South African business confidence slips slightly in May
JOHANNESBURG South African business confidence fell slightly in May, with lower trade volumes, fewer tourists and a weaker
2023-06-14 17:47
Trio of French business leaders weighs $1.2 billion bid for Casino
PARIS French business leaders Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Moez-Alexandre Zouari have expressed an interest in bidding up
2023-06-14 17:27
Trump indictment – live: Trump claims boxes of classified papers actually held clothes in post-arrest speech
Donald Trump has now claimed that the boxes of classified documents discovered in his possession actually contained clothes in his first speech since he was arrested and arraigned on federal criminal charges. In remarks at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Tuesday night, Mr Trump insisted that he wanted to hold onto the boxes because “they were containing all types of personal belongings – many, many things, shirts and shoes, everything”. He insisted he wanted to sort through the boxes but had been “busy” as he went on his usual unsubstantiated narrative that he is the victim of political persecution. His speech came hours after he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse on 37 charges over his handling of classified national security documents after leaving the White House. Miami officials had braced for protests outside the courthouse but much of the Maga army of supporters failed to show up as expected. One anti-Trump protester jumped in front of the former president’s motorcade. After the hearing, Mr Trump stopped by the famous Cuban restaurant Versailles where supporters sang him ‘Happy Birthday’ ahead of his 77th birthday today. Read More Desperate deflections, revenge plans – and a supplicant Fox News: What we learned from Trump speech Defiant Trump accuses ‘corrupt’ Biden of undermining democracy with ‘evil and heinous’ federal charges Trump addresses reason he refused to give back boxes saying they contained ‘shoes and shirts and everything’ Tucker Carlson blasts ‘filthy and decadent’ Trump aides who exploited his need for flattery
2023-06-14 16:54
Blinken speaks with Chinese foreign minister ahead of expected high-stakes visit to Beijing
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with China's foreign minister by phone on Wednesday, a call that comes ahead of a highly anticipated expected visit by Washington's top diplomat to China as the two superpowers try to improve the dismal state of their ties.
2023-06-14 14:25
Trump's main 2024 election goal is now to save himself
Donald Trump went from courtroom to campaign trail in the blink of an eye on Tuesday, underscoring how the 2024 election -- which should address the most pressing issues of the American people -- has become a mere tool of his criminal defense strategy.
2023-06-14 12:19
Cavinder Twins Blast Ethan Strauss' Article About Them
Ethan Strauss wrote about the Cavinder twins. They blasted the article.
2023-06-14 11:55
Trump addresses reason he refused to give back boxes saying they contained ‘shoes and shirts and everything’
Former President Donald Trump has finally addressed the reason he allegedly failed to return boxes of classified documents to the federal government: he’d put his clothes in them. “Many people have asked me why I had these boxes, why did you want them?” Mr Trump said to supporters at his golf club in Bedminster on Tuesday evening. “The answer, in addition to having every right under the Presidential Records Act, is that these boxes were containing all types of personal belongings — many, many things, shirts and shoes, everything.” Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Mr Trump was arraigned on 37 felony counts relating to his handling classified documents after leaving the presidency in 2021. For months, Mr Trump has dodged or ignored questions about why he decided to keep custody of a number of boxes of classified documents that the government has alleged he took with him after losing the presidency. On Tuesday, after his arraignment, that changed. Mr Trump unleashed a barrage of false accusations during his address to supporters in New Jersey, including that a widely-disseminated photograph of boxes piled up in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago were staged. He also accused “someone, not me” of dumping the contents of one of the boxes onto the floor. Mr Trump then said that he would have gone through the boxes, presumably to weed out the highly classified material from the contents of his wardrobe and memorabilia, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. “I hadn’t had a chance to go through all the boxes,” Mr Trump said. “It’s a long tedious job, it takes a long time — which I was prepared to do, but I have a very busy life. I’ve had a very busy life.” Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that his indictment for refusing to give back classified documents is a politically motivated stunt designed to derail his 2024 presidential campaign and called President Joe Biden a “dictator” — a remarkable accusation considering it was Mr Trump who attempted to overthrow the country’s democracy just more than two years ago. Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-14 09:59
Who is Jack Smith, the prosecutor overseeing the Trump probes
Jack Smith, the experienced war crimes prosecutor who unveiled an unprecedented federal indictment against former US president Donald J Trump, is no stranger to high-profile probes of public figures. The Department of Justice veteran returned to the US last November after being appointed a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The first mission was to consider, “whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the electoral college vote held on or about January 6, 2021”. The second, which led to Mr Trump being indicted and arraigned in 37 federal charges, was about whether the former president had violated US laws prohibiting unlawful retention of national defence information and obstruction of justice. It marks the first time in US history that an ex-president — let alone one who is a declared candidate in the next presidential election — faces criminal charges. But Mr Trump will not be first public figure who Mr Smith has put in the dock. From 2010 to 2015, he oversaw anti-corruption prosecutions against multiple US politicians in his role as the head of the Department of Justice public integrity section. One of those cases was against former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell, a Republican against