Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.
The mayor was stabbed while
attending the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity – an annual event where
volunteers raise money for medical equipment in hospitals.
Moments before he was attacked,
Pawel Adamowicz posted a picture from the stage on Instagram.
TV footage from the event showed the suspect rushing the stage and stabbing
the mayor several times.
He then shouted to the crowd before being tackled to the ground and
arrested.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Pawel Adamowicz at the scene, before
transferring him to a hospital.
A police spokesman said the suspect had a long criminal history, including a
bank robbery and an attack on a police officer.
Police also confirmed that he was released from prison late last year.
While on stage, the suspect reportedly shouted “Adamowicz is dead”
and said the Civic Platform party, which led the previous government and had
supported Pawel Adamowicz’s re-election, had wrongfully imprisoned him.
He also alleged he had been tortured behind bars.
The suspect will undergo psychological assessment to see whether he can be
held criminally responsible for the attack, prosecutor Krzysztof Sierak said at
a press conference on January 30.
Mayor Pawel Adamowicz was a popular figure – known best for his liberal
political views and extensive tenure as mayor.
The father-of-two was from Gdansk and had held the position for two decades.
Pawel Adamowicz first came to power in 1998 – and had been re-elected four times since, including in November.
Democrats Julian Castro and Tulsi Gabbard have
announced that they will challenge for the US presidency in 2020.
Julian Castro launched his campaign on January 12, and Tulsi Gabbard has
said she will make a formal announcement within a week.
The ex-Obama Housing Chief is expected to be the only Latino in the race,
and Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu member of Congress.
Both enter what could be a crowded field of Democrats vying to challenge
President Donald Trump.
Until now only former congressman John Delaney has formally launched a
campaign, more than a year ago.
However, Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren announced last month she was
setting up an exploratory committee to consider a run.
Julian Castro, 44, made his announcement in his home town of San Antonio,
Texas, where he was mayor from 2009 to 2014.
Long seen as a rising star in the party, Julian Castro served as housing
secretary under President Barack Obama and was on the list of Hillary Clinton’s
potential running mates for the 2016 election.
Having a Mexican grandmother, he has used his background to criticize Donald
Trump’s calls to build a wall to keep out migrants from Latin America.
Launching his bid under the slogan “One nation, one destiny”,
Julian Castro said: “We say no to
the construction of the wall and yes to the construction of communities.”
Julian Castro said his grandmother would have been amazed at his success and
that of his brother Joaquin, a member of the US Congress.
Analysts say Julian Castro does not have widespread name recognition and may struggle to make an impression in a crowded field.
The president initially gave a
positive account of the 90-minute meeting at the White House, describing it as
“very productive”.
However, when asked whether he had
considered using emergency presidential powers to bypass congressional approval
of funding, President Trump said he had.
He said: “I may do it. We can call a national emergency and build it very
quickly. That’s another way of doing it.”
“I’m very proud of doing what I’m
doing,” President Trump added.
“I don’t call it a shutdown, I call it
doing what you have to do for the benefit and safety of our country.”
On January 4, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the meeting had been
“contentious”, while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: “We told the president we needed the
government open. He resisted.”
Democrats, who now hold the majority in the House, passed spending bills on
January 3 to reopen the government, including $1.3 billion of border security
funds until February 8.
However, the legislation cannot take effect unless it passes the Republican-controlled Senate, where leader Mitch McConnell said his party would not back any measure without President Trump’s support.
Nancy Pelosi has again been elected as the
House Speaker – the third most powerful role in Washington.
The 78-yar-old California Democrat reclaimed the gavel after the most
diverse class of lawmakers were sworn in and as Democrats took control of the
House after mid-term elections gains.
Her victory came as the government remained partly shut down in a row over
funds for the president’s border wall.
Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to end the shutdown but will not support the
wall.
She said: “I’m particularly proud
to be a woman speaker of the house of this Congress, which marks the 100th year
of women having the right to vote.
“And, that we all have the
ability and the privilege to serve with over 100 women members of Congress –
the largest number in history. “
Nancy Pelosi seized the gavel as the House welcomed more women than ever
before in the 116th Congress.
As of January 3, 102 women serve in the House, an all-time high, including
36 newly elected members and a record 43 women of color.
While Republican women marked some firsts this past election season – like
Marsha Blackburn becoming the first female Tennessee Senator – the vast
majority of these new lawmakers are Democrats.
Among them are the first Muslim congresswomen – Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar – and the first Native American women to serve – New Mexico’s Debra Haaland and Kansas’ Sharice Davids.
The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and other titles belonging to Tribune Publishing suffered major printing and delivery disruptions on December 29 following a cyberattack.
The attack led to delayed distribution of the publications.
Tribune Publishing said it first detected the malware on December 28, which
hit papers sharing the same printing plant.
The attack is believed to have come from outside the US, the LA Times said.
