."

In a couple of tweets on Saturday, the US President had refuted these claims and deemed the article a "virtual act of treason" written without "the slightest thought of consequence."

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Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1140065300186128384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The report adds that Trump himself has not been briefed about the details of the "implants" inside the Russian grid, in fear that he might countermand the operation or discuss it with the foreign officials

US President Donald Trump has asked The New York Times to disclose its sources behind the report that claimed that his government was ramping up cyber attacks on Russia's electric power grid as a sign of warning to President Vladimir Putin.

US President Donald Trump has asked The New York Times to disclose its sources behind the report that claimed that his government was ramping up cyber attacks on Russia's electric power grid as a sign of warning to President Vladimir Putin. "The story in the @nytimes about the U.S. escalating attacks on Russia's power grid is Fake News, and the Failing New York Times knows it. They should immediately release their sources which, if they exist at all, which I doubt, are phoney. Times must be held fully accountable!" Trump wrote on his official Twitter handle on Monday (local time). The story in the @nytimes about the U.S. escalating attacks on Russia’s power grid is Fake News, and the Failing New York Times knows it. They should immediately release their sources which, if they exist at all, which I doubt, are phony. Times must be held fully accountable! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019 × Citing unofficial sources, The New York Times report claimed that the US has placed a malware inside the Russian systems operating the nation's power grid so as to conduct cyber attacks if a conflict arises between the two countries in the future. "Two administration officials said they believed Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place "implants" — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid," said the report. "Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister," it added. Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton had recently said that the US was now taking a broader view of the potential digital targets as part of an effort "to say to Russia, or anybody else that's engaged in cyberoperations against us, 'You will pay a price." In a couple of tweets on Saturday, the US President had refuted these claims and deemed the article a "virtual act of treason" written without "the slightest thought of consequence." Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2019 × The report adds that Trump himself has not been briefed about the details of the "implants" inside the Russian grid, in fear that he might countermand the operation or discuss it with the foreign officials

Donald Trump asks New York Times to disclose sources that US is ramping up cyber attacks on Russia

The New York Times will no longer be publishing political cartoons following the uproar surrounding an anti-Semitic depiction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a political cartoonist whose work was featured in the paper.

New York Times to stop publishing political cartoons

The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were awarded Pulitzer Prizes on Tuesday for their separate investigations of President Donald Trump and his family.

The Times won the prestigious journalism award for a probe of the Trump family's finances that "debunked his claims of self-made wealth and revealed a business empire riddled with tax dodges," the Pulitzer Prize Board announced during a ceremony at New York's Columbia University.

The Journal won for its coverage of Trump's secret hush money payments to two women during his 2016 presidential campaign who claimed to have had affairs with him.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel won a Pulitzer for its coverage of failings by school and law enforcement officials before and after the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was honoured for its coverage of the October 2018 shooting at a synagogue in the city that left 11 people dead. 
The Associated Press won a Pulitzer for international reporting for its coverage of the war on drugs in the Philippines.

Reuters was honoured for international reporting for its coverage of atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

In other categories, "The Overstory" by Richard Powers won the Pulitzer for fiction and "Fairview" by Jackie Sibblies Drury won the prize for drama.

Special citations were awarded to soul legend Aretha Franklin for her contributions to music and to the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper of Annapolis, Maryland, which lost five employees in a June 2018 shooting.&nbsp;

The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were awarded Pulitzer Prizes on Tuesday for their separate investigations of President Donald Trump and his family.

The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were awarded Pulitzer Prizes on Tuesday for their separate investigations of President Donald Trump and his family. The Times won the prestigious journalism award for a probe of the Trump family's finances that "debunked his claims of self-made wealth and revealed a business empire riddled with tax dodges," the Pulitzer Prize Board announced during a ceremony at New York's Columbia University. The Journal won for its coverage of Trump's secret hush money payments to two women during his 2016 presidential campaign who claimed to have had affairs with him. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel won a Pulitzer for its coverage of failings by school and law enforcement officials before and after the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was honoured for its coverage of the October 2018 shooting at a synagogue in the city that left 11 people dead. The Associated Press won a Pulitzer for international reporting for its coverage of the war on drugs in the Philippines. Reuters was honoured for international reporting for its coverage of atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. In other categories, "The Overstory" by Richard Powers won the Pulitzer for fiction and "Fairview" by Jackie Sibblies Drury won the prize for drama. Special citations were awarded to soul legend Aretha Franklin for her contributions to music and to the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper of Annapolis, Maryland, which lost five employees in a June 2018 shooting.

New York Times, Wall Street Journal win Pulitzers for Trump probes

Chinese authorities are using a vast system of facial recognition technology to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/criticising-uighur-policy-could-hit-economic-relations-china-to-turkey-200550"> track its Uighur Muslim minority</a> across the country, according to a story in the New York Times.

Beijing has already attracted widespread criticism for its<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/show-us-video-information-of-missing-relatives-activists-lash-out-at-china-196893"> treatment of Uighurs</a> in the northwest region of Xinjiang, where up to one million members of mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minority groups are held in internment camps, according to estimates cited by a UN panel.

But according to a Times article on Sunday, facial recognition technology - integrated into China’s huge networks of surveillance cameras - has been programmed to look exclusively for Uighurs based on their appearance and keep records of their movements across China.

Police are now reportedly using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to target Uighurs outside Xinjiang, including in wealthy cities like Hangzhou and Wenzhou. The newspaper claims one central city scanned whether residents were Uighurs 500,000 times in one month alone.

Beijing announced a plan in 2017 to become the world leader in the AI industry. But there have been concerns in the international community that new smart technology is being used for heavy police surveillance in recent years after violent inter-ethnic tensions.

The Times cites experts who say this is the first known example of a government intentionally using AI for racial profiling, with appetite for the new systems growing in cities across the country.

In the central province of Shaanxi, authorities reportedly "aimed to acquire a smart camera system last year that 'should support facial recognition to identify Uighur/non-Uighur attributes'."

The Times says China's Ministry of Public Security did not respond to a faxed request for comment.

China denies the accounts of mass detention in Xinjiang, saying it is running educational training centres as part of a fight against Islamic extremism in the region.

Chinese authorities are using a vast system of facial recognition technology to track its Uighur Muslim minority across the country, according to a story in the New York Times.

Chinese authorities are using a vast system of facial recognition technology to track its Uighur Muslim minority across the country, according to a story in the New York Times. Beijing has already attracted widespread criticism for its treatment of Uighurs in the northwest region of Xinjiang, where up to one million members of mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minority groups are held in internment camps, according to estimates cited by a UN panel. But according to a Times article on Sunday, facial recognition technology - integrated into China’s huge networks of surveillance cameras - has been programmed to look exclusively for Uighurs based on their appearance and keep records of their movements across China. Police are now reportedly using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to target Uighurs outside Xinjiang, including in wealthy cities like Hangzhou and Wenzhou. The newspaper claims one central city scanned whether residents were Uighurs 500,000 times in one month alone. Beijing announced a plan in 2017 to become the world leader in the AI industry. But there have been concerns in the international community that new smart technology is being used for heavy police surveillance in recent years after violent inter-ethnic tensions. The Times cites experts who say this is the first known example of a government intentionally using AI for racial profiling, with appetite for the new systems growing in cities across the country. In the central province of Shaanxi, authorities reportedly "aimed to acquire a smart camera system last year that 'should support facial recognition to identify Uighur/non-Uighur attributes'." The Times says China's Ministry of Public Security did not respond to a faxed request for comment. China denies the accounts of mass detention in Xinjiang, saying it is running educational training centres as part of a fight against Islamic extremism in the region.

China using AI to identify Uighurs across the country: Reports

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-built-on-love-harmony-brotherhood-priyanka-gandhi-at-her-first-rally-202902">Country</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-built-on-love-harmony-brotherhood-priyanka-gandhi-at-her-first-rally-202902"> built on love, harmony &amp; brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally&nbsp;</a>

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood." She added that "today, whatever is happening in the country is very sad."&nbsp;

The rally is being seen as the Congress kicking off its campaign for the general elections which will be held from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862">Lok Sabha polls: No 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh as Mayawati rules out </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862">tie-up</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862"> with Congress in any state</a>

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
"It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-should-not-be-impeached-unless-reasons-are-overwhelming-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-202904">Trump should not be impeached unless reasons are 'overwhelming': Nancy Pelosi</a>

US President Donald Trump should not be impeached unless the reasons are overwhelming and bipartisan, given how divisive it would be for the country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Washington Post interview published on Monday.

