FBI is looking at links between Trump associates and Russia

The FBI is investigating possible links between Donald Trump’s associates and Russia, its director has confirmed.James Comey confirmed a probe was underway while testifying to the House Intelligence Committee this afternoon during a hearing looking into possible Russian interference in last year’s US election.

The same hearing also heard no physical wiretapping was carried out on Trump Tower but it was possible ‘other surveillance activities’ were used.

Donald Trump had made several explosive claims on Twitter earlier this month in which he accused then president Barack Obama of wiretapping his phones last October likening it to the Watergate scandal.

But during today’s committee hearing, chairman Devin Nunes said it had seen no evidence that officials from any campaign conspired with Russian agents, but will continue to carry out investigations into the issue.

He also said the committee will investigate who has been leaking classified information about investigations into Russia’s interference.

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FBI-Apple: Investigators break into dead San Bernardino gunman's iPhone

The FBI has managed to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino gunman without Apple's help, ending a court case, the US justice department says. Apple had been resisting a court order issued last month requiring the firm to write new software to allow officials to access Syed Rizwan Farook's phone.

But officials on Monday said that it had been accessed independently and asked for the order to be withdrawn. Farook and his wife killed 14 in San Bernardino, California, in December.

They were later shot dead by police. The FBI said it needed access to the phone's data to determine if the attackers worked with others, were targeting others and were supported by others.

US officials said Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, had pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State on social media on the day of the shooting.

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