Donald Trump's tax write-off 'genius': Giuliani

Donald Trump's decision to take a $US916 million loss on his 1995 income tax return showed his business acumen and "genius" at figuring out how to minimise his tax bill, the Republican presidential candidate's advisers say.

"This is a perfectly legal application of the tax code. And he would have been fool not to take advantage of it," said Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who is one of Trump's advisers.

Speaking on Sunday on the ABC program This Week, Giuliani said that as a business owner, Trump had a "fiduciary duty" to the investors in his real estate company to maximise profits.

Giuliani compared Trump's ability to come back from the nearly $US1 billion loss to turnarounds made by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Winston Churchill, the former British prime minister who led the UK through World War II.

"It shows what a genius he is. It shows he was able to preserve his enterprise, and then he was able to build it," Giuliani said on CNN's State of the Union.

The New York Times reported on Saturday it had obtained Trump's 1995 tax records and it quoted experts as saying the $US916 million loss he reported for that year might have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years.

Susanne Craig, one of the Times reporters on the story about Trump's tax records, said the tax documents arrived in a manila envelope in her mailbox at the Times with a return address of the Trump Organization.

She said a lawyer for Trump had threatened the newspaper with legal action if it decided to publish the documents.

The tax benefits outlined in the documents stemmed from financial deals Trump made that went bad in the early 1990s.

The Trump campaign, in a statement on Saturday, said the tax document was obtained illegally and accused the New York Times of operating as an extension of the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, Trump's rival in the November 8 election.

"I know our complex tax laws better than anyone who has ever run for president and am the only one who can fix them. #failing@nytimes," Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor and head of Trump's presidential transition team, said Trump's records showed the US tax code was an "absolute mess" and Trump was the best person to fix it.

But Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said the tax write-off "shows the colossal scale of his business failures" and the wealthy real estate developer operated under different rules than ordinary taxpayers.

Clinton has repeatedly called on Trump to release his tax returns, as is standard procedure for modern presidential candidates.

Trump has declined to release his tax records, saying he will not do so until an audit of his returns by the Internal Revenue Service is complete.

The IRS has said an audit does not bar an individual from sharing their own tax information.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian held up at gunpoint

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West has been held up by masked men in her Paris hotel room, prompting her husband, rapper Kanye West, to abruptly end a performance in New York, citing a family emergency.

"Kim Kardashian West was held up at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room this evening by two armed masked men dressed as police officers," Kardashian West's spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, said in a statement reported by CNN on Sunday.

"She is badly shaken but physically unharmed," the statement added.

Kanye West left his set early at the Meadows Festival in New York.

"I'm sorry I have a family emergency, I have to stop the show," West said in video footage posted on Twitter by fans who were filming the performance in the New York borough of Queens.

West had been on stage for just under an hour when he said he had to leave. He did not specify the nature of the emergency.

Fan reaction on social media sites to West's departure was mixed, with some saying emergencies can happen to anyone, but others complaining they had paid $US300 ($A392) for tickets and didn't get their money's worth.

Kardashian West has been in Paris for fashion week. She attended the Givenchy show on Sunday evening.

Her sisters Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian were also in Paris, Billboard magazine reported on its website, citing their recent Snapchat posts.

Kardashian West was also ambushed last week by a serial celebrity accoster who attempted to assault her as she was entering a restaurant. Kardashian West was also attacked outside of a Paris fashion week show in 2014. She wasn't hurt in either incident.

Paris has been a special place for the Kardashian West and her husband, who spent the weekend there before marrying in Florence in May of 2014.

It's unclear if the couple's two children, three-year-old daughter North and 10-month-old son Saint, were with Kardashian West in the hotel room.

British Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger EU divorce by end of March 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she would trigger the divorce procedure to leave the European Union by the end of March, offering the first glimpse of a timetable for a shift that will redefine Britain's relations with it biggest trading partner.

Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union propelled May to power and the former interior minister has since been under pressure to offer more details on her plan for Britain's departure, beyond her often-repeated catchphrase that "Brexit means Brexit".

In a move to ease fears among her ruling Conservatives that she may delay the divorce, May will tell members at the party's annual conference in Birmingham, central England, that she is determined to move on with the process and win the "right deal".

Invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty will give Britain just a two-year period to clinch one of the most complex deals in Europe since World War Two with the other 27 members of the EU.

"We will trigger before the end of March next year," May told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

"Now that they know what our timing is going to be ... (I hope) that we'll be able to have some preparatory work so that once the trigger comes we have a smoother process of negotiation," May said.

Britain's decision to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum sparked turmoil in financial markets as investors tried to gauge what the impact would be on both the world's fifth-largest economy and the European Union.

For some businesses, May's reluctance to offer what she describes as a "running commentary" on her strategy, has deepened fears that they could end up paying higher costs if operating from Britain.

"There's actually a difference between not giving any commentary and giving a running commentary. What I am doing today is setting out some further detail on the timing and the way we are going to approach this whole question," May said.