"I’m not for impeachment," Pelosi, the top US Democrat, said in the interview, which was conducted last week.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/consumer-inflation-rises-to-257-in-february-government-data-202903">Retail inflation up to 2.57% in February: Government data</a>

Consumer inflation in the month of February rose to 2.57 per cent, government data revealed on Tuesday. Consumer inflation was revised to 1.97 per cent in January this year from 2.05 per cent.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/the-new-york-times-faces-backlash-for-missplelling-pm-modis-name-calling-pulwama-terror-attack-an-explosion-202885">New York Times faces backlash for calling Pulwama terror attack an 'explosion', misspelling PM Modi's name</a>

The New York Times, a leading American daily, raked controversy on Monday after it referred to Pulwama terror attack as an "explosion". Twitterati didn't spare a second to troll the US media giant with some even asking if the 9/11 terror attack was an airplane crash if Pulwama bombing was an "explosion".&nbsp;

The "explosion" bit wasn't the only folly exhibited in the NYT tweet. Its post on a story on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls had the Prime Minister's name spelt wrongly as "Narandra Modi".&nbsp;

Country built on love, harmony & brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood.

Country built on love, harmony & brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood." She added that "today, whatever is happening in the country is very sad." The rally is being seen as the Congress kicking off its campaign for the general elections which will be held from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23. Lok Sabha polls: No 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh as Mayawati rules out tie-up with Congress in any state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month. "It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said. Trump should not be impeached unless reasons are 'overwhelming': Nancy Pelosi US President Donald Trump should not be impeached unless the reasons are overwhelming and bipartisan, given how divisive it would be for the country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Washington Post interview published on Monday. "I’m not for impeachment," Pelosi, the top US Democrat, said in the interview, which was conducted last week. Retail inflation up to 2.57% in February: Government data Consumer inflation in the month of February rose to 2.57 per cent, government data revealed on Tuesday. Consumer inflation was revised to 1.97 per cent in January this year from 2.05 per cent. New York Times faces backlash for calling Pulwama terror attack an 'explosion', misspelling PM Modi's name The New York Times, a leading American daily, raked controversy on Monday after it referred to Pulwama terror attack as an "explosion". Twitterati didn't spare a second to troll the US media giant with some even asking if the 9/11 terror attack was an airplane crash if Pulwama bombing was an "explosion". The "explosion" bit wasn't the only folly exhibited in the NYT tweet. Its post on a story on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls had the Prime Minister's name spelt wrongly as "Narandra Modi".

News brief: Big stories of the day

New York Times calls Pulwama attack an 'explosion'

North Korea running secret missile programme: New York Times

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents.

The documents were created with Kushner's cooperation as part of a review of his finances by an institution that was considering lending him money, the Times reported. The Times said that Kushner's tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income.

The Times report said that nothing in the documents reviewed "suggests Mr. Kushner or his company broke the law."

Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer Abbe Lowell, told Reuters on Saturday that he would not respond to the newspaper's assumptions, which he said were "taken from incomplete documents obtained in violation of the law and standard business confidentiality agreements."

He added, "Always following the advice of numerous attorneys and accountants, Mr. Kushner properly filed and paid all taxes due under the law and regulations."

The records reviewed by The New York Times did not expressly state how much Kushner paid in taxes, but included estimates for how much he owed called “income taxes payable” — and how much Kushner paid in expectation of forecasted taxes known as “prepaid taxes." The paper said that for most of the years covered, both were listed as zero, but in 2013 Kushner reported income taxes payable of $1.1 million.

Kushner Cos, the family company for which Kushner previously served as chief executive, has been profitable in recent years, the Times said, citing the analysis. Kushner sold his interests in the company to a family trust last year.

The White House and Kushner Cos did not immediately comment Saturday.

The newspaper noted that the 2017 tax rewrite signed by Trump includes provisions that benefit real estate investors.

Mirijanian said that on tax reform efforts, Kushner "followed his approved ethics agreement and has avoided work that would pose any conflict of interest."

In December, a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to Kushner, asking whether in his talks with foreign officials he had ever discussed financing for a deeply indebted property in midtown Manhattan, citing concern he was using his position for financial gain.

Kushner Cos said previously it had more than $2.5 billion in transactions 2017 and has 12 million square feet under development in New York and New Jersey.

Documents released by the White House in June showed Kushner held assets worth at least $181 million, the Associated Press reported. The disclosures also show that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, received at least $82 million in outside income in 2017.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents. The documents were created with Kushner's cooperation as part of a review of his finances by an institution that was considering lending him money, the Times reported. The Times said that Kushner's tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income. The Times report said that nothing in the documents reviewed "suggests Mr. Kushner or his company broke the law." Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer Abbe Lowell, told Reuters on Saturday that he would not respond to the newspaper's assumptions, which he said were "taken from incomplete documents obtained in violation of the law and standard business confidentiality agreements." He added, "Always following the advice of numerous attorneys and accountants, Mr. Kushner properly filed and paid all taxes due under the law and regulations." The records reviewed by The New York Times did not expressly state how much Kushner paid in taxes, but included estimates for how much he owed called “income taxes payable” — and how much Kushner paid in expectation of forecasted taxes known as “prepaid taxes." The paper said that for most of the years covered, both were listed as zero, but in 2013 Kushner reported income taxes payable of $1.1 million. Kushner Cos, the family company for which Kushner previously served as chief executive, has been profitable in recent years, the Times said, citing the analysis. Kushner sold his interests in the company to a family trust last year. The White House and Kushner Cos did not immediately comment Saturday. The newspaper noted that the 2017 tax rewrite signed by Trump includes provisions that benefit real estate investors. Mirijanian said that on tax reform efforts, Kushner "followed his approved ethics agreement and has avoided work that would pose any conflict of interest." In December, a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to Kushner, asking whether in his talks with foreign officials he had ever discussed financing for a deeply indebted property in midtown Manhattan, citing concern he was using his position for financial gain. Kushner Cos said previously it had more than $2.5 billion in transactions 2017 and has 12 million square feet under development in New York and New Jersey. Documents released by the White House in June showed Kushner held assets worth at least $181 million, the Associated Press reported. The disclosures also show that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, received at least $82 million in outside income in 2017.

Jared Kushner 'likely' paid little or no income taxes for years: NYT

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday shrugged off a New York Times investigation that concluded he made his fortune with the help of more than $400 million from his parents, partly through tax schemes, as a boring, rehashed "hit piece."

Trump has often boasted that he built a multi-billion dollar real estate empire from a $1 million loan from his father, Fred, himself a prominent New York builder.

But the Times reviewed more than 100,000 documents including confidential tax returns and financial records that it said showed he actually received at least $413 million in today's money, in part through schemes to avoid taxes.

"They used the concept of 'time value of money' in doing a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me," he tweeted.

"Added up, this means that 97% of their stories on me are bad. Never recovered from bad election call!"&nbsp;

Forbes magazine, meanwhile, estimated Trump's fortune at $3.1 billion -- the same as last year, but a third smaller than it was in 2015. Forbes ranked Trump's fortune at 259 in the world, down from 248 the year he was elected president.&nbsp;

The Times story said that from the time Trump was a toddler, his father funneled millions of dollars to his four children through a sham corporation to avoid gift taxes.

The Times said the records also indicate that Trump helped his father take millions more in improper tax deductions.

Father's favourite 
And he helped devise a scheme that undervalued his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars, sharply reducing taxes on those properties when they were transferred to their children, according to the paper.

A lawyer for Trump, Charles Harder, called the account "100 percent false, and highly defamatory."

"There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate," he added.

"President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters."

Addressing a press conference, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rubbished the article's main claims, but said it was right in one important aspect: Trump's business acumen.

"I will say one thing the article did get right was that it showed that the president's father had a great deal of confidence in him.

"The president brought his father into a lot of deals and they made a lot of money together. His father went on to say that everything he touched turned to gold."

Wealthy toddler 
The paper's contention that Trump was earning as much as $200,000 a year in today's money by the time he was three years old, and was the equivalent of a millionaire by the age of eight, drew considerable attention.&nbsp;

The assertion was pounced on by several late night talk show hosts, including comedian Stephen Colbert, the host of "The Late Show" on CBS.

"So, let me get this straight: At one point, Donald Trump was an extraordinarily wealthy toddler. And today? He is still that," he said.

Not everything, however, was a laughing matter: The Times said Trump's tax-hating father used various methods to funnel his wealth to his children and shield it from the Internal Revenue Service, some of which tax experts said was improper or possibly illegal.

Following the article's publication, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced it was "reviewing the allegations in the NYT article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation."

Speculation about the source of Trump's wealth has mounted since 2015, when he declared his candidacy for the nation's highest office but broke with long-standing tradition by refusing to release his tax returns.

He has been repeatedly rebuked over ethics violations for refusing to divest his assets in the Trump Organization, instead turning over control of the entity to his sons, Donald Jr and Eric.

The president also continues to stay or make use of hotels and golf clubs he owns, leading to conflict of interest allegations and multiple lawsuits.

In July, a federal judge allowed to proceed a suit accusing Trump of violating the constitution by maintaining his interest in a hotel that does business with foreign governments.

