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Turkey pins hopes on Trump to avoid sanctions over Russia missile deal

FILE PHOTO: NATO Alliance Summit in Brussels
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks withh Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the opening ceremony of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 11, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS

April 19, 2019

By Orhan Coskun and Humeyra Pamuk

ANKARA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Turkey’s hopes of avoiding punishing U.S. sanctions over its purchase of a Russian air defense system appear increasingly pinned on intervention from Donald Trump, but the president has little leeway to counter Ankara’s many critics in Washington.

The two NATO allies have argued for months over Turkey’s order for the advanced S-400 missile defense batteries, which Washington says are incompatible with the Western alliance’s defense network and would pose a threat to U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets which Turkey also plans to buy.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and several prominent U.S. senators have warned Turkey it will face penalties for buying the S-400s under legislation which calls for sanctions against countries procuring military equipment from Russia. Turkey says as a NATO member it poses no threat to the United States and the sanctions should not apply.

Resolving the dispute could allow the two governments to turn the corner on years of tense relations. The stakes are higher for Turkey, which is mired in recession after a separate U.S. diplomatic dispute last year sparked a currency crisis that has echoed in recent weeks as ties have again frayed.

Two months before the first batch of S-400s could arrive in Turkey, a team of senior Turkish ministers visited Washington this week for talks aimed at easing the crisis, culminating in an unexpected Oval Office meeting with the president.

“We are getting signals that Trump pursues a more positive attitude than Congress,” a senior Turkish official told Reuters. “There might certainly be some steps to be taken but the search for common ground will continue.”

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters on Thursday: “We’re closer” to a final decision on the S-400s after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart. “It’s like: ‘OK, where are we stuck? How do we get unstuck?” he said of the talks, adding he was optimistic.

Few details of the White House meeting have emerged, but Turkish media quoted Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, son-in-law of President Tayyip Erdogan, as saying Trump had a “positive understanding … regarding Turkey’s needs for the S-400s.”

Other ministers and officials on the trip, including Turkey’s defense minister and Erdogan’s spokesman and national security adviser, said the visit gave Washington the chance to get a better understanding of Ankara’s point of view.

Turkey has proposed a joint working group which it believes could help convince the United States that the S-400s do not pose a direct threat to the U.S. military or its jets.

The deadline on a U.S. counter offer to sell Turkey a discounted Patriot missile defense system was extended earlier this year and remains open, according to Turkish and U.S. officials.

But neither side has given any ground publicly. Turkey reiterated the Russian purchase was a “done deal” and the U.S. administration stuck by its warning that S-400s and F-35s could not operate in the same space.

“The U.S. made clear to the Turkish side that the risk of sanctions is real if they take delivery of the S-400s,” a U.S. official told Reuters.

SANCTION THREAT

Even minor U.S. sanctions could prompt another sharp sell-off in the Turkish lira that deepens the recession in the Middle East’s largest economy. After shedding 30 percent of its value last year, the currency is down another 10 percent and markets remain on edge.

Buying military equipment from Russia leaves Turkey liable to U.S. retribution under a 2017 law known as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.

To waive any CAATSA sanctions imposed by Congress, Trump by law would have to show that the S-400 purchase was not a “significant transaction”, and that it would not endanger the integrity of NATO or adversely affect U.S. military operations.

He would also need to show in a letter to congressional committees that the deal would not lead to a “significant negative impact” on U.S.-Turkish cooperation, and that Turkey is taking, or will take, steps over a specific period to reduce its Russian-made defense equipment and weapons.

Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said he had heard Trump pledge in a phone call with the Turkish president two months ago that he would work to find a resolution to the problem. Other officials have also portrayed the U.S. president as sympathetic.

The talks were “more positive than expected” and the Americans expressed “a softer tone” than they take in public, a second senior Turkish official told Reuters.

Trump has not weighed in on Turkey in recent weeks. Even if Turkey did have his support, however, that common ground may prove elusive.

Relations between the two countries have been strained over several disputes including military strategy in the Syrian conflict, Iran sanctions, and Turkey’s requests for Washington to extradite a Muslim cleric Ankara blames for a failed 2016 military coup.

