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.
Malaysian police have arrested a North Korean national over the killing of Kim Jong-un’s half-brother, Kim Jong-nam.
The man has been identified as 46-year-old Ri Jong-chol.
An Indonesian woman, a Malaysian man and a woman with a Vietnamese passport were detained earlier.
Malaysian police believe poison was sprayed into Kim Jong-nam’s face as he waited to board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Macau.
Malaysian Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi formally confirmed on February 16 that the dead man, who was travelling under the name Kim Chol, was Kim Jong-nam.
Police say Ri Jong-chol was detained on February 17 in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. No further details were given.
One of the detained women, an Indonesian national named as Siti Aisyah, is said to have told Malaysian police she had been paid to perform what she thought was a prank.
A Malaysian man thought to be her boyfriend was detained along with her.
The woman carrying a Vietnamese passport has been identified as Doan Thi Huong.
Kim Jong-nam is believed to have been attacked in the airport departure hall on February 13 by two women, using some form of chemical.
A grainy image taken from security camera footage, which has been broadcast in South Korea and Malaysia, shows a woman wearing a white T-shirt with the letters “LOL” written on the front.
It is not clear whether either of the detained women is the woman in the footage, and police say they are still looking for “a few” other suspects.
Police have now finished Kim Jong-nam’s post-mortem examination, though the results have not yet been made public.
North Korea has said it will reject the result of the autopsy.
It has demanded that Malaysia immediately release the body. Malaysia is refusing to do so until it receives a DNA sample from Kim Jong-nam’s next-of-kin.
South Korea’s intelligence agency has accused North Korea of assassinating Kim Jong-nam, saying Pyongyang had wanted to kill him for years but that he was being protected by China.
Despite widespread speculation that North Korea was behind the killing, there has been no proof. Pyongyang has made no public comments on the issue.
Kim Jong-nam was largely estranged from his family, after being passed over for the North Korean leadership in favor of his youngest half-brother. He spent most of his time overseas in Macau, mainland China and Singapore.
Hong Kong ex-leader Donald Tsang has been found guilty of misconduct in office, in a case related to his use of a luxury flat in China.
The former chief executive, who led Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012, had faced three charges of misconduct and bribery.
Donald Tsang, 72, was cleared of a second count of misconduct and the jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of accepting an advantage.
He is the most senior Hong Kong official to face a corruption trial.
The case has worried a territory that prides itself on its relatively clean reputation.
Image source Wikipedia
The charges, which each carried a maximum of seven years in prison, related to events which took place near the end of his term between 2010 and 2012.
Prosecutors accused Donald Tsang of engaging in a number of conflicts of interest without declaring them, including renting a luxury flat in mainland China from the shareholder of a broadcast company, Wave Media, whose license applications he approved.
They alleged the flat was redecorated for free for Donald Tsang and that he later nominated the interior designer for an honor.
The jury, which deliberated for two days, found Donald Tsang guilty of misconduct over his failure to disclose the lease of the flat, but dismissed the charge related to the designer.
It did not reach a verdict on whether the former leader accepted a bribe in the form of the refurbishment. Sentencing will take place on February 20, AFP reported.
Donald Tsang has previously insisted his conscience is clear.
A career civil servant, Donald Tsang rose through the ranks to become Hong Kong’s second chief executive, following Tung Chee-hwa.
Donald Tsang’s deputy, former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui, was jailed for accepting bribes from a property tycoon in 2014.
Princess Cristina of Spain has been cleared in a tax fraud trial.
The 51-year-old is the older sister of King Felipe and sixth in line to Spain’s throne.
Her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, was given a 6-year-and-three-month jail term by the court in Majorca.
Inaki Urdangarin, 49, was accused of using his royal connections to generate business income used for private spending.
The case began in 2010 and became symbolic of perceived corruption among Spain’s elites, including the royals.
There were 16 other defendants in the case, including former government minister Jaume Matas, who was sentenced to three years and eight months.
Inaki Urdangarin’s former business partner, Diego Torres, was given 8 years and six months. Nine defendants in all were acquitted.
Princess Cristina, who now lives in Switzerland, was the first member of Spain’s royal family to go on trial since the monarchy’s restoration in 1975.
In 2015, King Felipe VI stripped her and her husband of their titles as Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.
Although Princess Cristina was absolved, she will still have to pay a fine of €265,000 ($282,000) as she has civil responsibility for benefiting, albeit unknowingly, from illegal gains.
Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin were not in court for the verdict, which is subject to appeal. Both had denied wrongdoing.
The princess had been accused of being an accessory to tax fraud.
Public prosecutors had declined to press charges against Princess Cristina but the three judges agreed to continue with the prosecution using evidence filed by the anti-corruption group Manos Limpias, meaning “Clean Hands”.
Last March, Princess Cristina told the court that her husband was in charge of family finances, saying: “I didn’t get involved in that.”
Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball medalist, had faced a slew of more serious charges.
He was accused of using the non-profit Noos Institute sports foundation he ran as a vehicle to win falsely inflated contracts from regional government bodies, before channeling the money to personal accounts via tax havens.