It marked the first time a court interpreted anti-corruption clauses in the constitution, known as emoluments clauses, and applied them to a sitting president. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday shrugged off a New York Times investigation that concluded he made his fortune with the help of more than $400 million from his parents, partly through tax schemes, as a boring, rehashed "hit piece.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday shrugged off a New York Times investigation that concluded he made his fortune with the help of more than $400 million from his parents, partly through tax schemes, as a boring, rehashed "hit piece." Trump has often boasted that he built a multi-billion dollar real estate empire from a $1 million loan from his father, Fred, himself a prominent New York builder. But the Times reviewed more than 100,000 documents including confidential tax returns and financial records that it said showed he actually received at least $413 million in today's money, in part through schemes to avoid taxes. "They used the concept of 'time value of money' in doing a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me," he tweeted. "Added up, this means that 97% of their stories on me are bad. Never recovered from bad election call!" Forbes magazine, meanwhile, estimated Trump's fortune at $3.1 billion -- the same as last year, but a third smaller than it was in 2015. Forbes ranked Trump's fortune at 259 in the world, down from 248 the year he was elected president. The Times story said that from the time Trump was a toddler, his father funneled millions of dollars to his four children through a sham corporation to avoid gift taxes. The Times said the records also indicate that Trump helped his father take millions more in improper tax deductions. Father's favourite And he helped devise a scheme that undervalued his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars, sharply reducing taxes on those properties when they were transferred to their children, according to the paper. A lawyer for Trump, Charles Harder, called the account "100 percent false, and highly defamatory." "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate," he added. "President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters." Addressing a press conference, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rubbished the article's main claims, but said it was right in one important aspect: Trump's business acumen. "I will say one thing the article did get right was that it showed that the president's father had a great deal of confidence in him. "The president brought his father into a lot of deals and they made a lot of money together. His father went on to say that everything he touched turned to gold." Wealthy toddler The paper's contention that Trump was earning as much as $200,000 a year in today's money by the time he was three years old, and was the equivalent of a millionaire by the age of eight, drew considerable attention. The assertion was pounced on by several late night talk show hosts, including comedian Stephen Colbert, the host of "The Late Show" on CBS. "So, let me get this straight: At one point, Donald Trump was an extraordinarily wealthy toddler. And today? He is still that," he said. Not everything, however, was a laughing matter: The Times said Trump's tax-hating father used various methods to funnel his wealth to his children and shield it from the Internal Revenue Service, some of which tax experts said was improper or possibly illegal. Following the article's publication, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced it was "reviewing the allegations in the NYT article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation." Speculation about the source of Trump's wealth has mounted since 2015, when he declared his candidacy for the nation's highest office but broke with long-standing tradition by refusing to release his tax returns. He has been repeatedly rebuked over ethics violations for refusing to divest his assets in the Trump Organization, instead turning over control of the entity to his sons, Donald Jr and Eric. The president also continues to stay or make use of hotels and golf clubs he owns, leading to conflict of interest allegations and multiple lawsuits. In July, a federal judge allowed to proceed a suit accusing Trump of violating the constitution by maintaining his interest in a hotel that does business with foreign governments. It marked the first time a court interpreted anti-corruption clauses in the constitution, known as emoluments clauses, and applied them to a sitting president.

'Boring,' Trump says of NYT report claiming he made fortune from dodging taxes

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Trump "participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents," the newspaper said.

Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune.

But the newspaper said its exhaustive investigation of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records found this was not true.

It said that Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities.

"By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars from his father's empire," the Times said. "He was a millionaire by age 8.

"Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father," it said. "The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s."

"Much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes," the Times said.

"He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents," it said.

Trump also "helped his father take improper tax deductions worth millions more," the newspaper added.

"He also helped formulate a strategy to undervalue his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill."

The Times said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their children.

This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records.

Trump declined to comment on the article but Charles Harder, one of his lawyers, issued a statement to the newspaper.

"The New York Times's allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory," Harder said. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate."

"President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters," Harder added.

"The affairs were handled by other Trump family members who were not experts themselves and therefore relied entirely upon the aforementioned licensed professionals to ensure full compliance with the law."

Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Trump "participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents," the newspaper said. Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune. But the newspaper said its exhaustive investigation of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records found this was not true. It said that Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities. "By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars from his father's empire," the Times said. "He was a millionaire by age 8. "Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father," it said. "The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s." "Much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes," the Times said. "He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents," it said. Trump also "helped his father take improper tax deductions worth millions more," the newspaper added. "He also helped formulate a strategy to undervalue his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill." The Times said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their children. This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records. Trump declined to comment on the article but Charles Harder, one of his lawyers, issued a statement to the newspaper. "The New York Times's allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory," Harder said. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate." "President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters," Harder added. "The affairs were handled by other Trump family members who were not experts themselves and therefore relied entirely upon the aforementioned licensed professionals to ensure full compliance with the law." Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.

Trump helped parents dodge millions in taxes: New York Times

Facebook has formed data-sharing partnerships with 60 device makers, including Apple and Microsoft, giving them access to information of users and even their friends, a media report has claimed, weeks after the social media faced massive backlash for improperly sharing personal data of up to 87 million people.

The New York Times yesterday revealed the partnerships, shedding new light on the social media giant's behaviour related to customer data in the wake of a scandal involving the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook, which was founded in 2004, has reached data-sharing partnerships with at least 60 device makers including Apple, Amazon, BlackBerry, Microsoft and Samsung over the last decade, starting before Facebook apps were widely available on smartphones, company officials were quoted as saying by the report.

The deals allowed Facebook to expand its reach and let device makers offer customers popular features of the social network, such as messaging, "like" buttons and address books. The agreements that Facebook entered raise "concerns about the company's privacy protections and compliance with a 2011 consent decree" with the Federal Trade Commission, the report said.

"Facebook allowed the device companies access to the data of users' friends without their explicit consent, even after declaring that it would no longer share such information with outsiders," the daily said reporting the results of its investigation.

Some device makers could retrieve personal information even from users' friends who believed they had barred any sharing, The New York Times found.

In interviews to The New York Times, Facebook however defended its data sharing agreement and asserted that these are consistent with its privacy policies, the FTC agreement and pledges to users.

"These partnerships work very differently from the way in which app developers use our platform," Ime Archibong, Facebook vice president told the daily.

Unlike developers that provide games and services to Facebook users, the device partners can use Facebook data only to provide versions of "the Facebook experience," the officials were quoted as saying.

"You might think that Facebook or the device manufacturer is trustworthy. But the problem is that as more and more data is collected on the device and if it can be accessed by apps on the device it creates serious privacy and security risks," Serge Egelman, a privacy researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies the security of mobile apps, told the daily.

The report comes as Facebook has come under scrutiny for its handling of private data after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica accessed millions of users' private information.

In April, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had admitted making a "huge mistake" as personal data of up to 87 million users may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.&nbsp;

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The deals allowed Facebook to expand its reach and let the device makers offer customers popular features of the social network, such as 'like' buttons and address books

Facebook has formed data-sharing partnerships with 60 device makers, including Apple and Microsoft, giving them access to information of users and even their friends, a media report has claimed, weeks after the social media faced massive backlash for improperly sharing personal data of up to 87 million people. The New York Times yesterday revealed the partnerships, shedding new light on the social media giant's behaviour related to customer data in the wake of a scandal involving the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Facebook, which was founded in 2004, has reached data-sharing partnerships with at least 60 device makers including Apple, Amazon, BlackBerry, Microsoft and Samsung over the last decade, starting before Facebook apps were widely available on smartphones, company officials were quoted as saying by the report. The deals allowed Facebook to expand its reach and let device makers offer customers popular features of the social network, such as messaging, "like" buttons and address books. The agreements that Facebook entered raise "concerns about the company's privacy protections and compliance with a 2011 consent decree" with the Federal Trade Commission, the report said. "Facebook allowed the device companies access to the data of users' friends without their explicit consent, even after declaring that it would no longer share such information with outsiders," the daily said reporting the results of its investigation. Some device makers could retrieve personal information even from users' friends who believed they had barred any sharing, The New York Times found. In interviews to The New York Times, Facebook however defended its data sharing agreement and asserted that these are consistent with its privacy policies, the FTC agreement and pledges to users. "These partnerships work very differently from the way in which app developers use our platform," Ime Archibong, Facebook vice president told the daily. Unlike developers that provide games and services to Facebook users, the device partners can use Facebook data only to provide versions of "the Facebook experience," the officials were quoted as saying. "You might think that Facebook or the device manufacturer is trustworthy. But the problem is that as more and more data is collected on the device and if it can be accessed by apps on the device it creates serious privacy and security risks," Serge Egelman, a privacy researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies the security of mobile apps, told the daily. The report comes as Facebook has come under scrutiny for its handling of private data after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica accessed millions of users' private information. In April, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had admitted making a "huge mistake" as personal data of up to 87 million users may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. ×

Facebook shared user data with over 60 device makers including Apple, Samsung: Report

A business partner of US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in investigations, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Evgeny Freidman, a Russian immigrant who is known as the Taxi King, will avoid jail time and will assist government prosecutors in state or federal investigations, the newspaper report said, citing a person briefed on the matter.

