Donald Trump 'shared highly classified data with Russia'

Donald Trump shared highly classified information with the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador to the US, during their meeting at the White House last week, several American news organisations have reported.

According to the Washington Post and others, Mr Trump boasted to Sergei Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak of the great intelligence he had received about an Islamic State plot to use laptops to blow up planes.

But that information had apparently been passed on from another country and was not America's to share.

Image:During a break Mr Trump jokes with Mr Lavrov (L) and ambassador Sergei Kislyak (R). MFA Russia

It was also reportedly told in such a way that would have allowed the Russians to work out the nature and even the location and identity of the intelligence source itself.

Anonymous officials also told The Washington Post the information was so sensitive that it had been withheld from America's allies.

The White House issued a denial.

National security advisor General HR McMaster said: "I was in the room, it didn't happen.

Image:National security adviser General HR McMaster says 'it didn't happen'

"The President and the foreign minister reviewed a range of common threats to our countries including threats to civil aviation.

"At no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed and the President did not disclose any military operations that were not already publicly known."

As president, Donald Trump has broad powers to declassify information as he sees fit.

There is no suggestion at the moment that President Trump committed a crime, only an accusation that he acted unwisely and in a way that has potentially far reaching consequences.

But there was immediate - and tellingly - cross party concern about what may have happened.

Republican senator John McCain said: "If it's true, obviously it's disturbing."

Trump ally senator Bob Corker said the White House was in a "downward spiral", and that the White House has "got to do something soon to bring itself under control and order".

Republican Paul Ryan said: "The speaker hopes for a full explanation of the facts from the administration."

Democratic senator Ron Wyden said: "These reports - if true - are of the gravest possible concern. It could harm our national security by cutting off important sources of intelligence that protect Americans against terrorist acts."

The meeting in question happened the day after Mr Trump sacked FBI director James Comey, the man in charge of investigating whether the President's campaign colluded with Russia to swing the election.

Mr Trump has also heavily criticised Hillary Clinton over her own careless handling of classified information.

Now, on the eve of his first foreign trip which includes a visit to the Middle East, there are fears that the commander-in-chief may have had a profoundly negative impact on America's reputation as a trusted intelligence sharing partner.

Barron Trump to attend private St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland

Barron Trump, the 11-year-old son of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, will attend the private St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., this fall after he moves from New York to Washington with his mother.

Barron Trump is finishing out the current school year at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is expected to move to Washington this summer and will start at St. Andrew’s as a sixth grader. He will be the first presidential child to attend St. Andrew’s, a coeducational college preparatory school that was founded in 1978 and educates about 580 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

The White House had planned to hold off until summer to make the announcement — in part because of concern that St. Andrew’s might become the site of protests while school was still in session. But parents began to ask questions and express security concerns as rumors surfaced, and school leaders sent a letter to parents on Monday, signed by the head of the school, Robert Kosasky, and the middle school head, Rodney Glasgow (see full text below), saying that Barron Trump would join the class of 2024.

First lady Melania Trump said in a statement:

“We are very excited for our son to attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. It is known for its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence. The mission of St. Andrew’s is ‘to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community dedicated to exceptional teaching, learning, and service,’ all of which appealed to our family. We look forward to the coming school years at St. Andrew’s.”

The letter says that school leaders are working with the Secret Service to ensure that “logistics and security will continue to work smoothly and discreetly next year for all of our students and families” in order to maintain “the positive feel, flow, and safety of our campuses.”

St. Andrew’s, where tuition will cost the Trumps about $40,000 a year, is known for its pioneering use of brain-based research to help students of all abilities to succeed and for providing extra support for students who need it. Class sizes are small — usually 11 to 13 students — and the school says that all of its graduates go to college, including Ivy League schools, small liberal arts colleges, state schools, and schools of art, engineering and design. The school also says athletics are an “integral part” of its educational program. Among numerous sports, it offers golf, a favorite of Barron’s.


The school’s website says it strives to educate students “in an inclusive environment that embodies the faith and perspective of the Episcopal Church” and that it “seeks a broadly diverse community to promote educational excellence.” The school’s programs, it says, “are designed to serve students of varied interests and abilities capable of achievement in a challenging academic environment.”

In light traffic, the ride from the White House to St. Andrew’s, in the elite enclave of Potomac, is a little more than 30 minutes.

With a 75,000-square-foot classroom building on the 19-acre campus where the middle and upper schools are located, St. Andrew’s boasts impressive facilities. They include a 14,000-volume, two-story library with an audiovisual classroom and a periodical reading room; a multipurpose theater/assembly/lunch space that features a stage and light/sound booth; two visual arts studios with ceramics wheels and a kiln; a darkroom; two full-size basketball courts; a fitness room; a dance studio; and two full turf fields for softball, baseball, lacrosse and soccer.



In 2011, St. Andrew’s opened its Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University School of Education, to help teachers apply the best research on teaching, learning and the brain to the classroom. In 2013, it was invited by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education to become the eighth school to join a global network of schools that conducts cutting-edge research and leads professional development in that area.

