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Build Microsoft has announced the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, a second wave of updates to its "Windows as a service" operating system. The first Creators Update was released in April 2017. Why is this new release also called “Creators Update”? The reason, Microsoft told the press, is that this release is a continuation of the same concepts, rather than something radically different. There are several themes, of which the biggest is an improved cross-device experience based on what the company calls the Microsoft Graph. This term was first used in the context of Office 365, where it describes a set of APIs that let developers query data on business activities. The Graph itself is a database of people, devices, activities and the connections between them. Microsoft is now extending this concept to consumers as well as businesses. Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s Windows and devices boss, says: “The Microsoft Graph is an intelligent fabric that helps connect dots between people, conversations, projects, and content within the Microsoft cloud – ensuring experiences flow seamlessly between Windows, iOS, and Android devices.” Specific features that build on this include: Pick Up Where You Left Off: A new Cortana feature that lets you continue working on a document, website or app, even when you switch devices, such as closing you PC and going out with your smartphone or tablet. Cross-device clipboard: Copy a file, link, text or image on a PC or device, and paste it on another device. Timeline: a history of your tasks, such as applications you were working in, with the ability to return to something you were working on earlier. In order to work cross-device, these features require sign-in, either to a Microsoft account (for consumers) or Azure Active Directory (for Office 365 users). It is also obvious that the data to make this work is stored in Microsoft’s cloud. At Build, Microsoft is encouraging developers to write applications that take advantage of this, using the SDK called Project Rome. Project Rome is not new, but is being integrated more deeply into the operating system. That said, developer VP Kevin Gallo says that “Apps will write the data. There's nothing we're doing that going to be secretly put into [the Microsoft Graph]. Even access to some of the features will be under the user's control. They can always opt out.”

A massive AMD internal roadmap detailing their upcoming enterprise CPU products has just leaked out by Videocardz. The roadmap reveals all of AMD’s CPUs that will be based on current and future revisions of the Zen core architecture. AMD Enterprise CPU Roadmap 2015-2019 Leaked – Features 14nm Naples With 32 Cores and 7nm Starship with 48 Cores There are a total of 9 CPU products that the roadmap mentions. It’s dated back to Q1 2016 so a lot of changes may have been made but the details are quite juicy. From 2015 to 2016, AMD has launched 3 CPU products codenamed A1100 ARM which utilized ARM Cortex-A57 cores, Merlin Falcon which used Excavator cores and then another Excavator based product, the Brown Falcon CPU. Moving on, AMD plans to launch a range of 14nm products in 2017 and 2018 based on their next-generation Zen core architecture.

The nature of the launch is still being determined, but analysts have said the test could suggest a longer range than previously tested devices. The Japanese defence minister said it flew for about 30 minutes before falling in the Sea of Japan and could be a new type of missile. Tomomi Inada said it covered a distance of about 700km (435 miles), reaching an altitude of more than 2,000km (1,245 miles) - higher than that reached by an intermediate-range missile North Korea fired in February. Experts quoted by Reuters say the altitude meant the missile was launched at a high trajectory, limiting the lateral distance it travelled. They say if it had been fired at a standard trajectory, it would have had a range of at least 4,000km. North Korea's missile programme Have North Korea's missile tests paid off? Kim Jong-un: North Korea's supreme commander The US Pacific Command said in a statement the type was being assessed but that its flight was not consistent with that of an intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM], which would have the range to reach the US mainland (more than 6,000km). North Korea is believed to be developing two types of ICBM, but neither has so far been flight tested.