The New York State Attorney General's Office said in a press release that Freidman had pleaded guilty to a criminal charge on Tuesday in an Albany, New York, courtroom, but it made no mention of whether he was cooperating with prosecutors, news agency Reuters reported.

Freidman has been Cohen's partner in the taxi business for years, even after New York City regulators barred Freidman last year from continuing to manage taxi medallions, the New York Times said.

Freidman declined in a text message to answer any questions about cooperating with prosecutors or the terms of his agreement, the Reuters&nbspreport said.

"This is me taking responsibility for my actions! ... Michael is a dear dear personal friend and a passive client! That's it! ...I hate that I have been grouped in this runaway train that I am not a part of!" Freidman said by text.

Freidman's lawyer, Patrick Egan, declined to comment on the Times report.

Freidman had been accused of failing to pay more than $5 million in taxes and five other criminal counts each carrying maximum prison sentences of up to 25 years. In pleading guilty to a single count of criminal tax fraud, Freidman will be sentenced to five years' probation, the attorney general's office said.

A spokeswoman for the New York state attorney general did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud, possible campaign law violations and perhaps other matters related to Trump's presidential campaign, a person familiar with the probe has said.

The investigation into Cohen arose in part from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, something that Trump has repeatedly denied.

Freidman has been Cohen's partner in the taxi business for years, even after New York City regulators barred Freidman last year from continuing to manage taxi medallions, the New York Times said.

A business partner of US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in investigations, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Evgeny Freidman, a Russian immigrant who is known as the Taxi King, will avoid jail time and will assist government prosecutors in state or federal investigations, the newspaper report said, citing a person briefed on the matter. The New York State Attorney General's Office said in a press release that Freidman had pleaded guilty to a criminal charge on Tuesday in an Albany, New York, courtroom, but it made no mention of whether he was cooperating with prosecutors, news agency Reuters reported. Freidman has been Cohen's partner in the taxi business for years, even after New York City regulators barred Freidman last year from continuing to manage taxi medallions, the New York Times said. Freidman declined in a text message to answer any questions about cooperating with prosecutors or the terms of his agreement, the Reuters&nbspreport said. "This is me taking responsibility for my actions! ... Michael is a dear dear personal friend and a passive client! That's it! ...I hate that I have been grouped in this runaway train that I am not a part of!" Freidman said by text. Freidman's lawyer, Patrick Egan, declined to comment on the Times report. Freidman had been accused of failing to pay more than $5 million in taxes and five other criminal counts each carrying maximum prison sentences of up to 25 years. In pleading guilty to a single count of criminal tax fraud, Freidman will be sentenced to five years' probation, the attorney general's office said. A spokeswoman for the New York state attorney general did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud, possible campaign law violations and perhaps other matters related to Trump's presidential campaign, a person familiar with the probe has said. The investigation into Cohen arose in part from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, something that Trump has repeatedly denied.

Trump lawyer Cohen's business partner cooperating with prosecutors: Report

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

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

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

Trump ordered Mueller's firing but reversed course: NYT

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times.

The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence.

He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern.

&quot;Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats,&quot; says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered.

&quot;Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting,&quot; the editorial adds.

It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast.

It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India.

China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners.

The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, &quot;he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse.&quot;

Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight.

Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade.

In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a &quot;veritable arm&quot; of the Pakistani security service. &quot;Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US&nbsp;soldiers,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The editorial says Trump can ill-afford to walk away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence

United States President Donald Trump needs to take a step back, exercise caution and patience, and focus more on having quiet diplomatic negotiations with Pakistan on the issue of neutralising support to terror elements operating from its soil, says an editorial in the New York Times. The editorial is of the view that President Trump can ill-afford walking away from Pakistan at this juncture of his presidency, and will need to acknowledge that Islamabad has and will continue to be a source of vital intelligence. He would also have to keep in mind that Pakistan has the world`s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, which has always been a matter of regional and global concern. "Whether Pakistan will cooperate after the aid freeze remains to be seen. Initially, some Pakistani officials reacted harshly to the announcement, which came as a surprise, but on Friday, a Foreign Ministry statement talked about the need for mutual respect and patience as the two countries address common threats," says the editorial, suggesting that tone and engagement is now even-tempered. "Mr Trump could marshal other diplomatic tools to see if more constructive cooperation with Pakistan is possible. One idea would be to harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shut down Haqqani and other Taliban fund-raising efforts in the Persian Gulf. This would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting," the editorial adds. It further goes on to say that Pakistan has posed a dilemma for the United States for long, and the Trump administration`s announcement this week that it would freeze nearly all military aid to Pakistan, roughly USD 1.3 billion annually, should for now just be seen as an act of initial frustration and bombast. It warns that Pakistan has the potential to retaliate by denying access, shutting down supply lines to Afghanistan, ally more closely with China and be more hard-line in its rivalry with India. China could once again be the beneficiary of a Trump decision whose signature tune is estrangement with and from long-time partners. The NYT editorial says that while Trump may have highlighted a real point, "he has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse." Americans last cut off assistance to Pakistan in the 1990s after it tested a nuclear weapon and underwent a military coup, creating distrust between the two countries that has never dissipated. But after September 11, 2001, the relationship transformed overnight. Washington has demanded that Islamabad perform on counter-terrorism in return for new aid. Since then, Pakistan has played a double game, accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.President Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade. In 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee that the Haqqani Network was a "veritable arm" of the Pakistani security service. "Extremist organisations serving as proxies of the Government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as US soldiers," he said.

US cannot risk abandoning 'troublesome ally' Pakistan: NYT editorial

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&#39;s powerful&nbsp;Crown&nbsp;Prince&nbsp;called the Supreme&nbsp;Leader&nbsp;of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;&quot;the new Hitler of the Middle East&quot; in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals.

The Sunni Muslim kingdom of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and Shi&#39;ite&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region.

Mohammed bin Salman, who is also&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic&#39;s alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted.

&quot;But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn&#39;t work. We don&#39;t want the new Hitler in&nbsp;Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East,&quot; the paper quoted him as saying.

Tensions soared this month when Lebanon&#39;s&nbsp;Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of&nbsp;Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life.

Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;authorities, an accusation they denied.

Hariri has since suspended his resignation.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the&nbsp;Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country.

Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen&#39;s territory.

The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a&nbsp;Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict.

The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh&#39;s main airport on Nov. 4, which&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran.

Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries &quot;is waged in&nbsp;Iran&quot;.

For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an &quot;accursed tree&quot;, and&nbsp;Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

Saudi?Arabia's powerful?Crown?Prince?called the Supreme?Leader?of?Iran?"the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals. The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region. Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. "But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn't work. We don't want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East," the paper quoted him as saying. Tensions soared this month when Lebanon's Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life. Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by Saudi authorities, an accusation they denied. Hariri has since suspended his resignation. Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country. Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen's territory. The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict. The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's main airport on Nov. 4, which Saudi Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran. Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries "is waged in Iran". For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an "accursed tree", and Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

'New Hitler' in Iran should not repeat what happened in Europe: Saudi?Crown?Prince Salman

A New York Times article, headlined &quot;In India, Fashion Has Become a Nationalist Cause&quot;, has been met with tremendous anger on social media.&nbsp;

The article claims that ever since the current BJP government came to power in 2014, &quot;the Indian fashion industry has been pressed to aggressively promote traditional attire and bypass Western styles.&quot;&nbsp;

The article adds that &quot;The effort aligns with the party&rsquo;s broader political program: to project multi-faith India, a country of more than 1.3 billion, as a Hindu nation.&quot;

&quot;Fashion, and how Indians think of it, has not been exempt. Mr. Modi has made traditional dress a priority and, as many in the country want to please him, the fashion industry has followed along,&quot;&nbsp;the New York Times story goes on to say.&nbsp;

The story finally hones in on the Banarsi sari -- Varanasi is also Modi&#39;s parliamentary constituency -- with the New York Times reporter travelling to the town to check on whether anything has changed for the artisans (largely Muslim) who make the saris in the three years that Modi has been in power.&nbsp;

Nothing much has, he writes, saying that they continue to live in poverty.&nbsp;

He adds that things have got better for the Varanasi&#39;s merchants who employ the workers. And that they have reaped the benefits -- demand for the sari has gone up -- of the government&#39;s support for the Banarsi sari.&nbsp;

Social media in India exploded with anger -- with most people not agreeing with the NYT article -- after the story began to do the rounds:&nbsp;

