He was fired by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said an internal review found he leaked information and misled investigators.

Mr McCabe denied the claims and said he was being targeted because of his involvement in the inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Mr Trump has long accused Mr McCabe of bias in favour of the Democrats.

He immediately praised Mr Sessions’ decision to fire him.

In December, the president appeared to taunt the number two at the FBI, when he tweeted: “FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!”

Why was McCabe fired?
Mr Sessions, who heads the justice department, said the decision had been taken “after an extensive and fair investigation” into Mr McCabe. The FBI deputy director had officially stepped down in January while the review took place.

He said the internal report had concluded that Mr McCabe had “made an unauthorised disclosure to the news media and lacked candour – including under oath – on multiple occasions”.

The report has not been released but it is thought to refer to an interview Mr McCabe authorised between two FBI officials and a journalist in October 2016 to explain the agency’s position in an inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of state.

In a statement late on Friday Mr Sessions said: “Based on the report of the Inspector General, the findings of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Department’s senior career official, I have terminated the employment of Andrew McCabe effective immediately.”

Mr McCabe has been on leave since he stepped down, but has remained on the FBI’s books ahead of his expected retirement.

He has been with the bureau for two decades and was eligible for retirement on a federal pension from Sunday, when he turns 50. His sacking now puts that pension in doubt.

How did he respond?
Mr McCabe issued a lengthy statement vehemently rejecting the allegations against him and denouncing what he described as a campaign of attacks on his credibility.

He insisted he had done nothing wrong in organising the October 2016 interview, arguing he had gone to great lengths to ensure he was truthful and accurate in a subsequent inquiry into the matter.

“The big picture is a tale of what can happen when law enforcement is politicized, public servants are attacked, and people who are supposed to cherish and protect our institutions become instruments for damaging those institutions and people,” he said.

“Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey.”

Mr Comey was fired as head of the FBI in May last year by the president, who cited his handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Mr Comey later told a Senate hearing that the president had requested his “loyalty”, amid an ongoing FBI investigation into allegations that Russian interference in the presidential election was designed to help Mr Trump.

In his statement, Mr McCabe alleges that the release of the report recommending his own firing was “accelerated” after he indicated that he would corroborate Mr Comey’s version of events.

Why did Trump object to McCabe?
Mr Trump has been a frequent critic of Mr McCabe, whom he accuses of political bias in his roles in the Russia and Clinton email investigations.

He has publicly pointed to donations Mr McCabe’s wife, a Democrat, received from a Clinton ally when she ran for the Senate in 2015.

The White House said it was for the attorney general, not President Trump, to fire Mr McCabe
In his statement, Mr McCabe said he and his family had been targets of an “unrelenting assault” in the media to undermine his reputation, and said Mr Trump’s tweets had “amplified and exacerbated it all”.

With time ticking until his official retirement, pressure has been building on Mr Sessions to make a move.

On Thursday White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said any decision for his dismissal should be made by the Attorney General.

“That’s a determination that we would leave up to Attorney General Sessions,” she said.

“But we do think it is well documented that he has had some very troubling behaviour and by most accounts a bad actor and should have some cause for concern.”

–

Source: BBC

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Canadian-based Phantom Secure made “tens of millions of dollars” selling the modified Blackberry devices for use by the likes of the Sinaloa Cartel, investigators said.

The charges marked the first time US authorities have targeted a company for knowingly making encrypted technology for criminals.

The Department of Justice arrested Vincent Ramos in Seattle last week. He was indicted on Thursday along with four associates.

The BBC has been unable to reach Phantom Secure.

They are charged with racketeering and conspiracy to aid the distribution of drugs. Both crimes have a maximum penalty of life in prison. Mr Ramos is the only one of the group currently in custody.

“This organisation Phantom Secure was designed to facilitate international drug trafficking all throughout the entire world,” US attorney Adam Braverman told the BBC.

“These traffickers, including members of the Sinaloa Cartel, would use these fully-encrypted devices to facilitate their drug trafficking activities in order to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.”

‘Handful of other organisations‘

Blackberry did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday – and investigators would not say whether the firm had worked with them on this case. Mr Braverman said Blackberry was not alone in having its handsets altered for illegal purposes.

“Our understanding is there are a handful of other organisations that exist like this. The FBI, and our office, will continue investigating not only Phantom Secure but any other company that provides this kind of communication device to criminal organisations.”

He added that while almost every smartphone on the market offers hard-to-crack encryption – as well as apps from Facebook, Google and Apple – Phantom Secure should be held culpable for what the users of its services were doing.

“The difference is this company was specifically-designed to aid international drug trafficking organisations,” he said.

“The only way that you’re able to actually utilize one of these devices and obtain one of these devices is if somebody else vouched for you.”

