Trump hopes to leave scandals behind as he makes first foreign tip

On his first foreign trip as US President, Donald Trump is leaving behind a White House suffocating in scandal.

Known for being a reluctant traveller who prefers his own bed, Mr Trump may welcome a shift in focus from the numerous political fires that neither he nor his aides can extinguish.

A hectic nine-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Belgium, Italy and the Vatican will certainly divert attention from what is happening at home but the problems are not going away.

And with this President the trip itself could throw up its own surprises. Each stop requires some pretty intense briefing and delicate handling, which Mr Trump is not known for.

The first trip abroad of a US president is usually either to neighbouring Mexico or Canada.

The countries chosen for Mr Trump's first outing have been seen as too ambitious.

The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg thinks it could be too much.

"Heading to the Middle East to have this encounter with the Abrahamic religions and to the Vatican, adding the Vatican onto that, seems both fraught and unnecessary, also possibly counterproductive," he said.

"Because the Middle East - it doesn't take a genius to know this - is a little bit of a minefield."

How much room Mr Trump has for the nuances of all that is highly questionable. Accusations of obstruction of justice and revealing secrets to the Russians will surely be front of mind whether at home or abroad.

His global audience has been watching open-mouthed as scandal replaces scandal.

After those reports that he may have bragged classified information to the Kremlin, allies like Israel and the UK will be seeking reassurance about intelligence sharing. Though, according to a US official, there are no tweaks or changes to the schedule to accommodate that.

The same official said NATO will be a strong theme of the trip, with an emphasis on "increased burden sharing".

Mr Trump will be telling members they need to increase their commitments.

His administration is hoping for a "warm and upbeat" meeting with the Pope Francis.

The aim is to "show respect" for the Pope, with whom Mr Trump clashed during the election campaign over the need to build bridges not walls.

Despite reports that Mr Trump is dreading this trip, his administration says he is eager to press the agenda he campaigned on.

But Mr Trump did not campaign on foreign policy. No one really knows what his approach is.

Mr Goldberg says: "There is no discernible American foreign policy at the moment, there are a bunch of impulses, there are a bunch of initiatives, there are competing power centres, but there's no through-line, there's no theme."

He reckons the best the Trump administration can hope for is that the trip passes without incident.

"The best possible outcome of this trip for him is that he doesn't screw anything up," he said.

"He's literally going to the most volatile place in the world, he's going to Jerusalem, he's going to Saudi Arabia to give a talk on the future of Islam.

"I'm not speechless that often, but that one really took me by surprise, because that seems like a somewhat audacious thing for Donald Trump to go and do."

Audacious is the only way this President knows.

How Mark Zuckerberg Gets $9 Billion Wealthier Every Year

Exactly five years have passed since Facebook had its glitch-riddled debut on the Nasdaq.

Each year since then, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has added an average $9 billion to his net worth, building his wealth up to $62.3 billion today. Based on the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index, 33-year-old Zuckerberg is the fifth-wealthiest person in the world — largely thanks to the appreciation of his Facebook stock holdings.

At the social media company's debut half a decade ago though, it would've been easy to doubt Zuckerberg's ability to rank in the world's 10 wealthiest. Four days after the CEO turned 28, Facebook much-hyped about IPO finally hit markets — as a dud. Thanks to technical glitches, Facebook didn't begin trading until 11:30 a.m. that Friday, priced at $42.05 a share. But by the end of the day, it had dropped as low as $38 as investor confidence began to wane.

In that single trading day, Zuckerberg's stake in the company had fallen from $19 billion when the stock began trading, to $17 billion at the market's close. And the losses didn't stop there. After the company reported a weaker than expected quarter following its first ever earnings call as a publicly-traded company in July, the CEO's worth had fallen to $11.9 billion.

But Facebook has certainly proved its doubters wrong since. Under Zuckerberg's leadership, shares of the company have risen some 282% since its IPO. Meanwhile, the platform now boasts 1.3 billion daily active users on the site during the first quarter of 2017 (that's about 17% of the world's population). Back in 2012, Facebook's user base was roughly half of that.

Zuckerberg also proved to investors that he could effectively monetize the social media company by selling web space and user information to advertisers. Profit margins have grown to a sizable 37% in 2016 — up from 19% five years prior to that.

With revenue of $28 billion (up 656% since 2011), and income of $10 billion (up 1,400% since 2011), Facebook now commands a market cap of $426.5 billion.