Sky News to host Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn in live TV special

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will face questions from a live studio audience for the first time in the election campaign on Sky News on Monday 29 May.

The Conservative leader and the Labour leader will be interviewed during the joint Sky News and Channel 4 programme May v Corbyn Live: The Battle For Number 10 - starting at 8.30pm.

The 90-minute show, to be broadcast from Sky's west London studios, will open with one of the leaders facing an audience Q&A hosted by Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam. They will then be interviewed by former BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman.

The second half of the programme will follow the same format with the other party leader.

The programme will be four days before the BBC broadcasts Mrs May and Mr Corbyn facing audience questions in Question Time specials presented by David Dimbleby on 2 June.

Sky News has also announced that on election night Adam Boulton and Sophy Ridge will co-host Vote 2017 from 9pm - with Boulton at the election hub at Sky's studios in Osterley crunching the latest results and Ridge on Abingdon Green in Westminster.

:: Jeremy Corbyn: Professional protester turned leader

Kay Burley will be with Theresa May in her Maidenhead constituency, Colin Brazier will be in north London following Jeremy Corbyn, Anna Botting in the Lake District with Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron, Niall Paterson in Glasgow with the SNP, Gillian Joseph with UKIP, and Paul Kelso with the Green Party in Brighton.

Professor Michael Thrasher, Sky News' election expert, will be analysing all the results as they come in. Dermot Murnaghan will present Sky's coverage the following day as the story continues to develop from Westminster.

The broadcasters' exit poll, carried out by Ipsos MORI and GfK for Sky News, the BBC and ITV News, will offer the first snapshot of the results at 10pm before the results come in throughout the evening and into the following day.

Using the Sky News team and contributors across the UK, Sky News will be live from an unprecedented 300 constituencies, allowing the channel to be live in more party target seats than ever before.

John Ryley, Head of Sky News, said: "Sky News will offer their customers the most comprehensive coverage out there both during the rest of the campaign to the drama of election night.

"Whatever the results, Sky News promises to bring you the latest news first with immediate analysis from Sky News experts and guests with accuracy, flair and a healthy dose of fun."

:: Theresa May: A self-proclaimed "bloody difficult woman"

NHS cyberattack: Trusts were told about security patch last month

NHS England hospital trusts were sent details of a security patch last month that would have prevented Friday's malware attack.

NHS Digital has confirmed to Sky News that the patch was made available on its cyber portal on 25 April, and a link sent to NHS IT staff on 27 April.

A spokesman said: "Our understanding is that if that had been acted on it would have prevented (the malware attack)."

NHS organisations across the country were on alert for a possible recurrence of Friday's cyberattack as staff returned to work on Monday.

:: Microsoft: Governments to blame for cyberattack

Cyber security experts had warned that the ransomware virus, which affected one in five NHS trusts, could be reactivated by computers and devices that had not yet been switched on.

But speaking publicly for the first time since the cyberattack, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that "according to the latest intelligence we have not seen a second wave of attacks".

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency COBRA committee later.

More than 200,000 victims in about 150 countries were infected by the ransomware known as Wanna Decryptor, which encrypts files on a user's computer, blocking them from view and demanding a payment to release them.

:: Cyberattacks: How to protect your computer from infection

In total 47 NHS organisations reported being affected - and the disruption has continued into the new working week.

Seven hospital trusts are still experiencing serious problems, among them St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust.

Labour has accused the Government of a "chaotic" response, and claimed cuts had left hospitals "wide open" to being compromised.

Problems with cyber security in the NHS was highlighted last year by Dame Fiona Caldicott, the national data guardian, who warned issues were given insufficient priority and that health bodies persisted in using obsolete computer systems, The Times reported.

:: Cyberattack 'biggest in history and unique'

UKIP accuses Theresa May of stealing the party's policies

UKIP has accused Theresa May of stealing its policies, and vowed to remain a political force even if it fails to win any seats in the General Election.

The party's economic spokesman, Patrick O'Flynn, said there was "still a stench in the political air" over favouring the rich and powerful despite the Prime Minister's recent attempts to woo Labour and UKIP voters.

Issuing a series of challenges to the Conservatives over their plans for the economy, Mr O'Flynn said more should be done to tackle big business rather than "dumping on the up-and-comers".

Speaking at a policy launch in Westminster, he said: "We could I think be forgiven for finding it galling that the ever-pragmatic Tory party has lately donned so many of our clothes - and isn't it interesting, by the way, that Mrs May is being ferried around the country in the very battlebus that was used for the Conservative Remain campaign this time last year?

"Rather like her, it's had a message respray in the interim."

Mr O'Flynn called on the Tories to rule out a hike in national insurance contributions (NIC), cut the foreign aid bill and clamp down on tax avoidance.

He said: "If NIC rises for the self-employed are not specifically ruled out in the Conservative manifesto then we will know that a Tory tax bombshell is on the way, aimed not at the rich but at plumbers and plasterers, electricians and taxi drivers, hairdressers and personal trainers.