The United States has also been angered by the detention of U.S. citizens in Turkey and three locally employed U.S. consular staff, one of whom was released in January, as well as clashes between Erdogan’s security officers and protesters during a visit to Washington two years ago.

Those disagreements have left Erdogan with very few supporters in Congress, which could respond to any White House waiver with separate sanctions legislation.

In February, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill for stiff new sanctions on Russia in an effort to corner Trump into a stronger approach over meddling in U.S. elections and aggression against Ukraine.

“I don’t think it’s impossible for Turkey to get a waiver,” said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Program at The Washington Institute. “But Turkey has almost no cheerleaders in Washington and that’s why it would be an uphill battle.”

He added: “CATSAA is written with the idea that there should be almost no loopholes. So Trump has to find a really good one.”

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Mark Potter)

Source: OANN

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Trump says he did not know about Kushner’s WhatsApp messaging

FILE PHOTO: Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington
FILE PHOTO: Trump adviser Jared Kushner listen as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with his Cabinet at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

March 22, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he knew nothing about son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner’s use of the WhatsApp encrypted messaging tool, a day after a top U.S. Democratic congressman questioned the unofficial communications.

On Thursday, U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings asked the White House about Kushner’s use of the unofficial messaging application as part of his government work.

In a letter to the White House, seen by Reuters, Cummings said Kushner’s lawyer had told lawmakers about his WhatsApp use for official duties, a move that would violate current law prohibiting White House officials from using non-official electronic messaging accounts.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for Mar-A-Lago, his private club in Florida, for the weekend, denied any knowledge of Kushner’s unofficial communications.

“I know nothing about it. I’ve never heard that, I’ve never heard about it,” the Republican president said.

Cummings in his letter on Thursday said Kushner lawyer Abbe Lowell also told Congress that Ivanka Trump – the president’s daughter, Kushner’s wife and also a top White House adviser – continued to use a personal email account for official business. That would also violate the Presidential Records Act.

Lowell, in a separate letter to Cummings, called the Democratic committee chairman’s characterization of earlier comments “not completely accurate.”

The lawyer denied telling Congress members Kushner had communicated through any app with foreign “leaders” or “officials” but said that instead Kushner had used such apps for communicating with “some people,” whom he did not specify.

Lowell also denied saying that Ivanka Trump continued to receive emails related to official business on a personal account. He said Ivanka Trump “always forwards official business to her White House account.”

In the 2016 presidential race, Trump railed against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state, inspiring chants at his rallies of “lock her up.” The FBI and the Department of Justice investigated Clinton but brought no charges.

Kushner’s communications, particularly with foreign leaders, have been under scrutiny since the presidential campaign, and questions have been raised about his security clearance.

WhatsApp is owned by Facebook Inc.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Source: OANN

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Large, flightless bird that killed Florida man set to be auctioned

A large, flightless exotic bird likened to a 'living dinosaur' and infamous for killing its 75-year-old owner in Florida this month is back on the market.

The razor-clawed cassowary is one of among 100 exotic animals from the departed owner's estate going up for auction.

Gulf Coast Livestock Auction said in a Facebook post the auction of the killer cassowary is in accordance with the last wishes of Marvin Hajos.

"One of Marvin’s wishes were his animals be sold at auction as soon as possible," the group said. "This is an absolute auction and complete dispersal of his animal collection."

FLORIDA OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING AFTER LARGE EXOTIC BIRD KILLS 75-YEAR-OLD OWNER

The auction is to be held Saturday at noon and is billed as featuring "rare, odd and unusual breeds." Members of the news media, in addition to video recording devices, are banned from the event.

"Anyone seen video taping in any capacity will be deemed trespassing and will be escorted out by security," a post by the group reads. "Your video equipment may or may not be confiscated until all video recordings are distroyed (sic). Please do not comprise (sic) our position.”

Gulf Coast Livestock Auction Manager Jammi Wilson told the Gainesville Sun the business has all the licenses to proceed with the auction.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she reportedly told the paper before hanging up. “It’s really no one’s business.”