Phantom Secure sold devices on a subscription basis at a cost of $2,000-$3,000 for around six months of use.

In order to become a customer, an existing user must vouch for the new person. That system, authorities said, was a way of preventing law enforcement from getting hold of the devices.

Agents estimated as many as 20,000 Phantom Secure-modified handsets are in use around the world.

Communications through the phones are automatically routed to servers in Panama and Hong Kong, according to court documents, making data more difficult to trace.

Phantom Secure could also remove key functionality from the devices to lock them down, such as voice communication, microphone, GPS, camera, internet and messaging apps, leaving just the text functionality.

Law enforcement authorities have repeatedly been frustrated by encryption technology making it harder to access communications between suspects.

In 2016, Apple refused to provide a tool that would allow the FBI to unlock an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, a man involved in a mass shooting that resulted in the death of 14 people.

On Thursday, a spokesman for the FBI reiterated the agency’s concern about criminals being able to “go dark” and hide behind these sophisticated technologies.

Privacy and open rights activists argue that removing or just weakening encryption would put everyone at risk of data theft and surveillance – not just criminals.

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He said he expected to be questioned by justice department special counsel Robert Mueller within two to three weeks, with approval from his lawyers.

“I would love to do that as soon as possible,” said Mr Trump.

The president had previously said he thought it “unlikely” he would be interviewed by Mr Mueller.

He has called the Russia investigation a “witch hunt” and a “hoax”.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Mr Trump maintained he was “absolutely” prepared to be questioned under oath by the top investigator.

“There’s been no collusion whatsoever, there’s no obstruction whatsoever,” he said.

The US intelligence community has already concluded that Moscow tried to sway the presidential election in favour of Mr Trump, though Russia denies that.

How will Trump’s questioning take place?
The president’s lawyers have been talking to Mr Mueller’s team about an interview, and the form it might take.

The questioning could happen face-to-face, in writing, or it could be a combination of both.

As to when it might happen, Mr Trump said: “Yesterday they were talking about two to three weeks.”

Asked if he thought Mr Mueller would be fair, the president replied: “We are going to find out… I hope so.”

What else did Trump tell the press?
Mr Trump told reporters that his former rival Hillary Clinton was not prepared to be interviewed under oath by the FBI about her use of a private email server.

The Republican president also said he did not recall asking an acting FBI director about his voting record.

“I don’t think I did,” he said. “I don’t know what’s the big deal with that.”

Andrew McCabe, who took over the FBI after the president fired its previous director, James Comey, last May, said he found Mr Trump’s Oval Office question “disturbing”.

Mr McCabe said he told the president that he did not vote in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Mueller is thought to be investigating whether Mr Comey’s firing was an attempt to obstruct justice.

What’s happened in the inquiry lately?
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed by the Mueller inquiry for several hours last week.

The country’s top prosecutor is thought to be the first member of the Trump cabinet to be questioned.

Four people have already been criminally charged as part of Mr Mueller’s investigation.

Michael Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about a meeting with a Russian ambassador.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been charged on 12 counts, including conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine, and conspiracy to launder money.

Mr Manafort’s business associate Rick Gates was also charged with conspiracy to launder money.

A third adviser to the campaign – George Papadopoulos – pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

–

Source: BBC

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Mr Flynn was forced to resign the following month after misleading the White House about meeting the Russian ambassador before Mr Trump took office.

The charges were brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as part of his investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

Mr Flynn arrived at court on Friday.

He was expected to plead guilty to one count of knowingly making “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements”, reports said. Ahead of Friday morning’s court session in Washington DC, two officials were quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had turned himself in to the FBI.

The former aide is the most senior member of the Trump administration so far to have been indicted by the Mueller investigation.

In October, Mr Trump’s former presidential campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was accused of conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. It also emerged that another ex-aide, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents.

Just over a week ago, US media said his legal team had told the president’s lawyers they could no longer discuss the case, prompting suggestions that he had begun co-operating with prosecutors. If confirmed, that would indicate Mr Flynn’s lawyers have reached a plea bargain.

According to the charges faced by Michael Flynn, he is accused of:

• falsely telling FBI agents that on or about 29 December 2016 he did not ask Russia’s then ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak, to “refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day”
• failing to recall that Mr Kislyak had later told him Russia was moderating its response to the sanctions as a result of his request
• falsely saying that on or about 22 December 2016 he did not ask Mr Kislyak to “delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution”.

–

Source: BBC

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Christopher Wray said encryption on devices was “a huge, huge problem” for FBI investigations.

The agency had failed to access more than half of the devices it targeted in an 11-month period, he said.

One cyber-security expert said such encryption was now a “fact of life”.

Many smartphones encrypt their contents when locked, as standard – a security feature that often prevents even the phones’ manufacturers from accessing data.