Noos is alleged to have received more than €6 million ($6.5 million) of public money, most of it from the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments.
One of the companies said to have received money, real estate firm Aizoon, was jointly owned by Princess Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin.
Secretary of state Rex Tillerson is in Germany for a meeting with G20 leaders on his first foreign trip since he took office.
Rex Tillerson is expected to confirm that the US remains committed to NATO, at the gathering of ministers in Bonn.
The secretary of state will also meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a time when US relations with Russia are under the spotlight.
According to officials, Rex Tillerson’s main intention was to listen to his G20 counterparts.
While in Germany, he will participate in a series of sessions on global issues ranging from conflict prevention to developing cooperation with Africa.
However, it is his meeting on February 16 with Sergei Lavrov that will be watched most closely.
Image source Flickr
Rex Tillerson is expected to seek “pragmatic and constructive cooperation in areas where our interests overlap,” a US official told Reuters.
Counterterrorism is one area that the secretary of state is hoping to “develop some possible avenues for cooperation,” the official said.
Sergei Lavrov is likely to use his time with Rex Tillerson to explore the significance of President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for improved relations with Russia.
However, senior state department officials said that Rex Tillerson would not soften Washington’s position on Russia’s interventions in Ukraine, a crisis which remains unresolved.
They added that he would use the talks to urge the Kremlin to abide by its commitments in the Minsk peace agreement.
Rex Tillerson will also meet the UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, with US officials saying he would support a pragmatic Brexit that resulted in a strong Britain, and a strong EU.
The G20 is made up of developed economies and emerging nations including Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil.
The first task for ministers at the gathering in Germany will be to get Rex Tillerson to spell out exactly what Donald Trump’s “America First” means in practice.
Top Republicans have joined calls for a wide investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s links with Russia.
Michael Flynn quit on February 13 over claims he discussed US sanctions with Russia before President Donald Trump took office.
On February 14, a White House spokesman said President Trump knew weeks ago there were problems with the Russia phone calls.
However, calls for an independent investigation have encountered a cold response from some senior Republicans.
The development came as the New York Times reported that phone records and intercepted calls show members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, as well as other Trump associates, “had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election”.
However, officials spoken to by the newspaper said they had not yet seen evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia on the hacking of the DNC or to influence the election.
Image source Wikimedia
As well as an FBI investigation, both the Senate and House intelligence committees are already examining Russian involvement in the election. It is not yet clear whether the latest claims will be included in their scope.
Michael Flynn stood down over allegations he discussed US sanctions with a Russian envoy in December, before Donald Trump took office.
The conversations took place about the time that then-President Barack Obama was imposing retaliatory measures on Russia following reports it attempted to sway the US election in Donald Trump’s favor.
Michael Flynn could have broken a law – known as the Logan Act – by conducting US diplomacy as a private citizen, before he was appointed as national security adviser.
The retired army lieutenant-general initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. VP Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on his behalf.
The White House admitted it had been warned about the contacts on January 26 but President Trump initially concluded Michael Flynn had not broken any law.
White House lawyers then conducted a review and questioned Michael Flynn before reaching the same conclusion as Donald Trump, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, but the trust had gone.
White House Counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on February 14: “In the end, it was misleading the vice-president that made the situation unsustainable.”
Michael Flynn was also reportedly questioned by FBI agents in his first days as national security adviser.
In an interview conducted with The Daily Caller on February 13, but published only on February 14, Michael Flynn said he “crossed no lines” in his conversation with the ambassador.
The former national security adviser said he discussed the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over alleged hacking ahead of the election, but “it wasn’t about sanctions”.
Michael Flynn said he was concerned that the apparently classified information had been leaked. He said: “In some of these cases, you’re talking about stuff that’s taken off of a classified system and given to a reporter.
“That’s a crime.”
However, in his resignation letter, Michael Flynn said “the fast pace of events” during the presidential transition meant that he had “inadvertently briefed the vice-president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador”.
In his first public comments about the controversy, President Trump tweeted on February 14: “The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N Korea etc?”
US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told reporters on February 14 he wanted to examine the leaks, and said the FBI should explain why Michale Flynn’s conversation had been recorded.
The Gambia intends to rejoin the Commonwealth, UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who is in the West African country, has confirmed.
Boris Johnson’s visit, the first to The Gambia by a British foreign secretary, comes weeks after long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh went into exile after losing elections.
Yahya Jammeh took The Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it a neo-colonial institution.
Newly-elected President Adama Barrow had promised a return to the 52-nation grouping.
Before leaving for Banjul, Boris Johnson said: “We will ensure this happens in the coming months.
“The strength of our partnerships show that Global Britain is growing in influence and activity around the world.”
The Commonwealth secretariat said it welcomed the news, saying the formal process of rejoining would have to be agreed by the 52 heads of government.
A spokesman said: “When The Gambia left the Commonwealth in 2013, the heads of government… noted its decision with regret. We looked forward to the country’s eventual return because it was part of our very close knit family and our doors have always remained open.”
