Credit Suisse CEO Memo Signals UBS Deal to Close Monday
Credit Suisse Group AG Chief Executive Ulrich Koerner has indicated to employees that the bank’s takeover by UBS
1970-01-01 08:00
Mitt Romney’s blistering response to Trump’s damning indictment
Republican US Senator Mitt Romney said that former president Donald Trump had brought an indictment upon himself for his taking classified documents and refusing to return them. Mr Romney released a statement on Friday after news that a grand jury indicted Mr Trump for his alleged unlawful of retention of national defence information at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Mr Trump said he must report to a court in Miami by Tuesday at 3pm ET. “Like all Americans, Mr Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The government has the burden of proving its charges beyond a reasonable doubt and securing a unanimous verdict by a South Florida jury,” Mr Romney said. “By all appearances, the Justice Department and special counsel have exercised due care, affording Mr Trump the time and opportunity to avoid charges that would not generally have been afforded to others,” he said. “Mr Trump brought these charges upon himself by not only taking classified documents, but by refusing to simply return them when given numerous opportunities to do so.” The 2012 Republican presidential nominee, whom Mr Trump endorsed in that election, has since emerged as one of the GOP’s most outspoken critics of the former president. Mr Romney voted to convict Mr Trump in his first impeachment trial in 2020, the only Republican Senator to do so, for attempting to withhold aid for Ukraine in exchange for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigating Joe Biden’s son when Mr Trump was running for re-election. In 2021, six other Republicans joined Mr Romney to convict Mr Trump for his incitement of the January 6 riot. Mr Romney alluded to those cases in his statement. “These allegations are serious and if proven, would be consistent with his other actions offensive to the national interest, such as withholding defensive weapons from Ukraine for political reasons and failing to defend the Capitol from violent attack and insurrection,” he said. The statement stands in contrast to Mr Romney’s statement after a New York grand jury indicted Mr Trump in April, when Mr Romney expressed some scepticism. New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office charged Mr Trump on 34 counts related to his allegedly making hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. “Even so, I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda,” Mr Romney said at the time. “No one is above the law, not even former presidents, but everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law. The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.” Read More Trump-appointed judge will initially preside over ex-president’s federal court appearance Trump indictment — live: Trump’s brazen classified document admission revealed amid MAGA meltdown over charges Jailhouse Rock? Trump followed his furious indictment announcement with a DJ set
1970-01-01 08:00
All the shocking photos revealed in the Trump indictment in Mar-a-Lago papers case
An indicted Mar-a-Lago staff member texted photos of top secret documents scattered on the floor of a storage room at Donald Trump’s Florida club, according to bombshell indictment unsealed on Friday. “I opened the door and found this,” Mr Trump’s “bag man” Walt Nauta texted an unknown Trump staffer in December 2021, along with two photos of the classified files sprawled on the floor. At least one document was marked “Secret//Rel to USA, FVEY”, signifying that it was only meant to be viewed by the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The photo was among several contained in the 49-page indictment against Mr Trump, which laid out in stunning detail the 15-month investigation into his reckless mishandling of top secret material after leaving office. One image showed about 30 boxes of classified documents in a bathroom haphazardly crammed around a toilet next to a shower curtain. A silver chandelier can be seen above the boxes. Another picture showed piles of classified documents on the stage at the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, where they had allegedly been left for two months. Other photos released by the Department of Justice show boxes of top secret material crammed into storage rooms around the Florida residence. After leaving the White House, Mr Trump’s private club at Palm Beach became his main residence. It also became a “magnet” for foreign spies, former intelligence officials warned. In August 2022, a Ukrainian woman posing as a member of the Rothschild family gained access to the club, according to reports. Inna Yashchyshyn mingled at Mar-a-Lago functions with Mr Trump and South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, according to an article from the Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). During Mr Trump’s presidency, a suspected Chinese spy was arrested and sentenced to eight months prison after being found guilty of trespassing and lying to Secret Service agents about why she was at the property. Mr Trump also welcomed Kanye West and known white supremacist Nick Fuentes to the club. The former president has been indicted on 37 counts of willful retention of national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations. The indictment accuses Mr Trump of illegally holding onto materials on US nuclear programmes, potential vulnerabilities to the US and its allies to military attack, and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack. Mr Nauta, a former Navy officier and longtime Trump aide, has also