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Assange’s arrest sparks debate over press freedom as extradition battle looms; AOC faces backlash

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Developing now, Friday, April 12, 2019

LEGAL DEBATE OVER ASSANGE BEGINS: The dramatic arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Thursday will be followed by a likely lengthy legal battle over his extradition to the United States to face conspiracy charges. It also has triggered a debate over press freedom and whether Assange is really a journalist ... Assange is accused of engaging in a 2010 conspiracy with Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. Army analyst, in breaking a password stored on a U.S. Defense Department computer connected to a U.S. government computer network for classified documents and communications. Manning later transmitted a trove of classified government files to Assange, whose website, WikiLeaks, posted the materials to a worldwide audience.

Assange's attorney, Jennifer Robinson, characterized his arrest as an assault of press freedom worldwide, saying, "This precedent means that any journalist can be extradited for prosecution in the United States for having published truthful information about the United States." Prosecutors argue Assange's methods are obtaining classified information were illegal.

In addition, Assange's arrest may give new ammunition to foes of President Trump who are still holding on to Russia collusion theories. Unresolved questions about Assange's role in the release of stolen Democratic emails leading up to the 2016 presidential election will likely resurface.

AOC FACES BACKLASH IN WAR OF WORDS WITH WAR VET CRENSHAW: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is facing mounting criticism for feuding with freshman colleague Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, over his response to domestic terrorism ... The dustup began after Crenshaw reacted to comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who had been criticized for characterizing the 9/11 terrorist attacks as “some people did something.” That prompted Ocasio-Cortez to defend her Minnesota ally, going after the Texas congressman for not co-sponsoring the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund. “In 2018, right-wing extremists were behind almost ALL US domestic terrorist killings. Why don’t you go do something about that?” Ocasio-Cortez told Crenshaw.

MORE LEGAL TROUBLE FOR AVENATTI: Embattled attorney Michael Avenatti faces new federal embezzlement charges for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from clients, cheating on his taxes, lying to investigators and trying to hide money from debtors in bankruptcy proceedings ... A 36-count indictment announced on Thursday builds on wire-fraud and tax-fraud charges brought last month by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles. It is the latest in Avenatti's fall from grace after he became a cable news darling last year while representing former porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against President Trump. According to Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett, Avenatti may need to get used to a jumpsuit.

CITY OF CHICAGO SUES SMOLLETT: The city of Chicago sued actor Jussie Smollett on Thursday for the cost of investigating his controversial case, as promised, one week after the "Empire" actor refused to reimburse the city ... In a statement obtained by Fox News, the city's law department said on Thursday that it filed a civil complaint against Smollett, 36, in the Circuit Court of Cook County "that pursues the full measure of damages allowed under the false statements ordinance." The lawsuit doesn't include a specific monetary figure, but suggests the amount the city will seek from Smollett will be higher than the $130,000 sought earlier.

HERMAN CAIN ELEVATION TO FED MAY BE DOA: President Trump's recently-floated elevation of Herman Cain to the seven-member Federal Reserve board has lost critical Republican support in the Senate, Fox News has learned, all but dooming the former GOP presidential candidate's chances ... Fox News has confirmed that North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer is opposed to Cain's prospective nomination to the Fed. Cramer would be the fourth GOP nay, joining Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Cory Gardner, and Mitt Romney. With 53 Republicans in the Senate, losing four GOPers makes it unlikely Cain could score confirmation.

THE SOUNDBITE

ASSANGE'S REAL CRIME -  "Assange’s real sin was preventing Hillary Clinton from becoming president. There was a time, not so long ago, when reporters didn’t applaud the arrest of other journalists for publishing information." – Tucker Carlson, on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," reflecting on the reaction from the media and Washington to the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. (Click the image above to watch the full video.)

TODAY'S MUST-READS
Family members of murder victims slam California Gov. Newsom's moratorium on death penalty.
White House proposed releasing immigrant detainees into ‘sanctuary cities’ to target political foes: report
Google under fire for dubbing 'Unplanned' film 'propaganda.'
Instagram couple defends 'stupid' photo on edge of infinity pool..