BIG FLIGHTLESS BIRD KILLS ITS OWNER AFTER STUMBLE IN FLORIDA

Alachua County Sheriff's officials said Hajos had fallen April 12 when the bird attacked him. First responders rushed Hajos to a hospital, but he died from his injuries.

“Initial information indicates that this was a tragic accident for Mr. Hajos and his family,” department spokesperson Lt. Brett Rhodenizer told the Gainesville Sun.

Earlier this month, a cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea, killed its owner when it attacked him after he fell on his property near Gainesville, Florida.

Earlier this month, a cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea, killed its owner when it attacked him after he fell on his property near Gainesville, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

Cassowaries are similar to emus, standing up to 6 feet tall and weighing up to 130 pounds.

"The cassowary is rightfully considered the most dangerous bird in the world," according to the San Diego Zoo. "Each 3-toed foot has a dagger-like claw on the inner toe that is up to 4 inches long! The cassowary can slice open any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick."

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The animals being auctioned include two double-wattled cassowaries and five ring-tailed and ruffled lemurs.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Robert Klepper said buyers must be licensed to legally possess the animals.

Fox News' Robert Gearty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Extinction Rebellion climate group calling it quits on London protests

The climate activist group that has disrupted travel recently in the London area announced Wednesday that its members -- including the ones who apparently have been sitting in trees for days -- are packing up and heading home.

Extinction Rebellion and its self-described “rebels” made headlines last week after snarling traffic and public transit in the U.K.’s capital through a series of blockades and demonstrations. The group, which is trying to force the British Parliament into accepting their climate action-related demands, now says its members will leave protest sites at the Marble Arch and Parliament Square tomorrow.

“We will leave the physical locations but a space for truth-telling has been opened up in the world,” Extinction Rebellion said in a statement. “We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency.”

The group’s statement also thanked its supporters for putting their “bodies on the line”.

CLIMATE GROUP’S ATTEMPT TO ‘SHUT DOWN’ LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT FAILS AFTER ONLY A FEW HANDFULS OF PEOPLE SHOW UP

Since the demonstrations began last Monday, police have arrested more than 1,000 of the protesters, but only about 70 are currently facing charges, the Associated Press reports.

At the height of the protests, London’s busy Waterloo Bridge was closed for days and rail travel was temporarily delayed after demonstrators glued themselves to the sides of train cars.

But the protesters’ momentum appeared to hit a major snag Friday when a hyped-up claim to “shut down” London’s Heathrow Airport turned out to be a flop.

Protesters are seen in the trees during a climate protest in Parliament Square, in London, on Tuesday. (AP)

Protesters are seen in the trees during a climate protest in Parliament Square, in London, on Tuesday. (AP)

Extinction Rebellion also has faced criticism for their protest tactics. Some have pointed out that despite wanting to save the Earth, the climate protesters have actually doing harm to it by snarling more environmentally-friendly public transit systems and forcing cars and buses to idle in gridlock traffic – and therefore belch exhaust into the atmosphere – as a result of their disruptions and roadblocks.

Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson faced similar criticism after she flew from Los Angeles to London to join in on the demonstrations last week.

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Police arrest protesters at Oxford Circus in London on Friday.

Police arrest protesters at Oxford Circus in London on Friday. (AP)

Speaking to a crowd in Oxford Circus, Thompson, according to the Associated Press, remarked that “it makes me so happy to be able to join you all and to add my voice to the young people here who have inspired a whole new movement."

Then, while in conversation with reporters, she admitted that “unfortunately sometimes I have to fly but I don't fly nearly as much as I did, because of my carbon footprint and I plant a lot of trees."

Source: Fox News World

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Iran bans Boeing 737 Max planes from its airspace

Iran says it has banned from its airspace Boeing 737 Max 8 planes alongside other nations.

A statement released Friday by the transportation ministry announced the ban.

The decision comes following two fatal crashes involving the model in the past year.

