Tag: politics

Former Trump campaign chief’s deputy takes stand in his fraud trial

by Chris Lefkow Agence France-Presse ALEXANDRIA, United States (AFP) — Rick Gates, the prosecution’s star witness in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief Paul Manafort, testified Monday that he conspired with his ex-boss to hide millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts from US tax authorities. In riveting testimony before a packed courtroom, the 46-year-old also admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort during the decade the pair worked together […]

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Iran, US trade warnings as sanctions on Tehran set to take effect

  by Eric Randolph with Thomas Watkins in Washington Agence France-Presse TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — The leaders of Iran and the United States traded accusations Monday as the clock ticked down to Washington’s reimposition of sweeping sanctions on Tehran, which dismissed Donald Trump’s offer of talks on a new nuclear deal. After Trump told Iran to change its “destabilizing” behavior or risk further economic isolation — while leaving the door open to negotiation — Iranian President […]

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Venezuela vows to eradicate plots after Maduro ‘assassination’ bid

    by Alexander Martinez Agence France-Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuelan authorities vowed Monday to “root out” plots against President Nicolas Maduro after what they said was a weekend drone “assassination” bid backed by Colombia. An accusation by Maduro that his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos was behind the incident has worsened already fraught ties between Caracas and Bogota. Santos, who hands over power to elected successor Ivan Duque on Tuesday, has categorically rejected the accusation. […]

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Saudi Arabia, Canada row over jailed activists ramps up

  by Anuj Chopra with Eric Thomas in Montreal Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia and Canada on Monday showed no signs of backing down in an escalating row over human rights, after Riyadh abruptly cut ties over Ottawa’s vigorous calls for the release of activists jailed in the kingdom. The Saudi government expelled Canada’s ambassador, giving him 24 hours to leave the country, and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing […]

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Tumultuous Iran braces for return of US sanctions

  by Eric Randolph with Thomas Watkins in Washington Agence France-Presse TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranians were bracing on Monday for the return of US sanctions against the backdrop of angry protests and a corruption crackdown that are roiling the embattled government of President Hassan Rouhani. The country has seen days of sporadic protests and strikes in multiple towns and cities driven by concerns over water shortages, the economy and wider anger at the political system. […]

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Trump admits son met with Russian to get information on opponent

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)–US President Donald Trump admitted Sunday that his son met with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower in 2016 “to get information on an opponent” but defended it as “totally legal.” It was Trump’s most direct acknowledgement that the motive for the June 2016 meeting was to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival for the presidency. As he has in the past, Trump insisted in a tweet that he did […]

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Trump hits back at LeBron James over racial division comments

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump sniped back at NBA great LeBron James late Friday, days after the basketball player and philanthropist accused him of fueling racial divides in the United States. “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, (CNN presenter) Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do,” the president tweeted of the Los Angeles Lakers player. In an interview on Tuesday […]

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US says Russia still carrying out ‘pervasive’ election meddling

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US government on Thursday accused Russia of carrying out a “pervasive” campaign to influence public opinion and elections, in a warning just months before crucial legislative polls. “We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign from Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States,” said Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence. A slew of top US officials including Coats, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security […]

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Ivanka Trump: Family separations a ‘low point,’ media not the enemy

  by Elodie Cuzin Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Ivanka Trump distanced herself Thursday from some of her father’s most controversial policies and strident rhetoric, saying she is “vehemently against” family separations and that journalists are not the enemy. Speaking publicly for the first time since she shuttered her eponymous fashion brand last week, the first daughter and senior advisor to President Donald Trump took a decidedly different approach than her combative father to […]

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US Senate passes huge defense bill, sends it to Trump

    WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate easily passed a $716.3 billion defense authorization bill Wednesday that ramps up military spending and bolsters America’s posture against Russia, while avoiding policy changes that would have antagonized President Donald Trump. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed 87 to 10 in the Senate a week after clearing the House of Representatives, and now heads to the White House for Trump’s signature. The bill provides […]

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Facebook uncovers political influence campaign ahead of midterms

    by Glenn Chapman, with Michael Mathes in Washington Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Tuesday it shut down 32 fake pages and accounts involved in an apparent “coordinated” effort to stoke hot-button issues ahead of November midterm US elections, but could not identify the source although Russia is suspected of involvement. It said the “bad actor” accounts on the world’s biggest social network and its photo-sharing site Instagram could […]

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Trudeau attends tribute for Toronto shooting victims

TORONTO, Canada (AFP)–Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute Monday to the victims of last week’s Toronto shooting, and attended the funeral of one of them — an 18-year-old girl. Trudeau said he was moved by “the resilience and the strength” of Toronto residents in the wake of the tragedy, after laying a wreath at an improvised memorial to the victims. The premier had earlier attended the funeral of Reese Fallon, 18, who had been […]

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