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Uber files for IPO, discloses $1.8B loss in 2018.
Taxpayers still outraged over IRS refund amounts as tax deadline draws near.
Disney details 'Disney+' streaming service to launch on Nov. 12.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Mike Rowe, TV host and author of "The Way I Heard It"; Eric and Lara Trump; Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director; David Webb, Fox Nation host; Andrew Yang, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Jonathan Gruber, an architect of ObamaCare
Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Thomas Lee, managing partner and the head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors.
Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former chairman and CEO of the Kellogg Company.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: "Former DHS Secretary Weighs in on Border" - Jeh Johnson, former Homeland Security Secretary under President Obama, discusses the importance of finding bipartisan solutions to the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. “Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America”, looks at the eight times in U.S. history when a president died in office and how the country had to adjust to a new leader. The author, Jared Cohen, founder and CEO of Jigsaw, joins Fox News' Dana Perino to discuss the new book. Don't miss the good news with Fox News' Tonya J. Powers. Plus, commentary by Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday."

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: The arrest of Julian Assange and the latest in the 2020 presidential race will be among the topics discussed with the following guests: Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie; Rick Perry, U.S. Secretary of Energy; "Fox & Friends" co-host Pete Hegseth; Geraldo Rivera, Fox News correspondent-at-large; Shannon Bream, "Fox News @ Night" host; Chris Stirewalt, Fox News digital politics editor.

The Todd Starnes Show, Noon ET: Todd discusses Rep. Omar’s 9/11 comments with terrorism expert Brigitte Gabriel and RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Harrington.

Benson & Harf, 6 p.m. ET: Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov to discusses 2020 Democratic candidates and Chris Wallace talks "BernieCare," Attorney general William Barr, the Mueller report and previews "Fox News Sunday."

On Fox News Weekend:

Cavuto Live, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET: Former Whitewater Independent Counsel Ken Starr on Attorney General William Barr investigating potential unlawful surveillance of the Trump campaign. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the latest shakeups at the Department of Homeland Security. Federal Reserve Board Nominee Stephen Moore on growing criticism from democrats and republicans as he awaits confirmation. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on the border battle as a record number of migrant families are apprehended.

Town Hall America, Sunday, 8 p.m. ET: Hosted by Harris Faulkner in Iowa.

Life, Liberty & Levin, Sunday, 10 p.m. ET: Mark Levin sits down with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to discuss his battle with addiction, his faith in God, the Trump presidency, and his rise to success in business.

#TheFlashback
1963: Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Ala., charged with contempt of court and parading without a permit. (During his time behind bars, King writes his "Letter from Birmingham Jail.")
1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Ga., at age 63; he is succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman.
1861: The Civil War begins as Confederate forces open fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.

Source: Fox News National

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Report: Petty crooks’ $5M lottery win raises suspicions

For two friends with checkered pasts it was the luck of a lifetime: a 4 million-pound ($5.2 million) lottery win.

But Mark Goodram and Jon-Ross Watson may see their celebrations cut short.

The Sun newspaper reports that Britain's National Lottery is withholding the payout as it investigates whether the men, who have a string of criminal convictions, used illicit means to buy the winning ticket.

The Sun said neither man has a bank account, leading lottery organizers to investigate how they obtained the bank-issued debit card that paid for the 10 pound ($13) scratch card.

Camelot, which runs the lottery, said Friday it couldn't confirm details of the story because of winner-anonymity rules. The firm said it holds a "thorough investigation" if there is any doubt about a claim.

Source: Fox News World

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Joe Biden has a big 2020 announcement; Putin and Kim have ‘good’ nuke talks

Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's a look at what you need to know today ...