West Coast editions of the Wall Street
Journal and The New York Times,
which share the same production platform in Los Angeles, were also affected.
“We believe the intention of the
attack was to disable infrastructure, more specifically servers, as opposed to
looking to steal information,” an anonymous source with knowledge of
the attack told the LA Times.
Marisa Kollias, Tribune Publishing spokeswoman, confirmed this in a
statement, saying the virus hurt back-office systems used to publish and
produce “newspapers across our properties”.
“Every market across the company
was impacted,” she said, refusing to give more specifications on the
disruptions, according to the LA Times.
Other publications owned by the company include the New York Daily News, Orlando
Sentinel and the Annapolis
Capital-Gazette, whose staff were the targets of a deadly shooting earlier
this year.
Another publication, the Fort
Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel was also “crippled this weekend by a computer
virus that shut down production and hampered phone lines,” according to a
story on its website.
A Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement: “We are aware of reports of a potential cyber incident affecting several news outlets and are working with our government and industry partners to better understand the situation.”
More than 400 people are confirmed
dead with 20 or so still missing following last week’s devastating tsunami in
the Sunda Strait, Indonesia’s disaster agency announces.
Researchers have examined satellite
images of Anak Krakatau to calculate the amount of rock and ash that sheared
off into the sea.
They say the volcano has lost more
than two-thirds of its height and volume during the past week.
Much of this missing mass could have
slid into the sea in one movement.
It would certainly explain the
displacement of water and the generation of waves up to 5m high that then
inundated the nearby coastlines of Java and Sumatra.
The Center of Volcanology and
Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has been studying pictures from a number
of radar satellites, including the EU’s Sentinel-1 constellation and the German
TerraSAR-X platform.
Radar has the advantage of being
able to see the ground day or night, and to be able to pierce cloud.
The capability has allowed some
initial measurements to be made of Anak Krakatau’s lost stature, in particular
on its western side.
What was once a volcanic cone
standing some 340m high is now just 110m tall, says the PVMBG.
In terms of volume, 150-170 million
cubic meters of material has gone, leaving only 40-70 million cubic meters
still in place.
Quite how much mass was lost on December 22 itself and how much in the
following days is unknown. Scientists may have a better idea once they have had
a chance to visit the volcano and conduct more extensive surveys.
However, with the eruptions still ongoing and a safety exclusion zone in
force – no-one is going near Anak Krakatau.
Cone collapse with tsunami generation was considered a potential hazard
before December 22.
In 2012, scientists had modeled the possibility six years ago, even
identifying the western flank of Anak Krakatau as the section of the volcano
most likely to fail.
The study, although simulating a larger event, predicted wave heights and coastal inundation times that were remarkably similar to what actually happened.
A deadly tsunami triggered by Anak
Krakatau volcano’s eruption struck Indonesia on December 22, at 21:30 local
time, during a local holiday.
Giant waves crashed into coastal
towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java, killing at least 281 people and
injuring 1,016.
Sea water did not recede as it would
with an earthquake tsunami and experts say that even if there had been warning
buoys near the volcano, there would have been minimal alert time.
On December 23, coastal residents
near Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano have been warned to keep away from
beaches amid fears it could trigger a new tsunami.
It is thought that volcanic activity
set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves.
Anak Krakatau erupted again on
December 23, spewing ash and smoke.
Video shot from a charter plane
captured the magnitude of the volcanic event in the Sunda Strait, between
Sumatra and Java.
Rescue efforts are being hampered by
blocked roads but heavy lifting equipment is being transported to badly hit
areas to help search for victims.
The spokesman for the National
Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told a news conference that
another tsunami is a possibility because of the continued volcanic eruptions of
Anak Krakatau.
He said: “Recommendations from [the] Meteorology, Climatology and
Geophysical Agency are that people should not carry out activities on the beach
and stay away from the coast for a while.”
Anak Krakatau, which emerged in 1927
from the caldera that was formed during the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, has
seen increased activity in recent months with people asked to avoid the area
around its crater.
On December, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho put
out a series of tweets explaining why there was no early warning for this
tsunami. He said that Indonesia’s early warning system is set up to monitor
earthquakes but not undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions, which can also
generate deadly waves.
With 13% of the world’s volcanoes in
Indonesia alone, it was crucial for the country to develop such system.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed there was no tsunami advance warning system the night of the disaster, adding that because of lack of funds, vandalism to the buoys and technical faults there had been no operational tsunami warning system since 2012.
Vine and HQ Trivia co-founder Colin Kroll has been found dead in his New York flat at the age of 34.
Colin Kroll was found by police after his girlfriend reportedly asked them to check on him.
An HQ spokesperson confirmed the death of the CEO “with deep sadness”.
HQ Trivia app, a live trivia game on mobiles, became hugely popular, although its appeal waned this year.