Last week, the EU promised The Gambia an aid package of nearly $81 million – almost three years after freezing its assistance to the West African nation.
Adama Barrow, who was sworn in last month, has also said The Gambia will reverse its move to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement on February 13, the government said it had written to UN chief Antonio Guterres to inform him of its decision “to discontinue the withdrawal notice”.
In 2016, a former Gambian information minister had referred to the court as “an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of color, especially Africans”.
The move is a blow to Africa’s anti-ICC lobby – which includes South Africa, Namibia and Burundi.
At the annual African Union summit held this month, leaders called for a mass walk-out from the ICC, but faced opposition from other countries, including Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia.
The Foreign Office said as well as holding talks with Adama Barrow, Boris Johnson would visit the UK-funded Medical Research Council and speak to Chevening scholars and workers and employers in the tourism industry.
The Gambia is a popular holiday destination for Britons. Thousands had to be evacuated last month because of security concerns when Yahya Jammeh was refusing to hand over power after losing December’s elections.
Adama Barrow, whose swearing-in was held in neighboring Senegal, is to be inaugurated as president in a ceremony at the national stadium on February 18.
Several heads of state are expected to attend. Local dignitaries may include former VP Alhagie Saihou Sabally, who local media said had returned to the Gambia on February 13 after 22 years in exile.
Yahya Jammeh, who took power in coup in 1994, is now in exile in Equatorial Guinea after West African leaders deployed troops to The Gambia to ensure he left power.
Boris Johnson will go on to Ghana for talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo on February 15.
Kim Jong-un’s half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, has been killed in Malaysia, South Korean and Malaysian sources say.
The 45-year-old is said to have been targeted at the airport in Kuala Lumpur.
According to local media, his body was now undergoing an autopsy.
Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Malaysian police have confirmed to Reuters that a North Korean man who died in transit to hospital from the airport on February 13 was Kim Jong-nam.
According to a report from TV Chosun, a cable TV network in South Korea, Kim Jong-nam was poisoned at the airport by two women, believed to be North Korean operatives.
In 2001, Kim Jong-nam was caught trying to enter Japan using a false passport. He told officials that he was planning to visit Tokyo Disneyland.
Once seen as a likely successor to Kim Jong-il, he was thought to have fallen out of favor with his father over the incident.
Bypassed in favor of his youngest half-brother for succession when their father died in 2011, Kim Jong-nam kept a low profile, spending most of his time overseas in Macau, Singapore and China.
Kim Jong-nam was quoted by Japanese media in 2011 as saying he opposed “dynastic succession”.
In a 2012 book, he was also quoted as saying he believed his younger half-brother lacked leadership qualities, the succession would not work and that North Korea was unstable and needed Chinese-style economic reform.
Kim Jong-nam was reportedly targeted for assassination in the past. A North Korean spy jailed by South Korea in 2012 was reported to have admitted trying to organize a hit-and-run accident targeting Kim Jong-nam.
Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has resigned over his contacts with Russia, the White House has announced.
He is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Donald Trump took office.
Michael Flynn is said to have misled officials about the conversation.
Earlier, media reported that the DoJ had warned the White House about the contacts late last month.
They said that Michael Flynn might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
Image source Wikimedia
It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy, and the calls happened late last year before Michael Flynn was appointed to the administration.
A number of senior Democrats had called for Michael Flynn to be fired.
The national security adviser is appointed by the president to serve as his or her chief adviser on international affairs and defense.
In his resignation letter, Michael Flynn said he had “inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador”.
A White House statement said Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg had been appointed as interim replacement for the post.
Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, and VP Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on his behalf.
However, he came under further pressure on February 13 when details of his phone call emerged in US media, as well as reports the justice department had warned the White House about him misleading senior officials and being vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
According to the Washington Post, the message was delivered by then-acting attorney general Sally Yates, who was subsequently dismissed by President Trump for opposing his controversial travel ban.
Michael Flynn, who was previously fired by Barack Obama as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was an ardent supporter of Donald Trump during the campaign.
He became a close ally of both the president and his chief strategist, Steve Bannon.
Michael Flynn encouraged tougher policies on Iran and a softer policy on Russia, but questions were raised about his perceived closeness to Moscow.
Samsung VP Lee Jae-yong has been questioned for a second time as a suspect in South Korea’s biggest political corruption scandal.
Prosecutors are expected to decide based on the hearing whether they will seek an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong.
Samsung is accused of giving donations to non-profit foundations run by a confidante of President Park Geun-hye in exchange for political favors.
Lee Jae-yong told reports before the hearing: “I will once again tell the truth.”
He had already been questioned with several other company executives in January but a subsequent court ruling decided there were insufficient grounds for an arrest.
Image source Wikimedia
Yet during the past weeks investigators reviewed the case and decided there were new aspects that required further questioning.
The claims against Samsung revolve around a merger between the electronics giant’s construction arm, Samsung C&T, and an affiliate company, Cheil Industries.
