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22 Mar 2018

Facebook Messenger gives more controls to group administrators

22 Mar 2018

Putin may have dirt on Trump: CIA ex-chief

Washington, March 22: A former head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John O. Brennan, has said that he thinks Russia might have some kind of compromising information on President Donald Trump.

His remark on Wednesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" set off furious speculation about whether the former spy chief was basing that assertion on inside information.

Brennan, who served as CIA director from 2013 to 2017, speculated that Russians "may have something on him personally" when he was asked if he thought Trump was afraid of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the New York Times reported.

"The Russians, I think, have had long experience with Trump and may have things that they could expose," he said.

Brennan was heading the agency when a dossier surfaced in 2016 claiming the Russians had compromising information on Trump. 

His comments came the day after Trump congratulated Putin in a phone call for his re-election that raised new questions about the President's relationship with Russia.

Brennan also said that his comments were speculation based on Trump's words and deeds as well as how Putin's government operated at home and abroad -- and not on any inside knowledge.

"I do not know if the Russians have something on Donald Trump that they could use as blackmail," he told the New York Times.

"When asked the question, I have pointed out the perplexing submissiveness of Trump towards Putin -- despite continued evidence of malign Russian activities," Brennan said. 

"I do not know why he refuses to call out Russia; that is a question that can only be answered by Trump."

Source: IANS

22 Mar 2018

Vatican press chief resigns over the doctored letter

Vatican City, March 22: The head of the Vatican's Communications Department resigned on Wednesday after coming under fire for doctoring a letter sent by retired Pope Benedict XVI.

A brief Vatican statement, cited by the BBC, said Pope Francis had "accepted" the resignation of Monsignor Dario Vigano.

It came after the Vatican admitted blurring part of a letter about Pope Francis written by his predecessor, in a picture sent to the media.

The tampering caused controversy amid concern over so-called "fake news".

The row began after Vigano, whose official title was prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for Communication, asked Pope Benedict XVI to write some "dense theology" to be read at a presentation event for a new series of books about Pope Francis.

In his letter, Pope Benedict welcomed the publication of the volumes but said he would not be able to write a reflection because he would not have time to read them.

Vigano read selected passages from the letter at a presentation on March 12. Then journalists received a doctored image of the letter, which blurred out the lines where Pope Benedict explained he would not be reading the books.

In his letter of resignation, Vigano told Pope Francis that although it was not intentional, his actions had "destabilized the complex and great work of reform".

"I think that for me stepping aside would be a fruitful occasion for renewal," he said.

Source: IANS

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