whom he secured a conviction on bribery charges, though the case was later thrown out by the US Supreme Court. He also won a conviction of former GOP Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona, who received a sentence of three years in prison before being pardoned by Mr Trump. A Harvard Law School graduate, Mr Smith also served in prosecutorial roles in US Attorney offices in the Middle District of Tennessee and the Eastern District of New York. Prior to his appointment by Mr Garland, Mr Smith lived in the Dutch city of The Hague, where he has been serving as a “specialist prosecutor” overseeing investigations into war crimes in Kosovo since 2018. He also served as a coordinator of investigations for the prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court from 2008 to 2010, where he worked on cases against foreign government officials and members of militias accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Yet will even that be ample preparation for the punishing national spotlight to which he will now be subjected, including Mr Trump’s infamous social media broadsides? Following the indictment in June, Mr Trump lashed out at Mr Smith, accusing him of being a “Trump hater” and “a deranged ’psycho’ that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal – which he is!” Subsequently, Mr Trump’s allies and supporters began attacking Mr Smith, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, Matt Gaetz and Mark Levin. “Special Counsel Jack Smith is atrocious,” MAGA War Room tweeted on 13 June. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an appropriations rider to the House floor on Tuesday (12 June) to “defund Jack Smith’s Special Counsel, his office and the investigation.” Ms Greene said: “This is a weaponized government attempt to take down the top political enemy and leading presidential candidate of the United States Donald J. Trump.” Mr Smith kept an even keel in his response. “Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice, and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world,” he told reporters later that day. “We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.” Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump denounces ‘evil and heinous’ arraignment in address to fans at golf club Trump turns his day in court into a campaign event despite serious political and legal threats Trump pleads not guilty as he makes history as first president to be criminally charged – twice Trump pleads not guilty as he makes history as first president to be criminally charged – twice Special counsel Jack Smith stared at Trump throughout historic court appearance, report says Supporters pray over Trump and sing him ‘Happy Birthday’ immediately after arrest
2023-06-14 09:53
Biden Hosts Uruguay’s Centrist President for Surprise Meeting
President Joe Biden discussed democracy, trade and climate change on Tuesday with Uruguay President Luis Lacalle Pou at
2023-06-14 08:58
How big are Donald Trump's legal problems?
It can be difficult to keep track of the ex-president's legal battles - here's what you need to know.
2023-06-14 08:57
Oil Holds Advance as Broad China Stimulus Plan Aids Sentiment
Oil steadied after rising more than 3% Tuesday on signs that China is shifting into stimulus mode and
2023-06-14 08:25
Tucker Carlson spins new conspiracy linking Trump arrest to Iraq WMD as his new Twitter rant defies Fox threat
Tucker Carlson pushed a new conspiracy theory that Donald Trump is being prosecuted for calling out Washington DC insiders over Iraq and weapons of mass destruction in his latest Twitter show. The former Fox News host defied his former employer’s threats after they sent him a “cease-and-desist” letter stating that his new show is a violation of his contract with the right-wing network. Carlson told his audience that the former president was now in legal trouble because of his position on Iraq during the 2016 Republican primary debates, in which he said the US had “destabilised” the Middle East with its invasion of Iraq. “Seven-and-a-half years later we can point to the precise moment when permanent Washington decided to send Donald Trump to prison,” said Carlson on Tuesday evening as he played footage of the debate in Greenville, South Carolina. In it Mr Trump excoriates Washington DC insiders, saying “We should have never been in Iraq...they said there were weapons of mass destruction and there were none, they lied, they knew there were none.” Carlson insisted that by calling them “liars” Mr Trump had “sealed his fate.” “That was the one thing you were not allowed to say as it implicated too many people on both sides, which on this topic is really just one side,” he said. “Hillary Clinton was guilty, but so was Paul Ryan, all of them were guilty, they all knew and they all lied and to a person they hated Donald Trump for exposing them.” Carlson said that from the start of his administration, Mr Trump was targetted by “flatterers”, and name-checked Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo and Lindsey Graham. He then accused them of “piling on with maximum force” in the wake of Mr Trump being charged over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House. Carlson then accused Mr Pompeo of not supporting Mr Trump’s agenda and “undermined at every turn” the former president’s policies and ideas, before accusing him of “toadying up” to his boss. “Now the same person is telling Fox News he fears for the safety of our military...because Donald Trump took some classified documents home and didn’t immediately return them to the National Archives. What a lie that is,” he said. Carlson then said that the prosecution of Mr Trump was not “just political it is ideological.” “Nobody with Trump’s views is allowed to have power in this country. Criticise our wars and you are disqualified, if you keep it up we will send you to prison,” he said. “That’s the message that Washington DC is sending, not just the Democratic party but the message both parties are sending.” Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump pleads not guilty and turns arraignment into 2024 rally in Miami and Bedminster Special counsel Jack Smith stared at Trump throughout historic court appearance, report says Supporters pray over Trump and sing him ‘Happy Birthday’ immediately after arrest Trump lashes out at ‘Fake’ Tapper after disgusted CNN host cuts away from arraigned ex-president meeting fans Trump's historic federal arraignment was virtually invisible to the public Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-14 07:56