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If we’re chatting casually as friends, the Volkswagen T-Roc is Volkswagen's Golf SUV, or perhaps its Qashqai - but the brand won’t thank you for either description, because it wants this new model to have its own, more playful identity. The T-Roc is late to the family SUV party, of course, and that only makes VW's desire to seek a point of difference greater. Just how late it lands is emphasised by the fact it is based on the T-Roc concept car that was revealed as long ago as 2014, albeit presented in the lesser-seen (Range Rover Evoque Convertible aside) format of a convertible SUV. Crucially, however, many of the more detailed designs of that concept can be seen even on this prototype, and so too can some of its slightly zany spirit: the T-Roc is here to usher in a new era of more 'emotional' Volkswagens that tug at the heart strings slightly harder than today’s defiantly rational line-up. There’s even talk of two-tone paint schemes. Zany is also one word to explain how the car found its name: T is to link it to its bigger brothers, the Tiguan and Touareg, and Roc is a modification of the word rock, which, and I quote VW: “on the one hand refers to the off-road character of the vehicle and on the other reflects the powerful and avant-garde image of a crossover design”. Before we all wrinkle our faces in consternation, though, it’s worth a moment pondering the origins of Qashqai, Seat Ateca, Vauxhall Mokka X et al. The T-Roc sits on VW’s now-famous MQB platform, and owes more than a little nod of acknowledgement to the Audi Q2, with which it essentially shares the same underpinnings. That means the same 2.59m wheelbase, which is slightly down on the Golf despite the T-Roc's larger exterior dimensions. Such is the flipside of a more expressive exterior design, but it still leaves enough room front and rear inside to fulfil its family credentials. Inside, there are hints in our prototype that VW is also trying to break beyond its reputation for solid, logical materials and layouts. On this car, there’s a disguise in place, but insiders suggest body-coloured mouldings across the dash could be used, for instance, adding a sense of colour and fun alongside the traditional qualities for which VW is famed. If they are carried off credibly, it can surely add an extra, appealing dimension to the interior ambience. The 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine we sampled is straight from the VW engine pool, and is expected to be joined by familiar 1.0-litre and 2.0-litre petrol and diesel options, with four-wheel drive available as an option on bigger-engined models. Mid-spec this engine may be, but it’s plenty powerful enough to haul the T-Roc along at a decent space, and it works well with the slick-shifting seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. On the mainly dusty, rutted roads of our test drive, it was difficult to form pin-sharp impressions of the ride or handling, but it felt likely that VW has erred towards a moderately sportier set-up than might traditionally be associated with an SUV in a bid to underline its shift towards more ‘emotional’ cars. Nor need that be a bad thing: the Ateca proves that the Volkswagen Group knows how to sit just the right side of this line. Conclusions are notoriously hard to draw from a prototype drive, but on the evidence presented there’s few doubts that the T-Roc will deserve a place on small SUV buyers’ shortlists. It's a highly credible entry into the market, albeit thanks to the more traditional VW qualities of solidity, sure-footedness and value than the new characterful direction it has tried to embark on. In time, VW might be able to make its 'emotional' side more prominent, but with the T-Roc standing alone in the line-up for now, it feels a little forced - especially when the test car is both partially disguised and so predictably decent to drive and be in.

Syria's President Bashar-al Assad says reports of a chemical attack by his forces were "100% fabrication". In an exclusive video interview with Agence France-Presse, he said "there was no order to make any attack". More than 80 people were killed in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April, and hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with a nerve agent. Witnesses said they saw warplanes attack the town but Russia says a rebel depot of chemical munitions was hit. Shocking footage showed victims - many of them children - convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Sufferers were taken to hospitals across the border in Turkey. Syria 'chemical attack': What we know Mr Assad told the AFP news agency that the Syrian government gave up its arsenal of chemical weapons in 2013, adding "even if we have them, we wouldn't use them". However, since 2013, there have been continued allegations that chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia have been used against civilians in the ongoing civil war. The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using them, blaming rebel groups in some instances. Mr Assad accused the West of making up events in Khan Sheikhoun so it had an excuse to carry out missile strikes on the government's Shayrat airbase, which took place a few days after the alleged attack. "It's stage one, the play [they staged] that we saw on social network and TVs, then propaganda and then stage two, the military attack," he said, questioning the authenticity of the video footage. He also said Khan Sheikhoun, in Syria's north-western Idlib province, had no strategic value and was not currently a battle front. "This story is not convincing by any means," he told the AFP. Case against Assad's version: By Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence correspondent President Assad's defence - his flat denial that his country has used chemical weapons and that last week's incident was a fabrication concocted by al-Qaeda and Washington - does not square with the "case for the prosecution". Indeed it sits uneasily with the Russian version of events which says that a rebel warehouse was hit by a bomb from a Syrian warplane thus releasing the chemical agent. President Assad's denials must contend with the fact that samples from some of the victims were analysed in Turkey and the results indicated a Sarin-like agent was used. Then there is the detailed narrative, provided by the Americans who tracked the aircraft they say launched the attack, from its base, to the target location, and then home again. There are too the many videos that were released immediately after the attack showing the victims. Their timing and location have been verified by independent researchers. Western allies have said there is compelling evidence that the Syrian government was behind what happened in Khan Sheikhoun. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday it was "highly likely" the Assad regime was behind the attack, saying British scientists had analysed material from the site and it was "very clear" Sarin or a Sarin-like substance was used. Turkey, which treated many of the wounded, has concluded the same thing. The US, UK and France reacted angrily on Wednesday after Russia, Syria's key ally, vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council - the eighth time it has done so over the Syrian conflict. Mr Assad told the AFP that he would only allow what he called an "impartial" investigation to ensure it would not be used for "politicised purposes". But he did not give further details. The BBC's Sebastian Usher notes the Syrian leader looks greyer and more drawn than in recent interviews. The US strikes on Shayrat airbase and a reversal of what had been a growing diplomatic acceptance that Mr Assad's removal was no longer a priority may have taken its toll, our correspondent adds. The US had, until its Shayrat attack, limited its involvement in Syria to removing the so-called Islamic State (IS) from its stronghold in the city of Raqqa. The Pentagon admitted on Thursday that it accidentally killed 18 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, its ally in the fight against IS, in an airstrike on Monday, just south of the town of Tabqa, some 40km (25 miles) from Raqqa. More than 300,000 people have lost their lives and millions of people have been displaced since a peaceful uprising against Mr Assad six years ago turned into a full-scale civil war.

Africans trying to reach Europe are being sold by their captors in "slave markets" in Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. Victims told IOM that after being detained by people smugglers or militia groups, they were taken to town squares or car parks to be sold. Migrants with skills like painting or tiling would fetch higher prices, the head of the IOM in Libya told the BBC. Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 Nato-backed ousting of Muammar Gaddafi. More on this and other African stories Hundreds of young sub-Saharan African men have been caught up in the so-called slave markets, according to the IOM report. Migrants 'forced to starve' A Senegalese migrant, who was not named to protect his identity, said that he had been sold at one such market in the southern Libyan city of Sabha, before being taken to a makeshift prison where more than 100 migrants were being held hostage. He said that migrants held at the facility were told to call their families, who would be asked for money to pay for their release, and some were beaten while on the phone to allow relatives to hear them being tortured. He described "dreadful" conditions where migrants were forced to survive on limited food supplies, with those unable to pay either killed or left to starve, the report adds. Another witness, who was able to raise the funds needed for his release after nine months, was later taken to hospital with severe malnutrition, weighing just 5.5 stone (35 kg). Women, too, were bought by private Libyan clients and brought to homes where they were forced to be sex slaves, the witness said. The IOM's chief of mission for Libya, Othman Belbeisi, told the BBC that those sold into slavery found themselves priced according to their abilities. "Apparently they don't have money and their families cannot pay the ransom, so they are being sold to get at least a minimum benefit from that," he said. "The price is definitely different depending on your qualifications, for example if you can do painting or tiles or some specialised work then the price gets higher." An IOM staff member in Niger said they confirmed the reports of auctions in Libya with several other migrants who had escaped. "They all confirmed the risks of been sold as slaves in squares or garages in Sabha, either by their drivers or by locals who recruit the migrants for daily jobs in town, often in construction. "Later, instead of paying them, [they] sell their victims to new buyers." Some migrants, mainly Nigerians, Ghanaians and Gambians are forced to work "as guards in the ransom houses or in the 'market' itself", the IOM employee added. The organisation has called the emergence of these markets "a disturbing new trend in the already dire situation for migrants in Libya". In February, the UN children's agency Unicef released a report documenting - in sometimes horrific detail - stories of slavery, violence and sexual abuse experienced by large numbers of vulnerable children travelling from Libya to Italy. The report, A Deadly Journey for Children, said that almost 26,000 children - most of them unaccompanied - crossed the Mediterranean in 2016, many of them suffering abuse at the hands of smugglers and traffickers. Tens of thousands of migrants arrived in Italy last year by sea, crossing from North Africa. But before they reach the jumping-off point in Libya, many migrants will have undertaken a perilous journey of up to six days across the Sahara in extreme temperatures.

Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 45 people, officials say. In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark's Coptic church killed 16 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported. An earlier blast at St George's Coptic church in Tanta killed 29 people. So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt. Following the attacks, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to protect "vital and important infrastructure" across the country, the government said in a statement. Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church. The first explosion in Tanta, 94km (58 miles) north of Cairo, took place near the altar. "I saw pieces of body parts and broken seats. There was so much blood everywhere, some people had half of their bodies missing. The first three rows [inside the church] were destroyed," Nabil Nader, an eyewitness, said. Security forces later dismantled two explosive devices at the Sidi Abdel Rahim Mosque, also in Tanta, the state-run Al-Ahram news website reports. The explosions injured at least 71 people in Tanta and 35 others in Alexandria, the health ministry said. The Egyptian government announced three days of mourning. The blasts appear to have been timed for maximum impact, as people gathered to mark Palm Sunday. It is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Egyptian security forces had been put on alert in anticipation of attacks. The explosions come weeks before an expected visit by Pope Francis intended to show support for the country's Christian minority. He condemned the attacks. "I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the victims] and to the entire community," the Pope said. The Copts and Egypt: By Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab affairs editor The Copts are one of the most ancient Christian communities and the largest still left in the Middle East. But they have long felt vulnerable and marginalised. This sense of precariousness has only increased in recent years, with the rise of violent jihadism in parts of Egypt. The country's political and Muslim religious leaders have tried to provide reassurance that they stand united with the Copts - and have portrayed the recent upsurge in attacks as an attempt by extremists to sow division. But in recent months, Coptic families have been fleeing the northern Sinai after a series of murders and assaults. Their trust in the state's ability and willingness to protect them will now be even more deeply shaken - as bombs desecrate Palm Sunday, fulfilling a rash of recent threats by the Islamic State group to intensify their violence against Christians in Egypt. Pope Tawadros II told local TV that "sinful acts will not undermine the unity and coherence of the Egyptian people in the face of terrorism". In the UK, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Bishop Angaelos, condemned the "senseless and heartless brutality" of the attacks. Violence against the religious minority has risen in recent years, especially since 2013, when the military overthrew the elected president and launched a crackdown against Islamists. Some supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow. In February, IS warned of more attacks against Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypt's po[CENSORED]tion. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country. Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria - the head of their church. This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land. The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.

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The company "NIKO-Ukraine" in Podol, the official dealer of Mitsubishi Motors in Kiev and the Kiev region, invites the fans of the ride without obstacles on the NIKO Extreme Day - a test drive for off-road cars Mitsubishi. On September 27, the company NIKO-Ukraine in Podol, the official dealer of Mitsubishi Motors in Kiev and the Kiev region, invites its customers, partners and fans of Mitsuibishi cars to spend the day interestingly and profitably by taking part in the autumn off-road test driver NIKO Extreme Day. On this day, the participants of the test drive will be given the cars ASX, Outlander, Pajero Sport, Pajero Wagon and L200, which have proved their superiority on off-road roads, on this day. In order that each guest could feel all the features of cars as much as possible, the organizers of NIKO Extreme Day prepare a special complicated route. In addition to ravines, steep slopes and sand, drivers will wait for various overpasses to demonstrate the capabilities of Mitsubishi cars. In addition to the experience of driving a car in difficult road conditions, NIKO Extreme Day participants will be able to get a lot of useful and necessary knowledge. On this day, classes will be held to provide first aid in case of an accident, a course of "correct" car extinguishing during a fire, as well as an exit from difficult road situations with the help of improvised means. Experts of the company "NIKO-Ukraine" will also be able to answer questions related to the service of the car, the features of off-road driving, technical nuances. The guests of the test drive will be able to get distracted from daily worries a little by taking part in contests, master classes and quizzes prepared by NIKO-Ukraine company in Podol and partners of NIKO Extreme Day. Also within the framework of the event there will be a charity fair with the purpose of raising funds for Wounded in ATO. Partners of the event: PRAVEX-BANK, insurance company AXA Insurance, offroadmaster offroadmaster, NIKO Trading, the official importer and distributor of Mobil lubricants.