The prosecution alleges that Samsung gave 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) to a company co-owned by President Park Geun-hye’s confidante Choi Soon-sil and her daughter, in return for political support for the deal.
The scandal led to President Park Geun-hye being impeached in December 2016.
Lee Jae-yong, also known as Jay Y. Lee, first gave evidence in front of a parliamentary hearing in December 2016. Since January he has been treated as an official suspect in the case.
At the parliamentary hearing, Samsung admitted giving a total of 20.4 billion won ($17.46 million) to the two foundations, but denied seeking favors in return.
Lee Jae-yong also confirmed Samsung gave a horse and money to help the equestrian career of Choi Soon-sil’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, something he said he now regretted.
Choi Soon-sil is on trial for charges including corruption and coercion.
Swiss voters are going to the polls to decide whether Switzerland’s strict rules on citizenship should be relaxed.
Being born in Switzerland does not guarantee citizenship and non-Swiss residents must typically wait 12 years before applying.
Tests and government interviews are also required, which can be expensive.
The new proposal will allow third-generation immigrants to avoid some of that bureaucracy.
The referendum results will directly affect those born in Switzerland, whose parents and grandparents also lived in the country permanently.
Image source YouTube
Supporters of the plan to simplify the process argue that it is ridiculous to ask people who were born and have lived all their lives in Switzerland to prove that they are integrated.
However, opponents suggest that the measures could lead to further steps that will eventually allow all non-Swiss residents – 25% of the population – to gain easy citizenship.
An opposition poster, which features a woman in a burka, suggests that the new proposal could lead to a so-called “Islamization” of Switzerland.
The current vetting procedure, aimed at ensuring that new citizens are well integrated, includes interviews carried out by town councils. Questions put to interviewees can include requests to name local cheeses or mountains.
Those in favor of maintaining the current system also argue that the strict vetting rules make it superior to the more anonymous systems in neighboring France and Germany.
Over the past 30 years, three previous attempts to relax the rules have been defeated. This time, opinion polls suggest the vote on February 12 will be close. Big cities back the idea, while more conservative rural areas oppose it.
President Donald Trump is considering a new executive order to ban citizens of certain countries from traveling to the US after his initial attempt was overturned in the courts.
He told reporters on Air Force One that a “brand new order” could be issued as early as February 13 or 14.
The president made the announcement after an appeals court in San Francisco upheld a court ruling to suspend his original order.
The executive order barred entry from citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries.
It is unclear what a new US immigration order might look like.
Donald Trump said that it would change “very little”, but he did not provide details of any new ban under consideration.
Image source Getty Images
Despite his suggestion on February 10, President Trump’s administration may still pursue its case in the courts over the original order, which was halted a week ago by a Seattle judge.
“We’ll win that battle,” he told reporters.
Donald Trump added: “The unfortunate part is it takes time. We’ll win that battle. But we also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order.”
An unnamed judge from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which on February 9 upheld the stay on the original order, has called on all 25 judges of that court to vote on whether to hear the appeal again.
Technically known as an en banc review, a second hearing of the case would involve an 11-judge panel, rather than the three who initially heard the appeal.
Donald Trump’s travel ban, which was hastily unveiled at the end of his first week in office, caused chaos at US airports and sparked protests across the country.
On February 9, the appeals court said the administration failed to offer “any evidence” to justify the ban, which the president said was necessary to keep the US safe from terror attacks.
However, Donald Trump insisted that the executive order was crucial for national security and promised to take action “very rapidly” to introduce “additional security” steps in the wake of the court’s decision.
The president spoke as Virginia state lawyers argued in court that his policy “resulted from animus toward Muslims”.
Their challenge focuses on the travel restrictions imposed by the ban, rather than the four-month suspension of refugee admissions.
Lawyers for the US government in Virginia wrote that “judicial second-guessing” amounted to “an impermissible intrusion” on Donald Trump’s constitutional authority.
The appeals court ruling means that visa holders from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen can continue to enter the US, and refugees from around the world, who were also subject to a temporary ban, are no longer blocked either.
However, the ruling does not affect one part of Donald Trump’s controversial executive order: a cap of 50,000 refugees to be admitted in the current fiscal year, down from the ceiling of 110,000 established under President Barack Obama.
Indian PM Narendra Modi faces his biggest electoral test since gaining power as the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, goes to the polls for a new state assembly.
Narendra Modi took Uttar Pradesh, which is home to over 200 million people, when he won the 2014 national election.
Uttar Pradesh election is being seen as a referendum on Narendra Modi’s decision to ban high value banknotes in India.
The move led to a cash shortage, hurting individuals and businesses.
Image source Reuters
The performance of Narendra Modi’s governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh was important because it will be seen as an indicator for India’s national politics.
The move to scrap 500 ($7.60) and 1,000 rupee notes in November 2016 was intended to crack down on corruption and so-called black money or illegal cash holdings.
However, his government has admitted that the withdrawal of high value banknotes, which was met with shock in India, has had an “adverse impact” on the economy.
Narendra Modi has defended the decision, which he said was made in the interests of the poor.
