Trump confirms he is under investigation in Russia inquiry

President Donald Trump has appeared to acknowledge he is under investigation in the inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

In a tweet, the president also seemed to accuse the US deputy attorney general of pursuing a "Witch Hunt".

He said: "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!"

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein wrote a memo the White House used to justify the firing of the ex-FBI chief.

Mr Rosenstein took over the investigation into whether Russia interfered with the US election after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in March.

The deputy attorney general later appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lead the inquiry.

Earlier this week US media reported that Mr Mueller was investigating the president for possible obstruction of justice.

Mr Mueller was reportedly planning to interview intelligence officials on whether Mr Trump got rid of the FBI director, James Comey, in May to hamper an inquiry into his sacked national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Mr Trump also tweeted on Friday morning: "After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my 'collusion with the Russians,' nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!"

In other developments:
Mr Rosenstein may have to recuse himself from the Russia investigation if he is called on as a potential witness in the matter, ABC News reports
Vice-President Mike Pence has hired an outside lawyer to handle inquiries into the Trump campaign's potential ties to the Kremlin
The Justice Department's special counsel is also investigating President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and his business dealings, according to the Washington Post

London mayor Sadiq Khan wants PM's answers today over fire failures

London's mayor Sadiq Khan has written to Theresa May demanding immediate answers over failures at Grenfell Tower.

In a lengthy letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Khan criticised the support and information being given to residents, as well as the relief efforts for those left homeless by the horror fire.

He also called for an update on measures to ensure a similar tragedy does not strike any other high-rise tower blocks and the immediate implementation of previously proposed safety rules.

Mr Khan urged Mrs May to chase prosecutions should anyone be found to have been "negligent" over the disaster, as he called for residents of the north Kensington building to be given free legal representation.

Mr Khan told the Prime Minister he expects answers later on Friday.

The mayor, who visited the scene of the tragedy on Thursday, described local residents as "distraught, frustrated and increasingly angry".

He wrote: "They feel the Government and local council haven't done enough to help them in the aftermath of this horrific incident, or to provide answers to their increasingly urgent questions."

Mr Khan said residents "cannot comprehend" why they are not being given more information about missing family members and friends.

Attacking the "insufficient support" for victims of the fire, the mayor said "scale of this tragedy is clearly proving too much" for Kensington and Chelsea Council to cope with.

He noted some Grenfell Tower residents were still sleeping in the nearby Westway Sports Centre on Thursday night despite claims accommodation had been found for all of those who lost their homes.

With questions over the tragedy focusing on the installation of exterior cladding on Grenfell Tower during a recent £8.6m refurbishment, Mr Khan said residents in other renovated tower blocks were "terrified" the same thing could happen to them.

If the Government believes any other tower blocks could be at risk, the mayor demanded residents be rehoused immediately.

He added: "Please also confirm that there will be an immediate implementation of the improved safety rules proposed in 2013 but still not implemented."

Mr Khan repeated his call for the public inquiry into the disaster, announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday, to provide an interim report this summer "at the latest".

He said: "We cannot afford to wait years for the outcome".

The mayor said residents should not be saddled with legal costs for participating in the inquiry.

Mr Khan vowed to "continue to fight alongside this community to ensure they get the support and answers they deserve and justice done".

Simon Cowell planning charity song for victims of Grenfell Tower fire

Simon Cowell says he is making plans for a charity single in aid of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

The music mogul tweeted: "I am watching the footage of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. Heartbreaking.

"We hope to confirm a record tomorrow which will raise some money for the many people affected by this tragedy. Making calls tonight."

One Direction and Little Mix are both signed to Cowell's Syco Music label.

In 2010 he produced a version of REM classic Everybody Hurts for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, featuring stars including Mariah Carey, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart and Kylie Minogue.

Image:Adele made a low-key visit to the scene following the blaze. Pic: @FourMee/PA Wire

One of Cowell's phone calls could also be to Adele.

The singer was spotted making a low-key visit to the scene on Wednesday night, where she hugged some of those affected.

Cowell has a house in upmarket Holland Park, around half a mile from Grenfell Tower.

Meanwhile, comedian Al Murray has said he will donate all profits from his two shows in London this weekend to those affected by the fire.

He tweeted: "All profits from my Pub Landlord's Summer Saloon shows this Friday and Saturday at the Underbelly Southbank will be donated to the people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

"Underbelly will also be matching the contribution up to #10,000."