NYPD officers went to Colin Kroll’s flat in Manhattan to carry out a welfare check and found his body along with drugs paraphernalia nearby, TMZ reported in the initial media coverage of his death.
The HQ statement read: “We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it’s with deep sadness that we say goodbye. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
The company confirmed Colin Kroll’s age after police had initially said 35.
Alan Kroll, Colin’s father, told the NewYork Times: “He had so much talent and had accomplished so much at such a young age. It truly is a waste.”
Colin Kroll co-founded HQ Trivia with Rus Yusupov, who paid tribute on Twitter: “So sad to hear about thepassing of my friend and co-founder Colin Kroll. My thoughts & prayers goout to his loved ones. I will forever remember him for his kind soul and big heart. He made the world and internet a better place. Rest in peace, brother.”
HQ Trivia was launched in the US in 2017 and Colin Kroll was appointed CEO this September.
The free app live-streams quiz shows, with a pot of money – often thousands
of dollars – available to split between winners.
The quiz show was guest-hosted by some big names, from Jimmy Kimmel to Bert from Sesame Street.
HQ’s popularity faded this year, dropping out of the App Store’s list of top 100 apps.
Colin Kroll was also a co-founder of Vine, a six-second video streaming service that was bought out by Twitter in 2012 for $30 million.
Vine announced in December 2016 that Twitter was discontinuing the mobile app.
Mick Mulvaney is Donald Trump’s choice of new acting White House chief of staff, but he was not always a fan of the president, a 2016 video has revealed.
A video shows Mick Mulvaney describing Donald Trump as “a terrible human being”. He made the disparaging remark in a debate shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
He said: “Yes, I am supporting Donald Trump, but I’m doing so despite the fact that I think he’s a terrible human being.”
Mick Mulvaney also describes Donald Trump’s then opponent, Hillary Clinton, as “just as bad”.
The 51-year-old is a formerRepublican Congressman.The video, which was obtained by the Daily Beast was taken during a debate with Democratic challenger Fran Person in York, South Carolina.
Mick Mulvaney is currently director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and takes up his new role in January.
An OMB spokeswoman told the New York Times that the remarks had been made before Mick Mulvaney had met President Trump and was “old news”.
Meghan Burris said Mick Mulvaney “both likes and respects the president, and he likes working for him”.
The White House has not responded.
Meanwhile, a 2016 Facebook post shows that Mick Mulvaney described Donald Trump as “not a very good person”, NBC reported.
Mick Mulvaney was responding to the release of a tape from 2005 in which Donald Trump made inappropriate comments about women.
He wrote in a post: “I think one thing we’ve learned about Donald Trump during this campaign is that he is not a very good person.
“What he said in the audiotape is disgusting and indefensible. My guess is that he has probably said even worse.”
However, he added: “I’ve decided that I don’t particularly like Donald Trump as a person. But I am still voting for him. And I am still asking other people to do the same. And there is one simple reason for that: Hillary Clinton.”
Mick Mulvaney replaces General John Kelly, who steps down at the end of the year.
So high-profile is the case that President Donald Trump said he could intervene if it helped to avoid a further decline in relations between the US and Canada, which are locked in a trade war.
However, President Trump’s own officials frowned on the idea, with US Assistant Attorney General John Demers remarking: “What we do at the Justice Department is law enforcement. We don’t do trade.”
Michael Spavor is a businessman based in Dandong, near the Chinese border with North Korea. He has ties to the North Korean government and has met Kim Jong-un many times.
Ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig currently works for a think tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), which has said it is concerned for his health and safety.
He is being held officially “on suspicion of engaging in activities that harm China’s state security”.
However, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, suggested another reason, saying the ICG had not been registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in China and therefore it was unlawful for its staff to work there.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has said Michael Kovrig’s case was raised directly with Chinese officials.
Canadian foreign ministry spokesman Guillaume Bérubé confirmed that Michael Spavor had contacted them earlier in the week because “he was being asked questions by Chinese authorities”.
President Donald Trump threatened a government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall in a budget row with top Democrats in the Oval Office.
During a heated exchange with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, President Trump said he would be “proud” to shut down the government over border security.
If lawmakers cannot agree on a federal budget, funding for some departments will run out at the end of next week.
President Trump has asked to include $5 billion in the deal for border security.
However, Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said they had agreed to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels of $1.3 billion until September 30, 2019.
President Trump opened the Oval Office meeting calling it a “great honor” to have Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi present, in their firstmeeting since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in theNovember mid-term elections.
The meeting soon turned contentious as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer argued that the Republican-controlled Congress could pass legislation before funding for some agencies was set to expire on December 21.
President Trump contended that it could only pass if it met his demands for more funding for his proposed borderwall along the US southern border.
He said: “If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through military, through anything you want to call, I will shutdown the government.
“And I am proud to shut down the government for bordersecurity. I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down.”