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This kind of idiotic story in the New York Times confirms the Modi government&rsquo;s suspicion that foreign newspapers lie about it. <a href="https://t.co/Xoj0oeL7Lc">pic.twitter.com/Xoj0oeL7Lc</a>
&mdash; Tavleen Singh (@tavleen_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/tavleen_singh/status/929958020016197632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Before 2014, no man wore a Kurta and no woman a saree? Because this &#39;fashion aesthetic&#39; is apparently part of &#39;pol program of Hindu nationalism&#39; <a href="https://t.co/BUMwSZWXss">https://t.co/BUMwSZWXss</a>
&mdash; Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) <a href="https://twitter.com/PadmajaJoshi/status/930340015120506882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Burqa is a sign of GLOBAL women empowerment, saree is a TOOL of Hindu Nationalism. Wearing Saree is communal, so dear Indian ladies if you want to be secular wear jeans, skirts, minis etc as per <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vijayrupanibjp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vijayrupanibjp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/smritiirani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@smritiirani</a> <a href="https://t.co/a2TvgAPO6J">https://t.co/a2TvgAPO6J</a>
&mdash; Aditi Pathak (@AditiPathaak) <a href="https://twitter.com/AditiPathaak/status/930308818378022913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Everyone wears the Banarasi saree <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> this is incredibly biased writing. &quot;the Banarasi sari, the traditional garment known for its fine silk and opulent embroidery &mdash; and primarily worn by Hindu women.&quot;
&mdash; Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) <a href="https://twitter.com/KiranManral/status/930278284981440512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Wearing Saree is communal, so dear Indian ladies if you want to be secular wear jeans, skirts, minis etc as per <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> <a href="https://t.co/xWJTklrqfP">https://t.co/xWJTklrqfP</a>
&mdash; Avinash (@avinashbhat01) <a href="https://twitter.com/avinashbhat01/status/929968222438285313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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This asinine <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> article links the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/saree?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#saree</a> with Hindu Nationalism! 
Real issue is that Indians sticking to traditional attire get in the way of pushing Western attire. Pathetic drivel<a href="https://t.co/UefV1ntwJv">https://t.co/UefV1ntwJv</a>
&mdash; Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) <a href="https://twitter.com/smitabarooah/status/929997610777174016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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What is this journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/qadri_asgar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@qadri_asgar</a> been smoking? <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> do you even verify what your reporters write? <a href="https://t.co/WwcH4mtyQq">pic.twitter.com/WwcH4mtyQq</a>
&mdash; India First (@OurIndiaFirst19) <a href="https://twitter.com/OurIndiaFirst19/status/929970811221417985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'Mr. Modi has made traditional dress a priority and, as many in the country want to please him, the fashion industry has followed along,'?a New York Times story said

A New York Times article, headlined "In India, Fashion Has Become a Nationalist Cause", has been met with tremendous anger on social media. The article claims that ever since the current BJP government came to power in 2014, "the Indian fashion industry has been pressed to aggressively promote traditional attire and bypass Western styles." The article adds that "The effort aligns with the party’s broader political program: to project multi-faith India, a country of more than 1.3 billion, as a Hindu nation." "Fashion, and how Indians think of it, has not been exempt. Mr. Modi has made traditional dress a priority and, as many in the country want to please him, the fashion industry has followed along," the New York Times story goes on to say. The story finally hones in on the Banarsi sari -- Varanasi is also Modi's parliamentary constituency -- with the New York Times reporter travelling to the town to check on whether anything has changed for the artisans (largely Muslim) who make the saris in the three years that Modi has been in power. Nothing much has, he writes, saying that they continue to live in poverty. He adds that things have got better for the Varanasi's merchants who employ the workers. And that they have reaped the benefits -- demand for the sari has gone up -- of the government's support for the Banarsi sari. Social media in India exploded with anger -- with most people not agreeing with the NYT article -- after the story began to do the rounds: This kind of idiotic story in the New York Times confirms the Modi government’s suspicion that foreign newspapers lie about it. pic.twitter.com/Xoj0oeL7Lc — Tavleen Singh (@tavleen_singh) November 13, 2017 × Before 2014, no man wore a Kurta and no woman a saree? Because this 'fashion aesthetic' is apparently part of 'pol program of Hindu nationalism' https://t.co/BUMwSZWXss — Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) November 14, 2017 × Burqa is a sign of GLOBAL women empowerment, saree is a TOOL of Hindu Nationalism. Wearing Saree is communal, so dear Indian ladies if you want to be secular wear jeans, skirts, minis etc as per @nytimes. @narendramodi @vijayrupanibjp @smritiirani https://t.co/a2TvgAPO6J — Aditi Pathak (@AditiPathaak) November 14, 2017 × Everyone wears the Banarasi saree @nytimes this is incredibly biased writing. "the Banarasi sari, the traditional garment known for its fine silk and opulent embroidery — and primarily worn by Hindu women." — Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) November 14, 2017 × Wearing Saree is communal, so dear Indian ladies if you want to be secular wear jeans, skirts, minis etc as per @nytimes https://t.co/xWJTklrqfP — Avinash (@avinashbhat01) November 13, 2017 × This asinine @nytimes article links the #saree with Hindu Nationalism! Real issue is that Indians sticking to traditional attire get in the way of pushing Western attire. Pathetic drivelhttps://t.co/UefV1ntwJv — Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) November 13, 2017 × What is this journalist @qadri_asgar been smoking? @nytimes do you even verify what your reporters write? pic.twitter.com/WwcH4mtyQq — India First (@OurIndiaFirst19) November 13, 2017 ×

Fashion in India has become a nationalist cause, says NYT, Twitter erupts in anger

Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;was told prior to meeting a Russian lawyer whom he believed had information damaging to Hillary Clinton that the material was part of a Russian government effort to help his father&#39;s presidential campaign,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-russia-email-candidacy.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=a-lede-package-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news" target="_blank"> The New York Times</a> reported on Monday.&nbsp;

The report cited&nbsp;three people with knowledge of the email.

Publicist and former tabloid writer Rob Goldstone, who helped broker the June 2016 meeting, sent the email to President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son, the Times said. Goldstone&#39;s message indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information, according to the Times.

The Times had earlier reported that the meeting between Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked lawyer took place, but the new information is that Trump Jr attended the meeting despite supposedly knowing&nbsp;that the meeting was part of a Russian government plot to interfere in the US election to get his father elected.

The Times report specifies that there was nothing to link the promised damaging information to the government computer hacking of the Democratic National Committee which led to the release of Clinton&#39;s&nbsp;emails.

In a statement released Sunday, Donald Trump Jr admitted he was interested in meeting the Russian lawyer with the intent of&nbsp;getting damaging information on Hillary Clinton, but did not specify that he knew the source of the information was part of a Russian plot to interfere in the US election on behalf of his father.

Vladimir Putin denies any meddling in the US election.&nbsp;

Multiple US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered with the US election with the specific intent to get Trump elected, and there are multiple ongoing investigations into whether or not Trump or anyone on his campaign team actively worked with the Russians.

&nbsp;

Basic timeline

Clinton secured the Democratic nomination&nbsp;on June 7, 2016.

The&nbsp;meeting between Don Jr,&nbsp;Jared Kushner,&nbsp;Paul Manafort and the Kremlin-linked&nbsp;lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was on June 9, and less than a week later&nbsp;it was widely reported that Russian hackers penetrated the DNC&#39;s servers.

Also on June 9,&nbsp;Donald Trump tweeted about Clinton&#39;s emails.

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<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
How long did it take your staff of 823 people to think that up--and where are your 33,000 emails that you deleted? <a href="https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ">https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/741007091947556864">June 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

This was two days after securing the Republican nominee for president.