The prime minister has personally led the campaigning for his party with the aim of encouraging a strong showing at the polls, which would strengthen his chances of a second term in 2019.
Uttar Pradesh voted overwhelmingly for Narendra Modi’s BJP in 2014.
The White House has announced that President Donald Trump agreed to honor America’s “One China” policy in a phone call with President Xi Jinping.
The “One China” policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement that there is only one Chinese government.
Donald Trump had placed the long-standing policy in doubt when he had a phone call with Taiwan’s president.
Previous presidents have followed China’s lead in not recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation.
Under the “One China” policy, the US recognizes and has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland one day.
The White House said the two presidents discussed a wide range of issues during a lengthy call on February 9.
A statement described the call as “extremely cordial” and said the two leaders had invited each other to visit.
The call followed a letter sent by Donald Trump to Xi Jinping on February 9 – the president’s first direct approach to the Chinese leader.
Donald Trump baited China throughout his campaign, accusing it of unfair trade practices and threatening to challenge its military build up in the South China Sea.
Beijing responded cautiously, expressing “serious concern” about Donald Trump’s position on the One China policy and urging the US to maintain close ties with China.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a bid to reinstate President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration ban.
The court said it would not block a lower-court ruling that brought President Trump’s executive order to a halt.
Donald Trump made the order temporarily banning people from seven mainly Muslim countries, because of terror threats he said put national security at risk.
Image source Flickr
However, the executive order sparked protests and confusion as people were stopped at US borders.
Lawyers representing the DoJ had argued that the ban was a “lawful exercise” of presidential authority.
However, two US states said the ban was unconstitutional and discriminated against Muslims.
The case is now likely to end up at the highest court, the Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump’s nomination for attorney general, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, has been confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 52 to 47.
Jeff Sessions’ confirmation follows a series of divisive hearings during which Democrats attacked his record on civil rights.
Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced after recalling historic allegations of racism against Jeff Sessions.
Jeff Sessions’ nomination was among Donald Trump’s most controversial.
Voting largely followed party lines, with just one Democratic senator – Joe Manchin of West Virginia – voting for Jeff Sessions.
Image source Flickr
Jeff Sessions’ Republican colleagues in the chamber applauded him as their majority carried him over the line. He will now take charge of the justice department and its 113,000 employees, including 93 US attorneys.
Addressing the chamber after the vote, Jeff Sessions said: “There is no greater honor than to represent the people of Alabama in the greatest deliberative body in the world.
“I appreciate the full debate we’ve had and thank those afterwards who found sufficient confidence to cast their vote to confirm me as the next attorney general.
“I fully understand the august responsibility of this office.”
However, Jeff Sessions added that “denigrating people who don’t agree with us is not good for our politics”.
During debates ahead of the vote, Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic senators recalled criticism of Jeff Sessions by Martin Luther King’s widow, who opposed his nomination as a federal judge in 1986, alleging he had intimidated black voters.
That nomination was rejected by a US Senate panel amid concerns over allegedly racist comments made by Jeff Sessions, and remarks which appeared to be sympathetic to white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.
David Duke, the former leader of the KKK, welcomed the confirmation, writing on Twitter: “Mr. Trump’s appointment of Bannon, Flynn and Sessions are the first steps in the project of taking America back.”
Elizabeth Warren, who was temporarily banned from the chamber, wrote: “If Jeff Sessions makes even the tiniest attempt to bring his racism, sexism & bigotry into the Justice Department, he’ll hear from all of us.”
UK’s parliament has overwhelmingly agreed to let the government begin the country’s exit from the EU as it voted for the Brexit bill.
The bill was approved by 494 votes to 122, and now moves to the House of Lords.
Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis was one of 52 Labour lawmakers to defy party orders to back the bill and he resigned from the front bench.
PM Theresa May wants to trigger formal Brexit talks by the end of March.
The prime minister will do this by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, but requires Parliament’s permission before doing so.
Photo Getty Image
Clive Lewis, who earlier said he was undecided on whether to support the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, announced his resignation as parliament began voting for the final time.
He said he “cannot, in all good conscience, vote for something I believe will ultimately harm the city I have the honor to represent, love and call home”.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn said he understood the difficulties the vote presented some of his members of parliament but said they had been ordered to back the Article 50 because the party would not “block Brexit”.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, who missed last week’s initial vote on the bill, backed it this time.
The Labour rebellion was five lawmakers up on last week’s vote, while former Chancellor Ken Clarke was again the only Conservative to vote against the two-clause bill.
During the voting, SNP lawmakers were reprimanded by deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle after they started singing Ode to Joy, the EU anthem.
Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of embezzlement, Russian media report.
A judge was still reading the verdict in the city of Kirov, but news agencies said it was clear in his remarks that the Russian leading opposition leader had been convicted.
Even a suspended sentence would bar the outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin from running for president in 2018.
Alexei Navalny, 40, has denied the accusations, saying the case is politically motivated.
A sentence in the retrial may take hours to be read out. Prosecutors had asked the judge to hand Alexei Navalny a five year suspended sentence.