The move was praised by fans of the comedian, with Twitter user @AndyGilder writing "A noble gesture, young man", while @JamesMcCann6 said: "Have a great couple of nights and thank you for your genuine concern and generosity."

Vladimir Putin's scripted Q&A 'like a comfy chat show'

Vladimir Putin's annual 'Direct Line' question and answer show, occupying a whopping four hours of national television time, looks and feels a worthy exercise in democracy.

More than two million Russians sent in questions for the President via text, email and video - while a sizeable studio audience, who never seemed to need the toilet, posed additional queries.

Yet Mr Putin's Q&A has very little to do with democratic accountability.

The whole thing is highly scripted affair - the President reeled off some Soviet-style economic statistics before dealing with a series of pre-screened questions about pot-holed roads, poor accommodation and oversized rubbish dumps.

Image:The slick-looking show takes place in front of a studio audience

He expressed surprise when a teacher from Irkutsk said she was getting paid 16,000 roubles a month (£219) and said he was disappointed to hear that the water was not fit to drink in a community near Lake Baikal.

"We'll look into that," he said on numerous occasions.

It felt a bit like a comfy chat show, designed to make people feel good about being Russian.

"We build the biggest icebreakers," said Mr Putin, while acknowledging the Russian experience isn't exactly problem-free.

Image:President Putin was relaxed in the knowledge the questions had been vetted

There were unexpected moments of spontaneity however, when the on-screen 'ticker' started displaying off-message texts from viewers.

"Russia thinks you've spent too long on your throne," said one. "Do you really think people are buying this circus with all these scripted questions?" said another.

The ticker disappeared for a while before returning later on, leaving viewers to puzzle over this highly discordant - if authentic - part of the show.

Unsurprisingly, there was only one question about the political opposition and Mr Putin managed to answer it without mentioning campaigner Alexei Navalny or his big anti-corruption protests earlier in the week.

"Some people use the difficulties we have for their own political PR," he said obliquely.

A 20-year-old university graduate, Lucy Shteyn, thought that was absolutely typical of the President.

Image:Lucy Shteyn was criticised by some for taking a selfie in the police van

Ms Shteyn took a selfie in a police van after her arrest on Monday and the photo quickly went viral, earning her plaudits and insults in equal measure.

"I have experienced heavy bullying on social media because of it," she told us. "People say, 'why are you smiling on the bus? You should be crying'. But I am not ashamed."

When Sky News asked her what she would ask Mr Putin at the marathon Q&A, she chuckled: "I'd ask him if he is going to leave and whether he feels guilty for what he is doing. But these questions don't matter. He'd just blow them off."

Image:Yulia Galiamina was at the Moscow protest and says police beat her

Image:Ms Galiamina is being treated for skull, face and body injuries

We also contacted scientist and activist Yulia Galiamina, who spoke to us from her hospital bed in Moscow.

She is being treated for injuries to her skull, face and body after participating in the anti-corruption demonstration.

"We made this chain but there were lots of riot police around us and at some point a riot policeman ran towards me and hit me in the teeth with his fist - right here," she said. "I had the feeling I was in War and Peace."

So, what would Ms Galiamina say to Mr Putin, if she ever gets the chance?

"I would say that it is time for Putin to go and [he should] organise fair elections. Without him around, it will be easier to reconstruct Russia into a free and law-abiding state."

With a presidential election scheduled for next March, Mr Putin was asked at the Q&A if he will be around for next year's instalment. He said it was "up to the people." But his friends - and his foes - assume he will be there.

Facebook uses AI in fight against terrorism

Artificial intelligence is being deployed by Facebook in an effort to stop terrorists from using its website.

The social media company said in a blog post that it will use AI to find and remove terrorist content before other users see it.

The technology is the same as that used to block child pornography on the website but, as AI and algorithms are not yet as good as people at understanding the nuances of content and language, the website still needs human reviewers as well.

One of the techniques used is image matching - comparing photos and videos uploaded by users with known terrorist images or videos.

Facebook is also working on "text-based signals" from material that has already been removed. These signals will be fed into a machine-learning system and that machine will, over time, be able to detect similar posts.

The move comes after repeated calls from authorities for social media websites such as Facebook to identify and prevent the spread of terrorist propaganda and recruitment on their platforms.