Ready, set ... Joe? Biden expected to launch 2020 presidential campaign
After months of speculation, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to officially announce Thursday morning that he’s joining the crowded field of Democrats running for president in 2020. Biden is expected to release a video with his announcement. Despite the recent #MeToo controversy where several women accused him of touching them inappropriately at events, Biden, 76, has remained at the top of most public opinion polls. His strongest competition for the Democratic nomination right now is Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 77, who has stirred controversy this week for his support for allowing prisoners to vote. Sanders also has faced tough crowds at recent town halls and gatherings, most recently at a She The People Forum devoted to women of color in Houston on Wednesday night, where hecklers left the self-described democratic socialist visibly frustrated.

When Kim met Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday they had good talks about their joint efforts to resolve a standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear program, amid stalled negotiations with the United States. Speaking at the start of the talks at a university on Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok, Putin voiced confidence that Kim's visit will "help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now." Kim's trip to Russia, his first, comes about two months after his Hanoi summit with President Trump failed because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. Putin, observers say, wants to expand Russia's clout in the region and gain more leverage with Washington. - The Associated Press

To impeach or not to impeach?
Leading Democrats and 2020 Democratic candidates for president have been divided over whether to pursue impeachment against President Trump since last week's release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report, which found no evidence of collusion and did not draw a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Despite various ongoing congressional investigations of Trump, which the president has vowed to fight, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not want to pursue it. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., known for rallying supporters with her cries to "impeach 45," now seems hesitant. And Hillary Clinton has cautioned House Democrats in a Washington Post op-ed against immediately launching impeachment proceedings against Trump and urged the party to widen its platforms to a more “sensible agenda” for the upcoming elections.

Fox News legal analyst and commentator Gregg Jarrett agrees with Clinton, telling “The Todd Starnes Show” on Wednesday that attempts by Democrats to impeach Trump would be "poison for them." President Trump may likely address the Democrats' impeachment dilemma when he talks to Sean Hannity tonight in an exclusive interview on "Hannity" at 9 p.m. ET.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Jewish group calls for controversial freshman lawmaker's removal from committees, Democratic Party
One of America’s oldest Jewish organizations called Wednesday for U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., to be removed from congressional committees and from the Democratic Party. In an editorial posted on its website, the Zionist Organization of America, which dates to 1897, pointed to what it described as Tlaib’s “anti-Israel record,” and accused the freshman congresswoman of associating with “terrorists, anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists.” “Rashida Tlaib’s anti-Israel record was already well-known before she was elected in last year’s midterm elections,” the ZOA article asserts. Since taking office in January, Tlaib has been a lightning rod for criticism from Republicans as well as from members of her own party.

Blockbuster numbers anticipated for 'Avengers: Endgame'
"Avengers: Endgame" hits U.S. movie theaters nationwide on Thursday night and marks the highly anticipated conclusion to a decade-long run for the Disney-owned Marvel series, which reintroduced several classic superheroes to modern audiences. “Avengers” has been one of Disney’s most bankable film franchises at the box office. Fox Business breaks down “Avengers: Endgame” by the numbers.


CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP.

TODAY'S MUST-READS
Tomi Lahren: California is the Golden State of Homelessness and climate change activists just don't get it.
Magic Johnson reportedly resigned from Lakers after being copied on emails about bad job performance.
'Avowed racist' offers no last words before execution for dragging death of black man in Jasper, Texas.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Facebook warns of potential $5 billion FTC fine.
How did Trump's massive tax overhaul affect the housing market?
Money myths that can derail your finances.

#TheFlashback
2002: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of the Grammy-winning trio TLC dies at age 30 of injuries suffered in an SUV crash in Honduras.
1859: Ground is broken for the Suez Canal.
1507: A world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contains the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

SOME PARTING WORDS

Watch Tucker Carlson explain how Democratic presidential candidates will try to win the nomination by "winning gold in the victimhood Olympics."

Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing.

CLICK HERE to find out what's on Fox News programming today!

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.

Source: Fox News National

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Senior Obama cyber official lobbying for China

China's government-linked telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies has hired a senior Obama administration cyber security official as a lobbyist, according to a congressional filing.

Samir Jain, former senior director for cybersecurity policy at the White House National Security Council, notified Congress March 27 that he is registering as a lobbyist for the Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Jain is now with the lobbying firm Jones Day.