Here is a video of Trump Jr last summer, after the meeting with the lawyer who he knew was&nbsp;promising&nbsp;damaging information on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government plot,&nbsp;denying any connection with Russia.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
NYT: Don Jr was told before mtg that Clinton dirt was part of Russian govt effort to aid Trump 
 
6/9/16: Mtg w/Russian 
 
7/24/16: He said this <a href="https://t.co/XlzPJAWsd7">pic.twitter.com/XlzPJAWsd7</a>
&mdash; Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/884589455058886658">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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&nbsp;

The president's son reportedly knew a meeting was part of a Russian plot to help his father get elected, then went anyway

Donald Trump Jr was told prior to meeting a Russian lawyer whom he believed had information damaging to Hillary Clinton that the material was part of a Russian government effort to help his father's presidential campaign, The New York Times reported on Monday. The report cited three people with knowledge of the email. Publicist and former tabloid writer Rob Goldstone, who helped broker the June 2016 meeting, sent the email to President Donald Trump's eldest son, the Times said. Goldstone's message indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information, according to the Times. The Times had earlier reported that the meeting between Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked lawyer took place, but the new information is that Trump Jr attended the meeting despite supposedly knowing that the meeting was part of a Russian government plot to interfere in the US election to get his father elected. The Times report specifies that there was nothing to link the promised damaging information to the government computer hacking of the Democratic National Committee which led to the release of Clinton's emails. In a statement released Sunday, Donald Trump Jr admitted he was interested in meeting the Russian lawyer with the intent of getting damaging information on Hillary Clinton, but did not specify that he knew the source of the information was part of a Russian plot to interfere in the US election on behalf of his father. Vladimir Putin denies any meddling in the US election. Multiple US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered with the US election with the specific intent to get Trump elected, and there are multiple ongoing investigations into whether or not Trump or anyone on his campaign team actively worked with the Russians. Basic timeline Clinton secured the Democratic nomination on June 7, 2016. The meeting between Don Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and the Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was on June 9, and less than a week later it was widely reported that Russian hackers penetrated the DNC's servers. Also on June 9, Donald Trump tweeted about Clinton's emails. How long did it take your staff of 823 people to think that up--and where are your 33,000 emails that you deleted? https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2016 × This was two days after securing the Republican nominee for president. Here is a video of Trump Jr last summer, after the meeting with the lawyer who he knew was promising damaging information on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government plot, denying any connection with Russia. NYT: Don Jr was told before mtg that Clinton dirt was part of Russian govt effort to aid Trump 6/9/16: Mtg w/Russian 7/24/16: He said this pic.twitter.com/XlzPJAWsd7 — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 11, 2017 ×

Trump Jr told Kremlin behind effort to help father's campaign: NY Times

Donald Trump and the US media may still be at war after the president&#39;s first 100 days but both sides are also reaping benefits from the hostilities between the former reality TV star and what he calls the &quot;fake news&quot; industry.

Trump&#39;s decision to snub this weekend&#39;s White House Correspondents&#39; Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and &quot;the opposition&quot; -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media.

But analysts say that while Trump uses the press as a foil to deflect bad news, media outlets are getting a lift from consumers looking for credible information about his administration -- or simply tuning in for a dose of the daily Trump show.

&quot;Trump has been gold for the mainstream media,&quot; says Tobe Berkovitz, a former political consultant who is now a communications professor at Boston University.

Berkovitz says Trump has &quot;a handy devil he can blame for all his stumbles,&quot; and as a result, &quot;both sides are pretty happy with each other.&quot;

Newspapers such as the New York Times have seen a significant bounce in circulation since Trump`s victory last November and cable news networks have also enjoyed a ratings rise.&nbsp;

&quot;You can attribute a lot of that to Donald Trump,&quot; said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said there is more interest in news because it is a time of &quot;great anxiety.&quot;

A key question for the media is whether the bump in ratings and subscriptions is temporary or indicative of a trend.

&quot;It may end up being more sustainable than we might think even if Trump goes away,&quot; said Kennedy.

&quot;There is so much concern over fake news, and the garbage that is shared on Facebook,&quot; he added. &quot;We are seeing a flight to quality.&quot;

The apparent bad blood between Trump and the Washington press corps stands in stark contrast with relations under his predecessor Barack Obama who was a regular turn at the annual correspondents&#39; dinner.

Trump regularly refers to the New York Times as a &quot;failing&quot; newspaper and often has digs at traditional cable networks. 
But he has nevertheless granted interviews to nearly all the mainstream media and some pundits say the seeming animosity is not all that it appears.

&quot;It&#39;s more than a little bit of a show,&quot; says Kennedy.

Trump, he said, &quot;turns around and calls a lot of the reporters that he excoriates publicly.&quot;

Politico reporters Ben Schreckinger and Hadas Gold, who interviewed more than three dozen members of the White House press corps, wrote that Trump is engaged in a &quot;fake war&quot; on the press, that the president`s staff works to maintain relationships with journalists.

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked for president George W. Bush, says Trump appears to help himself politically by vilifying the media, in which trust is at historic lows.

&quot;Donald Trump strikes a chord when he takes the press on,&quot; Fleischer told a recent symposium at the Newseum in Washington. 
Charlie Spiering, a reporter at the pro-Trump Breitbart News, told the same forum that the mainstream press is an easy target.

Spiering said Trump`s bashing of news outlets isn`t &quot;to denigrate the press,&quot; but because &quot;it was popular among his base -- his base loves those taglines.&quot;Nevertheless, the short-term lift from Trump may be the harbinger of longer problems, says Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor.

&quot;If it`s bad for democracy, it`s bad for the press,&quot; Jarvis said.

&quot;He&#39;s attacking our credibility, attacking our trust.&quot;

Reporter Jim Acosta of CNN -- whom Trump singled out as &quot;fake news&quot; in his first press conference after his election -- has similar worries.

&quot;When he leaves office, we need Republicans to believe what is being said in the mainstream press just as much as we need Democrats to,&quot; Acosta told the Newseum event.

A Pew Research Center survey released this month found 83 percent of respondents said the relationship between Trump and the media is &quot;unhealthy&quot; and 73 percent said the tensions hinder public access to important political news.

A separate Gallup survey found 37 percent of Americans felt the news media was &quot;not tough enough&quot; on Trump while 32 percent said it was &quot;too tough.&quot; Only one in four said the press had struck a good balance.

(AFP)

Trump's decision to snub this weekend`s White House Correspondents' Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and "the opposition" -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media.

Donald Trump and the US media may still be at war after the president's first 100 days but both sides are also reaping benefits from the hostilities between the former reality TV star and what he calls the "fake news" industry. Trump's decision to snub this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner has underlined how little love is lost between the president and "the opposition" -- as his top advisor Steve Bannon has dubbed the media. But analysts say that while Trump uses the press as a foil to deflect bad news, media outlets are getting a lift from consumers looking for credible information about his administration -- or simply tuning in for a dose of the daily Trump show. "Trump has been gold for the mainstream media," says Tobe Berkovitz, a former political consultant who is now a communications professor at Boston University. Berkovitz says Trump has "a handy devil he can blame for all his stumbles," and as a result, "both sides are pretty happy with each other." Newspapers such as the New York Times have seen a significant bounce in circulation since Trump`s victory last November and cable news networks have also enjoyed a ratings rise. "You can attribute a lot of that to Donald Trump," said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor, said there is more interest in news because it is a time of "great anxiety." A key question for the media is whether the bump in ratings and subscriptions is temporary or indicative of a trend. "It may end up being more sustainable than we might think even if Trump goes away," said Kennedy. "There is so much concern over fake news, and the garbage that is shared on Facebook," he added. "We are seeing a flight to quality." The apparent bad blood between Trump and the Washington press corps stands in stark contrast with relations under his predecessor Barack Obama who was a regular turn at the annual correspondents' dinner. Trump regularly refers to the New York Times as a "failing" newspaper and often has digs at traditional cable networks. But he has nevertheless granted interviews to nearly all the mainstream media and some pundits say the seeming animosity is not all that it appears. "It's more than a little bit of a show," says Kennedy. Trump, he said, "turns around and calls a lot of the reporters that he excoriates publicly." Politico reporters Ben Schreckinger and Hadas Gold, who interviewed more than three dozen members of the White House press corps, wrote that Trump is engaged in a "fake war" on the press, that the president`s staff works to maintain relationships with journalists. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked for president George W. Bush, says Trump appears to help himself politically by vilifying the media, in which trust is at historic lows. "Donald Trump strikes a chord when he takes the press on," Fleischer told a recent symposium at the Newseum in Washington. Charlie Spiering, a reporter at the pro-Trump Breitbart News, told the same forum that the mainstream press is an easy target. Spiering said Trump`s bashing of news outlets isn`t "to denigrate the press," but because "it was popular among his base -- his base loves those taglines."Nevertheless, the short-term lift from Trump may be the harbinger of longer problems, says Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor. "If it`s bad for democracy, it`s bad for the press," Jarvis said. "He's attacking our credibility, attacking our trust." Reporter Jim Acosta of CNN -- whom Trump singled out as "fake news" in his first press conference after his election -- has similar worries. "When he leaves office, we need Republicans to believe what is being said in the mainstream press just as much as we need Democrats to," Acosta told the Newseum event. A Pew Research Center survey released this month found 83 percent of respondents said the relationship between Trump and the media is "unhealthy" and 73 percent said the tensions hinder public access to important political news. A separate Gallup survey found 37 percent of Americans felt the news media was "not tough enough" on Trump while 32 percent said it was "too tough." Only one in four said the press had struck a good balance. (AFP)

Trump and the media: A win-win reality show?