been indicted on six felonies, after he allegedly removed 64 boxes from Mar-a-Lago to his home. The unsealed indictment also details a conversation Mr Trump held with two lawyers in May 2023, in which the former president asks: “Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?” In his first public remarks, Special Counsel Jack Smith said he wanted all Americans to read the indictment in full “to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged.” “We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone,” Mr Smith told a press conference on Friday afternoon. Mr Trump, who will appear in court in Miami on Tuesday, faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted. He has angrily protested his innocence in a series of Truth Social posts. Read More Trump indictment — live: Trump ‘plotted to hide papers from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’ Trump indictment: Ex-president kept nuclear and military papers and showed some to unauthorised people Hiding documents from the FBI and foreign nuclear plans: Key allegations in Trump’s unsealed indictment Trump praised attorney for deleting Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 emails, indictment shows 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
1970-01-01 08:00
California governor pushes back on Fox News’ Sean Hannity when asked about running against Biden
California Governor Gavin Newsom pushed back when Fox News host Sean Hannity repeatedly questioned whether President Joe Biden was up to the task of leading the US and whether the governor himself has been urged to run in 2024. “Do you think he’s cognitively strong enough to be president?” Hannity asked the California governor, in a preview of the Fox News host’s exclusive interview airing next week. Mr Newsom said he had no qualms about Mr Biden’s cognitive faculties. “I have conversations with him all the time. Yes,” Mr Newsom said, adding: “And I’ll tell you what. I’m dead serious about that. I’ve talked to him when he’s been overseas, I’ve been in Air Force One, Marine One, I’ve been in the limo with him. I’ve spent time with him privately and publicly.” Hannity kept trying, though. “How many times does your phone ping a day, people saying, ‘You need to get in this race’ because they agree with me that he’s not up to the job?” the Fox host asked once again. “I see where you’re going with that, Sean,” Mr Newsom said. “I’m asking,” Hannity said. “I’m not answering,” the California governor responded. Mr Biden, 80, is the oldest president in US history. Republicans have long sought to make hay out of the president’s advanced age, arguing that he is senile and confused during public events. Mr Biden’s doctor, however, has said the president remains in good health and fit for duty. “The President remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations,” Dr Kevn O’Connor said in a statement on 16 February. Read More California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes constitutional amendment to tighten access to guns ‘Small, pathetic man’: Inside the bitter rivalry between Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom Gavin Newsom suggests kidnap charges over Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights
1970-01-01 08:00
Ukraine Warns of Toxic Black Sea ‘Garbage Dump’ From Dam Debris
Floodwaters have started to recede four days after the destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam, laying bare environmental destruction
1970-01-01 08:00
New York and East Coast Get Reprieve From Smoke as Skies Clear
The skies are clear in New York City and across the US Northeast, but the worst fires in
1970-01-01 08:00
A Peek Inside the VIP Speakeasy Lounge at the 2023 Tony Awards
For the first time, the 2023 Tony Awards ceremony will take place in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood,
1970-01-01 08:00
GameStop Needs Ryan Cohen More Than Ever to Maintain Meme Status
GameStop Corp.’s revolving leadership door and an unclear strategy to compete in the video-game retail industry has puzzled
1970-01-01 08:00
Nine people wounded in targeted shooting in San Francisco
Nine people were wounded in a shooting in San Francisco that police describe as “targeted and isolated”. The shooting took place on Friday evening in the Mission District. The authorities have signalled that all those injured are likely to survive, according to CBS News. Police responded to the shooting at about 9pm in the area close to 24th Street and Treat Avenue. After 11pm, police said that several people had been taken to hospital and that all of them were set to survive. The authorities said that since the shooting appeared to have been isolated, there was no further threat to the public. The shooting took place at a community block party, according to KTVU. Witnesses said it was a drive-by shooting. The ages of the victim ranged from 19 to 35 with one individual’s age being unknown. The victims, most of whom are in their 20s, have “varying degrees of injuries from non-life threatening to life-threatening,” SFPD Investigations Deputy Chief Raj Vaswani said, according to KTVU. An aide to Supervisor Hillary Ronen, Santiago Lerma, said that one victim was in surgery. Mr Lerma said that four people were receiving treatment for minor injuries. He added that he heard gunshots and spotted ambulances arrive. “I was about 10 feet away with my three-month-old son about an hour before this happened. This is an outlier. This is a very safe neighbourhood generally,” he said, according to the local TV station. He added that he often walks around the area along with his family. “So do many other people, so we’re very concerned about this incident. We want there to be a resolution.” More follows...