“He maintains a relentless focus on innovation, but at the same time he’s an applied-science and engineering guy,” Matt Cohler, an early Facebook employee and venture capitalist at Benchmark told Fortune's Adam Lashinsky. Facebook has in recent years been pushing more deeply into the areas of artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

That wealth that Zuckerberg has built though won't all end up in his pockets at the end of the day. The billionaire pledged in 2015 to give away 99% of his family's net worth in their lifetime.

What Did Iranian President Rouhani Actually Achieve?

In 2013, Hassan Rouhani ran for president of Iran—and won—as a moderate candidate. He promised big changes to liberalize Iran’s economy and give citizens greater access to information.
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Front and center in his message was a pledge to improveinternet access—and to make it easier to access, freer, and more affordable for more Iranians. This bold platform stood in contrast to his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who spearheaded the regime of censorship and control that has shaped Iran’s internet policy for more than a decade.

Now Rouhani hopes to win re-election on Friday, and internet policy remains a key issue for Iran’s population of 80 million, a demographic dominated by tech-savvy youth under 35. With this in mind, it’s valuable to look back at his promises and policy goals, and how they’ve played out in practice. His success has been mixed, but the negative results haven’t entirely been his fault.

Rouhani’s central internet policy platform centered on better access, with a focus on increasing internet speeds to improve the country’s economic situation. He even issued a “Charter of Citizen Rights” that promises to protect free speech and online. But it’s unclear what, if any, legal basis the document holds. And importantly, Rouhani has had relatively little control over internet censorship. Following civil unrest in 2009, internet policy decisions became increasingly centralized under the office of the supreme leader. Now a Supreme Council of Cyberspace is the ultimate decision-making body on the internet. The council includes Iran’s judiciary and Revolutionary Guards, but not the president. One result of this setup has been a confusing patchwork as some platforms are blocked, some surveilled, and some permitted.

For instance, Iranians can’t access smaller, more secure apps such as Signal and Wispi. But in a bit of good news, Rouhani’s administration has successfully prevented other social media platforms from being blocked, including WhatsApp, Line, Tango, and Telegram. However, these platforms are still subject to strict limitations, as are their users. For Telegram—which is the most popular messaging app in the country with an estimated 40 million users—the government now requires all public channels with more than 5,000 followers to register with the Cyber Police. (The policy is supposedly intended to combat “fake news.”) In January, Telegram channel administrators found that when they registered with the relevant authority, they were forced to add an automated government bot as an account co-administrator. The bot is suspected to enable wide-ranging surveillance abilities by allowing access to databases of specific users whose online activity can be further monitored.
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Moreover, certain features of the app have been eliminated for Iranian users. The hardline judiciary (which does not lie within Rouhani’s control) blocked Telegram’s calling feature a day after it was released in Iran on April 14. The prosecutor general told Iranians during an April 22 state TV broadcast: “With the help of all our security agencies, we have determined that Telegram voice calls are harmful to national security, especially so close to an election.”

Like Telegram, Instagram has become a platform where the Iranian government has exercised some power over speech, without shutting it down altogether. In May 2015, internet researchers cast doubt on the administration’s claims that the government was developing “sophisticated” technology to employ intelligent filtering on platforms like Instagram. It turned out that the government was simply taking advantage of the fact that at the time, Facebook didn’t use https on Instagram’s mobile application. In a similar and vague policy, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology announced a new effort this past February to penalize specific users for posting immoral content, instead of censoring or penalizing the platforms themselves.

Among thousands of websites censored under the Rouhani administration is Global Voices, the site that I write for. For several years, Global Voices was blocked in Iran, but when we transitioned from http to https in 2015, it suddenly became available. This indicated that the block was dependent on technical specifications contingent upon http. Iran’s filtering committee now seems to have selectively reinstated the filtering on our new https website, but it has limited this to the Persian-language version of Global Voices.

Unfortunately, arrests, intimidations and the fear of looming surveillance work to stifle freedom of expression more than any technical filter can. This past year was punctuated with the arrests and physical takeovers of the social media pages of models and members of the fashion industry. Recently, various reformist and pro-Rouhani Telegram channels have been seized and their administratorsarrested.

The Rouhani administration’s main achievement has been in preventing broad-based censorship on certain platforms.
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Another prominent government strategy is to hack or target users online, particularly to dissuade or frighten Iranians from using certain online activities or expressions. The Iran Threats project details the sophisticated strategies and technologies employed to attack users, including malware aimed at journalists, and various methods of hijacking Telegram accounts. In January and February, a number of journalists, members of Iranian civil society, and activists overseas were on the receiving end of Iranian government phishing attacks. Several of these people received a notice from Gmail informing them that their emails were the target of “nation-state” attackers.