Basque militant group Eta has begun the process of handing over its remaining weapons, formally ending the last remaining insurgency in Europe. At a ceremony in the southern French city of Bayonne, an inventory of weapons, and their locations, was passed to the judicial authorities. Eta killed more than 800 people and wounded thousands in more than 40 years of violence. It declared a ceasefire in 2011 but did not disarm. What is Eta? The group was set up more than 50 years ago in the era of Spanish dictator General Franco. Its goal was to create an independent Basque state out of territory in south-west France and northern Spain. Its first known killing was in 1968, when a secret police chief was shot dead in the Basque city of San Sebastian. France and Spain refuse to negotiate with Eta, which is on the EU blacklist of terrorist organisations. The Chairman of the International Verification Commission (IVC), Ram Manikkalingam, said he hoped Saturday's handover would help consolidate peace in the Basque region. How can we be sure Eta has really given up its weapons? That will not be straightforward. The IVC was set up in 2011 to monitor Eta's progress towards disarmament. However, it is not formally recognised by the French and Spanish governments. In 2014, it reported that Eta had taken some of its weapons out of action, but the Spanish government dismissed the move as "theatrical". The IVC would check the arms caches later on Saturday, a Basque intermediary, Txetx Etcheverry, told the French news agency AFP. French police are on standby to take possession of the weapons, AFP reported. Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo demanded that Eta not only disarm, but also clarify who carried out past attacks. How did we get here? Slowly, and with many false starts. Eta first declared a ceasefire in 1998, the year after some of its militants murdered a young Spanish councillor, Miguel Angel Blanco. However, that came to an end in 1999, and the group resumed its campaign of violence. In 2006, Eta made another announcement of a ceasefire, but that, too, proved to be illusory. In December of that year, it bombed an airport car park in Madrid, killing two people. Four years later, in 2010, Eta announced it would not carry out further attacks and in January 2011, it declared a permanent and "internationally verifiable" ceasefire but refused to disarm. In recent years, police in France and Spain have put Eta under severe pressure, arresting hundreds of militants, including leadership figures, and seizing many of its weapons. Eta's political wing, Herri Batasuna, was banned by the Spanish government, which argued that the two groups were inextricably linked. 'A moment we have been waiting for' - the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Bayonne A simple ceremony in a city hall ended Eta's bloody campaign for independence. In an elegant high-ceilinged room, five people sat around a plain square table as early-morning light filtered through heavy drapes. Bayonne Mayor Jean-Rene Etchegaray, welcomed them to a "moment we have all been waiting for". After a few short speeches, French Basque environmentalist Txetx Etcheverry approached the table with a bulky black file, with a dozen blue folders. From where I sat, I could see it included photographs as well as text. The dossier was handed to international witnesses including Italian Archbishop Matteo Zuppi and the Reverend Harold Good, who played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process. French security forces discreetly secured the area and the Spanish government raised no objections to the ceremony going ahead. Ram Manikkalingam of the IVC called it a "new model of disarmament and verification which emerged from Basque society".

The US has carried out a missile strike against a Syrian air base in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town. Fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from two US Navy ships in the Mediterranean. At least six people are reported to have been killed. It is the first direct US military action against forces commanded by Syria's president. The Kremlin, which backs Bashar al-Assad, has condemned the strike. It comes just days after dozens of civilians, including many children, died in the suspected nerve gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province. What action has the US taken? On the orders of President Donald Trump, Navy destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross fired dozens of cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield in western Homs province at about 04:40 Syrian time (01:40 GMT). They targeted aircraft, aircraft shelters, storage areas, ammunition supply bunkers and air defence systems at the Syrian government-controlled facility, according to the Pentagon. It said the base was used to store chemical weapons and that "every precaution" had been taken to avoid casualties. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Mr Trump said he had acted in America's "vital national security interest" to prevent the use of chemical weapons. Mr Trump branded President Assad a "dictator" who had "launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians". "Tonight I call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end this slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types," he said. Syrian state media said as many as nine civilians had been killed in the strike, four of them children. The BBC is unable to confirm this information. A BBC News producer has been sharing reports from people near to the base on social media, with one describing "total devastation". What is different about this strike? The US has led a coalition carrying out air strikes against jihadist groups in Syria since 2014 but this is the first time it has targeted government forces. President Trump has previously spoken out against US military involvement in Syria, instead calling for a greater focus on domestic interests. Only last week the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Washington was not prioritising the removal of the Syrian president. However, Mr Trump said "something should happen" against the Syrian leadership following the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday, without giving details. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also signalled a sudden shift in policy on Thursday, saying that Bashar al-Assad should have no role in a future Syria. Grey line How has Russia responded? The Russia government is one of President Assad's most important allies and its military has been targeting all rebel groups in Syria, including jihadists such as so-called Islamic State but also the more moderate opposition forces that the US and other Western nations have been supporting. The Pentagon said the Russian military had been informed ahead of the US action. But the Kremlin reacted angrily to the US strike, which the Syrian army said had caused significant damage. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called it "an act of aggression against a sovereign nation". Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry said it was suspending a deal with the US that was designed to prevent clashes in the skies over Syria as the two countries wage different campaigns. The Syrian authorities accused the US of supporting terrorism by undermining the regime's operations.