Some Conservative MPs said triggering Article 50 so early could put pressure on Britain as elections in France and Germany in 2017 could change London's negotiating partners in the middle of talks.

"It's not just important for the UK, it's important for Europe as a whole that we are able to do this in the best possible way so we have the least disruption for businesses ... and when we leave the EU we have a smooth transition away from the EU," May said.

She will also unveil at the conference a much anticipated move to repeal next year the 1972 European Communities Act, the act that took it into what is now the European Union, to make Britain "a sovereign and independent country".

But even members of her own Conservative Party said that what May has billed as the 'Great Repeal Act' was little more than a technicality, used to paint the picture that May was moving on with Brexit to satisfy impatient voices.

But May was clear that she had to deliver on what Britain wanted and that meant limiting migration into the country, while trying to balance the need of businesses for tariff-free access to the EU's single market.

"I want the right deal for trade in goods and services and what we are doing at the moment ... is listening to businesses here in the UK, listening to different sectors, finding out what it is that is most important to them," she said.

"To me it's not just about leaving the EU, it is about that essential question of the trust that people can have in their politicians. The people have spoken, we will deliver on that."

Donald Trump may not have paid taxes for years

Donald Trump's business losses in 1995 were so large that they could have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for as many as 18 years, according to records obtained by The New York Times.

In a story published online late on Saturday, the Times said it anonymously received the first pages of Trump's 1995 state income tax filings in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The filings show a net loss of $US915,729,293 in federal taxable income for the year.

That Trump was losing money during the early to mid-1990s was already well established.

But the records obtained by the Times show losses of such a magnitude that they potentially allowed Trump to avoid paying taxes for years, possibly until the end of the last decade.

Trump's campaign released a statement on Saturday lashing out at the Times for publishing the records and accused the newspaper of working to benefit the Republican nominee's presidential rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

"The New York Times, like establishment media in general, is an extension of the Clinton campaign, the Democratic Party and their global special interests," the campaign said, calling Trump "a highly skilled businessman who has a fiduciary responsibility to his business, his family and his employees to pay no more tax than legally required".

The statement added that Trump had paid "hundreds of millions" of dollars in other kinds of taxes over the years.

Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, used the Times story to needle Trump about not releasing his tax returns and contending during his first debate with Clinton that not paying federal income taxes would show he was "smart".

Mook said in a statement that Trump apparently avoided paying taxes for two decades "while tens of millions of working families paid theirs. He calls that 'smart'."

Mook added: "Now that the gig is up, why doesn't he go ahead and release his returns to show us all how `smart' he really is?"

Since 1976, every major party presidential nominee has released tax returns. Clinton has publicly released nearly 40 years' worth, and Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has released 10 years of his tax returns.

But after initially saying that he would make his returns public during the course of his campaign, Trump switched course, citing what he said were years of ongoing IRS audits and the advice of his lawyers to keep them private as those audits proceed.

In its story, the Times said the three pages of documents were mailed last month to a Times reporter who had written about Trump's finances. A postmark indicated they had been sent from New York City and the return address claimed the envelope had been sent from Trump Tower, the newspaper said.

On the campaign trail, Trump continued to veer from scripted economic arguments to personal attacks on Clinton.

At a rally on Saturday night, Trump questioned Clinton's loyalty to her husband, adding an explosive personal charge against his Democratic opponent to a turbulent week when he repeatedly veered off script.

"Hillary Clinton's only loyalty is to her financial contributors and to herself," Trump told thousands gathered in Manheim, Pennsylvania. "I don't think she's even loyal to Bill if you want to know the truth. ... Why should she be, right? Why should she be?"

Trump also seized on a leaked recording from a Clinton fundraiser in February, where she expressed empathy for young voters who were siding with her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, saying that for people who don't see any economic opportunities, the idea that "you could be part of a political revolution is pretty appealing".

Clinton called them "children of the Great Recession" and added: "And they are living in their parents' basement. They feel that they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves."

The businessman contended on Saturday that the audio shows Clinton "demeaning and mocking Bernie Sanders and all of his supporters" and added: "To sum up, Hillary Clinton thinks Bernie Sanders supporters are hopeless and ignorant basement dwellers."

Boy dies following US school shooting

A six-year-old boy who was critically wounded in a school shooting has died, four days after a 14-year-old boy opened fire on a school playground.

Jacob Hall had been fighting for his life at a hospital after a bullet struck him in a main artery in his leg, causing him a major brain injury due to a "catastrophic" loss of blood, his doctor said.

Jacob died surrounded by his family at Greenville Health System Children's Hospital at 1pm on Saturday local time, his parents said in a statement.

Renae and Rodger Hall thanked the nurses and doctors who cared for Jacob and his teacher Meghan Hollingsworth, "who put her life on the line to try to protect and save Jacob.''

"God gave him to us and he was taken away from us by a senseless act," they said in the statement.