According to his online biography for Jones Day, Jain worked at the White House from 2016 to 2017 and before that was an associate deputy attorney general from 2014 to 2015, where he worked on national security and computer fraud issues.

At the White House, Jain led a team responsible for cyber incident response and was chairman of an interagency group that reviewed proposed cyber operations by the U.S. government. He also worked on international issues, such as a campaign to win support for U.S.-proposed international cyber norms.

While at the Justice Department, Jain also took part in international negotiations "such as China's agreement not to engage in cyber-enabled intellectual property theft for commercial gain," his bio states.

Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Woman steals ambulance from New Mexico hospital ‘to get heroin,’ police say

A woman was arrested Saturday after stealing an ambulance from a New Mexico hospital and driving it around in circles to look for heroin before crashing it, police said.

Ashley Ulibarri, 25, allegedly stole the vehicle from the University of New Mexico Hospital where she was a patient, the Albuquerque Journal reported, citing a criminal complaint.

NEW MEXICO MAN ARRESTED AFTER POLICE ALLEGEDLY FIND DOZENS OF DIAMONDS IN ANAL CAVITY

She was discharged from the hospital and went into an ambulance, which had its doors open, the newspaper reported. She then allegedly drove the vehicle around and got into a different ambulance.

Ulibarri allegedly drove the second ambulance down a street before hitting a pole and getting stuck, according to the Albuquerque Journal. She reportedly then hopped onto a gurney and pretended she was a patient.

She allegedly told an officer she “wanted to get heroin so she took the ambulance to find some.” She told police she hurt her back in the crash and was taken back to the hospital, the paper reported.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ulibarri faces an unlawful taking of a motor vehicle charge.

Source: Fox News National

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Ex-McKinsey chief Gupta says he was in solitary for weeks in U.S. jail

FILE PHOTO: Rajat Gupta departs Manhattan Federal Court after being sentenced in New York
FILE PHOTO: Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc board member Rajat Gupta departs Manhattan Federal Court after being sentenced in New York, October 24, 2012. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

March 26, 2019

By Martin Howell

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Rajat Gupta, one of the most prominent members of the global financial elite until he was convicted of insider trading in 2012, has revealed he was kept in solitary confinement for weeks during his incarceration in an American federal prison.

Gupta, who ran the global management consultants McKinsey for nine years and was on the board of investment bank Goldman Sachs, said he was twice placed in a “special housing unit” – a euphemism for solitary confinement – at the Devens Correctional Facility in Ayer, Massachusetts.

The first time was only for a week but the second time he had to spend seven weeks there. And after that, Gupta said, he was transferred to a higher security federal prison on an adjoining site because prison officers decided he wasn’t suitable for a camp-type lockup because of his “poor living skills”.

There he joined more violent offenders for the final eight months of his time in jail. Altogether, he was locked up for 19 months before being released in January 2016.

India-born Gupta, now 70, disclosed his ordeal in his autobiography, Mind Without Fear, which was published this week, and in an interview with Reuters in New Delhi.

A representative of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on Gupta’s claims.

Gupta said when he was taken to the special housing unit the first time, he was handcuffed, strip-searched, given a special orange uniform to wear, called “the bad guy” by prison officers, lost access to almost all his possessions (such as a music player), and denied almost all access to visitors.

On the second occasion, his visitation rights were taken away for 60 days – more than the whole length of the solitary confinement.

Gupta said the first episode of solitary occurred because he bent down to tie his shoe lace just as the prison officer did one of the daily stand-up counts of prisoners. The second because he had created a pillow for his sore back by sewing together two towels and thus created an unauthorized object regarded as contraband.

HINDU HOLY BOOK

Exercise during those weeks in solitary consisted of walking around a cage thirty feet by 10 feet once a day. There was also the chance of a few muttered greetings to other inmates walking the cage.

“I followed the rules as best I could, but I didn’t walk around like a repentant criminal. I felt more like a political prisoner,” Gupta says in the book of his relatively harsh treatment.