Violence broke out in Paris during a fourth consecutive weekend of Yellow Vest protests on December 8.
French riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets. Nearly 90,000 officers had been deployed,including 8,000 in Paris where 12 armored vehicles were also used.
More than 1,700 people were arrested, but the violence was not on the same level as a week earlier.
According to the interior ministry, an estimated 125,000 people took part in marches across the country protesting against fuel tax rises and high living costs. Around 10,000 people demonstrated inParis, where the scenes were the most destructive. Windows were smashed, carswere burned and stores were looted.
Video footage showed protesters hitby rubber bullets – including in the face. At least three members of the press were among those hit.
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe hasvowed to “restore national unity” and said that discussions with peaceful protesters “must continue”.
He added: “No tax should jeopardize our national unity. We must now rebuild
that national unity through dialogue, through work, and by coming
together.”
The prime minister said President Emmanuel Macron – who many protesters want to stand down – would soon “putforward measures to foster this dialogue”.
Interior Minister ChristopheCastaner praised police – who had been deployed in force – for containing much of the unrest.
In a tweet, President Macron thanked the security forces for their “courage and exceptional professionalism”.
Robert Mueller’s memo is mainly to guide sentencing for crimes President Trump’s ex-lawyer has admitted.
A second memo sets out the case against Donald Trump’s ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort for breaching a plea bargain deal.
Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort are among a number of President Trump aides being investigated in Special Counsel RobertMueller’s investigation.
Both have been co-operating with his team but Robert Mueller now accuses Paul Manafort of lying.
In a separate court filing onDecember 7, prosecutors in New York made their case for the length of Michael Cohen’s sentence when it is delivered on December 5.
They say Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer should serve a “substantial” jail term after admitting violating campaign finance laws, committing tax evasion and lying to Congress.
President Trump has repeatedly denied there was any collusion with Russian officials, calling the investigation a “witch hunt”.
The White House said the memos offered nothing new or damaging about the president.
President Trump tweeted: “Totally clears the President. Thank you!”
Michael Cohen had admitted making false statements about a Trump property deal, out of loyalty to the president.
The memo says that although this crime was serious, any sentencing should be served concurrently with the NewYork prosecutors’ recommendations on other crimes.
The memo says Michael Cohen has taken
“significant steps to mitigate his criminal conduct”.
The memo’s key elements are about the Russian links.
World figures and all surviving US presidents have paid their respects to former President George H.W. Bush, during a state funeral in Washington.
Former President George W. Bush described his father as “a noble man, the best father”.
George Bush Sr., who served as the 41st US president between 1989 and 1993, died on November 30 at the age of 94.
He will be buried in his home state of Texas, alongside his wife Barbara.
In his eulogy, George Bush Jr. said his father had taught him that “public service is noble and necessary”.
The invitation-only funeral at the National Cathedral was attended by President Donald Trump and his predecessors Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
The Prince of Wales, former UK’s PM John Major, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Jordan’s King Abdullah II were among the world figures there to pay their respects.
December 5 has been declared a national day of mourning – many government offices and US stock exchanges are closed.
Following the funeral service, George H.W. Bush’s flag-draped casket was carried from the cathedral by a military honor guard and was later flown to Texas, arriving in Houston at 23:00 GMT.
The casket will lie in public repose at St Martin’s Episcopal Church until December 6.
There will be a second service before the Bush 4141 – a train which was named in honor of the president – takes his body to its final resting place, next to his wife Barbara at the George HW Bush presidential library.
Jim McGrath, who was George H.W. Bush’s spokesman, said the president had once wondered if anyone would attend his funeral.
George H.W. Bush was a decorated fighter pilot in World War Two, a head of the CIA and vice-president to Ronald Reagan before being elected president in 1988.
His time in office was dominated by foreign policy – and he was praised for how he navigated the end of the Cold War, and handled the first Gulf War.
However, he was accused of neglecting domestic affairs and, after reneging on a campaign promise not to increase taxes, lost to Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.
George H.W. Bush has been described as a bipartisan figure who tried to make conservatism “kinder and gentler”.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have paid their respects to former President George H.W. Bush as he lies in state at the United States Capitol.
President Trump made a brief visit to the rotunda, where the public can visit the coffin until the funeral on December 5.
Donald Trump has in the past clashed with the Bush family but will attend the funeral service.
His coffin had earlier left Texas to a 21-gun salute and was carried to Washington on board Air Force One – temporarily renamed Special Air Mission 41 in homage to the late president.
George H.W. Bush, who served as the 41st president between 1989 and 1993, had been receiving treatment for a form of Parkinson’s disease and had been admitted to hospital with a blood infection in April.
The public will be able to pay respects at the rotunda until December 5, when an invitation-only funeral service will take place at the National Cathedral.
President Trump will attend with the first lady but will not deliver a speech.