1970-01-01 08:00
Pakistan Set for Bilateral Debt Talks Amid IMF Uncertainty
Pakistan will go to bilateral creditors to try to change some terms of its repayment structure as it’s
1970-01-01 08:00
Man accused of knife attack on four children in Annecy held on attempted murder charges
The man suspected of stabbing four children in a playground in France has been held on charges of attempted murder. French judges handed the preliminary charges to the 31-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, who has not been named, on Saturday. He is due to appear in court this afternoon. The stabbings left four children - including a three-year-old British child - fighting for their lives. Two adults were also injured in the attack which unfolded on Thursday morning in the picturesque town of Annecy in the French Alps. The lead prosecutor, Line Bonnet-Mathis, said the victims are no longer in life-threatening condition after Thursday’s attack. In a translated statement, she said: “The prosecution service of Annecy immediately opened a case and the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police have also been involved. “The assailant at 9.47am was put into custody. “The prosecution service of Annecy opened a judicial case for attempted murder. The prosecution service put the assailant in provisional custody. “And this afternoon (Saturday) he was going to be taken to court and he will appear before the judge.” Read More Man accused of knife attack on four children in Annecy held on attempted murder charges Syrian man handed preliminary attempted murder charges after children stabbed French stabbing suspect faces charges as injured toddlers remain hospitalized
1970-01-01 08:00
Italy special forces board Turkish cargo vessel after crew ‘detected unidentified people on board’
Italian authorities boarded a Turkish vessel off the southern city of Naples after the crew detected a group of unidentified people on board. During an event on Friday, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto announced that there were 15 “illegal migrants” on board the ship named Galatea Seaways which was bound for France. According to reports, 13 men and two women, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, had allegedly snuck into the ship in the hope of finding asylum in Europe. The Guardian reported that the immigrants were “armed with knives and attempted to hijack the vessel”. Ansa news agency additionally reported that once the immigrants were discovered by the crew of the ship, they allegedly tried to take some of the sailors hostage inside the bridge using knives. The captain of the ship was somehow able to get his hands on the radio, sending an SOS request to Ankara, which ended up reporting the incident to the Italian authorities. “An operation is underway on a vessel boarded by pirates … The stowaways were using what seem to be weapons like daggers” Mr Crosetto told reporters at the time. “The San Marco battalion had to intervene.” He added: “What is known about the hijackers is that they are illegal immigrants. Let’s hope it ends as quickly as possible without consequences for anyone.” It reportedly took seven hours for Italian special forces to intervene and regain control of the ship. They reportedly arrested the immigrants, some of whom found a place to hide in the depths of the ship. After the mission was successful, the Italian ministry said: “The ship has now been recaptured and the entire 22-man crew of the Turkish ship is safe.” Mr Crosetto also issued a statement on Twitter, writing: “Everything ended well. “My congratulations to the guys of the San Marco battalion and the police, who completed a wonderful operation,” he added. Read More Boris Johnson quits as MP and claims he is victim of ‘Partygate and Brexit witch-hunt’ Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Kyiv makes ‘good progress’ against Putin after ‘significant’ operations Russian man screams ‘papa’ as he is mauled to death by shark in Egypt Turkish lira declines to record lows following start of Erdogan's new presidential term Turkish forces arrive in Kosovo to bolster NATO-led peacekeepers after recent violence US sanctions Iranians over alleged assassination plots of former US officials, dissidents
1970-01-01 08:00