He says it was only by persuading guards not to take away his copy of the ancient Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita, with its teachings on ethical dilemmas and the path to salvation, that helped keep him sane.

Gupta, who was found guilty by a New York jury of providing boardroom secrets he learned at Goldman to hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, still insists he is innocent of the charges under which he was convicted. Rajaratnam was locked up in the same higher security prison as Gupta after being convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy and the two met and even played cards and chess together there.

Gupta said his father was a political prisoner during India’s fight for independence from colonial ruler Britain. Ashwini Gupta was locked up repeatedly, beaten in jail until his flesh split open and lost one of his lungs to tuberculosis after being put in the same cell as an infected prisoner, according to Rajat Gupta.

“In many ways our situations could not have been more different – he was jailed for a noble cause and a high-minded ideal; I was jailed for alleged personal gain, for a fabricated white collar-crime and, at most, a careless mistake.”

He said he thinks his father “would have been proud of the way I behaved in prison”.

But was Gupta himself too proud? And did this make his sentence tougher than it might have been? “Perhaps,” he acknowledges.

He said that he never heard his father “express a hint of bitterness or resentment towards the British” and Gupta said he was determined to be free of anger towards those whose actions had led to his imprisonment.

In his book, though, Gupta very much divides the world into individuals and organizations who supported him through his roughest days, and those who acted against his interests or simply stopped taking his phone calls.

There were plenty on both sides of the ledger.

(Reporting by Martin Howell; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: OANN

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Darkness lingers for Venezuela's most vulnerable

Darkness has yet to lift for 72-year-old Elizabeth Guzman and thousands of her poor neighbors in a forgotten corner of Venezuela's capital that was barely getting by even before the lights went out over a week ago.

As the sun sets each day, Guzman lights a homemade oil lamp and holds it in one hand as she navigates the stairs and narrow passages up to the windowless room that she calls her "little cave."

"I've never see a crisis like this. It's the first time," said Guzman, who is malnourished and frail. "It makes me so sad."

Venezuela's power grid crashed on March 7, throwing almost all of the oil-rich nation's 30 million residents into chaos. Many struggled to find cell phone signals to call loved ones, the Caracas metro ground to a halt, hospital services collapsed, and massive looting was reported across the country.

President Nicolas Maduro blamed the blackouts on a U.S.-led cyberattack targeting the Guri Dam, the main engine of Venezuela's power grid. U.S. officials and Juan Guaido countered that the allegation is absurd and that the socialist government had looted public coffers for years, causing key infrastructure to collapse.

While the power eventually surged back to life across most of Venezuela, however, residents in the hillside Caracas slum of Santa Cruz of the East only say they are losing hope they'll ever have lights again.

As a result of a second explosion at a substation near the slum, manhole covers were blown into the air, flames burst into the night sky, and charred electrical machinery smoldered for days.

Irritated residents have been left to see the darkness as a symbol of their misery.

Guzman, whose health troubles and age prevent her from working as a housekeeper, says she moved to Santa Cruz of the East from a nearby neighborhood last year after her home of 43 years burned in an electrical fire.

Now, each time she lights her oil lamp, she fears a terrifying repeat of the day when she lost nearly everything.

On a recent evening, Guzman held up a candle to illuminate pictures of her two sons and grandchildren.

She had already unplugged her microwave, toaster oven and television in case a surprise power surge sparked another fire.

"I'll sincerely tell you that I have no hope this will ever get fixed," she said, managing to smile. "Never."

Guzman's meager government pension equals $6 a month, which enables her to pay rent equivalent to 66 cents.

But affording food is a daily struggle. Her weight dropped from 143 pounds (65 kilograms) to below 100 pounds (45 kilograms) in the last two years, and she said her doctor diagnosed her as malnourished. She also lives with painful hernias and can't afford pills needed to control her hypertension, causing her to sometimes slip into depression.

As day turned to night, singing poured out from the nearby House of Mercy Church, where fading sunlight had turned the figures of members into silhouettes.