Rouhani’s administration has made good on his promises to develop the country’s telecommunications system, but it’s come with a heavy price. Improvements of internet development—like faster internet speeds and incentives for entrepreneurship—make it easier to hand user data to the government. For example the National Internet Project aims to localize all internet services and place servers inside the country. But while this does promote local development, it also puts local users’ data under the firm jurisdiction of Iranian law and the notoriously conservative judiciary, potentially increasing opportunities for government surveillance. Isa Saharkhiz, a reformist journalist who is, was arrested after his mobile messages were exploited for cellphone monitoring during the 2009 protests. Iranian American Nostrallah Khosravi-Roodsari is believed to have been arrested based on Iran’s mass surveillance of SMS data.

Nevertheless, there have been positive side effects. It used to be that all filtering happened at the national level, but now different internet service providers have their own policies. Surprisingly, many users have been able to access Twitter through one particular network, Shatel. Rouhani’s administration has also helped increase internet speeds in Iran tenfold, from 624 gigabits per seconds in 2013 to 4,000 gigabits per second in at the beginning of 2017.

While the Rouhani administration has claimed during this campaign that it has made great strides toward internet freedoms, its main achievement has been in preventing broad-based censorship on certain platforms. The implementation of blocks on thousands of websites continued throughout his time in office, as have numerous arrests and efforts to centralize user data into the hands of the government. And the work of Iran’s conservative judiciary and Revolutionary Guards has continued to strengthen state intimidation, arrests, surveillance, and censorship. As the country approaches its 12th presidential election, there is real reason to worry about Iranians’ ability to freely share and distribute information during this important political moment. The big question is: Can the Rouhani government find strength in its own values and take on the country’s more hardline powers?

Chinese jets intercept US aircraft over East China Sea, US says

Two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets have conducted an "unprofessional" intercept of a US aircraft, the US military said.

The US WC-135 plane was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace over the East China Sea.

One of the Chinese jets came as close as 150ft (45m) to the US aircraft, according to US officials cited by CNN.

China's suspicion of US activity near the resource-rich international waters off its coast has repeatedly led to tensions between the two countries.

"The issue is being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels," Air Force spokesperson Lt Col Lori Hodge said.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the disputed territory in the South and East China seas, though several other countries in the region have competing claims.

China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.

Why is the South China Sea contentious?

South China Sea- Island, rock or reef?

The intercept was deemed unprofessional "due to the manoeuvres by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft," Lt Col Hodge added, saying a military investigation was underway.

The US sniffer aircraft has previously been used to detect evidence of possible nuclear tests by North Korea.
'Routine operations'

Separately, China and South East Asian countries have agreed a framework for a long-awaited code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea, China's foreign ministry said, without giving details on the content.

It will now be submitted to the foreign ministers of the countries in August.

Over the years, the US, China and several of the South East Asian countries have verbally clashed over activity in the South China Sea.

In February, a US aircraft carrier started what Washington described as "routine operations" in the South China Sea, with a fleet of supporting warships.

The deployment came despite Chinese warnings against challenging Beijing's sovereignty in the region.

In May 2016, two Chinese fighters carried out a similar intercept of a US military aircraft over the South China Sea.

At the time, the US military said its maritime reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out a routine patrol in the area.

Donald Trump claims he's victim of 'witch hunt' over Russia probe

Donald Trump has claimed he is victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in US history amid a probe of his team's alleged links with Russia.

The US President hit back on Thursday after it was announced ex-FBI chief Robert Mueller will lead an investigation into possible ties between his election campaign staff and the Russian government.

Mr Mueller has been appointed a special counsel to examine Moscow's alleged efforts to influence last year's US election.

:: What is a special counsel?

A defiant Mr Trump used his Twitter account to suggest he is being unfairly treated.

He claimed "illegal acts" by his election rival Hillary Clinton's campaign and his predecessor Barack Obama's government had not been investigated by a special counsel.

Mr Trump wrote: "With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special councel (sic) appointed!

He added: "This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!"

Mr Mueller's appointment on Wednesday follows the shock sacking of FBI director James Comey, who had previously been investigating alleged links between the Trump team and Russian officials.

In an earlier statement released by the White House on the announcement of Mr Mueller's appointment, Mr Trump had said: "As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity.

"I look forward to this matter concluding quickly.

"In the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues that matter most to the future of our country."

This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2017

The President used a speech to the US Coast Guard on Wednesday to claim "no politician in history… had been treated worse or more unfairly" than himself.

:: Could Donald Trump be impeached?

