A new team established by the global chemical weapons watchdog to attribute blame for the use of banned munitions in Syria will investigate nine alleged attacks during the country’s civil war, including in the town of Douma, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The Organisation for the Prohibition of …
Read More »Agnes Callamard calls for universal jurisdiction in Khashoggi case
The U.N. investigator into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Wednesday called on countries to invoke universal jurisdiction for what she called the international crime and make arrests if responsibility of individuals is proven. Agnes Callamard, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, asked if universal jurisdiction meant potential …
Read More »House intelligence panel to investigate Trump-Saudi ties
Democrats on the U.S. House intelligence panel will investigate U.S. President Donald Trump’s response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as part of a “deep dive” next year into U.S.-Saudi Arabia ties, the committee’s incoming head said in a report published on Friday. The committee will investigate the U.S. …
Read More »Who is to blame for chemical attacks in Syria, verdict pending
The global chemical weapons watchdog will in February begin to assign blame for attacks with banned munitions in Syria’s war, using new powers approved by member states but opposed by Damascus and its key allies Russia and Iran. The agency was handed the new task in response to an upsurge …
Read More »Jim Mattis insists on transparent investigation in Khashoggi murder
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday that he had met Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and called for a transparent investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Washington Post columnist Khashoggi’s murder has escalated into a crisis for the world’s top oil exporter as Saudi Arabia’s allies have reacted …
Read More »Erdogan Says Saudis Planned Khashoggi’s Killing in Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday raised the stakes in his dispute with Saudi Arabia over what he called the ‘‘premeditated murder’’ of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, demanding that Riyadh supply more answers and hand over the Saudi suspects to face justice in Turkey. After saying he would reveal …
Read More »Cohen claims Trump knew in advance of 2016 Trump Tower meeting
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, claims that then-candidate Trump knew in advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, sources with knowledge tell CNN. Cohen is willing to make that assertion to special …
Read More »Who is Maria Butina and how she gained access to elite conservative circles in the US
For nearly five years, the young Russian political science student was an unusual fixture at the most important events of the US conservative movement. Maria Butina, who was indicted this week on charges of being a covert Russian agent, struck up friendships with the influential leaders of the National Rifle …
Read More »Russian woman charged with infiltrating US politics
A 29-year-old Russian woman has been arrested for conspiring to influence US politics by cultivating ties with political groups including the gun rights lobby the National Rifle Association (NRA). Mariia Butina was arrested in Washington on Saturday and appeared in court on Monday, the Justice Department said in a statement. …
Read More »EU investigates Qatar’s long-term LNG contracts
The European Commission is investigating the bloc’s biggest seaborne gas supplier Qatar Petroleum over potentially restrictive 20-year supply agreements inhibiting development of a single gas market, its latest challenge to a major gas supplier. The bloc, having just wrapped up a seven-year market abuse probe into Russian giant Gazprom, said …
Read More »In Wake of Gaza Massacre, Israeli Leaders Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes
By Marjorie Cohn On March 30, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers shot 773 unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza, killing 17 and wounding 1,400. Twenty remain in critical condition. The protesters were marching to demand the internationally mandated right of return of refugees to their cities and villages in what now constitutes Israel. …
Read More »‘He had no gun, no molotov’: Gaza families call for investigation into Israeli use of fatal force
The morning after burying 19-year-old Abdul Fattah Abdul Nabi, his family gathered in a tent set up to receive mourners, watching and re-watching a video of the moment they say Israeli soldiers shot him in the back of the head. The video appears to show the teenager, dressed in black, …
Read More »SEC Probing Kushner Cos Use of Wealthy Investor Visas: WSJ
The real estate company of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, is being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its use of a federal program that grants visas to wealthy foreigners investing in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Kushner …
Read More »The FBI is investigating the Clinton Foundation
The FBI has been discreetly investigating the Clinton Foundation for months, reviving a probe that was dialed back during the 2016 election amid tensions between Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents about the politically charged case, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation is being run out of …
Read More »Former IDF soldier convicted of trying to join Islamic State
A Belarusian-Israeli convert to Islam was convicted Wednesday of attempting to join the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria. Valentin Vladmir Mazlevski, 40, who was arrested nearly a year ago while trying to travel to Syria via Turkey, was convicted by the Nazareth District Court of contact with a foreign agent, attempting …