Other residents held up flashlights as two men lugged drums of water up several twisting flights of stairs to a house.

"Do you see how the poor people live?" said Charles Belisario, adding that he and his wife would use the water to bathe and clean.

Belisario, 49, said he's able to survive better than most of his neighbors because his daughter sends money she earns from working in medical research in New Jersey.

In the distance, two modern high rises glowed with lights.

Dilia Rosa Gelis, 74, said she holds firm to her faith, but was struggling with the harsh reality.

Her daughter had gone to bed without eating, which gives her headaches, Gelis said the following morning.

"If God created us, why does he make us suffer?" she wondered aloud, wiping tears from her eyes.

Guzman, like Gelis, also asked hard questions.

She said she had tuned out the political debate over whether political newcomer Guaido has what it takes to oust Maduro.

Instead, she said, she is focused on meeting her basic needs.

"We don't have water. We don't have lights," she said. "How am I supposed to see in this cave where I live? I'm desperate."

___

Follow Scott Smith on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ScottSmithAP

Source: Fox News World

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

April 26, 2019

By Rupam Jain and Hameed Farzad

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani encouraged newly-elected lawmakers to participate in the peace process with the Taliban as he opened on Friday the first session of parliament since a controversial election.

Ghani has invited thousands of politicians, religious scholars and rights activists to an assembly known as a loya jirga next week to discuss ways to end the 17-year war.

Several opposition leaders have said they will boycott the four-day assembly in Kabul, saying it was pulled together without their input and is being used by Ghani as he seeks a second term in a September presidential election.

“We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it,” Ghani said in the first session since parliamentary elections marred by technical problems, militant attacks and accusations of voting fraud last year.

“Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament,” he added.

Officials from the United States and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks to end the Afghan war.

U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001.

The insurgents have so far rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country’s political future that would include Afghan government officials.

The loya jirga, a centuries-old institution used to build consensus among competing tribes, factions and ethnic groups, is an attempt by Ghani to influence the peace talks and cement his position for a second term, Afghan politicians and Western diplomats say.

Amid growing political divisions in Kabul, opposition politicians have demanded that Ghani step down when his mandate ends next month, and give way to an interim government to oversee peace talks with the Taliban. Ghani has ruled that out.

The country’s top court said last week Ghani can stay in office until the presidential election in September.

(Reporting by Hameed Farzad, Rupam Jain, Editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Thursday defended special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation while slamming former President Barack Obama’s administration for being slow to take action on Russian interference in U.S. elections and ex-FBI Director James Comey for telling Congress the agency was investigating collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes,” Rosenstein said in a speech to the Armenian Bar Association, marking his first public remarks after the Mueller report was released, reports CBS News.

He also pointed out that the investigation revealed a pattern of computer hacking and the use of social media to undermine elections as “only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Obama administration also made “critical decisions,” including choosing not to publicize the full story about Russian hackers and social media trolling, “and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,” said Rosenstein.

He noted that the Mueller probe began after Comey disclosed during a hearing before Congress that President Donald Trump “pressured him to close the investigation and the president denied that the conversation occurred.”

Rosenstein said two years ago, when he was confirmed, he was told by a Republican senator that he would be in charge of the probe and that he’d report the results to the American people.

However, he said he didn’t promise to do that, because it is “not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province
FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei’s factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – Britain must get to the bottom of the leak of confidential discussions during a top-level security meeting about the role of China’s Huawei Technologies in 5G network supply chains, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday.

News that Britain’s National Security Council, attended by senior ministers and spy chiefs, had agreed on Tuesday to bar Huawei from all core parts of the country’s 5G network and restrict its access to non-core elements was leaked to a national newspaper.

The leak of secret discussions has sparked anger in parliament and amongst Britain’s intelligence community. Britain’s most senior civil servant Mark Sedwill has launched an inquiry and written to ministers who were at the meeting.

“My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week,” said Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing.

“To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here,” he told Reuters in a pooled interview.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday he could not rule out a criminal investigation. The majority of the ministers at the NSC meeting have said they were not involved, according to media reports.