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a popular children&rsquo;s book author, memoirist and public speaker died at the age of 51 on Monday at her home in Chicago. She was suffering from ovarian cancer.&nbsp;

Rosenthal had recently earned a large readership after she started writing a monthly column in the New York Times titled &ldquo;You May Want to Marry My Husband&rdquo;.&nbsp;

In her column, she wrote: &ldquo;I want more time with Jason. I want more time with my children. I want more time sipping martinis at the Green Mill Jazz Club on Thursday nights. But that is not going to happen. I probably have only a few days left being a person on this planet. So why I am doing this?&rdquo;

&ldquo;I am wrapping this up on Valentine&rsquo;s Day,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;and the most genuine, non-vase-oriented gift I can hope for is that the right person reads this, finds Jason, and another love story begins.&rdquo;

Her husband, Jason was later interviewed by publishers. To People&rsquo;s Magazine, he said, &ldquo;When I read her words for the first time, I was shocked at the beauty, slightly surprised at the incredible prose given her condition and, of course, emotionally ripped apart.&rdquo;

Rosenthal has written 28 children&rsquo;s picture books, two memoirs; delivered TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Talks and NPR commentaries; and produced short films and YouTube videos of what she called social experiments, with titles like &ldquo;ATM: Always Trust Magic,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Money Tree&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Beckoning of Lovely.&rdquo;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o3eZvEIdmq4" width="970"></iframe>

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hxWgIccldh4" width="970"></iframe>

Amy Krouse Rosenthal is now survived by her husband, parents, sons Justin and Miles; her daughter, Paris; her sisters, Katie Froelich and Beth Kaufmann; and her brother, Joe Krouse.

From her last memoir: &ldquo;Invariably, I will have to move on before I have had enough. My first word was &lsquo;more.&rsquo; It may very well be my last.&rdquo;

(WION)

Amy Krouse Rosenthal was a popular children's author and filmmaker

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a popular children’s book author, memoirist and public speaker died at the age of 51 on Monday at her home in Chicago. She was suffering from ovarian cancer. Rosenthal had recently earned a large readership after she started writing a monthly column in the New York Times titled “You May Want to Marry My Husband”. In her column, she wrote: “I want more time with Jason. I want more time with my children. I want more time sipping martinis at the Green Mill Jazz Club on Thursday nights. But that is not going to happen. I probably have only a few days left being a person on this planet. So why I am doing this?” “I am wrapping this up on Valentine’s Day,” she continued, “and the most genuine, non-vase-oriented gift I can hope for is that the right person reads this, finds Jason, and another love story begins.” Her husband, Jason was later interviewed by publishers. To People’s Magazine, he said, “When I read her words for the first time, I was shocked at the beauty, slightly surprised at the incredible prose given her condition and, of course, emotionally ripped apart.” Rosenthal has written 28 children’s picture books, two memoirs; delivered TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Talks and NPR commentaries; and produced short films and YouTube videos of what she called social experiments, with titles like “ATM: Always Trust Magic,” “The Money Tree” and “The Beckoning of Lovely.” Amy Krouse Rosenthal is now survived by her husband, parents, sons Justin and Miles; her daughter, Paris; her sisters, Katie Froelich and Beth Kaufmann; and her brother, Joe Krouse. From her last memoir: “Invariably, I will have to move on before I have had enough. My first word was ‘more.’ It may very well be my last.” (WION)

'You May Want to Marry My Husband' columnist dies at 51

Many of Trump&rsquo;s dependable media critics took a day off and praised his&nbsp;address to Congress. The New York Times ran the headline, &ldquo;Trump, in optimistic address, asks Congress to end trivial fights&rdquo;. The Washington Post, &ldquo;In first joint address to Congress, Trump wins high marks for steady, muscular tone&rdquo;. Another Washington Post headlined&nbsp;called his speech &quot;surprisingly presidential&quot;. They were not alone.

These major US media outlets are rebranding themselves as crusaders in the war between Trump versus facts. While their Congress speech coverage wasn&rsquo;t universally positive, they and others got fooled&nbsp;because for 60 consecutive minutes Trump generally managed to impersonate an adult. Also,&nbsp;perhaps they&nbsp;responded favourably because for once the president&nbsp;didn&#39;t berate them.

The full speech is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/read-full-text-of-trumps-first-speech-to-congress-12919" target="_blank">here</a>. Reading it is suggested, because it&#39;s different than watching Trump&nbsp;perform it.

It&rsquo;s impossible to address every lie in the speech because most&nbsp;sentences contain&nbsp;at least one, or are&nbsp;founded on one.&nbsp;But let&rsquo;s look closely at one&nbsp;excerpt. The beginning of the speech was praised, despite being dangerous and profoundly untrue. This is both representative of Trump&rsquo;s overall modus operandi, and illustrative of&nbsp;how even non-supporters can fail to understand him:

&ldquo;Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded of our nation&rsquo;s path toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centres and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week&rsquo;s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.&rdquo;

Trump here doesn&rsquo;t celebrate Black culture or condemn acts of&nbsp;racism or&nbsp;murder, he is reminding everybody that he already has. Ingrained&nbsp;in the paragraph is his&nbsp;belief that by definition&nbsp;the US is automatically against hate and evil, so as president, the ultimate embodiment of this virtuous country, Trump is automatically virtuous. He is praising himself, not supporting targeted minority groups.

For weeks he has&nbsp;been asked to condemn the rise of racist attacks since the election.&nbsp;Here, he&nbsp;devotes only two sentences to three groups. Apologies require admitting fault so he doesn&rsquo;t do that, here or anywhere. It would be against his programming. He just utters the word &ldquo;Black&rdquo; and &ldquo;Jewish&rdquo; aloud without saying something horrible after. This bar is disgracefully, grotesquely low.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yet even here he cannot bring himself to say &ldquo;Muslim&rdquo;. He does say&nbsp;&ldquo;Muslim&rdquo; twice in the hour-long speech but later, and only in the context of working with Muslim allies to fight Islamic State, or, in Trump&#39;s typical trite,&nbsp;overcompensating&nbsp;language, &ldquo;Extinguish this vile enemy from our planet&rdquo;. Several mosques have been burned in the US since the November 8&nbsp;election, but Trump only utters&nbsp;&ldquo;Muslim&rdquo;&nbsp;in the context of Muslim allies helping to kill other Muslims. This is the president&nbsp;extending an olive branch? He did not end his silence on these attacks, he continued it.

Some Indian media credited Trump with something that simply did not happen. NDTV ran the headline &ldquo;President Donald Trump denounces killing of Indian engineer in state of union address&rdquo;.&nbsp;No, Trump&nbsp;did not denounce the killing. He only alluded to it broadly, in part of one sentence,&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;euphemism and a dodge. He carefully avoided&nbsp;expanding on or conveying what happened, which is: A&nbsp;white American&nbsp;murdered an innocent Indian man&nbsp;and shot two others because, as if this is a credible reason, he thought they were Iranian. A witness heard&nbsp;the shooter say,&nbsp;&quot;Get out of my country&quot; before firing.

Later in the speech&nbsp;Trump singled&nbsp;out victims of other&nbsp;attacks that fit his narrative, like the father whose son was, in Trump&#39;s words, &quot;viciously murdered by an illegal immigrant gang member&quot;.&nbsp;Ask yourself, why does Trump&nbsp;so brashly emphasize the attacker&#39;s background when they&#39;re not white, but remain silent about this aspect when the murderer&nbsp;is white?&nbsp;Trump never said &quot;Indian&quot; or&nbsp;the name&nbsp;Srinivas Kuchibhotla aloud.&nbsp;This is all crammed into the limp term, &ldquo;the Kansas shooting&rdquo;. And&nbsp;again, Trump&nbsp;never condemned&nbsp;this in his speech,&nbsp;he reminded&nbsp;us that he had already done so, when he had not.

Lest anyone think this is&nbsp;splitting hairs, remember, when Trump is genuinely moved his language is anything but subtle. To Trump&nbsp; Islamic State isn&rsquo;t just the enemy, they&rsquo;re &ldquo;a network of lawless savages&rdquo;, et cetera. He did not call it&nbsp;the &quot;Kansas multiple shooting&quot;, or the &quot;Kansas murder&quot;. If Trump felt sincerely pained by&nbsp;a racist murder, he would have rushed to Twitter to say something like the US needs a &ldquo;total and complete shutdown&rdquo; on racist murderers. We would not be sitting here five days after the killing, parsing language&nbsp;trying to figure out what Trump&nbsp;meant.

There is enough data on Trump to know where he stands. The verdict was in&nbsp;a long time before he addressed Congress: The president is&nbsp;a dangerous bigot who will never change. Even if he did&nbsp;condemn racism in this speech it would be&nbsp;moot, because it assumes that there was something left to decide about the man.

Trump managed to fool people incapable of decoding both his warped worldview and his barely-veiled bigotry, even his critics, by&nbsp;calmly reading&nbsp;from a teleprompter words he obviously didn&rsquo;t write. When students accomplish this it&rsquo;s called plagiarism,&nbsp;for him&nbsp;it&#39;s presidential.

