Ivanka Trump's involvement with Moscow Trump Tower plan 'being investigated by Mueller'

Robert Mueller is reportedly investigating Ivanka Trump‘s involvement in her father’s plans to build a skyscraper in Moscow, a project under renewed scrutiny after the president’s former personal lawyer admitted lying to congress over his business dealings in Russia.

The US special counsel is said to have asked questions about the role played by Ms Trump and her brother Donald Trump Jr in the proposed property deal.

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer, admitted in a surprise court plea on Thursday that he intentionally misled congress when he claimed talks over the tower had ended months before the Republican won the party’s presidential candidacy in June 2016.

He said he had lied out of “loyalty” and to “be consistent with” Mr Trump’s “political messaging”.

Court documents filed by Mr Mueller’s team show Mr Cohen had discussed plans for the tower “as late as approximately June 2016” and had done so directly with the president multiple times.

Ms Trump and Mr Trump Jr were also copied into emails about the project in late 2015, a person close to the Trump Organisation told Associated Press. Ms Trump even suggested an architect to work on the tower, they added.

The emails have been handed over to congressional committees by the Trump Organisation, according to the source.

According to Yahoo News, which cited multiple anonymous sources, Mr Trump’s children were working independently of Mr Cohen to make the Moscow skyscraper a reality.

Ms Trump, now a White House adviser, was an executive at the Trump Organisation at the time. Her elder brother remains a senior executive at the company.

A Trump Organisation source told Yahoo News the siblings worked on plans for a Moscow Trump Tower “years earlier” than Mr Cohen and concluded in 2013.

“They were not looking at any other deals after that,” said the source, although they confirmed they had been aware Mr Cohen was working on the project.

Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 30 November 2018 US President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wave hands in front of other leaders during a family photo at the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina Reuters 2/50 29 November 2018 Firefighters battle a blaze on Fingerfield road at the Deepwater National Park area of Queensland. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in northeastern Australia as bushfires raged across the state amid a scorching heatwave AFP/Getty 3/50 28 November 2018 A child waits to receive free bread by a local charity bakery amid a severe shortage of food in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, nearly 22 million people of Yemen's 26-million population are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of increased food insecurity. The impoverished Arab country is experiencing a humanitarian crisis due to an ongoing brutal conflict that has lasted more than three years that has driven millions to the brink of famine EPA 4/50 27 November 2018 A petrol bomb was thrown towards the Ajax fans during their Champions League away match against AEK Athens in the Greek capital. Home supporters threw flares into the stands also Reuters 5/50 26 November 2018 Ukrainian activists burn flares during their rally in front of the Russian Consulate in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, on 25 November, announced the decision to introduce martial law in Ukraine for a period of 60 days. Russia seized three Ukrainian vessels amid their leaving the Kerch Strait. The two small-sized 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' armored artillery boats had come under enemy fire and are now dead in the water. The 'Yany Kapu' tugboat was forcibly stopped and captured by special forces of the Russian Federation EPA 6/50 25 November 2018 Women's rights activists gather to march through Taksim Square to protest against gender violence in Istanbul on the International Day for the elimination of violence against women AFP/Getty 7/50 24 November 2018 River Plate's fans clash with riot police after the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final match against rivals Boc Juniors was postponed Reuters 8/50 23 November 2018 Elias Lopez, a three-year-old Honduran migrant, plays in between the shields of a line of Mexican riot police, when the group he was part of tried to cross the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico. Elias Lopez is part of a group of Central American migrants that marched peacefully to the border crossing to demand better conditions and push to enter the US AP 9/50 22 November 2018 Lebanese army soldiers march during a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of Lebanon's Independence Day, in Beirut, commemorating the liberation from the French Mandate on 22 November 1943 EPA 10/50 21 November 2018 Indian Muslim devotees wave flags as they parade atop vehicles along a street during Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations in Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh AFP/Getty 11/50 20 November 2018 At least 50 people were killed and dozens more injured when a suicide bomber targeted a group of Muslim religious scholars in Kabul, officials in Afghanistan say. Hundreds of clerics had gathered to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed at a large wedding hall in the capital before the blast happened, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. Wahi Majroh, of Afghanistan’s public health ministry, said a further 83 people had been wounded by the bomber. “The victims of the attack unfortunately are all religious scholars who gathered to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad,” said Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief Reuters 12/50 19 November 2018 A view of the Fuego volcano eruption at sunrise, seen from El Rodeo, Escuintla, Guatemala. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from several villages due to the strong eruption, located 50 kilometers west of the Guatemalan capital EPA 13/50 18 November 2018 French President Emmanuel Macron is applauded after speaking before the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) as the German parliament commemorates victims of wars and dictatorships in Berlin. The leaders of France and Germany jointly remember the victims of European wars, presenting also a united front in countering global turmoil stoked by US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty 14/50 17 November 2018 People wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers' nationwide protest against higher fuel prices, block the Paris-Brussels motorway in Haulchin, France Reuters 15/50 16 November 2018 People hold banners of Jamal Khashoggi during a symbolic funeral prayer for the Saudi journalist, killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October, at the courtyard of Fatih mosque in Istanbul. Turkey has more evidence contradicting the Saudi version of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi including a second audio recording, revealing that the murder had been premeditated, a Turkish newspaper reported on November 16, a contradiction to the statement of the Saudi prosecutor who said that five Saudi officials faced the death penalty on charges of killing Khashoggi but exonerated the country's powerful Crown Prince of involvement in the murder AFP/Getty 16/50 15 November 2018 Alexei Navalny leaves the European Court of Human Rights today. The court has ruled that Russia's repeated arrests of Navalny were politically motivated AP 17/50 14 November 2018 A crew member escorts a migrant child out of a plane transporting a group of 51 migrants from Niger, entitled to international protection, after its landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome AFP/Getty 18/50 13 November 2018 Palestinians gather in front of damaged buildings in Gaza City following Israeli air strikes targeting the area overnight. Israel's aircraft struck Gaza on November 12, killing three Palestinians and wounding nine after a barrage of rocket fire into its territory from the enclave. The flare-up came after a deadly Israeli special forces operation in the Gaza Strip, at the weekend, that left Hamas vowing revenge AFP/Getty 19/50 12 November 2018 Floral tributes outside Melbourne's Pellegrini's Cafe for Sisto Malaspina, after he was stabbed to death last Friday in an attack police have called an act of terrorism, in Australia Reuters 20/50 11 November 2018 Heads of states and world leaders attend ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Over 60 heads of state and government were taking part in a solemn ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the mute and powerful symbol of sacrifice to the millions who died from 1914-18 AP 21/50 10 November 2018 Firefighters push down a wall while battling against a burning apartment complex in Paradise, north of Sacramento, California. A rapidly spreading, late-season wildfire in northern California has burned 20,000 acres of land and prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands of people. As many as 1000 homes, a hospital, a Safeway store and scores of other structures have burned in the area as the Camp fire tore through the region AFP/Getty 22/50 9 November 2018 A Fly Jamaica plane en route to Toronto crash lands at an airport in Guyana following a technical problem. At least six passengers were injured Cheddi Jagan International Airport 23/50 