The European Court of Human Rights ordered a retrial after it said he was not given a fair hearing in the first trial, in 2013.
Alexei Navalny is known for his anti-corruption campaign, which targeted senior officials close to the Kremlin. He says the case is an effort to keep him out of politics.
He has recently stepped up his political activity after announcing plans last year to run for the presidency in 2018. President Putin is allowed by the constitution to run for a second consecutive six-year term, but he has not said yet if he plans to run.
Alexei Navalny’s rise as a force in Russian politics began in 2008 when he started blogging about alleged malpractice and corruption at some of Russia’s big state-controlled corporations.
He described Vladimir Putin’s United Russia as “the party of crooks and thieves”, a phrase that stuck among many in Russia.
Alexei Navalny stood for Moscow mayor in 2013 and got more than a quarter of the vote, a surprise for many.
In the first trial, in 2013, Alexei Navalny was found guilty of heading a group that embezzled timber worth 16 million roubles ($500,000) from the Kirovles state timber company while working as an adviser to Kirov’s governor, Nikita Belykh.
Alexei Navalny had described the rerun of the trial as an “exact copy” of the original proceedings, and said he was sure he would be found guilty once again.
Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Senate Republicans on February 7 after reading a letter written by the widow of Martin Luther King Jr.
The 30-year-old letter criticized Jeff Sessions, President Donald Trump’s nomination for attorney general.
Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell said Elizabeth Warren had broken senate rules by impugning the conduct of another senator.
Elizabeth Warren subsequently read Coretta Scott King’s letter live on Facebook.
The incident occurred during a debate in the senate on the nomination of Jeff Sessions. Mitch McConnell’s objection to Elizabeth Warren’s speech was put to a vote and senators voted 49-43 in his favor.
Image source Wikimedia
Elizabeth Warren described what happened in a comment alongside her Facebook video: “During the debate on whether to make Jeff Sessions the next Attorney General, I tried to read a letter from Coretta Scott King on the floor of the Senate.
“The letter, from 30 years ago, urged the Senate to reject the nomination of Jeff Sessions to a federal judgeship. The Republicans took away my right to read this letter on the floor – so I’m right outside, reading it now.”
Coretta Scott King’s letter alleged that Jeff Sessions was unsuitable for that role because he had “used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters”. Jeff Sessions’ nomination process has been dogged by allegations that he attempted to suppress black votes when he was an attorney in Alabama.
The objection by Mitch McConnell raised the ire of Democrats and members of the public, many of whom shared the letter on social media using the hashtag #LetLizSpeak.
Bernice King, the daughter of Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, wrote on Twitter: “Thank you @SenWarren for being the soul of the Senate during the #Sessions hearing. #LetCorettaSpeak #LetLizSpeak”
The DNC said in a statement it was a “sad day in America when the words of Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow are not allowed on the floor of the United States Senate”.
Elizabeth Warren is now barred from speaking on the floor for the remainder of the debate, Mitch McConnell’s office said. The debate is expected to conclude on February 8.
President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has been confirmed by the Senate by slenderest possible margin.
Vice-President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to secure her cabinet role, splitting the chamber 50-50.
It was the first time ever that a vice-president has interceded in such a way for a cabinet secretary.
Betsy DeVos, a billionaire who has no experience with public schools, faced a rocky confirmation hearing last month.
Immediately after voting ended, she tweeted: “I appreciate the Senate’s diligence & am honored to serve as @usedgov Secretary.
“Let’s improve options & outcomes for all US students.”
Image source EPA
On February 7, Senate Democrats staged a 24-hour debate to hold up her confirmation.
They hoped their all-night speaking marathon would pressure more Republican senators to oppose the nomination, but their efforts were in vain.
Mike Pence was also the first vice-president to cast a deciding vote in the Senate since 2008, when Dick Cheney voted on a tax adjustment plan.
No Democrats voted in favor of Betsy DeVos. Two Republican senators stood by their plan to oppose her confirmation, leaving the Senate in a deadlock.
Critics say Betsy DeVos is unqualified to run the Department of Education.
The 59-year-old faced intense scrutiny before a Senate committee in January, when she made headlines for noting that a Wyoming school might need a gun to defend against grizzly bears.
Labor unions, rights groups and teaching organizations have also spoken out against her nomination.
Groups including the American Federation of Teachers and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights held protests against Betsy DeVos outside of Congress on February 6.
She is a wealthy Republican Party donor and a former Michigan Republican Party chairwoman who has long campaigned for education reform in the state.
Betsy DeVos is a champion of charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate outside state school systems.
Her husband Dick DeVos was a chief executive of the beauty and nutrition giant Amway and her brother is Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private security company Blackwater.
Betsy DeVos is among several of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks whom Democrats have been trying to block from being approved.
Democrats said in January they would target eight of Donald Trump’s nominees based on their lack of qualifications and policy positions.
According to the Washington Post, before Betsy DeVos’ approval, just six of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks had been confirmed, compared with former President Barack Obama’s 12 cabinet secretaries at this point in 2009 and 16 of George W. Bush’s in 2001.