Such encryption is different to end-to-end encryption, which prevents interception of communications on a large scale.

Cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward at the University of Surrey said device encryption was clearly frustrating criminal investigations but it would be impractical and insecure to develop “back doors” or weakened security.

Trade-off
“Encryption that frustrates forensic investigations will be a fact of life from now on for law enforcement agencies,” he said.

“Even if the equipment manufacturers didn’t build in such encryption it would be possible to obtain software that encrypted data in the same way.”

Referring to the trade-off between cyber-security and investigative hacking, the FBI director said: “I get it, there’s a balance that needs to be struck between encryption and the importance of giving us the tools we need to keep the public safe.”

Mr Wray was speaking at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia on Sunday.
In 2016, the FBI asked Apple to unlock an iPhone used by San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook.

Apple refused, explaining that its phones had been designed so that even their manufacturer could not access them once encrypted.

The FBI later said a third party firm had discovered a way of breaking into Farook’s device.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the FBI did not have to reveal the identity of the firm or how much the agency paid for its services.

The ruling followed freedom of information requests filed by journalists.

–

Source: BBC

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Blazer, whose evidence to US investigators helped trigger the Fifa corruption scandal, had been suffering from cancer.

He was a larger-than-life character, and formerly the general secretary of Concacaf, the governing body of North and Central American football.

In 2013 he pleaded guilty to bribery, money laundering and tax evasion.

He was banned from all football activities for life in 2015.

“We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer,” his lawyers said in a statement.

“His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck’s positive impact on international soccer.”

The official served on Fifa’s executive committee from 1997-2013, during which time he pocketed millions to fund a globe-trotting VIP lifestyle.

A 2013 report by Concacaf’s integrity committee said he had received more than $20.6m (£16m) in commissions, fees and rental payments from the organisation between 1996 and 2011.

His personal excesses included two apartments in New York’s Trump Tower, one of which was exclusively for his cats.

In his blog Travels with Chuck Blazer and his Friends…, he was pictured enjoying time with football legends like Pele and Bobby Charlton, and other high-profile names like Prince William and Hillary Clinton.

He also introduced readers to his pet parrot, a blue-and-gold macaw named Max Blazer, even uploading a video of the bird dancing on the basket of his mobility scooter in New York’s Central Park.

His luck ran out when he tried to conceal his income after failing to file tax returns from 2005 to 2010.

According to one account, Mr Blazer was arrested by the FBI and an Internal Revenue Service official in 2011 as he rode his scooter to a favourite New York restaurant.

“We can take you away in handcuffs now, or you can co-operate,” he was reportedly told.

Mr Blazer made his choice, and agreed to become an informant to help the US government expose corruption in football.

His information led to charges against 14 other current or former Fifa officials, and contributed to the downfall of Sepp Blatter, the organisation’s president.

–

Source: BBC

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The post has been empty for the past month after the president fired James Comey from the role.

Mr Wray served under George W Bush as an assistant attorney general from 2003 to 2005.

He was also a lawyer representing New Jersey Governor – and Trump ally – Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Mr Trump described Mr Wray as “a man of impeccable credentials” in a tweet on Wednesday.

–

Source: BBC

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“I hope you can let this go,” Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Comey after a White House meeting in February, according to a memo written by the ex-FBI director.

The memo was written immediately after the meeting, a day after Michael Flynn resigned, according to media reports.

The White House has denied the allegation in a statement.

“The president has never asked Mr Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn,” it said.

An influential Republican congressman has called for the FBI to hand over all relevant documents within a week.

Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, demanded all correspondence relating to communications between Mr Comey and the president be presented by 24 May.

Mr Flynn was forced out in February after he misled the vice-president about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador before Mr Trump took office.

The latest Russian twist, first reported by the New York Times, comes a week after Mr Trump fired Mr Comey over his handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while at the state department.

Mr Comey’s dismissal sent shockwaves through Washington, with critics accusing the president of trying to thwart the FBI investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in the US election and any Moscow ties to Trump associates.

–

Source: BBC

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He told reporters it was “possible” he could name someone by Friday, before he leaves for his first foreign trip.

Defence lawyer Alice Fisher was the first candidate interviewed at the justice department, US media report.

Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and two others are also expected to meet Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy Rod Rosenstein on Saturday.

But about 11 people in all are reportedly being considered for the position, which requires confirmation in the Senate.

President Trump has faced a backlash for sacking Mr Comey, who had been investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

He told reporters travelling with him on Air Force One that he wanted to move quickly to find a new FBI director. He said the candidates were “outstanding people” and “very well known”.

Fox News quoted a government source as saying they were moving “quickly and expeditiously” to find a replacement, adding: “We’re doing our due diligence – we are not going to cut any corners.”

One of those being interviewed is Republican Senator John Cornyn, the second highest-ranking member of the Senate and a former Texas Attorney General.

