
Ukraine war: Can UK’s Storm Shadow missiles change the battle?
The UK is sending missiles to Ukraine – but how could Storm Shadows change its fight against Russia?
1970-01-01 08:00

Trump investigators looking at swimming pool worker who flooded Mar-a-Lago records room, report says
Federal investigators have reportedly trained their attention on an employee at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, who, in the process of draining a swimming pool on the property last year, flooded a room where computer servers containing video surveillance logs were stored. According to reporting by CNN, investigators have asked at least one witness in the investigation into Mr Trump’s handling of classified documents about the flooding of the server room. It is as of yet unclear whether the room was flooded intentionally or on accident. Prosecutors have reportedly been told that the IT equipment in the room was not damaged during the flooding incident. The investigation into the conduct and intentions of Mar-a-Lago employees comes as investigators attempt to dechiper whether multiple people were involved a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Justice Department’s probe into Mr Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency in early 2021. Mr Trump suggested earlier today on the social media platform Truth Social that he will likely be charged in the case. “HOW CAN DOJ POSSIBLY CHARGE ME, WHO DID NOTHING WRONG, WHEN NO OTHER PRESIDENT’S WERE CHARGED, WHEN JOE BIDEN WON’T BE CHARGED FOR ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT HE HAS 1,850 BOXES, MUCH OF IT CLASSIFIED, AND SOME DATING BACK TO HIS SENATE DAY WHEN EVEN DEMOCRAT SENATORS ARE SHOCKED,” the former president wrote. The post, in which Mr Trump also claimed he was being treated unfairly because former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not indicted for having emails with information later deemed to be classified stored on a private email service, came shortly after Mr Trump’s attorneys met with Department of Justice officials in Washington. Mr Trump is already facing a bevy of legal problems: he’s been indicted in New York for his role in an alleged hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the buildup to the 2016 election and is also being investigated for interfering in the 2020 election in Georgia. That investigation may also be expanding. Mr Trump is alsoa candidate for president again and has taken a sizeable lead in early polling of the Republican primary contest. His opponents, including recent entrant Gov Ron DeSantis, have yet to repeatedly attack Mr Trump over his legal problems — seemingly hesitant to align themselves with the prosecutors investigating the former president. The potential destruction of the server room may be of particular importance in the classified document investigation given that the FBI first subpoenaed the Trump Organization for Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage last summer prior to the much-publicised search of the property last August. Two Trump Organisation employees, Mr Trump’s body man Walt Nauta and a maintenance worker who helped Mr Nauta move classified documents prior to the FBI’s visit, have already attracted the attention of investigators for their conduct. According to CNN, the maintenance worker who helped move the documents is also the person who is believed to have drained the pool and flooded the server room. The Justice Department has said in court that it believes “government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room” prior to the agents’ search. 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 Trump suggests he is about to be charged in Mar-a-Lago classified documents case Trump news - live: Ex-president’s furious Truth Social rant suggests charges are imminent in classified documents case
1970-01-01 08:00

White House says it wasn’t behind Pentagon decision to cancel drag shows
The White House said on Monday it wasn’t behind a Defense Department decision to cancel drag events at US military bases. Late last week, DoD announced that drag events, which have been performed at US military installations for decades, wouldn’t continue because they aren’t a “suitable use” of military resources. The Pentagon said in a statement that “certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in nonfederal capacity.” Biden administration press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday at a press conference that the White House supports LGBTQ+ members of the military. “The Biden-Harris administration will celebrate LGBTQI plus service members’ contributions with pride across federal agencies, including at the Department of Defense,” she said. The Pentagon decision has already led to the cancellation of at least one planned drag show, a family-friendly event at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada featuring performer Coco Montrese, a former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The base has hosted drag events in 2021 and 2022, planned by the facility’s Pride committee. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday on CNN canceling the events was the “absolute right thing to do” and said drag events “were never part of DOD policy to begin with and they’re certainly not funded by federal funds.” Capitol Hill Republicans questioned Mr Milley and other military leaders in March at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March, and have since raised inquiries about potential funds going to such events. US military members have performed in drag at bases since at least World War I, including during the famed USO shows of WWII, according to the New York Times “Ensuring our ranks reflect the diversity of the American people is essential to morale and cohesion,” the Modern Military Association of America, a nonprofit representing LGBTQ+ servicemembers, told the paper. “It affects recruiting and retention of service members who do not feel welcome due to their sexual and gender identities.” Across the country, Republican-led legislatures have passed laws targeting drag shows, and drag events have been the subject of armed threats, part of a wider wave of GOP attacks on LGBTQ+ people. Read More David Furnish hits out at Ron DeSantis for ‘diabolically anti-Christian’ policies against LGBTQ+ people The Independent Pride List 2023: The LGBT+ people making change happen Tennessee drag ban is struck down by federal judge: ‘Unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad’
1970-01-01 08:00

