Trump says he’d support tougher action against drug cartels in Colombia, Mexico
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he supports aggressive action against drug cartels and narcotics production in Mexico and Colombia, his latest sabre-rattling in the region after a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. Trump has intensified his campaign against maritime drug trafficking, authorizing more forceful interdiction operations and giving U.S. forces expanded authority to disable or sink vessels suspected of carrying narcotics. Asked at an event in the Oval Office whether he backed similar ground strikes in Mexico to stem drug trafficking, Trump said:Read more
Trump’s pressure on Venezuela raises spectre of coup or invasion. Either scenario faces major hurdles
The buildup of U.S. military forces near Venezuela and a series of deadly attacks on suspected drug-trafficking boats in waters off its coast has raised the spectre of a coup or invasion against the South American country. The Trump administration has made no secret of the fact that it wants to see Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power. Trump has called Maduro a drug lord and also accused Venezuela of emptying its prisons into the U.S., and exporting drugs into the country. Trump has also said he was considering carryingRead more
‘Evidence of misconduct’ in federal investigation of ex-FBI head James Comey, judge finds
A U.S. judge found on Monday there is evidence of misconduct in how a federal prosecutor closely aligned with President Donald Trump secured criminal charges against James Comey, and ordered that grand jury materials be turned over to the former FBI chief’s defence lawyers. Alexandria, Va.-based U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick found that Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney leading the case, may have made significant legal errors in presenting evidence and instructing grand jurors who were weighing whether to charge Comey — mistakes that could have tainted the case.Read more
Poland says explosive device detonated on train route between Warsaw and Ukraine border
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday that an explosion on a section of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine was an “unprecedented act of sabotage.” A Polish security source told The Associated Press that authorities are investigating whether the blast on Sunday on the line linking Warsaw to southeastern Poland is connected to Russia, Belarus or their proxies. Tusk vowed that Poland will catch the perpetrators, “whoever they are.” While visiting the site Monday, the prime minister said the incident had taken place on a line that isRead more
Trump asks Supreme Court to overturn E Jean Carroll verdict
Getty Images Jean Carroll at a Manhattan federal court President Donald Trump is asking the US Supreme Court to review the $5m (£3.6m) civil case that found he defamed and sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll. He has repeatedly claimed that the judge who oversaw the civil trial, Lewis Kaplan, improperly allowed evidence to be presented that hurt how the jury viewed Trump. A federal appeals court agreed with the jury’s verdict last year and said Kaplan did not make errors that would warrant a new trial. A New YorkRead more
Four potential obstacles in House vote to end US shutdown
Getty Images Texas Democrat Greg Casar has warned against healthcare “betrayal” A day after the US Senate passed a spending bill to end the longest-ever government shutdown, the budget fight now moves to the House of Representatives. The lower chamber of Congress is expected to vote this week on the funding measure. Unlike in the Senate, if House Republicans stay united, they don’t need any Democrats to pass the budget. But the margin for error is razor thin. Here are four potential hold-ups for the budget, before it can clearRead more
US aircraft carrier group arrives in Caribbean
Getty Images Dozens of aircraft on the USS Gerald R Ford add significant combat power to US forces near Latin America A US naval strike force centred around the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford, has arrived in the Caribbean, the US Navy has confirmed. The arrival of the strike group, which was ordered to the region by President Donald Trump last month, comes amid ongoing strikes against alleged drug boats and tensions with Venezuela. The US has so far carried out at least 19 strikes against boatsRead more
Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to 45 in Jamaica, with 15 others still missing
People inspect the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, in Black River, Jamaica, on Wednesday. (Raquel Cunha/Reuters) The number of confirmed deaths from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica rose to 45, with 15 other people missing, authorities said Tuesday. The death toll is expected to rise, with officials still trying to reach two towns that remain cut off since the catastrophic Category 5 storm made landfall in western Jamaica on Oct. 28. Helicopters have been dropping food and other basic supplies in those two communities, said Alvin Gayle, director generalRead more
Hundreds of flights cancelled across U.S. in bid to maintain safety
A traveller checks the flight information board as others walk through the terminal at Baltimore/Washington International Airport on Thursday. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in at the busiest U.S. airports because of the government shutdown. (Stephanie Scarbrough/The Associated Press) U.S. airlines began cancelling hundreds of flights on Thursday as the Federal Aviation Administration sought to reduce traffic at the country’s busiest airports because of the government shutdown. More than 760 flights had been cut from Friday’s airline schedules, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions, by lateRead more
Tepid reaction in Mexico to groping of president shows country has ‘normalized gender violence’: expert
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum says she has filed a criminal complaint against a man who appears to have sexually assaulted her in an incident caught on video. (REUTERS) The tepid and partisan domestic reaction to the apparent sexual assault Tuesday of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reveals how normalized gender violence has become in the country, according to experts. Sheinbaum said Thursday she had sent a letter to Mexico City’s attorney general Wednesday outlining a criminal complaint against the man, identified as Uriel Rivera Martinez, 33. Widely circulated cell phone videoRead more