8 November 2018 An FBI agent talks to a potential witness as they stand near the scene Thursday in Thousand Oaks, California. where a gunman opened fire Wednesday inside a country dance bar crowded with hundreds of people on "college night," wounding 11 people including a deputy who rushed to the scene. Ventura County sheriff's spokesman says gunman is dead inside the bar. AP 24/50 7 November 2018 Democratic congressional candidate Ilhan Omar is celebrates with her husband's mother after she won a congress place during the US midterm elections. In doing do she became the first-joint Muslim woman to be elected into congress alongside Rashida Tlaib Reuters 25/50 6 November 2018 Voters cast their ballots at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center polling location in Columbus, Ohio. Across the US, voters headed to the polls in one of the most high-profile midterm elections in years AP 26/50 5 November 2018 Members of the group Your Vote Matters encourage people to vote before an event hosted by US Senator Claire McCaskill as she campaigns for the US Senate in Saint Louis, Missour. McCaskill, a Democrat, faces a challenge from Republican Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley in the November general election EPA 27/50 4 November 2018 Police officers and rescuers work at the site of where a truck ploughed into cars at a toll booth in Lanzhou in China's northwestern Gansu province. The out-of-control truck crashed into a 31-car lineup and killed 15 people, with 44 injured AFP/Getty 28/50 3 November 2018 Simone Biles on the podium with her gold medal from the floor exercise at the gymnastics world championships. She became the most decorated female gymnast in world's history, as well as, becoming the first American to win a medal in every event at the competition AFP/Getty 29/50 2 November 2018 A Salvadorean migrant with a girl walks next to Guatemalan policemen as they approach the Guatemala-Mexico international border bridge in Ciudad Tecun Uman. Accoring to the Salvadorean General Migration Directorate, over 1,700 Salvadoreans left the country in two caravans and entered Guatemala Wednesday, in an attempt to reach the US AFP/Getty 30/50 1 November 2018 Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant Reuters 31/50 31 October 2018 The "Statue of Unity" portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of India, during its inauguration in Kevadia, in the western state of Gujarat, India Reuters 32/50 30 October 2018 A scavenger collects recyclable materials along the breakwater amid strong waves as weather patterns from Typhoon Yutu affect Manila Bay. Fierce winds sheared off roofs and snapped trees in half, after thousands were evacuated ahead of the powerful storm's arrival AFP/Getty 33/50 29 October 2018 Rescue team members collecting the remains of the crashed plane at Tanjung Priok Harbour, Indonesia. A Lion Air flight JT-610 lost contact with air traffic controllers soon after takeoff then crashed into the sea. The flight was en route to Pangkal Pinang, and reportedly had 189 people onboard EPA 34/50 28 October 2018 A supporter of Workers' Party presidential candidate Fernando Haddad embraces a fellow weeping supporter, after learning that rival Jair Bolsonaro was declared the winner in the Brazil presidential runoff election. Addressing supporters in Sao Paulo, Haddad did not concede or even mention Bolsonaro by name. Instead, his speech was a promise to resist AP 35/50 27 October 2018 First responders surround the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a shooter opened fire, wounding three police officers and killing eleven AP 36/50 26 October 2018 Broward County Sheriff's office have released a photo of Cesar Sayoc, the suspect who was arrested in connection with the pipe bombs that have been sent to several high profile Democrats and critics of President Trump over the course of this week AP 37/50 25 October 2018 East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka US Fish and Wildlife Service 38/50 24 October 2018 Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a "functional explosive device" was attemptedly delivered to the couple AP 39/50 23 October 2018 Turkey's President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the 'savage' murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi AP 40/50 22 October 2018 Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) delivers a national apology to child sex abuse victims in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra on October 22, 2018. - Morrison on October 22 issued an emotive apology to children who suffered sexual abuse, saying the state had failed to protect them from "evil dark" crimes committed over decades AFP/Getty 41/50 21 October 2018 A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment CNA/AFP/Getty 42/50 20 October 2018 US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One after a "Make America Great" rally in Mesa, Arizona on October 19, 2018. - US President Donald Trump said Friday, October 19, 2018, that he found credible Saudi Arabia's assertion that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a fight AFP/Getty 43/50 19 October 2018 A Palestinian youth runs past a rolling burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration after the weekly Friday prayers, in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron AFP/Getty 44/50 18 October 2018 Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the United States, leave Guatemala City. US President Donald Trump threatened to send the military to close its southern border if Mexico fails to stem the "onslaught" of migrants from Central America, in a series of tweets that blamed Democrats ahead of the midterm elections AFP/Getty 45/50 17 October 2018 Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike around the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched raids against targets in the Gaza strip in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory that caused damage in a southern city, the Israeli army said AFP/Getty 46/50 16 October 2018 Ecuador has issued a list of rules to Julian Assange, the famous resident of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The list included cleaning the bathroom, not commenting on foreign political affairs online and taking better care of his cat (pictured). The document states that failure to comply with these rules “could lead to the termination of the diplomatic asylum granted by the Ecuadorian state” Reuters 47/50 15 October 2018 Israeli soldiers hurl tear gas grenades during clashes following Israeli order to shut down the al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school near the west bank city of Nablus, 15 October 2018. According to local sources, 20 Palestinians were wounded during clashes as dozens try to defiance the Israeli order to shut down the school EPA 48/50 14 October 2018 Serbia's Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his men's final singles match against Croatia's Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic, who has now won four titles this season, will move up one ranking spot to No. 2, pushing Roger Federer back to No. 3 AFP/Getty 49/50 13 October 2018 Demonstrators raising red painted hands and a placard reading "we must change the system not the climate" referring to the need to stop climate change during a march in Bordeaux, southwestern France AFP/Getty 50/50 12 October 2018 Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain's National Day in Barcelona Reuters 1/50 30 November 2018 US President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wave hands in front of other leaders during a family photo at the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina Reuters 2/50 29 November 2018 Firefighters battle a blaze on Fingerfield road at the Deepwater National Park area of Queensland. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in northeastern Australia as bushfires raged across the state amid a scorching heatwave AFP/Getty 3/50 28 November 2018 A child waits to receive free bread by a local charity bakery amid a severe shortage of food in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, nearly 22 million people of Yemen's 26-million population are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of increased food insecurity. The impoverished Arab country is experiencing a humanitarian crisis due to an ongoing brutal conflict that has lasted more than three years that has driven millions to the brink of famine EPA 4/50 27 November 2018 A petrol bomb was thrown towards the Ajax fans during their Champions League away match against AEK Athens in the Greek capital. Home supporters threw flares into the stands also Reuters 5/50 26 November 2018 Ukrainian activists burn flares during their rally in front of the Russian Consulate in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, on 25 November, announced the decision to introduce martial law in Ukraine for a period of 60 days. Russia seized three Ukrainian vessels amid their leaving the Kerch Strait. The two small-sized 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' armored artillery boats had come under enemy fire and are now dead in the water. The 'Yany Kapu' tugboat was forcibly stopped and captured by special forces of the Russian Federation EPA 6/50 25 November 2018 Women's rights activists gather to march through Taksim Square to protest against gender violence in Istanbul on the International Day for the elimination of violence against women AFP/Getty 7/50 24 November 2018 River Plate's fans clash with riot police after the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final match against rivals Boc Juniors was postponed Reuters 8/50 23 November 2018 Elias Lopez, a three-year-old Honduran migrant, plays in between the shields of a line of Mexican riot police, when the group he was part of tried to cross the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico. Elias Lopez is part of a group of Central American migrants that marched peacefully to the border crossing to demand better conditions and push to enter the US AP 9/50 22 November 2018 Lebanese army soldiers march during a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of Lebanon's Independence Day, in Beirut, commemorating the liberation from the French Mandate on 22 November 1943 EPA 10/50 21 November 2018 Indian Muslim devotees wave flags as they parade atop vehicles along a street during Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations in Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh AFP/Getty 11/50 20 November 2018 At least 50 people were killed and dozens more injured when a suicide bomber targeted a group of Muslim religious scholars in Kabul, officials in Afghanistan say. Hundreds of clerics had gathered to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed at a large wedding hall in the capital before the blast happened, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. Wahi Majroh, of Afghanistan’s public health ministry, said a further 83 people had been wounded by the bomber. “The victims of the attack unfortunately are all religious scholars who gathered to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad,” said Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief Reuters 12/50 19 November 2018 A view of the Fuego volcano eruption at sunrise, seen from El Rodeo, Escuintla, Guatemala. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from several villages due to the strong eruption, located 50 kilometers west of the Guatemalan capital EPA 13/50 18 November 2018 French President Emmanuel Macron is applauded after speaking before the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) as the German parliament commemorates victims of wars and dictatorships in Berlin. The leaders of France and Germany jointly remember the victims of European wars, presenting also a united front in countering global turmoil stoked by US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty 14/50 17 November 2018 People wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers' nationwide protest against higher fuel prices, block the Paris-Brussels motorway in Haulchin, France Reuters 15/50 16 November 2018 People hold banners of Jamal Khashoggi during a symbolic funeral prayer for the Saudi journalist, killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October, at the courtyard of Fatih mosque in Istanbul. Turkey has more evidence contradicting the Saudi version of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi including a second audio recording, revealing that the murder had been premeditated, a Turkish newspaper reported on November 16, a contradiction to the statement of the Saudi prosecutor who said that five Saudi officials faced the death penalty on charges of killing Khashoggi but exonerated the country's powerful Crown Prince of involvement in the murder AFP/Getty 16/50 15 November 2018 Alexei Navalny leaves the European Court of Human Rights today. The court has ruled that Russia's repeated arrests of Navalny were politically motivated AP 17/50 14 November 2018 A crew member escorts a migrant child out of a plane transporting a group of 51 migrants from Niger, entitled to international protection, after its landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome AFP/Getty 18/50 13 November 2018 Palestinians gather in front of damaged buildings in Gaza City following Israeli air strikes targeting the area overnight. Israel's aircraft struck Gaza on November 12, killing three Palestinians and wounding nine after a barrage of rocket fire into its territory from the enclave. The flare-up came after a deadly Israeli special forces operation in the Gaza Strip, at the weekend, that left Hamas vowing revenge AFP/Getty 19/50 12 November 2018 Floral tributes outside Melbourne's Pellegrini's Cafe for Sisto Malaspina, after he was stabbed to death last Friday in an attack police have called an act of terrorism, in Australia Reuters 20/50 11 November 2018 Heads of states and world leaders attend ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Over 60 heads of state and government were taking part in a solemn ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the mute and powerful symbol of sacrifice to the millions who died from 1914-18 AP 21/50 10 November 2018 Firefighters push down a wall while battling against a burning apartment complex in Paradise, north of Sacramento, California. A rapidly spreading, late-season wildfire in northern California has burned 20,000 acres of land and prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands of people. As many as 1000 homes, a hospital, a Safeway store and scores of other structures have burned in the area as the Camp fire tore through the region AFP/Getty 22/50 9 November 2018 A Fly Jamaica plane en route to Toronto crash lands at an airport in Guyana following a technical problem. At least six passengers were injured Cheddi Jagan International Airport 23/50 8 November 2018 An FBI