More than 150 people, including counter-terror experts, former prosecutors, ex-law enforcement, analysts and engineers, are employed at Facebook to "exclusively or primarily" focus on "countering terrorism", the company said.

Facebook's blog post, by Monika Bickert, director of global policy management, and counter-terrorism policy manager Brian Fishman, said: "In the wake of recent terror attacks, people have questioned the role of tech companies in fighting terrorism online.

"We want to answer those questions head on.

"We agree with those who say that social media should not be a place where terrorists have a voice.

"We want to be very clear how seriously we take this - keeping our community safe on Facebook is critical to our mission."

Seemingly in an effort to address criticism of their apparent slowness to act, the writers said: "We've been cautious, in part because we don't want to suggest there is any easy technical fix.

"It is an enormous challenge to keep people safe on a platform used by nearly two billion every month, posting and commenting in more than 80 languages in every corner of the globe.

"And there is much more for us to do."

PM criticised for failing to meet Grenfell Tower fire survivors

Prime Minister Theresa May has been criticised for not meeting the residents of Grenfell Tower when she visited the scene – in contrast to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Mrs May made a private visit on Thursday to speak to police and firefighters dealing with the aftermath of the blaze, but was not seen speaking to any of the families or residents affected.

Image:Mrs May speaks to Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, at the scene

Former Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Portillo said her meeting with the emergency services was "a good thing" but that she "should have been there with the residents".

"She wanted an entirely controlled situation in which she didn't use her humanity," he told BBC's This Week.

"The Prime Minister would have been shouted at by the residents, but she should have been willing to take that."

Former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said it was "not okay" for her not to have met survivors at the west London site.

In a message on Twitter, Ms Harman said: "Theresa May should have met Grenfell Fire residents. She should have been prepared to listen to them Not OK to speak at them via TV."

Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan tweeted: "If it's true Theresa May didn't meet ANY survivors or relatives of the dead on her #Grenfell visit today, that's an absolute disgrace."

Green Wing actor Stephen Mangan wrote: "If Theresa May doesn't get how appalling not meeting the Grenfell residents looks/is, you'd think an adviser would point it out to her."

Cookery writer Jack Monroe tweeted: "People have been killed and May opts for a stage managed photo op rather than to hear from survivors, trauma victims, residents."

Downing Street aides said the purpose of Mrs May's visit was to get a briefing from emergency services and ensure that they had the resources they needed.

Mrs May later appeared on TV to announce a public inquiry into the fire and promise that those left homeless would be rehoused nearby.

During her speech, she said: "I want to reassure the residents of Grenfell Tower - all of whom are in our thoughts and prayers - that the Government will make every effort to make sure that they are rehoused in London and as close as possible to home."

Image:Mr Corbyn comforts a resident at St Clement's Church

Hours after Mrs May's private visit, Mr Corbyn made a trip to a church being used as a relief centre where he was photographed with his arm around the shoulders of some of those affected.

The Labour leader later issued a statement saying: "I feel very angry that it was possible for the fire to spread in the way it did. I feel very angry that so many lives have been lost when the system didn't work.

"The many residents I met today are very angry too; their concerns about the building were not responded to and their questions were not answered."

Up to 17 dead in Somali bomb and hostage attack

Up to 17 people have been killed and others are being held hostage after a car bomb attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

A suicide bomber rammed his car into the gate of the Posh Treats Hotel before gunmen posing as soldiers stormed the Pizza House restaurant next door.

The militants took hostages in the restaurant.

Two of the gunmen have been shot dead by security forces and 10 hostages have been rescued, including Asians, Kenyans and Ethiopians.

However, five other attackers are thought to still be inside the restaurant with the electricity cut off, complicating attempts by the security forces to end the siege.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said heavy gunfire could be heard at the scene.

He added that many of the 17 victims were young men who had been entering the restaurant when the car exploded.

It is not clear how many hostages remain inside.

Ambulance spokesman Khalif Dahir said 26 people had been injured.

Mohamud Abdi survived the attack with slight injuries and said: "Many young men did not survive.

"I saw at least eight bodies and many more are still trapped in the fighting.

"I had the chance to get out, along with two people from the attack, when I gave them a helping hand."

Extremist group al-Shabaab has said it is behind the attack.

The Somalia-based extremists recently vowed to increase attacks after the government of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was elected as president in February, launched a new military offensive against them.

The group has lost large amounts of territory to the government-backed African Union peacekeepers in recent years.