According to Mark Updegrove’s book The Last Republicans, which came out in 2017, George H.W. Bush voted for Donald Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton in the election and had called him a “blowhard”.
Former President George W. Bush, worried he would be the “last Republican president”, despite Donald Trump running on the party’s ticket, the book said.
A service was held in the rotunda after George H.W. Bush’s coffin arrived on December 4, with members of the military serving as pallbearers. George W. Bush was in attendance and was clearly moved by the events.
In a eulogy, House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “Here lies a great man”, adding that “no-one better harmonized the joy of life and the duty of life”.
Paul Ryan said George H.W. Bush was a “great leader and a good man, a gentle soul of firm resolve”.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said: “Through the Cold War and the Soviet Union’s collapse, he kept us on course. When the rule of law needed defending in the Persian Gulf, he kept us on course.”
Vice-President Mike Pence said there was a “kindness about the man that was evident to everyone who met him”.
George H.W. Bush was a decorated fighter pilot in World War II, a head of the CIA and vice-president to Ronald Reagan before being elected president in 1988.
Also making the final journey with President George H.W. Bush was his loyal labrador service dog, Sully.
Former President George H.W. Bush has died at the age of 94.
The sad announcement has been made by his son, former President George W. Bush.
George Bush Sr. served as the 41st US president between 1989 and 1993, his term defined by the end of the Cold War and the first Iraq war against Saddam Hussein.
While his health had been failing in recent years, the former president still managed to make public appearances.
George Bush Sr. died at 22:10 local time on November 30, a family spokesperson said.
In April, he was admitted to hospital with a blood infection but had since been discharged. George Bush Sr. was also being treated for a form of Parkinson’s disease.
The former Republican president died seven months after his wife, Barbara.
His son George Bush Jr., who went on to serve as the 43rd US president, said in a statement: “Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died.
“[He] was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.”
The US flag has been lowered to half mast at the White House.
George Bush Sr.’s single presidential term in office was dominated by foreign policy – the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
He was instrumental in building the international military coalition that forced Iraq’s Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.
He became president after serving two terms as vice-president to Ronald Reagan, but he suffered the ignominy of becoming a single-term president – defeated by Bill Clinton in the 1992 election amid a weakening economy.
George H.W. Bush’s famous 1988 campaign promise – “Read my lips. No new taxes” – came back to haunt him when he felt compelled to reverse policy.
He entered politics in 1964 after starting a Texan oil business and becoming a millionaire by the age of 40.
During World War Two, George H.W. Bush was an aviator before being shot down by the Japanese in September 1944 while on a bombing raid.
Following his honorable discharge from the navy in 1945, George H.W. Bush married then 18-year-old Barbara Pierce. Their marriage would last 73 years and they would have six children together.
Michael Cohen has admitted he lied about a Trump property deal in Russia during the 2016 election.
President Donald Trump’s former lawyer pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. Michael Cohen said he did so out of loyalty to Donald Trump.
The president said his former right-hand man was “lying” to prosecutors in the hope of receiving a reduced sentence.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russia’s role in the 2016 election and whether Donald Trump colluded with it.
In August, Michael Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty to violating finance laws during the 2016 election by handling hush money for Donald Trump’s alleged lovers.
Appearing unexpectedly before a federal judge in Manhattan on November 30, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to Congress.
The president’s former lawyer said at the hearing that he had submitted a false written statement about a Trump Organization plan to build a skyscraper in the Russian capital.
He said in court: “I made these misstatements to be consistent with individual 1’s political messaging and out of loyalty to individual 1.”
Michael Cohen has previously identified “individual 1” as Donald Trump.
He was interviewed in October 2017 behind closed doors by lawmakers conducting their own investigation into whether Donald Trump’s campaign worked with Russia to sway the US election two years ago.
According to the criminal complaint, Michael Cohen told the Senate and House intelligence committees that talks over the Moscow project had lasted from September 2015 until January 2016, while Donald Trump was running for the White House.
However, the document says that “as Cohen well knew”, negotiations over the Moscow project continued until June 2016.
Michael Cohen also told lawmakers he had had limited contact with Donald Trump about the project, when in fact it had been “more extensive”.
Prosecutors said Michael Cohen had tried to give a false impression that the Moscow project ended before the Republican presidential campaign properly began in 2016.
In a press scrum outside court, Michael Cohen said nothing to reporters.
His lawyer said: “Mr. Cohen has co-operated. Mr. Cohen will continue to co-operate.”
As he left the White House for a G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Mr
President Trump told reporters of Michael Cohen as he left the White House for a G20 summit in Buenos Aires: “He’s a weak person and not a very smart person.
“He’s got himself a big prison sentence. And he’s trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up this story.”
The president told reporters of the Moscow real estate project, which never came to fruition: “When I’m running for president, that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to do business.”
He added: “He’s lying about a project that everybody knew about. I mean, we were very open with it.”