Mr McCabe was the FBI’s deputy director until he stepped up after the abrupt departure of his boss. He appeared to contradict the White House this week when he described the inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election as “a highly significant investigation”.

He also cast doubt on White House claims that Mr Comey had lost the confidence of FBI staff.

Ms Fisher was an assistant attorney general for the justice department’s criminal division. She currently works at a law firm.

The other candidate named in the US press is New York Appeals Court Judge Michael Garcia, a former New York prosecutor.

Meanwhile, President Trump is facing growing questions about whether he secretly recorded his conversations with Mr Comey.

In a tweet, Mr Trump appeared to issue a thinly veiled threat to Mr Comey, saying he had “better hope there are no tapes” of their conversations.

The BBC’s Laura Bicker in Washington says Mr Trump was referring to a private White House dinner in January during which the president claims Mr Comey assured him he was not being investigated over alleged links to Russia.

Mr Trump seemed to be suggesting that he would release recordings if Mr Comey gave his own version of events, she adds.

In an interview with Fox News Mr Trump said that he didn’t want to discuss the matter and that all he wanted was for Mr Comey to be honest.

President Trump has previously told NBC News that Mr Comey requested the one-on-one dinner, but the former FBI director reportedly maintains it was the president who invited him.

Mr Comey had said he was “uneasy” before the dinner, according to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

On Friday, the White House denied reports that President Trump had also asked Mr Comey to pledge loyalty to him.

According to a report in the New York Times, Mr Comey said he would offer the president honesty, but not loyalty.

Mr Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer has rejected the report.

Echoes of Watergate

Mr Trump’s behaviour has provoked fresh comparisons between his administration and that of disgraced President Richard Nixon, who famously recorded conversations, speeding his downfall during the Watergate scandal.

Senior Democrats on the House judiciary and oversight committees wrote to the White House on Friday demanding copies of any recordings.

John Conyers and Elijah Cummings’ letter noted “it is a crime to intimidate or threaten any potential witness with the intent to influence, delay or prevent their official testimony”.

–

Source: BBC

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It began with villages in New Hampshire just after midnight before states throughout the East Coast started polling at 06:00 EST (11:00 GMT).

Mrs Clinton cast her vote with Bill Clinton in New York state, describing it as a humbling experience.

Mr Trump cast his vote in New York city with a call for “proper leadership”.

Both candidates targeted battleground states on Monday, with campaigning taking them to rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Americans are choosing a new president after one of the most rancorous election campaigns the country has seen.

Democratic contender Mrs Clinton urged voters to back a “hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America” while Mr Trump told supporters they had a “magnificent chance to beat the corrupt system”.

Polls give Mrs Clinton a four-point lead over Republican Mr Trump.

A record number of Americans – more than 46 million – have voted early by post or at polling stations.

There are signs of a high turnout among Hispanic voters, which is believed to favour Mrs Clinton.

Long queues have formed at polling stations in the key battleground state of Virginia, a BBC correspondent reports.

The rivals held the final rallies of their campaigns after midnight – Mr Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Mrs Clinton in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Today the American working class is going to strike back, finally,” said Mr Trump, pledging to reverse job losses.

Earlier, in New Hampshire, he told supporters: “We are just one day away from the change you’ve been waiting for all your life.

“Together we will make America wealthy again, we will make America strong again, we will make America safe again and we will make America great again.”

Mrs Clinton told her audience that they did not “have to accept a dark and divisive vision of America”.

She looked forward to “a fairer, stronger, better America. An America where we build bridges, not walls. And where we prove conclusively that love trumps hate”.

Election day follows a bitter campaign during which the candidates have traded insults and become mired in a series of scandals.

At a star-studded event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mrs Clinton was joined on stage by celebrities Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi as well as her husband Bill, President Obama and his wife Michelle.

At his rally in Scranton in the same state, Mr Trump insisted the momentum was with his campaign.

The businessman described Mrs Clinton as the “most corrupt person ever to seek the presidency”, referring to an FBI investigation into Mrs Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was serving as secretary of state between 2009 and 2013.

On Sunday Mrs Clinton’s campaign received a boost when the FBI said newly discovered emails sent by an aide showed no evidence of criminality.

Election day voting began just after midnight in the small New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch, where seven votes were cast – four for Mrs Clinton, two for Mr Trump and one for the libertarian Gary Johnson.

All 50 states and Washington DC will vote across six different time zones.

Results are expected some time after 23:00 EST (04:00 GMT on Wednesday) once voting ends on the West Coast. State projections will not be available until polling ends – in most states between 19:00 EST (24:00 GMT) and 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT).

Americans are also voting for Congress. All of the House of Representatives – currently Republican controlled – is up for grabs, and a third of seats in the Senate, which is also in Republican hands.

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By: BBC

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