"We know that Jacob has already forgiven this child for what he did to him and his family because that's the kind of child he was.''

Jacob, another student and a first-grade teacher at Townville Elementary were wounded by the teenager, who had just killed his father at their home on Wednesday.

After the slaying, the teen - who is not old enough to have a driver's licence - drove a pickup truck about 3 miles down a country road, crashed at the school and started firing with a handgun, authorities said.

The wounded were struck as a door opened for recess.

Another teacher who heard the first gunshot was able to get other students safely inside, school officials have said.

The other wounded student and Hollingsworth were treated and released from a hospital.

Authorities have not released a motive for either shooting.

The teenager has been charged as a juvenile with murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Royals end first family visit to Canada

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have praised Canada and its people for leaving them and their children with "happy memories" as their family tour of Canada came to an end.

William spoke about the milestone eight-day visit - their first official overseas trip as a family of four - saying they felt "very lucky" to have introduced Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the Commonwealth country which will play a big part in their lives.

George and Charlotte stole the limelight from their parents during the trip with their outdoor fun day. They played with bubbles, balloons and miniature ponies on Thursday - with the 16-month-old Princess saying her first public words "da da" and pictured walking in public.

In touching family scenes, her three-year-old elder brother was photographed playing with bubbles with proud father William.

The Duke said in a statement before their official departure from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia: "Catherine and I are incredibly grateful to the people of Canada for the warmth and hospitality they have extended to our family over the last week.

"We have loved our time in British Columbia and Yukon and will never forget the beautiful places we have seen and the many people who have been kind enough to come to welcome us in person.

"We feel very lucky to have been able to introduce George and Charlotte to Canada. This country will play a big part in the lives of our children and we have created such happy memories for our family during this visit.

"Canada is a country of optimism, generosity and unrivalled natural beauty. I hope we have helped all Canadians celebrate what makes this country great. We will see you again soon."

The couple's tour has taken them to scenically stunning parts of the Yukon and British Columbia from the beautiful archipelago of Haida Gwaii to the gold rush town of Whitehorse.

They have also learnt about how the country is dealing with pressing social issues such as assimilating Syrian refugees and supporting young mothers with addiction problems.

Happy Independence Day Nigeria! 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Country Nigeria....

Our blessed country is 54 today. Nigeria is great nation with great people from diverse cultures and you probably didn’t have any idea that Nigeria has the following amazing facts about it:

1) Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of the total languages spoken on earth. Taraba state alone has more languages than 30 African countries.

2) The Walls of Benin (800-1400AD), in present day Edo State, are the longest ancient earthworks in the world, and probably the largest man-made structure on earth. They enclose 6500 square kilometers of community lands that connected about 500 communities. At over 16000km long, it was thought to be twice the length of the Great Wall of China, until it was announced in 2012 (after five years of meticulous measurement by Chinese surveyors) that the Great Wall is about 21,000km long.

3) The Yoruba tribe has the highest rate of twin births in the world. Igbo-Ora, a little town in Oyo state, has been nicknamed Twin capital of the World because of its unusually high rate of twins that is put as high as 158 twins per 1000 births.

4) Sarki Muhammad Kanta The Great of Kebbi, was the only ruler who resisted control by Songhai, West Africa’s greatest empire at that time. He founded and ruled the Hausa city-state of Kebbi around 1600 A.D and built Surame its capital, a planned city which was almost impossible to penetrate during war. In fact UNESCO describes Surame as “one of the wonders of human history, creativity and ingenuity”, and probably the most massive stone-walled constructions in West Africa. He is listed in Robin Walker’s 50 Greatest Africans.

5) The Jos Plateau Indigobird, a small reddish-brown bird, is found nowhere else on the planet but Plateau state, Nigeria.

6) The Niger Delta (which is the second largest delta on the planet), has the highest concentration of monotypic fish families in the world, and is also home to sixty percent of Nigeria’s mangrove forests. You should know too that Nigeria’s mangrove forests are the largest in Africa and third largest on earth.

7) According to the World Resources Institute, Nigeria is home to 4,715 different types of plant species, and over 550 species of breeding birds and mammals, making it one of the most ecologically vibrant places of the planet.

8) Ile-Ife, in present day Osun State, was paved as early as 1000AD, with decorations that originated from Ancient America suggesting there might have been contact between the Yorubas and the Ancient Americans half a millenium before Columbus ‘discovered’ America.

9) Sungbo’s Eredo, a 160 km rampart equipped with guard houses and moats, is reputed to be the largest single pre-colonial monument (or ancient fortification if you like) in Africa. It is located in present-day Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State and when it was built a millennium ago, it required more earth to be moved during construction than that used for building the Great Pyramid of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World). The most astonishing thing is that Sungbo’s Eredo was the biggest city in the world (bigger than Rome and Cairo) during the Middle Ages when it was built!

10) The Anambra waxbill, a small bird of many beautiful colours, is found only in Southern Nigeria and nowhere else on earth.