The slowed process is also partly due to the fact that some of Donald Trump’s picks have not completed a lengthy vetting process typically required of Cabinet candidates, which helps identify potential conflicts of interest.
Hundreds of staff positions also remain vacant as the fate of 15 of Trump administration’s nominees hangs in the balance.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been ordered to stand trial in an illegal campaign finance case.
Nicolas Sarkozy faces accusations that his party falsified accounts in order to hide 18 million euros ($20 million) of campaign spending in 2012.
The former president has repeatedly denied that he was aware of the overspending.
Nicolas Sarkozy lost the 2012 race to Francois Hollande, and failed in his bid to run again in this year’s upcoming presidential election.
The case is known as the Bygmalion scandal.
It centers on claims that Nicolas Sarkozy’s party, then known as the UMP, connived with a friendly PR company to hide the true cost of his 2012 presidential election campaign.
Photo Reuters
France sets limits on campaign spending, and it is alleged the firm Bygmalion invoiced Nicolas Sarkozy’s party rather than the campaign, allowing the UMP to exceed the limit.
Employees at Bygmalion have admitted knowledge of the ruse and several UMP members already face charges.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s court case is expected to focus on whether the ex-leader was aware of the alleged fraud.
Thirteen other people are also expected to be tried.
However, judicial sources say an appeal could be launched against the trial order, because it was only made by one of the two judges handling the case.
The development comes as other French politicians have faced questions over their financial dealings.
Francois Fillon, who beat Nicolas Sarkozy to become the center-right’s candidate for the presidential race, is accused of misusing public funds to employ his wife and two children.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament is demanding France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen return funds it says she has misspent, by paying an aide at the National Front party’s headquarters in Paris.
Nicolas Sarkozy is the second French president to be put on trial since 1958, when the current French republic was established.
Former President Jacques Chirac was given a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2011 for diverting public funds and abusing public trust.
The DoJ has defended President Donald Trump’s immigration ban and urged an appeals court to reinstate it in the interests of national security.
In a 15-page brief it argued it was a “lawful exercise of the president’s authority” and not a ban on Muslims.
President Trump’s executive order temporarily banned entry for all refugees and visitors from seven mainly Muslim countries.
A hearing has been set for today on whether to allow or reject the ban.
The filing was made to the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in response to the halting of Donald Trump’s order on February 3 by a federal judge in Washington state.
Image source Flickr
The judge had ruled the ban was unconstitutional and harmful to the state’s interests.
As a result, people from the seven countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – with valid visas were able to travel to the US again.
The brief filed on February 6 said the Washington court had “erred in entering an injunction barring enforcement of the order”.
“But even if some relief were appropriate, the court’s sweeping nationwide injunction is vastly overbroad,” the DoJ added.
President Trump’s executive order issued on January 25 fulfilled his campaign promise to tighten restrictions on arrivals to the US.
It caused confusion at US and foreign airports when it came into force, and was widely condemned, although polls suggest that US public opinion is sharply divided on the policy.
The states of Washington and Minnesota have argued that as well as being unconstitutional, the travel ban is harmful to their residents, businesses and universities.
Attorneys general in 16 states have signed a letter condemning the ban, and lawsuits have been launched in 14 states.
Former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright and former CIA director Leon Panetta have joined others in drafting a letter which describes the travel ban as ineffective, dangerous and counterproductive.
Lawyers for tech giants including Apple and Google have also lodged arguments with the court, saying that the travel ban would harm their companies by making it more difficult to recruit employees.
Thousands of supporters filled the streets outside a court in Barcelona on February 6 as the former Catalan president, Artur Mas, went on trial.
Artur Mas is accused of serious civil disobedience over Catalonia’s unofficial vote in November 2014 seeking independence from Spain.
The vote went ahead in defiance of an order from Spain’s constitutional court.
Prosecutors are calling for him to be disqualified from office for 10 years.
Artur Mas, his deputy Joana Ortega, and Catalan former education minister Irene Rigau face accusations ranging from disobedience and perverting the course of justice to misuse of public funds.
Large crowds appeared outside the court in Barcelona on February 6 chanting “you are not alone”, “democracy is not a crime” and “independence”.
The case is being used by pro-independence supporters to galvanize their campaign. The current government has promised to hold a new vote in September.
The November 9, 2014 vote, which was not binding, went ahead despite vehement opposition from the national government and it was outlawed by Spain’s constitutional court.
Catalan officials say more than 80% of those who voted backed independence. However, only two million voters out of an estimated 5.4 million who were eligible took part.
On February 5, Artur Mas told a news conference in Barcelona that the Catalan government was “determined to go forward”.
He said: “We did what had to be done in 2014 and we would do it again if the circumstances allow it.”
Current Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said the countdown had begun for an independent Spanish state in Catalonia.
Like other regions in Spain, Catalonia already has the power to run its educational and healthcare systems, as well as limited freedoms in the area of taxation.