Read More »British troops breached Geneva conventions in Iraq, high court rules
Court says soldiers subjected civilians to cruel and inhuman treatment, in cases that may determine handling of further claims. British troops breached the Geneva conventions and subjected Iraqi civilians to cruel and inhuman treatment by hooding them and taking turns to run over their backs, the high court has ruled. …
Read More »France Investigates Lafarge Executives for Terrorist Financing
The former chief executive of LafargeHolcim, the world’s largest cement maker, and five other top officials are being formally investigated as part of a government inquiry into whether the company helped finance the Islamic State militant group and other armed factions while operating a factory in Syria. The expanding investigation …
Read More »A bold new legal defense for Trump: Presidents cannot obstruct justice
The brazen assertion Monday by one of President Trump’s lawyers that a president cannot be found guilty of obstruction of justice signaled a controversial defense strategy in the wide-ranging Russia probe, as Trump’s political advisers are increasingly concerned about the legal advice he is receiving. Trump tweeted over the weekend …
Read More »Donald Trump is shutting down his charitable foundation
President Donald Trump’s charitable foundation, which last year admitted violating federal rules on “self-dealing,” is in the process of dissolving, according to newly filed documents reviewed by NBC News. The move fulfills a promise Trump made last December, when he said he would wind down the Donald J. Trump Foundation to …
Read More »U.N. to vote on rival U.S., Russia bids to renew Syria inquiry
The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on rival U.S. and Russian bids to renew an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, diplomats said, a move that could trigger Russia’s 10th veto to block action on Syria. The mandate for the joint inquiry by …
Read More »Racist messages at Air Force Academy were written by student who claimed to be targeted
In late September, five black cadet candidates found racial slurs scrawled on message boards on their doors at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School. One candidate found the words “go home n—” written outside his room, his mother posted on social media, according to the Air Force Times. The …
Read More »Las Vegas shooter had been losing money for two years and ‘was going in the wrong direction,’ sheriff says
The man who shot hundreds and killed 58 at the Route 91 Harvest music festival a month ago was a narcissist who may have seen his image as a high-rolling gambler declining, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said as the investigation into the Oct. 1 shooting rampage entered its second …
Read More »Brother of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock reportedly detained in child porn case
A brother of Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock has reportedly been detained in North Hollywood on suspicion of crimes related to child pornography. Bruce Paddock, 58, was taken into custody in North Hollywood on Wednesday morning, according to a source who was not authorized to speak publicly about the …
Read More »Fire destroys two Sharjah warehouses
Two warehouses were destroyed in a fire in Sharjah’s industrial area 18 on Wednesday, Civil Defence officials said. The warehouses affected by the blaze were used to store party decorations. Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Civil Defence, told Gulf News that the fire started at around …
Read More »Troops Ambushed in Niger Waited an Hour to Call for Help, Pentagon Official Says
American troops who came under fire in Niger during a deadly ambush this month might have waited more than an hour before calling for help, the top United States military officer said on Monday. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he did …
Read More »EU targets German carmakers in new antitrust raids
A series of raids by EU antitrust regulators against German carmakers struck a new blow Monday to one of the most important sectors of the economy which has already been hit by a string of other scandals. The EU Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said in a statement that it …
Read More »Pentagon investigating troubling questions after deadly Niger ambush
efense Secretary James N. Mattis, troubled by a lack of information two weeks after an ambush on a special operations patrol in Niger left four U.S. soldiers dead, is demanding a timeline of what is known about the attack, as a team of investigators sent to West Africa begins its …
Read More »Israel hacked Kaspersky, then tipped the NSA that its tools had been breached
In 2015, Israeli government hackers saw something suspicious in the computers of a Moscow-based cybersecurity firm: hacking tools that could only have come from the National Security Agency. Israel notified the NSA, where alarmed officials immediately began a hunt for the breach, according to people familiar with the matter, who …
Read More »Kim Jong-nam murder: Women plead not guilty in Malaysia trial
Two women have pleaded not guilty to murdering Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, as their trial in Malaysia got under way. The brazen nature of his killing, using the highly toxic VX nerve agent as he waited for a flight at Kuala Lumpur airport in February, shocked …
Read More »Former US ambassador Dan Shapiro said set to testify in Netanyahu graft case
Former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro will reportedly give testimony to Israeli police in the coming weeks as part of an ongoing investigation into suspicions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received bribes from an Israeli-born Hollywood mogul in exchange for advancing his interests. Netanyahu is said to have asked Shapiro …