Salome Zurabishvili has become Georgia’s first woman president after winning 59% of the vote.
The 66-year-old French-born ex-diplomat was backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, while her rival, Grigol Vashadze was a united opposition candidate.
A new constitution is due to come into force, making the role of president largely ceremonial.
Salome Zurabishvili was born in Paris after her parents fled Georgia in 1921 following its annexation by Soviet forces.
She took up a career in the French Foreign Service and was posted to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, as ambassador in 2003. She later gave up her post and the then-president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, appointed her foreign minister.
However, the strength of the vote for Salome Zurabishvili raises questions. In just a few weeks she managed to get 20% more votes than in the first round.
The vote is good news for the most powerful man in Georgia, billionaire Georgian Dream party chief Bidzina Ivanishvili.
It is the last direct election of a Georgian president, as the country is switching to a parliamentary system, following constitutional reforms adopted in 2017.
The presidential election is also seen as an indicator of how parliamentary elections in 2020 could go.
Georgia is seeking EU and NATO membership. But both ambitions are obstructed by Russia’s troop presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia – breakaway regions of Georgia.
The opposition complained of voting irregularities and attacks on its campaigners, but this has been denied by the ruling party.
The Brexit deal follows more than 18 months of negotiations between the two sides, which began when the UK triggered Article 50 in the wake of the 2016 referendum.
The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.
The UK Parliament is expected to vote on the deal in early December but its approval is by no means guaranteed, with Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the DUP and many Conservatives lawmakers set to vote against.
UK’s PM Theresa May has appealed to the public to get behind the agreement, arguing it is the best deal she could have struck and honors the result of the Brexit referendum.
Paris riot police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters demonstrating for a second weekend against rising fuel prices.
Violence erupted on Paris’ best-known avenue, the Champs-Elysées, as protesters tried to get through a security cordon around sensitive sites.
About 5,000 “yellow vest” protesters had converged on the Champs-Elysées. At least 13 people were arrested after clashing with police.
Organizers billed the latest protests as “act two” in their rolling campaign.
Named after their distinctive high-visibility attire, the “yellow vest” protesters oppose an increase in fuel duty on diesel. All drivers in France have to carry the jackets in their cars as part of safety equipment for use in a breakdown.
Along with the familiar red reflective triangle which must be placed behind a broken-down vehicle on the side of a road, the high-visibility jacket – or “gilet jaune” – must be worn by the driver outside the car.
Failure to wear the jacket after a breakdown or accident can result in a €135 ($153) fine under a law introduced in 2008.
Synonymous with driving, the yellow vests have now morphed into the uniform of the movement against higher fuel costs.
Demonstrators on the Champs-Elysées came up against metal barriers and a police-enforced perimeter designed to stop them reaching key buildings such as the prime minister’s official residence.
Some demonstrators ripped up paving stones and threw firecrackers at police while shouting slogans calling for President Emmanuel Macron to resign.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner accused the demonstrators of being influenced by the leader of the far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen. However, she accused him, on Twitter, of dishonesty.
Christophe Castaner put the number of people taking part across France at 23,000 by 11AM local time – much less than the first day of Yellow Jacket protests, which drew some 280,000 people a week ago.
The price of diesel, the most commonly used fuel in French cars, has risen by around 23% over the past 12 months to an average of €1.51 ($1.71) per liter, its highest point since the early 2000s.
World oil prices did rise before falling back again but the Macron government raised its hydrocarbon tax this year by 7.6 cents per liter on diesel and 3.9 cents on petrol, as part of a campaign for cleaner cars and fuel.
The decision to impose a further increase of 6.5 cents on diesel and 2.9 cents on petrol on January 1, 2019, was seen as the final straw.
President Emmanuel Macron has blamed world oil prices for three-quarters of the price rise. He also said more tax on fossil fuels was needed to fund renewable energy investments.
Speaking in the town of Paradise, President Trump described the scene as “sad to see” and revisited his disputed claim poor forest management was to blame.
He said: “We do have to do management maintenance and we’ll be working also with environmental groups, I think everyone’s seen the light.”
According to experts, the main causes of the wildfires are the weather, climate change and population shifts.
On top of the Camp Fire, firefighters are also tackling several other blazes, including the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles which has claimed at least three lives.
Meanwhile, scores of people have become sick after outbreaks of the norovirus at shelters and the air quality in northern California has been rated the world’s worst.
Heavy rain is forecast next week that could douse the flames but also bring mudslides and floods on hillsides stripped of vegetation.
Arriving in California, President Trump was greeted by Governor Jerry Brown and his successor Gavin Newsom, both of whom are Democrats and have sparred with the president over the wildfires.
Governor Brown wrote on Twitter: “Now is a time to pull together for the people of California.”
In Paradise, President Trump praised the efforts of local law enforcement, politicians and the teams searching for survivors on the ground.