Catalonia is one of Spain’s richest and most highly industrialized regions, and also one of the most independent-minded.
With a distinct history stretching back to the early Middle Ages, many Catalans think of themselves as a separate nation from the rest of Spain.
President Donald Trump has attacked Judge James Robart, who blocked his travel ban, saying Americans should blame the courts “if something happens”.
He also said he had instructed border officials to check people entering America “very carefully”.
The federal appeals court on February 4 rejected the Trump administration’s request to reinstate the ban.
The travel ban, affecting people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, was blocked by Seattle’s federal judge on February 3.
This means that President Trump’s directive will remain suspended and visa holders from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be allowed to enter the US until the full case has been heard.
Image source Fox2
The White House and two states challenging the ban have been given a deadline of February 6 to present more arguments.
On February 5, President Trump ramped up his criticism of Judge James Robart, who blocked the ban, and the country’s judiciary.
Donald Trump tweeted: “I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!”
“Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!”
President Trump earlier called Judge James Robart’s ruling “ridiculous”, described him as a “so-called judge”.
The Trump administration’s request to reinstate a travel ban blocked by a federal judge on February 3 has been rejected by the US federal appeals court.
The late night ruling means the travel ban will remain suspended until the full case has been heard.
The court gave the White House and the states challenging it a deadline of February 6 to present more arguments.
Two states argued that the travel ban, affecting people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, was unconstitutional.
In its appeal, the DoJ said Judge James Robart had overreached by “second guessing” the president on a national security matter.
The DoJ also argued that only the president could decide who can enter or stay in the US.
Image source Getty Images
In February 3 case, the DoJ had argued that states did not have the authority to challenge a presidential executive order.
Lawyers for the states of Washington and Minnesota had argued that the ban was unconstitutional because it denied people with valid entry documents the right to travel without due process.
The executive order also violated freedom of religion rights by appearing to target Muslims, they said.
Iraq, one of the countries named in the ban, has praised the revocation of the travel ban as a “move in the right direction”, Reuters reported.
Iran has also responded to Judge James Robart’s ruling by saying it would allow a US wrestling team to compete in a World Cup event it is hosting later this month.
The American wrestlers were initially denied visas after Iran said it would ban US citizens in retaliation for President Trump’s order.
However, Donald Trump has called Judge James Robart’s ruling “ridiculous”, described him as a “so-called judge” and vowed to restore the ban.
Judge James Robart has served on the federal bench since 2004 after nomination by President George W. Bush.
February 3 ruling has also seen visa holders from the affected nations scramble to get flights to the US, fearing they have a slim window to enter.
The State Department has been reversing visa cancellations and US homeland security employees have been told by their department to comply with the ruling.
Customs officials told airlines that they could resume boarding banned travelers. Qatar Airways, Air France, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa and others said they would do so.
The ban caused confusion at US and foreign airports when it came into force.
It envisages a 90-day visa suspension for anyone arriving from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The executive order also suspends the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, and places an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.
The DoJ has filed a court motion against the suspension of President Donald Trump’s travel ban on people from seven mainly Muslim nations.
The move seeks to reverse February 3 ruling by a federal judge in Washington.
Visa holders from the affected nations have been scrambling to get flights to the United States, fearing they have a slim window to enter America.
Donald Trump’s ban last week led to mass protests and confusion at US airports.
Some 60,000 visas have been revoked since President Trump’s executive order was issued.
However, Judge James Robart’s temporary restraining order halted it nationwide with immediate effect.
Judge Robart found that legal challenges launched by two states, Washington and Minnesota, were likely to succeed.
State lawyers had argued that the ban was unconstitutional because it denied people with valid entry documents the right to travel without due process.
Image source Flickr
It also violated freedom of religion rights by appearing to target Muslims, they said.
Donald Trump called Judge James Robart’s ruling “ridiculous”, vowing to restore the ban.
The ban envisages a 90-day visa suspension for anyone arriving from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The executive order also suspends the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, and places an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.
The appeal against the suspension was formally filed by the Department of Justice on February 4.
Donald Trump is named as one of the appellants in his capacity as president, along with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The administration argues that the travel ban is designed to protect the US, and it is seeking an emergency stay that would restore the restrictions.
Meanwhile, President Trump took to Twitter to rage against Judge James Robart, who has served on the federal bench since 2004 after nomination by President George W. Bush.
He tweeted: “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!”
Donald Trump later added in another tweet: “What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?”
He later predicted that the appeal would succeed.
“We’ll win. For the safety of the country, we’ll win,” Donald Trump told reporters.
The state department has said it is reversing visa cancelations and US homeland security employees have been told by their department to comply with the ruling.
Customs officials told airlines that they could resume boarding banned travelers. Qatar Airways, Air France, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa and others said they would do so.
Travelers from the affected countries have been trying to use the window of opportunity by boarding US-bound flights on February 4.
However, there were also reports that a number of travelers were not allowed to fly to America.
In Djibouti, east Africa, immigrants from all seven countries on the list were not allowed to fly, an immigration attorney was quoted as saying by AP.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Prev