Trump commutes Ozy Media founder Watson’s nearly 10-year sentence
U.S. President Donald Trump has commuted Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson’s nearly 10-year prison sentence for defrauding investors in his now-defunct startup, the White House said on Friday. Watson, a former cable news anchor and investment banker, was found guilty…
Exclusive-Brazil’s Bolsonaro calls ruling against Le Pen ‘judicial activism’
RIO DE JANEIRO -Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told Reuters on Monday that a court ruling that banned French far-right leader Marine Le Pen from seeking public office for five years was “left-wing judicial activism.” Le Pen on Monday was…
Democratic senators urge Trump to revamp China trade ties, revise free trade deals
WASHINGTON – Three Democratic senators on Monday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to “dramatically revise” the United States’ trade relationship with China along with 14 free trade agreements, providing a boost to his push to revamp U.S. trade policy. In…
Moldova expels diplomats after accusing Russia of helping MP escape jail term
CHISINAU -Moldova expelled three Russian diplomats on Monday after it accused Russia’s embassy of engineering the escape of a pro-Kremlin lawmaker to prevent him being jailed in a case over illegal political funding. The case of Alexander Nesterovschii, who could…
Le Pen’s pro-institution line was paying off until France judges ended her presidential hopes
PARIS – Far-right leader Marine Le Pen believed respect for France’s cherished institutions would open her path to the presidency, betting it would endear her once-fringe party to mainstream French voters. She launched the tactic after a resounding 2017 election…
US Senate Republican Ron Johnson says advancing Trump agenda depends on spending cuts
WASHINGTON -A prominent conservative senator predicted on Sunday that Donald Trump’s tax-cuts and immigration agenda will not advance in the U.S. Senate unless the president and Republican leaders agree to slash federal spending to a level last seen before the…
Trump says he is not joking about third presidential term
WASHINGTON -Republican President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about seeking a third presidential term, which is barred by the U.S. Constitution, but that it was too early to think about doing so. Trump, who took office…
Trump says reciprocal tariffs will target all countries
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances….
Court allows Musk, DOGE to make further cuts to USAID
A U.S. appeals court on Friday ruled that Elon Musk and members of the cost-focused Department of Government Efficiency that he spearheads can make further cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development while they appeal a lower court order…
Oliver Stone to testify at US House panel JFK assassination files hearing
WASHINGTON – Film director Oliver Stone will testify at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Tuesday on thousands of pages of documents related to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy released this month at the direction of President Donald…
Skadden Arps in talks with Trump team to avoid executive order, New York Times reports
WASHINGTON – Law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has had discussions with advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump about a deal to avoid an executive order like those imposed on some of its competitors, the New York Times…
Appeals court won’t block US military’s transgender ban, for now
A federal appeals court has paused a lower court order blocking President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, but has signaled that it may quickly reconsider that decision if the military takes action against transgender members….
Iran speaker says US bases will be struck if Trump attacks Iran
Tehran would strike U.S. bases in the region if Washington follows through on its warning of military consequences for Iran in the absence of a new nuclear deal, the speaker of the Iranian parliament said on Friday. U.S. President Donald…
Ukraine working to ensure minerals deal with US reflects its interests, official says
Ukraine is working to ensure that a minerals deal with the U.S. reflects all its interests and is in a spirit of strategic partnership, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Friday. “Given the importance of the agreement, it…
US says it expects Lebanese government to disarm militant groups
WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department said on Friday Israel was defending itself from rocket attacks that came from Lebanon and that it was incumbent upon the Lebanese government to disarm militant groups such as Hezbollah. The comment from a…
Israeli actions in Gaza bear hallmarks of atrocities, UN agency says
GENEVA -Israeli actions in Gaza, including strikes on populated areas in which civilians have been killed, bear the hallmarks of atrocities, the agency that coordinates U.N. humanitarian aid said on Friday. “There is a callous disregard for human life and…
Trump says “there will be bombing” if Iran does not make nuclear deal
WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Iran with bombings and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program. In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump said U.S. and Iranian…
Trump threatens secondary tariffs on Russian oil if unable to make deal on Ukraine
WEST PALM BEACH -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on all Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and they could…
Taliban release detained US citizen Faye Hall
An American citizen detained in Afghanistan last month by the Taliban administration has been released, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said on Saturday. “American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the…
No sign Trump will honor US auto tariff protections won by Canada, Mexico in 2018
Canada and Mexico won protections against potential new U.S. auto tariffs in 2018 as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, but there is no evidence that President Donald Trump will honor those commitments as he imposes 25% duties on…