International15 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

Trump vows to catch ‘low-life leakers’ : US President Donald The president on Wednesday before me,” Trump said at a White the nature of the discussions. US intel- Trump vowed yesterday to catch those decried the treatment of his ousted House news conference with Israeli ligence agencies concluded in January responsible for intelligence leaks that led national security advisor, Mike Flynn, leader Benjamin Netanyahu. that had intervened in the US to the ouster of his national security advi- even though Trump himself fired the “But now it’s really going on, and elections to try to favor Trump, who sor over contacts with the Russian retired for misleading Vice people are trying to cover up for a terri- went on to win in an upset against ambassador to Washington. “The spot- President about conversa- ble loss that the Democrats had under Clinton. report- light has finally been put on the low-life tions he had had with Russian Hillary Clinton.” ed Wednesday that US intelligence offi- leakers! They will be caught!” Trump Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Despite Trump’s harsh tone on the cials have withheld sensitive informa- declared in an early morning tweet, the Instead Trump lashed out at the leaks, White House officials have con- tion on sources and methods from the latest in a series of attacks that leaks, specifically pointing the finger at firmed that Flynn discussed US sanc- president out of concern it could be have portrayed the leaks as part of a cam- the National Security Agency and the tions against Russia with Kislyak on the leaked or compromised. paign to undermine his administration. FBI as a possible source of the leaks and same day that former president Barack A White House official rejected the “Leaking, and even illegal classified suggesting that the intelligence agen- Obama was announcing the expulsion report, saying “there is nothing that leaking, has been a big problem in cies were seeking to undermine him. of 35 Russian diplomats. But they said leads us to believe that this is an accu- Washington for years. Failing @nytimes “It’s criminal actions, criminal act, and Flynn was not fired for the call to rate account of what is actually hap- (and others) must apologize!” it’s been going on for a long time- Kislyak, but for misleading Pence about pening.” —AFP

Newspapers ride ‘Trump Bump’ to reach readers, advertisers

NEW YORK: The Trump administration’s combative view of traditional news media as the “opposition party” and “fake news” is turning out to be the best hope in 2017 for newspa- pers struggling to attract more digital readers and advertisers. , the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Gannett Co are building on the online readership they gained during the 2016 presidential election by market- ing unbiased reporting as a sales strategy. The risk, however, is whether those new readers will attract advertising dollars to the newspapers, some of which have been criticized for hav- ing political leanings. An Edelman survey of more than 33,000 people in 28 countries shows trust in the media is at an all- time low at just 35 percent. So far, there is reason for optimism among newspaper executives and investors. The New York Times, which President has referred to as “failing” in his Twitter messages, added a record 276,000 digital news sub- scribers in the last quarter and sees digital ad revenue up 10 to 15 percent in the current quarter. The company said it expects to add 200,000 digital subscriptions to its news prod- ucts in the first quarter. The Wall Street Journal added 113,000 digital subscriptions in its latest quarter, an almost 12 percent jump. The company said that January’s numbers were even higher, but it declined BRUSSELS: US Secretary of Defense (right), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (center), and British to provide figures. Financial Times digital subscriptions Secretary of State for Defense (left), speak prior to a meeting of the counter-Islamic State Coalition at jumped 6 percent in the fourth quarter to 646,000, while digi- NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday.—AP tal subscriptions at Gannett’s USA Today Network, made up of 109 local newspapers across the country, grew 26 percent to 182,000 in the fourth quarter. — Reuters No military collaboration Dominican police with Russia now: Mattis hunt on-air killer Blow to Moscow’s hopes to repair ties with Washington

of journalists BRUSSELS: US President Donald said it was in the interests of both have no need to respond to the Russian Trump’s defense secretary yesterday nations to restore communications statement at all. NATO has always stood SANTO DOMINGO: Police in the Dominican Republic say said he did not see the conditions for between their intelligence agencies. for military strength and protection of they are hunting for a man suspected of shooting dead military collaboration with Russia, in a “It’s in everyone’s interest to resume the democracies and the freedoms we two journalists during a live radio broadcast. An unidenti- blow to Moscow’s hopes for repairing dialogue between the intelligence agen- intend to pass on to our children.” fied attacker burst into the 103.5 FM studio as presenter ties with the United States following cies of the United States and other mem- The back-and-forth was the latest indi- Luis Manuel Medina was reading the news on air on Trump’s election. “We are not in a posi- bers of NATO,” Putin said, addressing cation from the Trump administration that Tuesday and shot him and station director Leonidas Martinez dead, station employees said. tion right now to collaborate on a mili- Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). rebuilding US ties with Moscow could be Police said in a statement Wednesday they were seek- tary level. But our political leaders will “It’s absolutely clear that in the area more difficult than Trump might have ing a man named Jose Rodriguez, identified as the shooter engage and try to find common of counter-terrorism all relevant govern- thought before his election. US intelli- by a witness, the station’s secretary Dayanna Garcia. Police ground,” Jim Mattis told reporters after ments and international groups should gence agencies concluded that Russia spokesman Nelson Rosario in a news conference urged talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels. work together.” Mattis told a closed- hacked and leaked Democratic emails dur- Rodriguez “to hand himself in to be subjected to investi- Asked whether he believed that door session of NATO on Wednesday ing the presidential campaign as part of gations, since he is the prime suspect.” Russia interfered in US presidential elec- that the alliance needed to be realistic efforts to tilt the vote in the Nov. 8 election Police said they were questioning dozens of other peo- tions, Mattis said: “Right now, I would about the chances of restoring a cooper- in Trump’s favor. Concerns over the extent ple about the attack. In a video of the broadcast, which just say there’s very little doubt that ative relationship with Moscow and of Russian interference have been magni- was streamed on Facebook, gunfire is heard as Medina they have either interfered or they have ensure its diplomats could “negotiate fied since Trump forced out national secu- reads the news and a woman’s voice is heard calling attempted to interfere in a number of from a position of strength”. rity adviser, , on Monday. “Shots, shots!” The attacker struck at the radio station’s elections in the democracies.” That prompted a terse reply from Flynn resigned after disclosures he had office in San Pedro de Macoris, east of the capital Santo Mattis’ remarks came shortly after his Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. discussed US sanctions on Russia with Domingo.Medina was presenting the influential investiga- Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu “Attempts to build a dialogue with Russia the Russian ambassador to the United tive news show “Milenio Caliente,” or “Hot Millenium,” on expressed readiness to resume coopera- from a position of strength would be States before Trump took office, and that Tuesday morning. — AFP tion with and the same futile,” Shoigu was quoted as saying by he later misled Vice President Mike Pence day Russian President news agency TASS. Mattis shot back: “I about the conversations. — Reuters