Pentagon investigating Democrat senator for video urging troops to defy ‘illegal orders’
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in October. Kelly served in the U.S. navy as a fighter pilot before going on to become an astronaut. (Mariam Zuhaib/The Associated Press) The Pentagon says that it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona for possible breaches of military law after Kelly joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for U.S. troops to refuse unlawful orders. The Pentagon’s statement, which was posted on social media on Monday, cited a federal law that allowsRead more
Anand says Canada taking public safety seriously as it pursues trade deal with India
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada must change its foreign policy focus. (Nick Iwanyshyn/The Canadian Press) Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada continues to take public safety, transnational repression and foreign interference seriously as it negotiates a trade agreement with India — a country Ottawa once iced out over allegations it was involved in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. “It is extremely important to take these types of issues very seriously, and we do,” Anand told CBC’s Power & Politics on Monday. “And that’sRead more
U.S. Justice Department renews bid to have Jeffrey Epstein grand jury files unsealed
A demonstrator in Washington holds a sign demanding the release of the Epstein files in September. The U.S. Justice Department is again seeking to have the grand jury files in the Epstein case unsealed. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) The U.S. Justice Department renewed its request Monday to unseal grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases, arguing they should be made public under a new law requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his longtime confidante. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton cited the EpsteinRead more
Canada joins world leaders saying Trump’s plan to end war in Ukraine needs ‘additional work’
Prime Minister Mark Carney takes part in the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with more than a dozen world leaders meeting in South Africa, issued a joint statement on Saturday saying U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Ukraine “will require additional work.” The leaders met on the edges of the G20 summit in Johannesburg to talk about Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that his country is facing “one of the most difficult momentsRead more
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