Global Carbon Markets Face Upheaval as Nations Remake the Rules
The $2 billion market for carbon offsets is heading for a massive reset, as a growing number of
1970-01-01 08:00

Oil Dips as Optimism Over Saudi-Led Production Cut Fades Fast
Oil edged lower as traders weighed the outlook for supply and demand after Saudi Arabia’s surprise pledge for
1970-01-01 08:00

China Edging Out Russia as Sanctions Redraw Trade for Kazakhstan
An economic seesaw between China and Russia in Central Asia is moving toward a new equilibrium for Kazakhstan,
1970-01-01 08:00

Mother of six-year-old who shot teacher in Virginia says she will ‘take responsibility’ for son’s actions
The mother of the six-year-old child who allegedly shot his first grade teacher in Newport News, Virginia earlier this year said in an interview with ABC that she is “willing to take responsibility” for her son’s actions. “That is my son, so I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him — because he can’t take responsibility for himself,” Deja Taylor said. Ms Taylor is facing up to six years in prison on a felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm as to endanger a child. She is also facing a federal charge of filing false information on the paperwork she submitted when purchasing the firearm that was used in the shooting of the teacher. Ms Taylor is accused of actively using marijuana when she purchased her gun from a Grafton, Virginia shop, and while marijuana is legal in Virginia, it is one of the controlled substances prospective gun buyers must admit to using on documents before purchasing their weapon. The shooting took place at Richneck Elementary School on January 6, with the teacher, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner, suffering gunshot wounds to her abdomen and hand. Ms Zwerner survived the shooting and has since filed a $40m lawsuit against the school district and school officials, alleging that they ignored repeated warnings about the danger the student posed. Newport News Public Schools has filed to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that Ms Zwerner’s injuries should be covered under the district’s workers’ compensation policy. Ms Taylor’s legal approach may be less complicated. Her lawyer, Jimmy Ellenson, told WTKR that she plans to plead guilty to the latest charges filed against her and suggested that she’s already reached a deal with prosecutors. “We’ve come to an agreement and a resolution, which I think will be satisfactory to all parties,” Mr Ellenson said. In her interview with ABC, Ms Taylor said that her son has ADHD and that the week he shot her teacher was the first week he had not been accompanied to class by a parent that year. Ms Taylor said her son liked the teacher, but was frustrated with her during the week of the shooting. “He was talking a lot about how felt like he was being ignored,” Ms Taylor said of that week. “So he would come home and [say], ‘Mom, I don’t think that she was listening to me. I didn’t like that.’ And then he actually ended up getting suspended the next day.” Ms Taylor said that she kept the gun locked, and she and her attorney weren’t willing to elaborate in the ABC interview on how her child got hold of the weapon. The child’s grandfather, who now has custody of him, said he rarely talks about the shooting — preferring to talk about the days leading up to it instead. Ms Taylor said she was beginning to form a relationship with Ms Zwerner given the time she spent in the classroom working with her and said she’s a “great person.” “I would truly like to apologise that out of the incident she did get hurt,” Ms Taylor said. Read More Mother of young boy who shot teacher arrested in Virginia
1970-01-01 08:00

Ben Roberts-Smith threatened witnesses in defamation trial, judge says
Ben Roberts-Smith tried to intimidate witnesses in last week's defamation trial, a judge says.
1970-01-01 08:00

Lawsuit Claiming Racism at Tesla Draws Almost 240 Black Workers Saying ‘Me Too’
A Black former assembly line staffer at Tesla Inc. is moving to add hundreds of other workers to
1970-01-01 08:00

Asian Stocks Set for Mixed Open as US Rally Pauses: Markets Wrap
Asian equities looked poised for mixed open Tuesday after US stocks pulled back short of entering a bull
1970-01-01 08:00

Hacking Spree Feared After Breach of File-Sharing Software
Cybersecurity experts are bracing for a potential wave of extortion demands after a vulnerability was discovered in encrypted
1970-01-01 08:00

Lewis Capaldi cancels all upcoming shows ahead of Glastonbury Festival 'to rest and recover'
Lewis Capaldi is taking some time for himself.
1970-01-01 08:00