The head of a key US congressional investigation into alleged Russian hacking has temporarily stepped down amid an ethics inquiry into him. House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes is now himself under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The panel is looking into claims that the Republican disclosed classified intelligence. Mr Nunes called the charges "entirely false" and "politically motivated". Mr Nunes said his decision came after "several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics". He added he would continue to fulfill his other responsibilities as chairman and has requested to speak to the ethics panel "in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims". Democrats have criticised Mr Nunes for his handling of the inquiry, which is also looking at possible links between the Trump campaign and Moscow. What did Mr Nunes allegedly do wrong? The House Ethics Committee said in a statement on Thursday: "The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorised disclosures of classified information, in violation of House rules, laws, regulations, or other standards of conduct." Watchdog groups Democracy 21 and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had asked the House ethics panel to investigate any possible violations by Mr Nunes. Mr Nunes' political enemies have accused him of helping the White House to divert attention from an FBI announcement that they were investigating alleged links between the Trump team and Russian officials. Mr Nunes has acknowledged making an after-dark trip to the White House grounds last month that even his own aides were apparently unaware of. The next day he hastily announced at a news conference that he had learned post-election communications of Mr Trump's team had been monitored by intelligence agencies as they snooped on foreign officials. He expressed alarm that information about the then-incoming president's aides were swept up in US intelligence reports. Mr Nunes' Democratic colleagues on the panel were furious that he had not shared such information with them before going public. In the face of much scepticism, Mr Nunes maintains White House officials were not his original source for the claims. The California Republican reportedly apologised for the incident. But Democrats questioned whether the investigation into Russia's alleged role in the election could proceed objectively. Russia reboot - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington It's never a good sign when the investigator becomes a bigger story than the investigation. Such was the case with Congressman Devin Nunes, with his shifting explanations for where and how he acquired sensitive intelligence documents, his decision to keep details from his fellow intelligence committee members, his apparent behind-the-scenes co-ordination with White House sources and his penchant for dramatic press conferences. All this made him a liability for Republican congressional leadership and the White House. Now he is, at least temporarily, out of the picture. He may blame an ethics complaint filed by "leftwing activist groups" for forcing the move, but there's little doubt that many Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief. Mr Nunes, at times, seemed out of his depth on the big political stage. The committee's investigations effectively had been ground to a halt by partisan bickering, and this move is a first step toward rebooting the efforts. It may be too late, however, as the concurrent Senate intelligence committee investigation has launched more smoothly and with a greater show of bipartisan co-operation. Members of the House of Representatives often complain of being viewed as the "baby brother" to the upper chamber. The dual Russia probes haven't done much to dispel that notion. What's been the reaction? House Speaker Paul Ryan said he fully supported Mr Nunes' decision. Mr Ryan said he trusts Mr Nunes, describing him as "eager to demonstrate to the Ethics Committee that he has followed all proper guidelines and laws". But he added that the inquiry "would be a distraction" for the House Intelligence Committee's investigation. Representative Adam Schiff, a ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he respected Mr Nunes' decision. "We have a fresh opportunity to move forward in the unified and nonpartisan way that an investigation of this seriousness demands," he said on Thursday. A White House spokesman said in response to the announcement: "This is an internal matter for the House". Where does this leave the Russia investigation? Texas Representative Mike Conaway will take over the Russia inquiry with the help of fellow Republicans Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney. "We're going to proceed with the investigation and follow every lead to its logical conclusion," Mr Conaway said on Thursday. It is unclear whether Mr Nunes' departure will end the partisan bickering that has brought the congressional committee's investigation to a virtual halt. But a separate Senate Intelligence Committee probe into Russia's role in the election appeared to be moving forward, conducting its first round of hearings on the issue last week. Meanwhile, the FBI also has recently acknowledged it is running its own probe into Russia's alleged meddling. Mr Nunes told the Washington Post he plans to return to the House investigation, but he did not provide a timeline.