Some locals held up pro-Trump signs, although one called him a “moron”.
On November 16, the death toll rose to 71 after more bodies were found in Paradise, which has been all but destroyed by the fire.
Military troops are assisting forensics teams and cadaver dogs as they continue to search for human remains eight days on after the Camp Fire first broke out.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea put the number of people unaccounted for at 1,011, a sharp leap from the 631 reported just 24 hours earlier.
However, the sheriff described the list as “dynamic”,
He said: “The information I am providing you is raw data and we find there is the likely possibility that the list contains duplicate names.”
According to authorities, some of those on the list may be fine but unaware they have been reported missing, or unable to call.
The Camp Fire is now about 50% contained but fire officials say they may not have it fully under control until the end of the month.
Historically, California’s “wildfire season” started in summer and ran into early autumn – but experts have warned that the risk is now year-round.
One female protester has died and more than 200 were injured as about 280,000 people took to the streets of France, angry at rising fuel prices.
The “yellow vests”, so-called after the high-visibility jackets they are required to carry in their cars, blocked highways and roundabouts.
They accuse President Emmanuel Macron of abandoning “the little people”.
The protester who died was struck after a driver surrounded by demonstrators panicked and accelerated.
President Macron has not so far commented on the protests, some of which have seen demonstrators call for him to resign.
However, he admitted earlier in the week that he had not “really managed to reconcile the French people with their leaders”.
Nonetheless, President Macron accused his political opponents of hijacking the movement in order to block his reform program.
Some 280,000 people took part in protests across France, the interior ministry said in its latest update.
According to the interior ministry, 227 people were injured during the day, seven seriously, with 52 people arrested.
Most of the protests have been taking place without incident although several of the injuries came when drivers tried to force their way through protesters.
The 63-year-old woman was killed in the south-eastern Savoy region when a driver who was taking her daughter to hospital panicked at being blocked by about 50 demonstrators, who were striking the roof of her vehicle, and drove into them.
The female driver has been taken into police custody in a state of shock.
In Paris protesters approaching the Élysée Palace, President Macron’s official residence, were repelled with tear gas.
The price of diesel, the most commonly used fuel in French cars, has risen by around 23% over the past 12 months to an average of €1.51 ($1.71) per liter, its highest point since the early 2000s, AFP reports.
World oil prices did rise before falling back again but the Macron government raised its hydrocarbon tax this year by 7.6 cents per liter on diesel and 3.9 cents on petrol, as part of a campaign for cleaner cars and fuel.
The decision to impose a further increase of 6.5 cents on diesel and 2.9 cents on petrol on 1 January 2019 was seen as the final straw.
Speaking on November 14, President Macron blamed world oil prices for three-quarters of the price rise. He also said more tax on fossil fuels was needed to fund renewable energy investments.
The Yellow Vests movement has broad support. Nearly three-quarters of respondents to a poll by the Elabe institute backed the Yellow Vests and 70% wanted the government to reverse the fuel tax hikes.
More than half of French people who voted for Emmanuel Macron support the protests, Elabe’s Vincent Thibault told AFP.
They have certainly tried to tap into it. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who was defeated by Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election, has been encouraging it on Twitter.
Marine Le Pen tweeted: “The government shouldn’t be afraid of French people who come to express their revolt and do it in a peaceful fashion.”
On November 14, the French government announced action to help poor families pay their energy and transport bills.
PM Edouard Philippe announced that 5.6 million households would receive energy subsidies. Currently 3.6 million receive them.
A state scrap page bonus on polluting vehicles would also be doubled for France’s poorest families, he said, and fuel tax credits would be brought in for people who depend on their cars for work.
Protesters have mocked President Macron relentlessly as “Micron” or “Macaron” (Macaroon) or simply Manu, the short form of Emmanuel, which he famously scolded a student for using.
Arizona has elected its first female senator, after Democrat Kyrsten Sinema beat Republican Martha McSally in a tight race.
Kyrsten Sinema, 42, is Arizona’s first Democratic senator since 1994.
The win narrows the Republican majority to four seats (51-47), with two more Senate races remaining unresolved.
In Florida, a recount has been ordered by law after unofficial results fell within a 0.5% margin. Mississippi will hold a run-off vote later this month.
With almost all the votes counted, Kyrsten Sinema had a lead of 1.7% of her rival. She now becomes Arizona’s first female senator.
Kyrsten Sinema later addressed her cheering supporters in Phoenix, speaking of the urgent need to heal the bitter political rancor dividing Americans.
She paid tribute to the memory of the late John McCain, who represented Arizona in the Senate, saying he had set a shining example of how to put national interests above party political ones.
Martha McSally, a former combat fighter pilot, conceded defeat.
In a video message posted on Twitter, the 52-year-old said: “I just called Kyrsten Sinema and congratulated her on becoming Arizona’s first female senator after a hard-fought battle.”