"All the signs are Mr Hammond is planning a targeted attack on white van men and entrepreneurial women."

Mr O'Flynn urged the Conservatives to "steal another policy" by adopting UKIP's plans to clamp down on unskilled migration.

The vote to leave the European Union and subsequent infighting within UKIP after Nigel Farage stood aside as leader has led many to question whether the party is still relevant.

But Mr O'Flynn hit back at such suggestions, saying the party was "the most successful pressure group of the entire 21st century".

Emmanuel Macron selects Edouard Philippe as French PM

French President Emmanuel Macron has selected Edouard Philippe as the country's new prime minister.

Mr Philippe, 46, is the mayor of Le Havre and a close associate of Alain Juppe, a prominent conservative who was touted to replace Francois Fillon as presidential candidate for the Republicans.

Analysts say his appointment could convince other Republicans to support Mr Macron, who is looking to secure a working majority in crucial parliamentary elections next month.

One of Mr Macron's aides welcomed the appointment as "a good move", telling AFP it would help the president "break the right".

:: Macron's battle begins now he is in the Elysee

Republicans secretary general Bernard Accoyer said the move had created "ambiguity" over what political line Mr Philippe would follow.

He said: "This is an individual decision. It is not a political agreement.

"Will this new prime minister support the candidates of En Marche of the President ... or will he support the candidates of The Republicans-UDI, the candidates of his own political family?"

Meanwhile, Mr Juppe described the new prime minister as "a man of great talent" with "all the qualities to handle the difficult job".

Image:Mr Macron waves off Francois Hollande as he takes over as French president

Mr Philippe began his political life as a Socialist activist, before switching sides and serving as Mr Juppe's campaign spokesman during the Republicans party primary.

When Mr Juppe was beaten, the 46-year-old pledged his support to Francois Fillon but later quit the campaign when prosecutors started investigating allegations that the presidential candidate gave family members taxpayer-funded "fake jobs".

:: Why Macron picked a centre-right French PM

A relatively unknown politician, Mr Philippe previously worked as a director of public affairs for French nuclear group Areva from 2007-2010.

Prior to that he worked as a lawyer for New York City-based international law firm Debevoise and Plimpton LLP.

Image:Emmanuel Macron and Edouard Philippe shake hands during a meeting in February 2016

The announcement comes a day after Mr Macron was inaugurated as France's youngest ever president in a ceremony in Paris.

In his inauguration speech, the centrist leader vowed to fight terrorism and also listed "the excesses of capitalism in the world" and climate change among his future challenges.

The 39-year-old has appointed Alexis Kohler, who was his chief of staff when he was economy minister, as his secretary general.

Philippe Etienne, a former ambassador to Berlin, will act as his diplomatic adviser.

The remainder of Mr Macron's government is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

Europol says cyberattack that hit NHS is 'biggest in history and unique'

The cyberattack that crippled NHS computer systems is the biggest of its kind and "unique" in its malicious software, security chiefs have said.

Known as WannaCrypt or WannaCry, the ransomware is widely believed to have been developed as a hacking tool by the US National Security Agency.

In its latest update on the cyberattack, Europol said it was the "largest ransomware attack observed in history".

The EU's law enforcement body said the unique features of the WannaCry ransomware were its two main components, a "worm functionality" and the ransomware itself.

Europol said: "This is the first ever detected malware combining these features, which makes it unique."

Russia on Monday denied it had anything to do with the cyberattack.

President Vladimir Putin said there was "no significant damage" to Russian institutions such as banks and hospitals, but asserted the incident was "worrisome" and warranted immediate talks "on a serious political level".

:: Cyberattacks: How to protect your computer from infection

The NHS was among hundreds of organisations affected around the world, with 47 trusts hit.

Sky News has learned that trusts in England were sent details of a security patch last month to protect themselves from such an attack.

A spokesman for NHS Digital said: "Our understanding is that if that had been acted on it would have prevented (the malware attack)."

The cyberattack, which began in London on Friday morning, has so far affected 150 countries and locked more than 200,000 computers.

As people across the globe returned to work, Japan reported 2,000 computers at 600 locations had been affected, with firms including Hitachi and Nissan reporting problems.

Chinese state media said 29,372 institutions had been affected along with hundreds of thousands of devices, and universities and universities and schools among the hardest hit.

Microsoft said the attack was a "wake-up call" and identified "nation-state action and organised criminal action" as "the two most serious forms of cybersecurity threats in the world today".

The company said it had released a security update back in March to protect Windows system computers against such attacks, but said many computers "remained unpatched globally".

The 22-year-old British IT expert credited with saving thousands more computers across the world being infected said he was more concerned for his privacy than his safety.

The security researcher, who goes by the handle of MalwareTech (MT), was hailed an "accidental hero" for discovering the WannaCry virus' kill switch.

He tweeted on Monday: "For the record I don't 'fear for my safety', I'm just unhappy with trying to help clear up Friday's mess with the doorbell going constantly."

The online community pleaded for his identity not to be outed online - a research process known as "doxing" - to protect him.