agent talks to a potential witness as they stand near the scene Thursday in Thousand Oaks, California. where a gunman opened fire Wednesday inside a country dance bar crowded with hundreds of people on "college night," wounding 11 people including a deputy who rushed to the scene. Ventura County sheriff's spokesman says gunman is dead inside the bar. AP 24/50 7 November 2018 Democratic congressional candidate Ilhan Omar is celebrates with her husband's mother after she won a congress place during the US midterm elections. In doing do she became the first-joint Muslim woman to be elected into congress alongside Rashida Tlaib Reuters 25/50 6 November 2018 Voters cast their ballots at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center polling location in Columbus, Ohio. Across the US, voters headed to the polls in one of the most high-profile midterm elections in years AP 26/50 5 November 2018 Members of the group Your Vote Matters encourage people to vote before an event hosted by US Senator Claire McCaskill as she campaigns for the US Senate in Saint Louis, Missour. McCaskill, a Democrat, faces a challenge from Republican Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley in the November general election EPA 27/50 4 November 2018 Police officers and rescuers work at the site of where a truck ploughed into cars at a toll booth in Lanzhou in China's northwestern Gansu province. The out-of-control truck crashed into a 31-car lineup and killed 15 people, with 44 injured AFP/Getty 28/50 3 November 2018 Simone Biles on the podium with her gold medal from the floor exercise at the gymnastics world championships. She became the most decorated female gymnast in world's history, as well as, becoming the first American to win a medal in every event at the competition AFP/Getty 29/50 2 November 2018 A Salvadorean migrant with a girl walks next to Guatemalan policemen as they approach the Guatemala-Mexico international border bridge in Ciudad Tecun Uman. Accoring to the Salvadorean General Migration Directorate, over 1,700 Salvadoreans left the country in two caravans and entered Guatemala Wednesday, in an attempt to reach the US AFP/Getty 30/50 1 November 2018 Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant Reuters 31/50 31 October 2018 The "Statue of Unity" portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of India, during its inauguration in Kevadia, in the western state of Gujarat, India Reuters 32/50 30 October 2018 A scavenger collects recyclable materials along the breakwater amid strong waves as weather patterns from Typhoon Yutu affect Manila Bay. Fierce winds sheared off roofs and snapped trees in half, after thousands were evacuated ahead of the powerful storm's arrival AFP/Getty 33/50 29 October 2018 Rescue team members collecting the remains of the crashed plane at Tanjung Priok Harbour, Indonesia. A Lion Air flight JT-610 lost contact with air traffic controllers soon after takeoff then crashed into the sea. The flight was en route to Pangkal Pinang, and reportedly had 189 people onboard EPA 34/50 28 October 2018 A supporter of Workers' Party presidential candidate Fernando Haddad embraces a fellow weeping supporter, after learning that rival Jair Bolsonaro was declared the winner in the Brazil presidential runoff election. Addressing supporters in Sao Paulo, Haddad did not concede or even mention Bolsonaro by name. Instead, his speech was a promise to resist AP 35/50 27 October 2018 First responders surround the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a shooter opened fire, wounding three police officers and killing eleven AP 36/50 26 October 2018 Broward County Sheriff's office have released a photo of Cesar Sayoc, the suspect who was arrested in connection with the pipe bombs that have been sent to several high profile Democrats and critics of President Trump over the course of this week AP 37/50 25 October 2018 East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka US Fish and Wildlife Service 38/50 24 October 2018 Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a "functional explosive device" was attemptedly delivered to the couple AP 39/50 23 October 2018 Turkey's President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the 'savage' murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi AP 40/50 22 October 2018 Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) delivers a national apology to child sex abuse victims in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra on October 22, 2018. - Morrison on October 22 issued an emotive apology to children who suffered sexual abuse, saying the state had failed to protect them from "evil dark" crimes committed over decades AFP/Getty 41/50 21 October 2018 A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment CNA/AFP/Getty 42/50 20 October 2018 US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One after a "Make America Great" rally in Mesa, Arizona on October 19, 2018. - US President Donald Trump said Friday, October 19, 2018, that he found credible Saudi Arabia's assertion that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a fight AFP/Getty 43/50 19 October 2018 A Palestinian youth runs past a rolling burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration after the weekly Friday prayers, in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron AFP/Getty 44/50 18 October 2018 Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the United States, leave Guatemala City. US President Donald Trump threatened to send the military to close its southern border if Mexico fails to stem the "onslaught" of migrants from Central America, in a series of tweets that blamed Democrats ahead of the midterm elections AFP/Getty 45/50 17 October 2018 Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike around the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched raids against targets in the Gaza strip in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory that caused damage in a southern city, the Israeli army said AFP/Getty 46/50 16 October 2018 Ecuador has issued a list of rules to Julian Assange, the famous resident of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The list included cleaning the bathroom, not commenting on foreign political affairs online and taking better care of his cat (pictured). The document states that failure to comply with these rules “could lead to the termination of the diplomatic asylum granted by the Ecuadorian state” Reuters 47/50 15 October 2018 Israeli soldiers hurl tear gas grenades during clashes following Israeli order to shut down the al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school near the west bank city of Nablus, 15 October 2018. According to local sources, 20 Palestinians were wounded during clashes as dozens try to defiance the Israeli order to shut down the school EPA 48/50 14 October 2018 Serbia's Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his men's final singles match against Croatia's Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic, who has now won four titles this season, will move up one ranking spot to No. 2, pushing Roger Federer back to No. 3 AFP/Getty 49/50 13 October 2018 Demonstrators raising red painted hands and a placard reading "we must change the system not the climate" referring to the need to stop climate change during a march in Bordeaux, southwestern France AFP/Getty 50/50 12 October 2018 Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain's National Day in Barcelona Reuters