If&nbsp;president of the United States requires&nbsp;this little, every single employee in the world deserves an enormous raise and promotion.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Trump has conditioned the media to expect a madman and a pathological liar, so he impressed many pundits by only lying

Many of Trump’s dependable media critics took a day off and praised his address to Congress. The New York Times ran the headline, “Trump, in optimistic address, asks Congress to end trivial fights”. The Washington Post, “In first joint address to Congress, Trump wins high marks for steady, muscular tone”. Another Washington Post headlined called his speech "surprisingly presidential". They were not alone. These major US media outlets are rebranding themselves as crusaders in the war between Trump versus facts. While their Congress speech coverage wasn’t universally positive, they and others got fooled because for 60 consecutive minutes Trump generally managed to impersonate an adult. Also, perhaps they responded favourably because for once the president didn't berate them. The full speech is here. Reading it is suggested, because it's different than watching Trump perform it. It’s impossible to address every lie in the speech because most sentences contain at least one, or are founded on one. But let’s look closely at one excerpt. The beginning of the speech was praised, despite being dangerous and profoundly untrue. This is both representative of Trump’s overall modus operandi, and illustrative of how even non-supporters can fail to understand him: “Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded of our nation’s path toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centres and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.” Trump here doesn’t celebrate Black culture or condemn acts of racism or murder, he is reminding everybody that he already has. Ingrained in the paragraph is his belief that by definition the US is automatically against hate and evil, so as president, the ultimate embodiment of this virtuous country, Trump is automatically virtuous. He is praising himself, not supporting targeted minority groups. For weeks he has been asked to condemn the rise of racist attacks since the election. Here, he devotes only two sentences to three groups. Apologies require admitting fault so he doesn’t do that, here or anywhere. It would be against his programming. He just utters the word “Black” and “Jewish” aloud without saying something horrible after. This bar is disgracefully, grotesquely low. Yet even here he cannot bring himself to say “Muslim”. He does say “Muslim” twice in the hour-long speech but later, and only in the context of working with Muslim allies to fight Islamic State, or, in Trump's typical trite, overcompensating language, “Extinguish this vile enemy from our planet”. Several mosques have been burned in the US since the November 8 election, but Trump only utters “Muslim” in the context of Muslim allies helping to kill other Muslims. This is the president extending an olive branch? He did not end his silence on these attacks, he continued it. Some Indian media credited Trump with something that simply did not happen. NDTV ran the headline “President Donald Trump denounces killing of Indian engineer in state of union address”. No, Trump did not denounce the killing. He only alluded to it broadly, in part of one sentence, with a euphemism and a dodge. He carefully avoided expanding on or conveying what happened, which is: A white American murdered an innocent Indian man and shot two others because, as if this is a credible reason, he thought they were Iranian. A witness heard the shooter say, "Get out of my country" before firing. Later in the speech Trump singled out victims of other attacks that fit his narrative, like the father whose son was, in Trump's words, "viciously murdered by an illegal immigrant gang member". Ask yourself, why does Trump so brashly emphasize the attacker's background when they're not white, but remain silent about this aspect when the murderer is white? Trump never said "Indian" or the name Srinivas Kuchibhotla aloud. This is all crammed into the limp term, “the Kansas shooting”. And again, Trump never condemned this in his speech, he reminded us that he had already done so, when he had not. Lest anyone think this is splitting hairs, remember, when Trump is genuinely moved his language is anything but subtle. To Trump Islamic State isn’t just the enemy, they’re “a network of lawless savages”, et cetera. He did not call it the "Kansas multiple shooting", or the "Kansas murder". If Trump felt sincerely pained by a racist murder, he would have rushed to Twitter to say something like the US needs a “total and complete shutdown” on racist murderers. We would not be sitting here five days after the killing, parsing language trying to figure out what Trump meant. There is enough data on Trump to know where he stands. The verdict was in a long time before he addressed Congress: The president is a dangerous bigot who will never change. Even if he did condemn racism in this speech it would be moot, because it assumes that there was something left to decide about the man. Trump managed to fool people incapable of decoding both his warped worldview and his barely-veiled bigotry, even his critics, by calmly reading from a teleprompter words he obviously didn’t write. When students accomplish this it’s called plagiarism, for him it's presidential. If president of the United States requires this little, every single employee in the world deserves an enormous raise and promotion. (WION)

Trump?s Congress address analysed: How did this speech fool so many news outlets?

Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump&#39;s presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former US officials.

US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times.

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<h5>US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee</h5>
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The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said.

The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said.

However, the intercepts alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trump&#39;s former national security adviser, and Sergei I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Times said.

During those calls, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. Flynn misled the White House about those calls and was asked to resign on Monday night.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the Times story.

The Times reported that the officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials&nbsp;and included other Trump associates.

On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside the intelligence services, the officials told the Times. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified, the newspaper reported.

The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump&rsquo;s campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine, the Times said. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls.

Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the US&nbsp;officials in a telephone interview with the Times on Tuesday.

Several of Trump&#39;s associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia. It is not unusual for US&nbsp;businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society, according to the Times.

Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business, the Times said.

Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trump&#39;s advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself, the Times said.

(Reuters)

The New York Times report cited four current and former US officials

Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former US officials. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee × The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said. However, the intercepts alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, and Sergei I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Times said. During those calls, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. Flynn misled the White House about those calls and was asked to resign on Monday night. The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the Times story. The Times reported that the officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials and included other Trump associates. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside the intelligence services, the officials told the Times. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified, the newspaper reported. The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump’s campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine, the Times said. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the US officials in a telephone interview with the Times on Tuesday. Several of Trump's associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia. It is not unusual for US businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society, according to the Times. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business, the Times said. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trump's advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself, the Times said. (Reuters)

Trump campaign had repeated contact with Russia before election: NYT

&nbsp;

Chinese state-run tabloid has chided the New York Times over its reporting practices after Apple Inc removed the newspaper&#39;s app from its China app store at the request of the Chinese government.&nbsp;

The Global Times editorial, released on Friday, said the New York Times had in the past four years been &quot;trying to wield influence in China&#39;s internal affairs&quot; by doing investigative stories on sensitive subjects. It did not give specific examples.&nbsp;

&quot;China is sincere in opening itself up but the pre-requisite is to ensure its political security, the Western media should not question China if it is to close its doors by scrutinizing one particular issue&quot; said the editorial in the Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily.

Apple removed the newspaper&#39;s English and Chinese-language apps on Dec. 23, citing requests from Chinese authorities.&nbsp;

The Global Times said Apple &quot;cares most about business, so it is willing to respect Chinese laws&quot;, adding that Apple faced tough competition from local brands in Greater China.&nbsp;The New York Times pointed to a recent investigative report on government subsidies offered to Apple supplier Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precison Industry Co, as a possible reason for the ban.

&quot;The development of the Internet in China must respect China&#39;s laws and regulations, in principle,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said&nbsp;in response to a question about the apps.

In a&nbsp;report on the app&#39;s removal, the New York Times cited their own spokesperson&nbsp;as saying the app was removed shortly after a journalist made requests to government authorities, Foxconn and Apple seeking comment for the story.&nbsp;The New York Times called on Apple to reconsider the ban, and said the block was part of a wider attempt to prevent readers from accessing the US&nbsp;publication.&nbsp;

The newspaper is one of many foreign publications that is blocked within the country by China`s cyber authority. But the apps from other blocked news sites, including the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, remain available on the China app store.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Apple Inc had removed the newspaper's app from its China app store at the request of the Chinese government.

Chinese state-run tabloid has chided the New York Times over its reporting practices after Apple Inc removed the newspaper's app from its China app store at the request of the Chinese government. The Global Times editorial, released on Friday, said the New York Times had in the past four years been "trying to wield influence in China's internal affairs" by doing investigative stories on sensitive subjects. It did not give specific examples. "China is sincere in opening itself up but the pre-requisite is to ensure its political security, the Western media should not question China if it is to close its doors by scrutinizing one particular issue" said the editorial in the Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily. Apple removed the newspaper's English and Chinese-language apps on Dec. 23, citing requests from Chinese authorities. The Global Times said Apple "cares most about business, so it is willing to respect Chinese laws", adding that Apple faced tough competition from local brands in Greater China. The New York Times pointed to a recent investigative report on government subsidies offered to Apple supplier Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precison Industry Co, as a possible reason for the ban. "The development of the Internet in China must respect China's laws and regulations, in principle," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to a question about the apps. In a report on the app's removal, the New York Times cited their own spokesperson as saying the app was removed shortly after a journalist made requests to government authorities, Foxconn and Apple seeking comment for the story. The New York Times called on Apple to reconsider the ban, and said the block was part of a wider attempt to prevent readers from accessing the US publication. The newspaper is one of many foreign publications that is blocked within the country by China`s cyber authority. But the apps from other blocked news sites, including the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, remain available on the China app store. (Reuters)

Now, Chinese media attacks NYT's 'reporting practices'

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