Mr Mueller, whose appointment was announced by the Justice Department, will have sweeping powers and the authority to prosecute any crimes he might uncover.

In a brief statement he said: "I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability."

The New York Times reported this week that Mr Trump asked Mr Comey to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and his ties to Russia.

The explosive report sparked calls for the President to be impeached.

Mr Flynn was forced to resign his post in February after claims he misled the White House about his contact with Russia.

Trump Russia inquiry: What is a special counsel?

The Trump campaign's alleged links to Russia are to be investigated by an ex-FBI chief, who has been appointed as special counsel. But what does the role involve?

Robert Mueller's appointment follows President Donald Trump's shock sacking of FBI director James Comey, who had previously been looking into the claims.

What is a special counsel?

Mr Mueller, a lawyer who headed the FBI between 2001 and 2013, was appointed special counsel by the US Department of Justice on Wednesday.

A special counsel is named when there is a conflict of interest for the normal prosecuting body.

For example, any government official investigating a president is effectively probing their own boss, so special counsels (or prosecutors) have traditionally been appointed to look at allegations regarding the White House.

Is a special counsel different to a special prosecutor?

Yes and no. They basically do the same thing, but have slightly different reporting lines. Between the last 1970s and 1999 special prosecutors reported to an independent commission set up by Congress.

In this case the special counsel will report directly to the Department of Justice, which itself reports to President Trump.

What powers does a special counsel have?

A special counsel has the freedom to look at anything they believe is relevant to their investigation.

Although there are already four committees in the US Congress looking at alleged links between Mr Trump's team and Russia, their focus is limited to only the brief of the particular committee.

Mr Mueller can probe possible links or coordination between Mr Trump's campaign team and the Russian government, along with "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation", the letter announcing his appointment states.

:: Defiant Trump facing a battle for survival

He is also authorised to prosecute federal crimes arising from his investigation.

But, despite the wide scope of his role, Mr Mueller must ask for permission to expand his investigation should he want to look at anything he believes to be outside of the remit of the letter appointing him.

Mr Mueller will enjoy the full power to begin investigations and force the release of documents, while he can appoint his own staff who will report to no one else but himself.

He will have to suggest a budget for his investigation within the next two months.

Mr Mueller will also only have to inform the Justice Department what he is up to when he chooses, although the attorney-general should be told of "significant" actions.

In the case of Russia, Mr Mueller will report to deputy attorney general Rod J Rosenstein, who appointed him, after attorney general Jeff Sessions was forced to step away from any Russia-linked probes earlier this year.

:: Could Donald Trump be impeached?

It followed claims Mr Sessions himself had been in contact with Russian officials during last year's election campaign.

Mr Mueller will hand a confidential report to Mr Rosenstein when he finishes his investigation but the contents of that report will not necessarily be made public.

What previous special prosecutors have there been?

There are numerous historical examples of a special prosecutor being appointed to probe claims of government or presidential wrongdoing.

Most famously, a special prosecutor was tasked with investigating the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which led to Richard Nixon's resignation as president.

Special prosecutor Kenneth Starr led the Whitewater probe into business investments by Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 1990s.

This later turned into an investigation into Mr Clinton's denial of an affair with White House aide Monica Lewinsky.

Both Watergate and Whitewater led to impeachment proceedings against the serving president.

In 1986, a special prosecutor found Ronald Reagan's staff had illegally sold arms to Iran as part of the Iran-Contra scandal.

Earlier in US history, the Teapot Dome bribery scandal in the early 1920s and the 1875 siphoning of millions of tax dollars by the Whiskey Ring group of politicians were both investigated by special prosecutors.

Can the president sack a special counsel?

Mr Trump can't sack a special counsel although Mr Rosenstein - who was nominated for his role by the President and helped work on the sacking of Mr Comey - could dismiss Mr Mueller.

Jay Z and Beyonce now a 'billionaire couple'

Jay Z and Beyonce's combined fortune is worth more than a billion dollars, according to Forbes.

The magazine has estimated the married music stars' combined wealth at $1.16bn (£894m).

It puts US rapper Jay Z's fortune at $810m, and his wife's at $350m.

According to Forbes, most of the couple's money is connected to Jay Z's companies, including Roc Nation.

He and singer Beyonce both have stakes in the streaming service, Tidal.

Image:The couple are said to be worth more than a billion dollars between them

Last week, Jay Z signed a new 10-year deal with touring giant Live Nation, worth $200m.

The couple have a five-year-old daughter called Blue Ivy.

Beyonce is currently pregnant with twins.