Hammond said he was unaware of any previous leak from a meeting of the NSC.

“It’s not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. It’s not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room.”

Allowing Huawei a reduced role in building its 5G network puts Britain at odds with the United States which has told allies not to use its technology at all because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this.

There have been concerns that the NSC’s conclusion, which sources confirmed to Reuters, could upset other allies in the world’s leading intelligence-sharing network – the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

However, British ministers and intelligence officials have said any final decision on 5G would not put critical national infrastructure at risk. Ciaran Martin, head of the cyber center of Britain’s main eavesdropping agency, GCHQ, played down any threat of a rift in the Five Eyes alliance.

(Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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President Trump on Friday said “no money” was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, after reports that the U.S. received a $2 million hospital bill from Pyongyang for the late American prisoner’s care.

“No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist[sic] hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!” Trump tweeted Friday.

NORTH KOREA GAVE US $2M HOSPITAL BILL OVER CARE OF AMERICAN OTTO WARMBIER, SOURCES SAY

The Washington Post first reported that North Korean authorities insisted the U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier, 21, who was a student of the University of Virginia, sign a pledge to pay the bill before allowing Warmbier’s comatose body to return to the United States. Sources confirmed the bill and the amount to Fox News on Thursday.

Sources told the post that the envoy signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions from the president, but a source told Fox News that the U.S. did not ever pay money to North Korea.

The White House declined to comment when asked on the bill, with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying in a statement that: “We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration.”

Meanwhile, the president added: “’President[sic] Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid.’ Cheif[sic] Hostage Negotiator, USA!”

Warmbier was on tour in North Korea when he allegedly stole a propaganda sign from a hotel. He was arrested in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016. Warmbier, for unknown reasons, fell into a coma while in custody and was held in that condition for an additional 17 months.

North Korean officials did not tell American officials until June 2017 that Warmbier had been unconscious the entire time. He died less than a week after he returned to the U.S. North Korean officials, though, have repeatedly denied accusations that Warmbier was tortured, instead claiming that he had suffered from botulism and then slipped into a coma after taking a sleeping pill.

AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD IN NORTH KOREA ON THEIR WAY HOME AFTER POMPEO VISIT, TRUMP SAYS

Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their son’s death and in December were awarded $501 million in damages – money that the Hermit Kingdom will probably never pay.

While the Warmbiers blamed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump has said he believes Kim’s claims that he did not know about the student’s treatment.

Trump and Kim have met in two separate summits. The most recent, held in February, ended without an agreement on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told Fox News: “Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused.  No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything.”

Last year, the Trump administration was also able to save three American prisoners held by North Korea. Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak Song were all detained in North Korea. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought the three Americans home last May, and said they were all in “good health.”

Fox News’ John Roberts, Rich Edson, Nicholas Kalman, and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon
Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon, South Korea, April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

April 26, 2019

SEOUL (Reuters) – K-pop and drama star Park Yu-chun was arrested on Friday on charges of buying and using illegal drugs, a court said, the latest in a series of scandals to hit the South Korean entertainment business.

Suwon District Court approved the arrest warrant for Park, 32, due to concerns over possible destruction of evidence and flight risk, a court spokesman told Reuters.

Park is suspected of having bought about 1.5 grams of methamphetamine with his former girlfriend earlier this year and using the drug around five times, an official at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said.

Park has denied wrongdoing, saying he had never taken drugs, and he again denied the charges in court, Yonhap news agency said.

Park’s contract with his management agency had been canceled and he would leave the entertainment industry, Park’s management agency, C-JeS Entertainment, said on Wednesday.

Park was a member of boyband TVXQ between 2003 and 2009 before leaving the group with two other members, forming the group JYJ.

A scandal involving sex tapes, prostitutes and secret chat about rape led at least four other K-pop stars to quit the industry earlier this year.

The cases sparked a nationwide drugs bust and investigations into tax evasion and police collusion at night clubs and other nightlife spots.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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