Votes are being recounted in the Florida senate race, which pits incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson against the state’s Republican Governor Rick Scott.
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner has ordered that all 67 of the state’s counties complete machine recounts for the Senate by 15:00 local time on November 15.
In Georgia’s gubernatorial election, Democrat Stacey Abrams is refusing to concede in her race against Republican Brian Kemp.
Brian Kemp declared victory on November 7 with a narrow lead but campaign officials for Stacey Abrams have started a legal challenge to ensure all votes are counted.
Stacey Abrams’ supporters have claimed that issues such as ballot machines supplied without power cables and four-hour queues unfairly helped Brian Kemp.
An ongoing tally has whittled Brian Kemp’s lead slightly to under 60,000 votes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on November 11.
However, Stacey Abrams still needs another 22,000 votes to trigger a run-off election next month, and it is unclear how many ballots remain outstanding.
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Mike Espy in a run-off vote after neither managed to reach 50% in the first round, winning 41.5% and 40.6% respectively.
The Mississippi vote will take place on November 27.
According to recent official reports, California fires death toll has risen to 31, with more than 200 people still unaccounted for.
Six more people were confirmed killed in the Camp Fire in the north of California, taking the toll there to 29.
That fire now equals the deadliest on record in California – the 1933 Griffith Park disaster in Los Angeles.
In the south of the state, the Woolsey Fire has claimed two lives as it damaged beach resorts including Malibu.
An estimated 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.
With strengthening winds threatening to spread the flames, California Governor Jerry Brown has urged President Trump to declare a major disaster, a move that would harness more federal emergency funds.
The appeal came a day after President Trump threatened to cut funding for California, blaming the fires on poor forest management.
Emergency teams have been sifting through the remains of more than 6,700 homes and businesses burned down in the town of Paradise.
Paradise and surrounding area bore the brunt of the inferno, which started in nearby forest on November 8.
At a news conference on November 11, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the bodies of five people had been found in their burned-out homes and a sixth was found inside a vehicle. He said that more than 200 people were still unaccounted for.
The fire is the most destructive in the state’s history and the joint deadliest.
According to fire officials, it has burned more than 109,000 acres and is nearly 25% contained.
The blaze started on November 8 near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles north-west of central Los Angeles.
By November 11 the fire had consumed 83,000 acres and destroyed at least 177 buildings, officials said. It is only 10% contained. The smaller Hill Fire, nearby, has scorched 4,530 acres and is 75% contained.
Some looting was reported in the southern fire area over the weekend and police said arrests had been made.
Luxury homes in Malibu and other beach communities are among properties that have fallen victim to the flames.
Gerard Butler shared a picture of a charred house on Twitter, writing: “Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating. Heartbreaking time across California. Inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters. Thank you @LAFD. If you can, support these brave men and women at http://SupportLAFD.org .”
Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, where the HBO series Westworld is filmed, was also destroyed.
On November 10, firefighters used a respite from strong winds to drop fire retardant in a bid to strengthen firebreaks.
However, officials warned against complacency, with winds of up to 70mph expected over the coming days. They said fires could spread quickly and unexpectedly.
Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby said: “Winds are already blowing. They are going to blow for the next three days. Your house can be rebuilt but you can’t bring your life back.”
Meteorologist David Gomberg told the Los Angeles Times that fire tornadoes were possible.
Governor Jerry Brown’s request to President Donald Trump was aimed at bolstering the emergency response to what he called the “catastrophic” nature of the wildfires.
In a letter, the governor said: “We’re putting everything we’ve got into the fight against these fires and this request ensures communities on the front lines get additional federal aid.”
The president’s response to the fires has been criticized as unsympathetic and ill-informed.
On November 11, during his trip to Paris, President Trump tweeted: “With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get Smart!”
The president has previously blamed Californian officials for wildfires and threatened to withhold federal funding.
In a tweet on November 10, President Trump accused California authorities of “gross mismanagement” of forests.
Governor Brown’s spokesman, Evan Westrub, called President Trump’s comments “inane and uninformed”.
Historically, California’s “wildfire season” started in summer and ran into early autumn. However, experts have warned that the risk is becoming year-round.
The current fires are being blamed on a combination of climate change and transient weather conditions.
Low humidity, warm Santa Ana winds, and dry ground after a rain-free month have produced prime fire-spreading conditions.
California’s population stands at 40 million, almost double what it was in the 1970s, and the number living close to at-risk forest areas is rising.
And recent years have produced record-breaking temperatures, earlier springs, and less reliable rainfall.
Citing the role of a warming climate, Governor Jerry Brown declared: “This is not the new normal, this is the new abnormal. The chickens are coming home to roost, this is real here.”
Neil Young made the same link, writing on his website: “I have lost my home before to a California wildfire, now another.
“We are vulnerable because of climate change; the extreme weather events and our extended drought is part of it.”
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