Read More »Trump bans US government from using Russian cyber security firm Kaspersky
The Trump administration on Wednesday told U.S. government agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab products from their networks, saying it was concerned the Moscow-based cyber security firm was vulnerable to Kremlin influence and that using its anti-virus software could jeopardize national security. The decision represents a sharp response to what U.S. …
Read More »Trump’s legal team debated whether Kushner should leave White House
A small group of White House lawyers this summer urged that President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner step down from his White House role amid a broadening probe into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russians in the 2016 election, according to multiple people familiar with the discussion. Some of the …
Read More »Chief executive of Israel supermarket chain arrested
The controlling shareholder of one of Israel’s largest supermarket chains was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of corruption. Rami Levy, chief executive of Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing, as well as a local politician, another businessman and a reporter were detained for questioning for alleged fraud and breach of trust involving …
Read More »Lenovo settles charges it sold laptops with compromised user security
Lenovo Inc, a major laptop maker, has agreed to pay $3.5 million and make changes in how it sells laptops in order to settle allegations it sold devices with pre-loaded software that compromised users’ security protections. The agreement with Connecticut, the Federal Trade Commission and 31 other states was announced …
Read More »In payback mode, US demands Russia close 3 facilities
Escalating a diplomatic tit-for-tat, the United States abruptly ordered Russia on Thursday to shutter its San Francisco consulate and close offices in Washington and New York, intensifying tensions between the former Cold War foes. Washington gave Moscow 48 hours to comply. The Trump administration described its action as retaliation for …
Read More »Remains of some sailors found on U.S. Navy destroyer
The remains of some of the 10 sailors missing since a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with an oil tanker near Singapore have been found, but the search continues, a Navy commander said Tuesday. Ten sailors have been missing since the USS John S. McCain and a Liberian-flagged oil tanker …
Read More »Top Two Officers on Navy Ship in Deadly Collision Off Japan Are Relieved of Duties
The two top officers aboard a destroyer during a deadly collision off the coast of Japan in June were relieved of their duties on Friday, the Navy’s Seventh Fleet said. A number of other sailors were punished for their roles in the crash. The announcement followed the release of a …
Read More »Grand jury issues subpoenas in connection with Trump Jr., Russian lawyer meeting: sources
A grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included President Donald Trump’s son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, signaling an investigation is gathering pace into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. The sources added that …
Read More »Exclusive: Congress asks U.S. agencies for Kaspersky Lab cyber documents
A U.S. congressional panel this week asked 22 government agencies to share documents on Moscow-based cyber firm Kaspersky Lab, saying its products could be used to carry out “nefarious activities against the United States,” according to letters seen by Reuters. The requests made on Thursday by the U.S. House of …
Read More »President Trump’s Legal Team Is Looking to Investigate Mueller Aides
President Donald Trump’s legal team is evaluating potential conflicts of interest among members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative team, three people with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The revelations come as Mueller’s investigation appears likely to probe some of the Trump family’s business ties. Attorney Jay Sekulow, a …
Read More »The alleged collusion with Russia is about much more than Trump’s family
Washington is smoldering in the wake of bombshell revelations about contacts between President Trump’s eldest son and figures with connections to the Kremlin. Three consecutive stories by the New York Times this week exposed a June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer claiming to have dirt …
Read More »Maritime Mystery: Why a U.S. Destroyer Failed to Dodge a Cargo Ship
There should have been lookouts on watch on the port, starboard and stern of the destroyer Fitzgerald — sailors scanning the horizon with binoculars and reporting by headsets to the destroyer’s bridge. At 1:30 a.m. last Saturday, off the coast of Japan south of Tokyo, they could hardly have failed …
Read More »U.S. Navy confirms all 7 missing sailors from USS Fitzgerald found dead
The U.S. Navy confirmed on Monday that all seven missing sailors on the USS Fitzgerald were found dead in flooded berthing compartments after the destroyer’s collision with a container ship off Japan over the weekend. The USS Fitzgerald and a Philippine-flagged container ship collided south of Tokyo Bay early on …
Read More »Amnesty International Calls UN to Mandate International Investigation in Palestine
Amnesty International called Saturday the UN to mandate a international investigation into violations committed on all sides amidst ongoing Israeli air strikes across Gaza Strip. “As the violence intensifies there is an urgent need for the UN to mandate an international independent fact-finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate violations …
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