Mr Trump’s plan for a skyscraper in Moscow dates as far back as 1996, when the future US president paid a visit to the Russian capital to check out building sites on land being developed by an American company.

He revived the idea in 2013 during a visit to Moscow as owner of the Miss Universe pageant, and reportedly scouted a potential site before the project again failed.

The tower idea came back yet again in October 2015, when Andrey Rozov, an obscure Russian property developer, signed a letter of intent sent by Mr Cohen to advance the construction of a Trump Tower featuring 250 luxury condos, no fewer than 15 floors of hotel rooms, commercial and office space, a fitness centre and an Ivanka Trump spa.

It would have been a lucrative deal for Trump‘s company, handing it $4m (£3.1m) in upfront fees plus potentially millions more from a cut on everything from food and banquet fees to spa charges.

However, the project soon ran aground again. According to Mr Cohen’s testimony in 2017 and his plea agreement, negotiations with Mr Rozov’s group stalled, prompting the lawyer to turn to aides of Mr Putin to move the project forward.

Mr Cohen told congressional investigators last year that he had sent an email in January 2016 to Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president’s spokesman. He told the committee he never heard back from Mr Peskov and the tower deal collapsed by the end of that month.

But according to Mr Cohen’s new statement to prosecutors, the tower deal remained viable as late as June 2016, after Mr Trump had vanquished his Republican presidential rivals and was mounting his general election campaign against Hillary Clinton.

Mr Cohen said he had spoken by phone with an assistant to Mr Peskov in January 2016 and outlined the project and “requested assistance in moving the project forward.”

According BuzzFeed News, Mr Trump‘s company considered giving the Moscow tower’s penthouse apartment to Mr Putin. Mr Cohen’s business associate Felix Sater told the website: “My idea was to give a $50 million penthouse to Putin and charge $250 million more for the rest of the units. All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin.”

Mr Sater and Mr Cohen continued to email about the foundering project well into June 2016, soon after a much-scrutinised meeting at Trump Tower in New York between Mr Trump‘s son Donald Jr, son-in-law Jared Kushner, campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and several Russian attendees, purportedly to discuss the possibility of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.

Mr Trump accused his former lawyer of being a “liar” following his guilty plea on Thursday.

“He’s trying to get a reduced sentence for things that have nothing to do with me,” the president added.

He said he “decided ultimately” not to pursue to Moscow tower plan, but added: “There would be nothing wrong if I did do it.”

“There was a good chance that I wouldn’t have won [the presidency], in which case I would have gone back into the business, and why should I lose lots of opportunities?”