A Boeing Max plane owned by the Ethiopian Airliner crashed last week and killed all 157 people aboard. A previous crash involving the model killed 189 people in Indonesia five months before.

Iran itself has no Boeing 737 Max 8 planes due to decades-long U.S. sanctions on the country.

Source: Fox News World

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Spooked by money laundering scandal, SEB cuts Swedbank stake

FILE PHOTO: SEB logo is seen on their headquarters building in Stockholm
FILE PHOTO: The SEB logo is seen on their headquarters building in Stockholm April 28, 2010. REUTERS/Bob Strong/File Photo

April 9, 2019

By Esha Vaish

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish bank SEB’s fund management arm has cut its stake in rival Swedbank by just over half, citing risks Sweden’s biggest mortgage lender faces due to its alleged involvement in a fast-growing Baltic money laundering scandal.

Swedbank has come under heavy criticism from politicians, investors and the general public over allegations that its Baltic operations processed billions of dollars of transactions linked to Russian money laundering.

The scandal, which broke on Feb. 20, has led to Swedbank’s CEO and chairman leaving and the launch of several regulatory investigations into the bank.

SEB Fonder has reduced its Swedbank stake to just under 1 percent from just over 2 percent over the past two months, having sold nearly 5 million shares in March and over 7 million shares in February, according to the company and based on data published on Tuesday.

Before the cut, SEB was Swedbank’s 10th largest shareholder according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

“The decision to reduce ownership in Swedbank is a management decision, based on the information that is gradually published about Swedbank,” SEB Investment Management’s head Hans Ek told Reuters by email.

He added that SEB had drawn parallels with respect to price developments with other companies suspected of lacking in money laundering controls.

Swedbank shares have fallen by one third as the scandal has grown, with the latest report suggesting its Estonian accounts dealt with roughly 135 billion euros of suspicious cash, predominantly from Russian clients.

(Reporting by Esha Vaish in Stockholm, additional reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by David Evans)

Source: OANN

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‘Dear Diary’ Acosta: Trump Is Mentally Unstable

King of fake news, CNN’s Jim Acosta giddied his way through a segment Monday where he pondered why the White House constantly has to deny that President Trump is a mentally unstable white supremacist.

At no point did it cross Acosta’s mind that it may be because the fake media is constantly claiming these things as part of its obstruction agenda.

“[W]hat does it say that the top aides are defending the President’s mental fitness and denying that he’s a white supremacist?” Acosta crowed, adding “These are pretty extraordinary defenses to be out there with.”

“In any other administration, you just wouldn’t hear that kind of thing being said by a chief of staff” Acosta declared.

Then again, with any other administration in the White House, Jim Acosta wouldn’t be cashing huge checks after labeling the President ‘the enemy of the people’ in a crapped out book aimed at those suffering rampant Trump derangement syndrome.

At this point, Acosta calling Trump mentally unstable is merely part of an advertisement campaign. Anyone still believing Acosta is a legitimate journalist needs to have their own mental stability assessed.

Acosta further questioned the President’s mind by pointing to tweets from George Conway’s attorney claiming Trump has a personality disorder.

“I don’t believe he is a psychiatrist, but he’s sharing his opinion that the President’s behavior, I guess, points to some kind instability he feels that — that we see here on a daily basis.”

Yeah, he’s not a psychiatrist, just like you’re not a journalist, Jim.

“I mean, it is just another day at the office for us over here at the White House in terms of trying to address these sorts of questions.” Acosta added.

And it was another day in the office over at MSNBC also, where the Deadline panel declared that Trump’s tweets are a sign of  “crisis level psychological duress” brought on from a fear based mental “spasm”.

“There are these spasms he has where he starts tweeting this crazy stuff.” claimed former Republican campaign advisor Mike Murphy.

“I’m not sure what the cause is [rampant biased media attacks?] but we have become so dulled to Trump’s madness, I don’t know what it will take. Does he have to go run around for an aluminum foil hat? He is clearly under psychological duress here. And it, I think, is a crisis level event.” Murphy added.

If anyone needs a reference of what a mental spasm looks like, watch the video of this outburst:

Source: InfoWars

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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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